Does a Brit have a chance?
I’m a 20-year old university student from London, currently studying film and creative writing at Buckinghamshire University. I’ve got a few questions that I would really appreciate you answering:
- Coming from England and being a wannabe film writer, would
you suggest moving to America or at least selling to America? To me
the English movie
scene is pretty dull and lifeless. Apart from the odd Guy Ritchie film,
there’s not a lot to offer in England unless you want grim reality films
of how poor
the North of England is.
- Do you think being from England will effect my chances of selling to America in terms of dialogue etc?
(Scott actually had five questions, but other columns probably answered the other three. So let’s address the England question.)
While your assessment of the British film industry is funny, I also think it’s a little unfair. Considering its size, the U.K. has a pretty substantial film business, with a wider variety of genres than you’d admit. True, if you want non-James Bond big summer popcorn movies, you’re out of luck. But you can find good examples of almost every other kind of movie.
Unless you’re dying to leave England, my advice is to stay put and see what you can learn there, at least for a year or two. It’s much easier to make the transition to Hollywood if you have something to show for yourself.
For instance, Christopher Nolan went from the tiny-budgeted FOLLOWING (shot in the UK), to the small-budgeted MEMENTO (shot in the U.S.) to the studio feature INSOMNIA.
But if you’re sure it’s L.A.-or-nothing, then by all means come. But make sure you’re going to be able to get some kind of work or educational visa that will let you stay in the country for a few years.
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