I am interested in screenwriting and would love to break into the business. My problem is that John August is my real name. Will I have to use a different name?
I have many scripts I’m working on. Any advice on the name situation would be great!
— John August
Oakland, CA
A quick Google search will reveal there are a bunch of us John Augusts. One guy wants to abolish the Australian state governments, and has been active on the internet since Usenet days. John August Swanson is a painter, while another John August does guitar instruction books. And one specializes in interlocking pavers.
My favorite non-me John August has a site dedicated to diabetic foot problems. And here I am just answering questions about bad catering.
Unlike the Screen Actor’s Guild, which forces actors to use a unique name, there’s no prohibition in Hollywood for multiple writers having identical names. As a practical matter, though, it’s quite inconvenient. But there are a few good solutions.
- Use your middle name or initial. On IMDb, there are at least eight David Steinbergs. But the one I know, a screenwriter, is David H. Steinberg, and he’s doing very well. He writes “David H. Steinberg” on his scripts, and no one gets confused.
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Use your first and middle initials. Tom Smith is a pretty common name, so my friend’s scripts are marked T. C. Smith. He got the Nicholl Fellowship, so something worked. Initials are also a good way of concealing your gender.
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Do you like any of the variations on “John?” Jonathan, Jack, Juan, Johann? I was a week into pre-production on Go when I realized that the familiar-looking gaffer was actually a college acquaintance, John Lampassi. He was now going by Giovani Lampassi — “Gio.” People are much more likely to remember his name because, frankly, how many Gios do you know?
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How do you feel about your mother’s maiden name?
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And remember, despite what you read on this site, there are other rewarding careers out there beyond screenwriting.
Any other ego-surfing John Augusts out there, please leave a comment so we can get a headcount.