[Watch the video interview on YouTube here]
Film Courage: How does the career path of a Hollywood screenwriter usually work?
Matt Harry, Author/Screenwriter/Instructor at New York Film Academy: I feel like there’s as many pathways to being a screenwriter as there probably are ways to grow up.
There’s no apprenticeship that you can really do.
The way I think you learn screenwriting is you start writing screenplays.
The way you start making your way in the business is you start having meetings and you start working with people and you start trying to find the right people.
When I went to film school, I learned everything there was about how to make movies, how to write scripts, how to shoot them, how to edit them.
I learned very little about how the business actually works.
How do you take a meeting?
What should your resume look like?
What do you talk about in a meeting?
What’s your brand?
All that stuff I learned on my own.
Now when I teach at New York Film Academy, I try to teach that stuff as well because I think it’s at least 50% of working in the film business.
Everyone’s going to have different experiences but I think nowadays most people tend to break in by they write something that somehow gets some attention.
Either you make a video and it goes online or you win a contest or something like that.
You start to get attention from people.
And then everyone has this moment that, I’m not inventing this term, but it’s called the water bottle tour where you go around and you have all these general meetings with all the companies.
This happened to me.
It took me a while to get here because I graduated film school and then it took me about 5 years of writing scripts.
Again I was working the whole time, didn’t have a lot of time to write.
So I gave myself the goal of every year I’m going to finish one screenplay and send it to the…(Watch the video interview on YouTube here).
About:
Matt Harry has been writing since he was 10 years old. He learned to make movies at the University of Southern California, which was the closest he could get to attending Hogwarts in the real world. He has worked as an editor, screenwriter, director, producer, college professor, and pizza delivery technician. Matt has published six novels, written two immersive plays, and sold a TV pilot. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two sons, all of whom (thankfully) like to read.
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MORE VIDEOS WITH MATT HARRY
About New York Film Academy:
Founded in 1992 by Jerry Sherlock, the New York Film Academy (NYFA) provides an accessible, hands-on education in filmmaking, media, and the performing arts. With a mission to make the film industry more accessible to all, NYFA empowers students from diverse backgrounds to tell powerful stories through a project-based, immersive curriculum. Students work closely with industry professionals, gaining invaluable mentorship and real-world experience while building creative, technical, and collaborative skills. NYFA’s global community includes students from over 160 countries, fostering a network of passionate storytellers. From day one, students dive into creating projects that refine their craft and prepare them for successful careers. With a focus on practical experience and individualized support, NYFA equips students with the tools and confidence to excel in the competitive world of filmmaking and the arts.
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Nyfa.edu/location/nyfa-los-angeles
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