[Watch the video interview on YouTube here]
Film Courage: Can go back a moment and hear about your first screenwriting job?
How did it come about?
Were you paid?
Matt Harry, Author/Screenwriter/Instructor at New York Film Academy: My first screenwriting job I was very excited to get.
I had signed with my first manager and I got my manager through a contest.
Everything I feel like that I’ve gotten has not been through contacts in the business because I didn’t have any contacts in the business.
It was all through me sending stuff out into the world and somebody seeing it and kind of reaching out to me.
I’d won this screenplay contest called The Writer’s Arc, which was actually a writer’s fellowship where we pitched ideas and then they actually paid us to write a script over a certain amount of time.
So, that was really cool.
I met a bunch of other screenwriters, like five other screenwriters, I think they picked in my cohort and we spent six months writing that script and then took it out wide.
Then a couple years later, one of the women who ran that fellowship became a manager.
She reached out to me and said,
“Would you like me to be your manager?”
I said, “Oh my God, amazing.”
She got me my first writing job and she knew of a director who was looking had an idea but they weren’t a writer.
They wanted a screenwriter to write this idea.
It was kind of like a Martin Scorsese-ey/Tarantino gritty-crime-heist thing.
I said at the time,
“Yeah, I love those movies. I love Heat. I love Reservoir Dogs.”
I met with the director.
He pitched me the idea.
I pitched him some ideas and then she got the call.
She’s like, “He wants you to write it.” I said, “Oh my God, great.”
What is it?
She’s like it’s $5,000 and this is my first job.
I was like “Sounds fantastic.”
Someone’s going to pay me to write a script.
I ended up working that script for two years.
I only ever made $5,000.
I wrote four drafts of the script, like the entire script, and I never cracked it…(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.
BUY THE BOOK – YOU ARE A FILMMAKER: An Interactive Novel https://amzn.to/4wZO9Wt
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.
CONNECT WITH NYFA
Nyfa.edu/location/nyfa-los-angeles
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