Cinco Paul

Cinco Paul is a screenwriter who originally hails from Phoenix, Arizona. After receiving his M.F.A. from USC’s Graduate Screenwriting Program in 1993, he got his first and only agent, Frank Wuliger of the Gersh Agency, and sold his first script, “Band of Gold.” Following that he wrote screenplays for Disney, Fox, Phoenix Pictures, and Baltimore Pictures, among others. Most recently he sold his spec script “Witch Hunt” to MGM, and a pitch called “Robot Killers” to Touchstone.

Where’d you grow up and how did your interest in films start?
I’m from Phoenix, Arizona. Lived there until college. When I was there it was a small desert town. Behind my house it was desert for miles, and then gradually houses were built up more and more until now it is this huge pit… it’s like LA without any cultural advantages. (Laughs) It’s this big valley with smog. (Laughs) It’s interesting that I got into movies ’cause no one in my family had done anything in movies, writing or anything like that. We had a Super 8 camera that we took home movies with. I think when I was about eleven or twelve I started ripping off silent movie comedians. I would go to the library, watch the Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin shorts and steal their stuff, and have all the kids in the neighborhood do ’em. I did that all the way through high school– even in college the first couple of years. I did a couple of features. It was extremely expensive. An hour and half long Super 8 movie. They were all terrible. (Laughs) It was always funny because I started off stealing from the silent comedians then I stole from the Marx Brothers. They are the real reason I got involved in movies at all. I loved the Marx Brothers. Then I started stealing from Woody Allen and then stealing from Monty Python.

Where’d you go to school? You went to USC?
Well, USC was grad school. Undergrad was at Yale; which was weird since no one in my family had ever been east of El Paso. I went there and I was going to be a music major but about halfway through I switched to English.

So then you came out to ‘SC for filmic writing?
I was in the Graduate Screenwriting Program. I started film school in ’91. It was great for me because I came here not knowing anyone. I had no connections whatsoever. That became my connection, and that’s how it ultimately paid off. It (USC) also taught me structure, and got me writing seriously with people to critique me. And it was good because that’s how I got my internship at Addis-Wechsler. They only picked applications from USC and UCLA. That’s the only way I got the job. It was a paid internship. I answered phones and did a lot of coverage.

Tell me a little bit about writing your first script.
The hardest thing, I’ve come to realize, is coming up with the great idea. In a lot of ways that is so key. I’ve spent a lot of time sort of treading water trying to write something that was an okay idea. Then you get to the end of it and it is a mess and there is nothing you can do with it. During the summer (at SC) I took a class in which I wrote this thing called “Copycat” about a serial killer. And they’ve since made a movie about a copycat serial killer, but it wasn’t mine. (Laughs) Mine was about a killer who copied famous movie deaths and murders. And it was sort of this dark comedy that was pretty well received… it was my first script. The thing I learned rather quickly, which everyone should learn, is don’t think your first script is going to sell. Don’t even think about that. That’s not why you are writing it at all. You’re just writing it to write it and discover. Looking back at it now I realize I knew nothing. Every script I write I come a little closer to figuring it out, but it’s a pretty complicated process. Anyway, I started my second script… which was my thesis script. It was called “Stuck in Monday.” It was about a guy stuck in the same day. Living the same day over and over.

Nooooooooo.
Yes! So I finished my first draft the first semester and handed it into my instructor. He was just totally jazzed about this. I thought this is it. The great idea and I have executed it well. I think the night after I turned it in, I was at the movies and saw a trailer for “Groundhog Day.” It was like the room was spinning. I’ve never experienced anything like that in my life. It just destroyed me. But I just regrouped and said, ‘I can’t finish this.’ It won’t do me any good since there can be only one movie about a guy stuck in the same day. So I trashed it. I had gone to a friend of mine’s father’s funeral, and his brother, who was sort of the black sheep of the family who hadn’t seen anyone in ten years, came to the funeral. I thought that was an interesting situation, and because I am pretty twisted I came with the idea that he wants to confront his dad face to face. So finally he opens up the coffin and the head is missing, and basically it’s about a guy trying to find the head. So my thesis script became this script called “Head Case.” It was a comedy. It’s a lot more lighthearted than it sounds. (Laughs) There was this program they had (at ‘SC) with Hollywood Pictures. It was one of the scripts chosen. It was optioned by them.

Really. This was while you were still in school?
Yes. There were about eight to ten of us. So that was sort of my “in.” Because I had been working at Addis-Wechsler, they said, “You have a script, so write a cover letter and we will send it to the agents we know.” I was able to write the cover letter and say this has been optioned by Hollywood Pictures, even though it was for nothing. Basically only one agent responded, and that’s the agent I still have. Frank Wuliger. He was at Innovative Artists and now he is with the Gersh Agency. And so it worked out perfectly.  He was the perfect agent for me. Someone who was willing to groom a young writer who was just flailing around. He saw that even though “Head Case” was never going to sell, he saw that there was something in there that showed that this guy could write. And write something that had commercial potential.

What about meeting the agent? Any advice?
Here’s my advice if someone is meeting an agent for the first time. I was unprepared. I had no idea. I went into all this completely naïve. I’m still really the most naïve client that Frank has. Anyway, he told me that he liked the script, and then asked what were my other ideas. That completely threw me. I just told him couple of ideas I had been thinking of, but they were very lame. They weren’t anything he was looking for. Just off the cuff. Since then, Frank has taught me you always need to have an idea. While you are writing a script you always need to have something else. So when the script sells you can go out. When a script sells there are all these people who didn’t buy it, but still liked it and want to meet with you. It’s great after a script sells, in the next couple of weeks, to go out and meet everybody. You don’t just meet them to meet them – you pitch something.

It’s the old “So, what’s next?”.
Right. Plus that makes the meeting longer. (Laughs) I missed the boat both times I sold scripts. I wasn’t prepared with a follow-up pitch. What he (Frank) did then after I signed up with him was say, “I want you to come up with three ideas and then pitch them to me.” So that was what I did. I pitched him three ideas, and one of them was “Band of Gold.” Which was the first script I sold. He said that’s it…that’s the one to write.

Then what?
He said you usually pick one idea you are going to pitch and then one idea you are going to write, but this one he really liked so let’s pitch it and write it. So I was pitching it at a couple places, and everyone turned it down, but at the same time I was writing it on the side. That was a really valuable experience because as I was writing it and pitching it everywhere I kept getting feedback and refining the pitch more and more.

Weren’t you worried about burning up the idea in any way, and people weren’t going to want to look at it later?
That’s always a danger. But I was just a fledgling. I was just a nobody. All I had was “Head Case.” That was the script they were sending out to get me meetings. And based on “Head Case” I got my first job which was a cheap rewrite.

This was your first official writing assignment?
Yes. My first assignment. It was a small rewrite on this script called “Steps.” Which was this dark comedy about some guy who keeps killing off his evil stepmother.

So what about doing rewrites for someone else then?
I have a problem with doing that (rewrites). It’s hard. The problem is, whoever wants the rewrite usually wants a lot less done than what I want. (Laughs) You wouldn’t believe the lame comedies out there. It’s just amazing what people have put a lot of money into. They give it to you and think you can just add funny lines to it and make it funny. But when a script isn’t funny it’s not about the lines, it’s about the story and the conflicts… there’s so much more that needs fixing. I’ve never had a stomach for that. I always feel like there is more work to be done. I think that I’ve missed out on quite a few jobs because I come into the meeting presenting much more than they wanted done.

Tell me more about “Band of Gold” then?
It’s about a doctor who’s about to get married, and he is entrusted with his fiancee’s family’s priceless heirloom wedding ring. He has to hold on to it until the wedding, but he accidentally sews it up inside this patient. And in the process of trying to get the ring out in time for the wedding, he falls in love with the woman the ring’s sewn up in.

Did they make this or do anything with it?
No. It’s sad to say. It was sold and it was such a big deal. It was set up at Columbia and had a director attached. I did a rewrite with the director. And then things went sour.

What happened leading up to this?
It was a preemptive bid. My agent called and said the studios haven’t had the chance to read it but there are certain production entities that have their own money to buy scripts. So this one group called CinemaLine has put in a preemptive bid which was, “by six o’clock tonight tell us yes or no and we will pay you this.” My agent said we can wait for the studios to read it, and then maybe you can get a bidding war. But I’ve never been a gambler so I said, “fine, let’s go with it.” I look back at that moment a lot, not because of the money involved, but because if I had let it go it might’ve ended up somewhere else and gotten made. I just took it because I couldn’t have lived with myself if it hadn’t sold. My agent said this will at least put you on the map. So it was sold and they got a director attached almost right away. I did a couple of rewrites with him. It was fun…an exciting time. It was a great learning experience. I thought it was going to get made but then things went bad. Now it’s just in turnaround. Whenever I go into a meeting everyone always asks, “Whatever happened to ‘Band of Gold?'”

After “Band of Gold” then what?
I went after assignments.

How do you feel about notes on your scripts? Do you use them as a guideline or a bible?
Underlying it all is these people are paying. It’s what I’ve gotta do. Most of the time the notes I have gotten were really good. People whine and moan about notes. For the most part, the ones I’ve gotten are good, but you have to pick the ones to fight for. More often or not they will listen to reason, if you pick the right ones. You’re the writer and a good thing to use is “Well, I tried that.” (Laughs) That one works the best. I found that that works best if you say, “You know what, I tried that already and it didn’t work..” And they go, “Hey, look, he tried it.” Most executives know that trying to force a writer to write against his gut is the worst thing…it’s the worst thing possible. And they don’t want that either. Most of them are torn, and they want you to write what you are excited about and what you believe, but they have their own vision. But what I’ve found is– and this is the reason I don’t sweat notes that much– is because one of the most important parts of the writing process is working within confines. Screenwriting is governed by a ton of rules already about having to do this or that – and a few more has never bothered me. If someone wants this there, fine. I can make it work.

Rather than cross your arms you take it as a challenge?
Yeah. People have said all the time “You are one of the easiest writers to work with.” Maybe that’s because I am a wimp about things. (Laughs) Frank, my agent, says this as well… they’re the ones paying you. If you want to do your own thing go write a novel. Also it’s important to be a nice person. In this town people like to work with people they like. They want someone who will be fun to work with, and won’t give them a lot of attitude. It’s important that you leave them with a good feeling. You can take criticism and their notes well – let it roll off your back. Actually execute the notes they give you. Executives are constantly amazed when they get this (a script), they’re like, “Wow, you did all things I said.” I’m like, “Hey, it’s my job.” It really counts a lot to listen and execute what they say.

Let’s talk about your writing process. What are your steps?
It’s always the idea first. My ideas are usually a plot idea. I know it’s probably best to start with character, but I don’t do that much. Usually, “ring…sewn in girl.” Or “the supermodels are witches.” That’s what I usually start with, and then I think who the characters are, and then I outline. This comes from ‘SC. Which is the eight sequence structure. That’s how I learned it and that’s what I do. I figure out what the act breaks are and then divide it into the eight sequences. Just sort of thinking in my head how it’s going to work. Nothing in stone yet. I do a ton of outlining before I start. I really know where I am going. I’ve never written a script without knowing what the ending is.

Do you have people read your outlines?
I usually don’t unless I’m having a problem with something. At this point I don’t like to. Your outline is so rough. It’s mostly just notes for me.

Once you have the outline done it’s just page one then?
Then I just start writing. Generally I’ve got a really strong idea what the first couple of scenes are, so that goes well. If I ever write a script where I don’t know what the third scene is it frustrates the heck out of me. (Laughs) But I usually have it pretty well worked out, because I’m pretty anal about plot and structure and all that kind of stuff.

Do you write everyday?
I have a family, so I write 9 to 5. That’s about it. It’s not always writing – it’s thinking and sitting around. I don’t write at the computer. I have legal pad and I sit and I write and I’ll get ready for the scene. I’ll just scrawl all over the pad about that scene. Notes, or snippets of dialogue, or little ideas for funny things to happen.

You do that for basically every scene or a few scenes in a row?
Yeah, a few scenes in a row. What I do is when I write I write one sequence at a time. So there are eight sequences – each are 12 to 15 pages. I just start one sequence at a time and I divide that up into its scenes. Then I just start to write. My notepads will have stuff in the corner and here and there, so I sit that in front of me at the computer and piece it all together. Half of the time I spend on a script is spent before I even start writing.

Usually how long does it take you to write a script once you done all this planning?
Typically it takes about four months. However, “Witch Hunt,” the last one that sold, was a lot faster. I was sick of reading about people who wrote their script in four weeks. I said come on, I’m gonna do it. I had just spent six months working on a script that was not a great idea. It was an okay idea — I just got nowhere on it. So I said, “I’m going to write this in a short amount of time.” Two months later it sold. It was the most amazing feeling. I thought about it for a while, but then I just wrote it as fast as I could. I think it shows in the writing. The pacing of it. It’s got an exciting sense of discovery. I just sold a pitch to Touchstone called “Robot Killers” and I’m gonna do the same thing. It works. Why spend all that time when you can come up with something just as good, if not better, writing at a fast pace?

When writing at that fast pace you don’t edit yourself a lot?
Yeah, but the reason you can go that fast is because you have it all structured out. Because I had a very clear idea where that story was going and what each act was like, that’s why I was able do it so fast.

Do you rewrite much while you go along?
Yeah, I’m terrible about that. You know, you turn on the computer and open up the file, and then you just start at page one until you get to where you left off before. I do it all the time. It’s never really bogged me down. People have warned against that. Generally because of this the first half of my scripts are much stronger than the second half. (Laughs) Because the first half has been rewritten mercilessly all the way through, and then by the time I get to the third act I’m never going back there again. I just write it and I’m not looking at rewriting all the time. I would warn against it, but I wouldn’t worry if that’s what you do as a habitual re-writer.

What’s the first thing you do when you finish a script?
I give it to a couple of friends to read and get their notes. It’s people in the business who are writers. One’s a really close friend of mine that I went to film school with who reads all my stuff. I have them put check marks every time they think something’s funny. Then I go through and cut out anything that didn’t have a check mark by it. (Laughs) One of the keys to making a script funnier is cutting out the stuff that’s not funny. One of the hardest things about comedy is I never know. I finish this 120 pages and I may be the only person in the world that thinks it’s funny. That’s the scary thing. I have a decent sense of humor but it’s kind of an odd sense of humor, too. I worry about that.

Once that’s done?
I give it to my agent. I didn’t actually have a manager at the time.

You have a manager too?
This is what happened with “Witch Hunt.” I gave it to my agent and he was thinking that (my) career was at a slow point. So he said he was going to give it to a couple of managers. He gave it to two managers. One of them didn’t respond. The other one thought it was amazing – Linne Radmin. She freaked out and said we can sell this tomorrow. Coincidentally “Men in Black” had come out two days before. It’s a similar story – two guys battling some supernatural force, a big special effects comedy.

It’s interesting that your agent sent it to a manager? Usually think of agents and managers not liking each other. One invading the other’s turf.
Yeah, but Frank really felt it was good for me to get a manager, and that it would help my career. And she definitely has. They work together and get along well. They fight about some stuff. But she really pushed, and I think she convinced my agent that this would really sell. And so we did a quick week’s worth of rewrites on it based on their notes. We went off with it on Monday and then we got a preemptive offer on Wednesday… MGM bought it. And that was it… terribly exciting.

And what is the status with it?
That one is going to get made. That is so close. It is almost there. I think they are counting on it as their summer 1999 movie. It’s probably going to happen very soon… it’ll be my first.

Did they give you notes? Did you do more work on it for them?
They bought it and I did a rewrite for them. They were really excited. Then they went to some directors… some really big time directors. Made them some huge offers, but the directors turned us down. So then the got antsy and hired this other guy to do a rewrite. And that didn’t work out. Then four months later they come running. The executive came to me and so I was rushed in and did another rewrite. And actually the script now is by far the best (draft).

So between “Band of Gold” and now with “Witch Hunt” what had you worked on?
I did “Mr. Ed” for Disney. I then did a script called “Film Camp” for Barry Levinson and Baltimore Pictures. It was a really good experience, it was one of my favorite scripts; but it didn’t happen.

Was it an idea they had?
It was an idea Barry Levinson had had. I had a couple of meetings with him and then I just wrote it. He thought it was good but he wasn’t enthusiastic enough to push it through, so it didn’t happen. And then I did “Gomer Pyle” for Savoy Pictures and it’s interesting because Savoy got bought right after I got started. I turned in my draft to business affairs. Then I did a script called “Gravedale High” for David Kirschner and Fox Family. These were all other people’s ideas. They came in with the idea and I just wrote it from scratch. Then I did a script called “Ladyfingers” for Bette Midler and Phoenix Pictures. That came awfully close. Also did work on “Cats Don’t Dance.” That was also David Kirschner. That was so much fun. I was meeting with them almost everyday. Meeting with the director. They had about half of it animated. They actually used a lot of my stuff. It was my first experience of having something made.

What was that like coming in like that?
Whenever I’d ask them how the script had come about they’d just laugh. They didn’t even want to talk about it. It apparently had gone through so many writers and so much stuff. It was always interesting to see where they painted themselves in corners. It was “how can we make this scene work?” For me it was coming up with funny lines and the heart of different scenes. Half of it was still just storyboards. I didn’t get a front credit, but because it was animation they didn’t have to follow Guild rules so at the end it says “Additional Screenplay Material by Cinco Paul.” It was fun because it was a kid movie and I could bring my daughter to it. I just remember watching it with her and hearing her laugh and hearing people laugh at my stuff. So that was my first big thrill. I want more… (Laughs) After “Ladyfingers” I had sort of a dry spell. Probably from January of ’97 to July or August ’97. I was writing this other script that just didn’t work out. It was a frustrating time. But the key is that it’s hills and valleys. That’s what this career is like. If you’re smart you know that that’s going to come up and you just save for it. This sort of career is scary.

Lately?
I sold a pitch to Touchstone called “Robot Killers.” That’s been tons of fun to write. I think they are also thinking Summer of 1999 for that too. It’s been tons of research – going all over the internet and looking at conspiracy theories and hidden technology — all this freaky stuff. It has been so much fun to research. I’ve never had more fun writing a script than this one. I have also been writing some animation stuff for Disney. I wrote a couple of Mickey Mouse and Goofy shorts for something called “Mickey’s Camp Fire Tales.” Mickey, Goofy, and Donald sitting around a camp fire telling scary stories.

So what’s it like going in and getting these writing assignments?
You go in and they tell you what it is. More and more they really want a fully developed take (on the story). They want the whole story. They want the characters. You start off telling them what your idea is of the character, and what the eight sequences are — all three acts.

How about pitch meetings? What usually happens?
So “so and so” has an idea. They tell you the idea on the phone or in person. You have to work out it all out. Then I have to go in there. I usually start off with “Meet Joe Blow… Joe is such and such and such and such…” and then go into the story. I pitch it beat by beat. I usually have the eight sequences worked out. You have to be really thorough. You have to have a beginning, middle, and end. And make sure your Act II is filled with lots of stuff so they don’t wonder what Act II’s about. You have to make sure you know the ending and you know the twist in the middle of Act III. It’s really detailed – usually about twenty minutes.

Do you feel that there is a certain art to it? Do you bring in stuff?
I have gotten comments that my pitches are like dinner theater. (Laughs) But I take that in nice way. I do kind of put on a show and do voices of characters. Music is always a big part of stories I come up with, so I’ll sing a little even. Not do a number, but sing a couple of lines. I was just pitching this thing to Touchstone, something else, and I screamed bloody murder two times in the middle of the pitch. It made everybody laugh, jolted them out of the idea that this was a “meeting.” I always sit, but you have to be really animated and make it come alive for them. Try to do the characters, and have snippets of dialogue going back and forth. ‘Cause then they really see that it’s a movie. That’s key. This has come from going to tons of pitch meetings. And you should practice out loud before. Talk in front of a mirror. I go over it in my head. Early on I almost had it scripted too much, but now I let it go… and stay a little loose so I can come up with jokes when I’m with them. The thing with comedy is there’s so much pressure: you gotta make them laugh.

What about things to say or not say?
If you are meeting with someone you should know what films they have been involved with. Today on a conference call I ridiculed some movie and the guy was Executive Producer on the movie. He’d been mentioning this movie as an example, and I said something like well yeah if you do this then it won’t have three beginnings like “such and such” movie had. He said “yeah, you should have seen it, when we started it had four.” As soon as he said “we” I thought oh my goodness was he involved with this? I called my agent right afterwards and he goes yeah he was the executive producer. You should know what movies they have done.

Do you read a lot on screenwriting?
I don’t as much anymore. I love the book “The Screenwriter’s Journey,” the whole Joseph Cambell mythology, about all the archetypes. I have both Linda Seger’s books: “Making a Good Script Great” and the one on character. I keep looking at “Making a Good Script Great” as I’m writing a script. I think, “Am I covering all this stuff?” There are basics about conflict. What is your main character’s conflict? I do read that book a lot.

What about theme or point? Do you worry about it much?
I absolutely do. It’s one of the most fun things about writing for me. That was the best part about “Witch Hunt” – the supermodels are evil witches. You have an automatic built-in theme of “Beauty is only skin deep.” It’s fun to take a script like that– and I don’t think people even notice this stuff– and secretly put in little stuff about the theme everywhere. Little hints and clues. People have said my scripts (“Witch Hunt” and “Robot Killers”) poke fun at some of the quirks in society. Supermodels and our beauty worshiping society, that’s what “Witch Hunt” is about, even though it is sort of this wild special effects comedy – that’s what it’s really about. So that’s what makes it all worthwhile. That’s what makes me think that I’m not just writing some dumb comedy with supermodels in lingerie. (Laughs) There’s a little more to it than that. Even though nobody cares but me. (Laughs)

How do you work it all in?
I think about it. At least on the last few scripts. I think that’s what’s made my recent scripts better. In every scene you need to be thinking what the theme is. The problem with too many scripts is they don’t think about theme. They (writers) don’t know what it’s about until they’re deep into it. I’ve worked on some stuff doing rewrites where they had no idea. It’s sort of like brainstorming – What is this? What is this movie really about? The way I write I need to know that before I start. Maybe it changes a little as you are working through, but it’s always in there.

What about thoughts on descriptions? Over write? Under write? Tips?
I never do more than four lines of description. (Laughs) I think that people just get bogged down. Short and snappy. I’ve never been one to write funny insider stuff in scripts. Mine are pretty basic and straightforward. Keep it short. I have no rules about dialogue. I don’t mind if a whole page is dialogue. If people are talking and stuff is going on it doesn’t bother me.I think some of the best scenes I’ve written have a block of dialogue that almost takes up the whole page.

Favorite scripts? Do you read much?
Yeah, I go to “Drew’s Script O’Rama.” (Laughs) I download stuff. I think “IQ” (by Andy Breckman) is one of the most brilliant and funniest scripts I have ever read. The script was totally destroyed when they made the movie. I still read that script. That script is a guide for me. It’s such a brilliant script. It’s so well-formulated: the lie…the little lie that snowballs. I also study Preston Sturges’ scripts.

Any overall advice to up and coming writers?
If I could give advice to writers…come up with a great idea first. You’ve got to make sure you have that really special, fun idea that’s going to lead to something orginal and fun and exciting.

Is that enough to get it to sell?
If it’s a great idea executed well. That’ll sell every time. Some scripts are bought just because it is a great idea and they’re gonna develop it. A great idea executed well will sell every time – it’s got to. In a way I feel guilty, it’s such a high concept way of thinking, but I love those kind of movies. I love “Splash” and “Tootsie.”

What about trends? Do you say hey they buying a lot of horror movies so I’m gonna write a horror movie?
No. I don’t do that at all. Besides, I only do comedy. (Laughs) Craig (Carlson) already quoted me on this You want to be pigeon-holed. You should pick what you are best at and write a bunch of script that are that style. Which for me is comedy. I think that has helped me a lot. That’s how the studios work. They have the list for comedy writers. When they’re doing a comedy they look down the list. And they’ll see your name there. You’re known for what you do best. You need to focus on one thing If action is it, then write three action scripts. If comedy is it, then write three comedy scripts. That’s my recommendation. There are a lot of people who would completely disagree, but my agent really pushed me… that’s what you need to do… you need to do comedies and develop that voice. That way you will just get better and better at comedies. Don’t try to be a jack of all trades.

Lastly, what about coming out to LA and finding work? Making it?
This is my advice, and I can only give this advice because this is what happened to me – but it worked. Which is I got a job at a production company. I worked hard while I was there and I was a good employee. I didn’t really push them about my scripts, but they knew I was a writer. So it came to a point where they said, “When you have a script ready we’ll send it out.” That’s the way it works and I think anybody else could do that. I think you get a job and pay your dues a little bit, and you work at a production company. Agents are trying to sell their stuff to your company. The agents are always trying to push their clients to the producers. They have a good relationship with agents, or maybe the agents owe them a favor or something. So then it’s all about the script… is it good enough to get someone to respond. We sent my script out to several agents and only one responded, but that was enough – you only need one. I would highly recommend this career track. Read as many scripts as you can and then give it your best shot.