(Review Part One)

First and foremost, you have to have an inner love for writing. 
You have to sit down and type away without anyone forcing you to 
do it. Grab a copy of your favorite Steven Spielberg films, some 
Peter Jackson, Quentin Tarantino... go watch a few good movies 
like Crash and Machiavelli Hangman to get yourself in the writing 
mode. Don’t write because of deadlines or obligations or sudden 
spurges of inspiration. If you have to wait to get inspired to 
write, then forget it.
 
STEP #1

You have to discipline yourself to sit down and write at least 1-
3 pages a day. It doesn’t have to be the next Spielberg film, or 
the Lord of the Rings Trilogy or the most amazing screenplay even 
written. It could the biggest sin to be put on paper. Lucas did 
it with those Star Wars prequels and he had millions of dollars 
on the line. You don’t have a penny, so type away!

Note: Please keep in mind that this formula only applies to those 
writers who have already completed one two full-length 
screenplays. If you haven’t, please go back and complete them and 
come back. The reason for is that your first two screenplays will 
usually be your worst. The first time is always awkward.
 
STEP #2

Once you get a half decent completed script, run it by a few 
people and get feedback. Do this until you write that one script 
that feels like a Reservoir Dogs. That one screenplay that can be 
made on a low-budget and doesn’t have a lot of locations. It has 
to be all in the dialogue and the characters. Napoleon Dynamite 
made it big because of the nerds. All of Tarantino’s low-
budgeters made it big because of the dialogue. If there weren’t 
any starts attached both of those films wouldn’t have cost 
100,000 dollars. So you have that script that you can finally see 
on the big screen and that you’re really excited about. Now you 
must know one person who has connections, send it to him and get 
him excited about it. This person has to be a go-getter. Someone 
who will stick to his plans and finish what he starts. Send it to 
as many people until you find one of these allies.
 
STEP #3

Start preparing for this film as if you already have the budget 
and everything is set in motion. Use some online casting services 
to get your actors. If the script is good, you will be amazed how 
much feedback you will receive. Get the cast together, get the 
crew, get the word out. Before you know it, people buy into it 
and there are investors who get interested in the project. This 
is how every low-budget film was started, including Sling Blade, 
Machiavelli Hangman, Napoleon Dynamite and countless others. 

Those Affleck / Damon success stories don’t happen overnight. 
They all start with a spark of inspiration and a good-enough 
script to be read and enjoyed by at least 5 out of 10 people. 
When you have that much, and you’re willing to put in the extra 
work, the rest is as easy as one, two, three.  

Ray W. Plummer lets you have an inside look at what it takes to 
be successful in Hollywood. As an example to show the validity 
of his guidance, one only needs to look at the vision and 
perserverence excercised by the creators of the upcoming film 
Machiavelli Hangman (http://www.hangmanmovie.com) to see his 
words in action.