Two Blogs for Monday

One of the most frustrating aspects of trying to learn about Hollywood is the veil of mystery that seems to shroud it. While you can learn plenty by reading books, magazines and websites devoted to the craft of filmmaking, this usually does little to illuminate the experience of what it’s really like to work in the trenches. What do working writers experience every day? What is it like to work for a studio and evaluate scripts for a living? Or to be a producer?

Personal blogs kept by working Hollywood employees — the writers, the executives, the assistants — are chock full of useful information and good dirt that you often won’t find in other sources. They can offer you a second-hand glimpse into the workings of the entertainment industry without its usual veil of mystery; they’re unpolished, sometimes anonymous, and, because they’re not being written with any particular agenda, usually quite upfront and honest.

One such blog is I Liked The Trailer Better, kept by two producers who also have great senses of humor. Their written dialogues about movies and the process of making them is entertaining in and of itself.

Another is StephTVFilmWriter, which is tough to beat for straightforward dish about what it’s really like to try to forge a career as a working writer. Steph’s smart, savvy, resourceful and tells it like it is. She also doesn’t pull punches when it comes to discussing the mistakes she’s seen other writers make, but somehow does it without coming across as discouraging or negative. Definitely a recommended read.

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