1. Agreed, however I think its limiting especially if you only watch Hollywood films. Better inspiration comes from non-fiction writing and personal experiences. I'd rather go to the movies to enjoy myself rather than get inspired although if that happens, it's an added on bonus.
2. I agree, but I think you need to be careful about this. Obviously if you're introducing a made-up invention or placing your audience into a fantasy World, you want to make things up and use sound logic to make it believable, but if at all possible, I think its better to use realism. The exception of course, is if reality is ten times more boring (like space exploration). Then you might want to bend the truth a little, just to make it cool.
3. I disagree with this. I think its important to be realistic as in, don't try to make a multi-million movie right off the bat, but in this day in age, you can do a hell of a lot with 10 or 20k. I think its ok to be ambitious and reach for things that would otherwise seem intangible. You just need to know how to use the tools that are given to you (internet, networking, film skills, etc).
4. Definitely agree with this.
5. I think it depends on what you want to do. If you want to makes films, write for films. If you want to make shows, write for shows. Simple as that. I've done both and they pretty much use the same principles only shows tend to force you to expand more on your characters and plot.
7. Definitely do this, but be careful. A lot of people say they're going to seriously write and make movies while holding down a career, only to find that they don't have enough time or energy to do both. My advice is to get a job that pays enough for you to live as well as a grad student, but not something that's going to dominate your time. Its a bonus if you get an obscure job with a colorful assortment of characters.
8. Definitely. Something I struggle with since I have so much to do with my projects. But the more you live, the more you have to work with in your stories. After all creativity is nothing more than a channel of neural connections used to re-create past events in your life, only instead of re-creating them as you remember them, you're creating combinations of those experiences as well as others to create an entirely different story.
9. I agree and disagree. I think initially, you shouldn't move to L.A because A. You won't have any money unless you get a real career and B. talent is so over saturated, you'll have a hard time getting noticed. It's better to stay in your home town, work with the resources you have, and make something special so that you'll shine in that state. Then once you're somewhat established, move to L.A because there are a lot of strong connections you can build over there.
10. This is very true. Lean to distance yourself from yourself. Take criticism as advice and grow from it. Don't let it ruin you.
