Oscar-winning American indie-film producer Greg Shapiro waxed tersely to aspiring Hollywood writers and directors, attending “Conversation With Hollywood” in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic. The event (associated with The Hollywood Reporter) proved lively—and educational. Shapiro, winner of a 2008 Oscar for Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker, advised fledgling filmmakers to make an impact on their home turf before rushing to L.A. wielding idea journals and elevator pitches. “You have to make a first film in order to get a point of entry.” Pitching a project, though, must be done directly. “The most traditional way is to make a submission,” he said. “The best way is to come up and introduce yourself; it happens to me all the time.”
Shapiro shared a relevant example: "I just met here [Yann Demange], the director of 71 (a British film screening in Karlovy Vary). I was overwhelmed by this film when I saw it and thought that was a filmmaker I need to talk with. Last night, I just went up to him in the bar and introduced myself." Concurring was Milan Popelka, CEO of New York's FilmNation Entertainment, who relocated in his teens from Czechoslovakia to the U.S. "Good material finds its way; if you create something great, as long as you get it out there, that is the main thing. We are constantly seeking great filmmaking..."
Note: Reporting for this 2paragraphs article is sourced from the Hollywood Reporter