How to Make It in LA
Deep Read #34 with Screenwriter Camilla Blackett
Deep Read #34 [Apple | Spotify] is a conversation with screenwriter Camilla Blackett, who originally hails from Reading, UK but is now based in Los Angeles. Camilla started out as one of the “teenage consultants” on the writing team for the original UK production of Skins (the version that also launched the careers of Daniel Kaluuya, Dev Patel, Jack O’Connell, Kaya Scodelario and more – insane). She made the move to LA in 2012, where her career quickly skyrocketed.
Camilla and I have been friends for many years and I thought it would be interesting to share some insight into the life of a successful writer in LA – a dream job for so many, and one she is exceptionally good at. We barely scratched the surface of her trajectory but managed to discuss…
Why the Hollywood trade union strikes of 2023 set an important precedent for the creative industries at large.
How streaming changed the landscape (and remuneration process) for TV writing.
Why LA and London offer the ideal dual bases for a creative life.
The advice Camilla gives to anyone hoping for a big break in her industry.
Plus, Camilla shares the three books she recommends (and a great film rec too).
I hope you enjoy the conversation.
Phoebe
Camilla Blackett: Deep Reading List
“The bottom line is, you cannot be a producer unless you understand that it’s all your fault.”
‘Shooting to Kill: How An Independent Producer Blasts Through the Barriers to Make Movies That Matter’, Christine Vachon
“Can I say what I want is to lie on his bed, in his crease on his sheets until my body forgets what it's done and where it's been?”
‘The Lesser Bohemians’, Eimear McBride
“It was hard to know what to make of the brothers' dark infatuation with death. It was strange, wildly anomalous in sun-baked Southern California, where the light is so bright it bleaches the shadows.”
‘Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex-Drugs-and-Rock 'N Roll Generation Saved Hollywood’, Peter Biskind
"Those years in the sixties when I was married to Dennis were the most wonderful and awful of my life." -Brooke Hayward