For screenwriters sending cold emails into the void... John Zaozirny is that rare Hollywood manager who actually reads query letters. And signs clients from them. In this episode, he breaks down exactly what makes him open an email, the one mistake that gets you an instant "delete," and why he believes you don't need film school to make it in the industry. It’s a refreshingly honest look at how to get your foot in the door from someone who holds it open.
Episode Summary
Hosts Angel and Leah interview John Zaozirny, the President of Feature Film Production and Literary Management at Bellevue Productions. They discuss his journey from an aspiring writer/director in Canada to a top Hollywood manager known for discovering fresh voices.
John opens up about his philosophy on representation, emphasizing that he looks for unique points of view rather than specific genres. He provides actionable advice on crafting the perfect logline, the etiquette of query letters, and how to handle notes like a pro. The conversation also touches on the value of film school (spoiler: only go if it’s debt-free) and his "quality over quantity" approach that led Bellevue to have the most scripts on the 2022 Black List.
Interesting Quotes about Writing and Pitching
On the "One Sin" of Query Letters
"First thing, they don't have any files attached. I will auto-delete anyone who sends any files attached... doesn't matter if it's your resume... photos or whatever, your lookbook, your pitch deck. I just delete, delete because same with if you got emails from someone you don't know and it was like 'here's some files,' you'd be like, 'I don't know who this person is,' so I delete them."
On What Makes a Logline Work
"A great logline is something that sounds fast, it sounds interesting, maybe a little bit of mystery, and it's not a plot summary... If you can't write a good logline... you got to work hard at it... I like a little bit of mystery... 'When blank then blank, but what if?'"
On Networking vs. Making Friends
"I think up-and-coming writers should get to know other up-and-coming writers... not for networking quote-unquote, but to find friends... My wife is a very successful screenwriter and she's become friends with other successful screenwriters because they can be like, 'Oh my God, the studio just hired someone to do a polish, it sucks'... They can understand, they're at the same place in their career."
On Film School and Debt
"I personally tell people if you are going to end up in significant debt after going to college or especially film school, it's not worth it... My back of the napkin math anecdotally is that fifty percent of people I went to film school with didn't ever use their film school degree ever."
On "Boring" Scripts
"You have to make sure that the choices you [are] making... [are not] the A or the B choices... come up with the unexpected. And you have to be rigorous on yourself to be like, 'Have I seen this before? Has everyone seen this before?'... If you're doing something you're pushing boundaries... doing something unexpected."
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About the Guest
John Zaozirny is the President of Feature Film Production and Literary Management at Bellevue Productions. His clients have credits on films like Infinite, Eli, and Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022). Under his leadership, Bellevue has become a powerhouse for discovering new talent, notably having 11 clients featured on the 2022 Black List—more than any other management company that year. He previously worked as an executive at Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way.
