Big Reasons Why Many People Won't Have A Career In The Entertainment Business - Carole Kirschner

the most brilliant writer isn't necessarily the one that's going to get traction you need all the other parts of the business the other parts of the whole if we put together a list of how not to break in to the entertainment industry what would five things be five how not to get work how not to get work by Carol kirschner five ways don't put in the time to develop your craft don't reach out to people to find out if they know someone who could introduce you not a decision maker but just somebody that might be willing to meet with you zoom coffee for 10 or 15 minutes somebody who does not want to enlarge their community of relationships um something else not to do is don't be a jerk and we were just talking about this don't ask somebody you don't know to read your script or get your script to Steven Spielberg or somebody else [Music] um don't be generous you need to be generous there's so many generous people in this business the perception is everybody's like this but somebody helped them so if you approach them correctly and you are humble and you are respectful they'll give you 15 minutes of their time unless they're a jerk and there certainly are jerks um don't be annoying is that more than five that's more than five that's okay I'm enjoying this okay well and I like what you say and the thing is is that I think these relationships they take time and so we're in such a fast world right that it can't just be you meet someone at a mixer yes get their card or their contact info and now you have to this ask yes what I say and this I firmly believe in first of all I hate the word networking it makes me feel icky to even say it I like the word connecting if you make a genuine connection with somebody then follow that up um don't ask somebody for something when you don't know them think about if you were working and somebody said to you I know you got a full-time job but will you do X for me and only take you an hour and a half um I always say and this is in my book it's in my blogs it's the correct Hollywood ask you ask somebody for something but you give them a gracious way out so you might say I know you're incredibly busy but would you have the time to do X if you have the time would you do X is there somebody I know how busy you are is there somebody in your office that would be willing to X look at my script give me some thoughts on it um when you ask somebody to read your script don't ask them for detailed notes just say I'd love your general opinion of it because that makes it just an hour read instead of a two hour Endeavor because nobody in the entertainment industry wants to say no to you because they don't know unless they're a jerk again there are jerks they don't want to say no to you because someday they may be working for you or looking for a job from you so make it so that it's easy for them to decline if they have to what are the assumptions most new writers get wrong about the business that everybody's awful that nobody wants to help them and that's often because they don't know how to do what we talked about the soft Hollywood ask that it's easy I think that's a big assumption that newcomers have that it's easy they read a story about one person who made it like that and they think that's going to be them they assume they don't have to do a lot of work that somebody will like them enough that they'll go okay you keep yeah I like you I'm going to hire you and let you get better while I pay you that would be a bad assumption what are some common excuses you hear from new writers whether they're bad at pitching themselves or you know things about the entertainment industry that are that you see you know what you're you're putting up roadblocks you're you're making excuses if you're bitter and you don't like people and you think everybody's out to get me that will not help you if you think I'm just in it for what I can get and not how I can help somebody that's a problem because that generosity of spirit goes so far it really does I always say be kind there's no downside to being kind and you never know who you're going to be kind to who later on will go wow that person was kind I want to help them sure I'm all for kindness but you can also be stepped on and taken advantage of true don't be a doormat don't be a doormat it is having confidence without being a jerk it is having a belief in yourself without being annoying and when you have that you can think about how you can help somebody else and not get stepped on and you have to have self-esteem this business it it may feel like it's kind of wearing you down but you have to have self-esteem in order to put yourself out there in order to sell something in order to sell yourself I think a small bit of delusion helps though and so because if you're too aware of the odds you'll never do anything here's what I see people break in every day why not you and that's what you should tell yourself somebody's breaking in today why not me well maybe because you haven't done the work it may be because something else but if you have and you're truly ready why not you keep that in mind and you mentioned bitterness and although that word is is definitely a negative I think there's a healthy sense of putting up some boundary sure because if you're too open and you're too fresh off the bus and you think this is all wonderful and and take things at face value you're going to learn very quickly that's not how it is you you should be mindful you should read the room read the business and not lead with your heart on your sleeve that doesn't help you it need you need to make sure that it's sort of a safe place to do that and I think that if you're a puppy dog oh my oh my oh my um that will not serve you but if you're genuinely enthusiastic with confidence that will serve you people love passion and enthusiasm but if you're oh my look at me look at me look at me look at me that's going to be a problem a vetted writer versus an extremely talented writer which one is going to succeed the vetted writer because you have to have a level of talent in order for people to want to help you to recognize your talent somebody with raw talent let me tell you Talent is important but it's not the most important thing it's whether people want to help you whether you are generous I talked about generous it's whether you're meeting enough people it's about do you have the right work ethic it's do people want to be around you the most brilliant writer isn't necessarily the one that's going to get traction you need all the other parts of the business the other parts of the whole in order to succeed raw talent is a fabulous place to start but you have to know what the business is and know what else is needed

Channel: Film Courage

Views: 17,950

Keywords: entertainment industry, film, movies, cinema, writing, television, tv, screenwriting, hollywood agent, los angeles, film and television industry, scriptwriting, writing a screenplay, career, career coach, getting a job in hollywood

Id: hLZEbx45u9E

Length: 9min 22sec (562 seconds)

Published: Mon Jun 26 2023