Carole Kirschner, Entertainment Career Coach, Speaker & Author: 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.
Film Courage: If we put together a list of how not to break in to the entertainment industry,
what would those five things be?
Carole: Five [things] 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
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,
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 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
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 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 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 things about the entertainment
industry that are that you see what you're putting up roadblocks 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
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.