What matters most in the business

1. THE PAPER
2. THE SONG
3. THE PRODUCER
4. THE PERFORMER

These aren't my words - they came from the mouth of some one with far more experience than I. I'm sure he'd argue the same order applies to movies, telvesion, video games - whatever. The business of any of these fields is the same as any other business, only the terms are changed. "A buying a used car could be called a negative pick-up . . . you buy the car, you pick it up!"

How an agent became an agent in 4 years

1. Start meeting everyone. Learn their names. Know their names. Remember their names.
2. Always balance TV and Features. Know how deals work in both.
3. The assistants know what is going on - network with them.
4. Know what agent at your agency does what.
5. Know why people are calling you before they tell you they're calling you.
6. Be able to answer for your boss.
7. Know the players.
8. You're boss is your client - take care of his/her needs.

The Details are Everything

The receptionist calls the office and says "Office, Mr. Client is here."

Super powerful agent says "Kid, go get the client!"

Kid goes to the reception area. There is the client and his entourage. Kid says "Mr. Client, Miss So-and-so, Mr. Such-and-such, please come with me."

As the kid turns the corner, there is fire in the eye of the agent.

What did the kid do wrong?

The Mail Room

The mail room tomorrow. The infamous “everyone has done it” certainly applys here. It will be good. Learn the ropes, figure out who is who and where and why.

More pressing is the fire in my neighborhood, though.

The Rules of the Game as learned from those who play

If you talked to a casting director, a screenwriter, an agent, a post-production producer, a freelance stage manager, and a line producer, what advice would all give you?

1. Get the ball down the field. The goal is to get to the goal, so make sure what you do helps it get there. Simple enough.

2. Be someone people want to hang out with for the next 5 years. If you get the job, the gig, the project, then you very well may, and the person hiring you knows that. Still pretty simple, huh.

3. The club owner may run the club, but the doorman is the one who is at the door. Take care of the assistants, the waiters, the bartenders, the PAs. This kind of ties in to number 2 - be nice to these people, genuinely nice, because they hold the key to the door you want to open, they know you're name at the restaurant when you need to get a seat and close a deal. Not hard yet - still basic, simple stuff.

4. Listen to people. Listen to what they're saying, not what you're wanting to hear. This may be a little more difficult than 1-3, a little more esoteric, but still basic, little league, simple stuff.

5. Master your pitch. You're always pitching something, including your self, so make sure you're pitchin' something with heat. This takes practice. In front of the mirror. At home. To friends.

And that's it. Simple, simple, simple.

Thanks to Phil Nemy for getting those people in the door. Their advice and enthusiasm were priceless.

Not quite Pittsburgh, or "Welcome to North Hollywood"

The transition to California is complete and residnece has been taken up in North Hollywood. Today marked the third day of "boot camp" for the MEIM program. The nice alums from CMU have been coming to speak with us.

Summary:
Network. Get the ball down the field. Network.

Post producers, free lance stage managers, writers, agents, casting directors - all said the same thing. Not that they weren't helpful - no, it was nice to hear a unifying idea and method amongst different professionals.

And show up early, not late.

Before all of this school stuff started I had a little party at my house. Note the red back. No, that is not a tattoo - Mr. Grubbs actually received that horrendous burn at the hands of the sun whilst tanning in Malibu. In person it was nothing short of unreal - the most terrific sunburn I've ever seen.



And yes, this warrants another post, but in the interest of saving time, I'll write about it here. Utah. Sundance. Simply, if you get the chance, go. Everyone you need to talk to and meet is there, people you didn't know you needed to meet will be there, and poeple who you don't really need to meet but you're glad you did - they're all there. Filmmakers - go now.