Today was the last day on our schedule and I almost feel a little upset that this fantastic week of learning from industry professionals out here in Hollywood has come to an end.
Today’s set of lectures combined information on technology and valuable advice on how to build and sustain relationships and hence one’s future in the entertainment industry. We traveled back to the Writer’s Guild and first met with Chuck Slocum who upon graduating from Newhouse had gone on to join business school. Chuck advises the guild about technology and sure enough this man was speaking tech trivia in context to the changes taking place in the industry in almost every new sentence. Here are a couple of things I am now curious about – net neutrality vs piracy policing, residuals, vongo a clause that allows stars online benefits (I need to read up on these as much as I can) and high speed internet being streamed to the television and how this will change TV viewing.
I learnt a couple of things that hadn’t struck me before and found out why: cable companies as owners of internet connections purposely slow down content (I need to understand why and how this is benefitting them); more things have been digitally shot in TV because AFTRA has been more co-operative than other guilds; one and a half percent of your earnings as a writer is given to the guild; that eventually the goal is for AFTRA and SAG to merge but this is proving to be a challenge because they have separate health plans; the contracts department of the WGA can be of help to even a producer, however it does not negotiatte your personal deal and to do so you need an agent or entertainment lawyer; you can call and ask WGA to help you set basic clauses/minimum wages in your contract; directors like Spike Lee use unusual credits and they can do so because they are outside the guild; the two separate offices of WGA (East and West) do not have a national board authority; Netflix has star titles because some stars have the vongo clause in their contract; Netflix is a significant element to the studios today, they have 15 million credit card users and hence are now an incumbent. However Netflix has problems regarding rights and therefore only has 1% of films and finally coming back to tech again Blue Ray is going to be big by 2012.
After the lecture, I interacted with Mr Slocum for a while and asked his advice if I should join a business school given my interest in the business side of the entertainment industry and aspirations to facilitate Indian-American collaborations in film. He said I absolutely must but after I work for a couple of years in the industry. That gives me something new to factor into my ‘five year plan’. There is something else that Mr Slocum advised I am going to try and live by: “live on half of what you make for the first five years”.
Next we had a Line Producer speak to us. Steve Grossman moved out to LA in 1977 and had no job to go to. He sold shoes and as one hears of many of those “by chance” stories landed his first job in the entertainment industry through one of his customers. Steve said something very poetic and yet so accurate to the attitude required in order to survive this industry, “Every shoe I sold was a mile further away”. We learnt about the different functions of the line producer and how s(he) works with writers, producer and actors to afford the canvas upon which the project comes together. The line producer also facilitates and sometimes resolves dialogue or conflict between writers and actors. Ultimately, a lot of the Line Producer’s job is to be a conduit of information to people who are on and off the set as well as deal with talent and cut down tension on the set. Something that Steve mentioned took me back to what I was discussing with Norm Guzenhauser the night before at the cocktail reception. Steve said that, “TV is familiar topics re-represented and re-generated”. In order to do so or even successfully work in the Television industry, I must set out to read and see sitcoms as they have evolved over the last three decades. Steve had many other wise sayings for us which all of us meticulously made note of and having worked myself, I couldn’t agree more with him: “don’t deny an opportunity that can provide you a living so you can do the bigger things”; “at work what will make you stand out is the attitude”; “don’t shy away from older people”; “observe people as much as you can”; “don’t forget to live”;” write to people in shows or the networks who you admire and appreciate. You never know what it will bring”; “depend less on technology and read more. This country is at a very interesting time when a 25 year old fired from Wall Street is competing with an unemployed 45 year old”; “personalize you passion”; “despite technological advancements, it is the ancient art of storytelling that will dominate. It’s the content that is king not the tools”
The day ended with a meeting with Mitch Messinger who handles Publicity for ABC Daytime and SOPnet. We spent a few minutes understanding how the publicity department strategizes General Hospital’s episodes and characters to garner attention from existing and potential viewers. Following this, we made a quick round of the set where an episode of General Hospital was being shot and also spent a little time watching the directors in the production room. I was so amazed to see how Sitcoms like Young and Restless and General Hospital are directed and switched in the production room as if it was a live TV event. Makes me wonder if daytime soap operas back in India function the same way.
So here’s the end to what has been a fantastic journey so far. I can say this with absolute surety that what I observed and heard on this trip has been priceless learning not only towards my future in this industry but added to my growth as an individual. I am grateful that I am a part of an school which prides itself on the relationships it has forged with its students and to see Newhouse alums come together to give back to yet another new batch re-assures me of the importance of forging genuine bonds with individuals first and not merely as professionals who can help advance your career.
A lot of perspective has been added to my immediate goals and a plan is shaping up to make the most of what is now on my plate. Going back, a systematic strategy to set out exploring opportunities in LA will be underway.
I can’t help but recall what my mother told me back in India when I was unsure of coming to Newhouse since it was not my first priority. It is overwhelming to realize that perhaps there is a reason why we are offered certain opportunities which at that moment do not seem to make much sense but hold a lot for us in the future and eventually when this dawns upon us, it is incumbent that we make the most of the small or the big opportunities. Spring semester will be painful since it is my last one at Newhouse but it also seems to be the promise of the most exciting time at Newhouse given that the LA trip answered many of my questions. Here’s to making every second left in school as productive as possible.
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