DAy 5 @ LA: 101 Hollywood for an Indian

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.

Day 4 @ LA: 101 Hollywood for an Indian

The industry seminars has been so far packed with writers and producers but today’s itinerary had two areas of the media which may not have interested me as career options but definitely made me learn a lot more than I knew of them so far.

First up, we visited the Rhythm and Hues Animation Studio and met up with an animation artist and a producer. I could recall most of what I had learnt of the process of animation when I was producing a feature story on the animation industry in India but there was so much else about this craft and its business that was new to me. It was interesting to learn that there is a designation such as ‘Production Executive’ in an animation studio and that his/her task is to scout for new projects. We were also told that Rhythm and Hues is presently in collaboration with a movie company and for the first time R&H is a profit participant and not just a service provider. This new understanding has piqued my interest to learn more of profit sharing models for creative collaborators in the industry. So, a step forward in this direction will be to ask Evan Smith -- who is teaching us Film Business this semester -- links and articles to catch up with this facet of the business side. I also had no prior idea that the budget of an animation project is calculated shot by shot!

As we moved from one side of the studio to another, I noticed a couple of Indian men in conversation with employees of Rhythm and Hues and I instantly thought of Pixar, Framebox and the less recognized but equally efficient numerous little animation units across Mumbai and Hyderabad that are executing a chunk of the ideas developed here in the US. A decade after the IT boom and call centre outsourcing phenomenon, here we are, Indians and Americans working on the same germ of an idea through the same models of outsourcing. I am now keen on finding out if someone with my interest in development and learning the business side of the entertainment industry, can explore job opportunities in the animation industry. I would be excited to intern with the development department of a studio and also help facilitate dialogue and strategy with animation outfits in India who are at the other end of the outsourcing spectrum. I raised this question to Scot, the producer and after a bit of quizzing me on my background, he offered his e-mail id and said he would get back to me with a suggestion if I could write to him soon. And I am definitely doing that first thing when I get back.

We then returned to our hotel where a panel of Producers and directors all working in live TV was to engage with us. Production on live TV is something I am familiar with and hence assumed I would not have much to take away from the ongoing discussion. But once again I was surprised. Mr Rosenblatt explained how one’s personality drives one’s professional advancement in this line and also emphasized that the strategy to bettering one’s craft is to, “take things that are good for you and not those that will pay you a lot of money. Money will come if you enjoy and are good at what you do”. Yet another panelist saying the same thing all over again, but after all clichés are nothing but the truth often repeated. I interpreted his advice as this: a creative professional will thrive if he does what he can to apply himself to his work spontaneously and sincerely. I also made a note of Rosenblatt’s statement that the present crop of producers in live TV are less familiar with the history of this business. I have realized that despite my familiarity with American sitcoms and films growing up we watched more American content than any other), I need to read and watch TV series over the years and see how the styles have evolved. This will help me not only understand the popular culture references but also be more engaging with potential employers while I explore job opportunities here.

The day progressed to the most anticipated event on this entire trip’s schedule – the networking evening with Syracuse alumni. Walking into a room packed with a little over a hundred people and knowing that most of them were accomplished or recognised names in the industry was initially a bit intimidating. So, I started by talking to people who had started out in LA just a few years ago after graduating from Newhouse. I first spoke to a group of three men: Adam, Pete and Brent who go by ‘boardbrothers’ and are Syracuse graduates from 2006. I found out how they moved out to LA and got them to share their experience and efforts in sustaining their own creative aspiration on the sidelines while working on other jobs that help them sustain their group’ creative pursuits. I must have spoken to Adam alone for 40 minutes and was enthralled as he drew me deeper and deeper into his personal experiences that have shaped him as a writer and producer. The conversation must have really engaged him because he made sure that I had his contact number and mail id and asked me to get in touch with him whenever I need to for help. Feeling much better and more prepared to forge new friendships in this room, I moved on to interact with Steve Kent (Senior Executive VP of Programming at Sony Pictures Television), Doug Robinson (Executive Producer, ‘Rules of Engagement’) and Norm Gunzenhauser (writer of Newhart and Murhy Brown amongst many other sitcoms of the early 80s) for more detailed one on one conversations . While Mr Kent did not have enough time for a long conversation he has been kind enough to provide his contact information and ask me to get in touch with him. I am excited at the possibilities that might arise from this meeting and hope to learn more of Sony’s business plans in India in the motion picture and television industry. The evening ended with a heart warming conversation with Mr Gunzenhauser and I am glad I had this incredible opportunity to meet and talk to people who share a bond not only through Newhouse but by their passion for this industry. As Mr Gunzenhauser said, now it’s time to be calm and receptive while small and big opportunities come by in their most inconspicuous form at me. Only then will I be able to make the most of what LA has to offer.

Day 3 @ LA: 101 Hollywood for an Indian

Day 3 has been undoubtedly the most packed since this trip began. Packed not only with a larger number of industry professionals but also information that I have been seeking for a while but not been able to get answers to. Today’s meetings gave me a very good insight into both business and creative aspects of the industry.

The day began with a panel of Producers, a writer, a Senior VP and a Manager, almost all Syracuse alums working with Sony. This is the first time we had people working in the film industry speak to us and being more interested in the development and business aspect of filmmaking, I gained a lot from this panel.

It was disheartening to hear that there is a 30% decrease in production of films and that a trend of being hired as an executive within a shorter span of time in one’s career is no longer true. But along with the reality check, there was other information that our panelist shared with us that proved to be valuable given my interests. Jason Blumenthal explained how he had to turn entrepreneurial as a producer when the movie industry began its phase of a big slump and his emphasis on the concept of branded entertainment further drove the reality that movies are increasingly integrating strategies that ensure commercial success. The writer on the panel Andrew Mazer, however explained that regardless of what is being made for the big screens -- for those interested in the creative side of filmmaking especially writers and directors – we must stay true to our passion and avoid making things for the “marketplace” because what is relevant today might be passé day after.

The concept of “shrinking windows” was also raised by a panelist and therein, I learnt something new about the technological aspect of films becoming increasingly accessible within the confines of one’s house. A classmate of mine brought up this question and I realized, I need to spend more time reading the trades in the section of technology as well to understand the shift in viewing and marketing trends in the entertainment business. Finally after the panel discussion was over, a personal Q&A with Andrew Grumpert revealed that he knew Ronnie Screwalla, my ex boss from UTV back in India because of a deal that UTV was involved with SONY. Yet another example of how small the world is and how everyone in this profession knows someone invariably! I really wanted to build on this little piece of information and ask Mr Grumpert what kind of companies I should be looking at for an internship if I wanted to learn more about the Indian end of business negotiation with American studios here but we were asked to vacate the room. Going back to Syracuse, that’s the first thing I am doing of course after sending a hand-written “thank you note” to Mr Grumpert.

Talking about thank you notes and the etiquette side of the media industry, I learnt more today about cover letters, resume and networking, all in the span of an hour than I have on any other occasion. And I am going to fast-forward a good seven hours after the panel with Sony ended. Post dinner we had Kimberly Koser (a Syracuse alum again) the Director of Human Resources at Bank of Manhattan educate us about the most crucial aspects of the process of job applications. I finally have a better understanding of how I can organize and structure the next two months into executing a plan for my internship and job applications. To begin with I know now that I need to do a self-assessment of my weaknesses and skills, think of my 20 PAR moments (Problem Action Resolved) from my previous work experience and develop a 90 second pitch of myself. I may be trying to stay focused on getting through this journal entry but even as I do so, I am already on my list of 3! Also, I realized that my sister was absolutely right. Cover letters like Kim mentioned take a long time and the sooner I get started on narrowing down the potential companies/ production houses I would like to work in. The earlier I can start working on the cover letters. So going back to Syracuse, I am getting down to my top 10 places to intern in LA and New York.

Now rewinding back to the block of time I have not accounted for in between the Sony panel and our meeting with Kim. We had met with writers and producers from the TV and film genre and now it was moving onto a wholly different genre: reality TV. Dan Goldberg of Freemantle Media and two other speakers I knew little about until now provided us with an understanding of the business of the reality genre and why it was working for a lot of youngsters who are trying to break into the industry and although I have been allergic to most of reality TV, I have to agree that the advice we got from this panel was arguably what aspiring producer/directors in the class have never been privy to before. The aforementioned two young speakers were Dan and Ben Newmark, young producers/actors/writers who came out to LA to become actors and still intend to but until that happens they have found a way of having their ideas recognized by using the basic resources, network of friends and some great team work. To have two people closest to your age tell you their strategies of writing, forging friendships over the often overused term of ‘networking’ and understand that it was important to keep churning out visual work for people to see was refreshing and comforting. The Newmark brothers had all of us entertained, enlightened and engaged. No doubt they are able to tell the stories they are. I definitely for one, now see the benefits of partnering with a like minded class-mate to develop and pitch ideas and I can only hope (after this encouraging interaction) that we will do this sooner than we thought we would.

Day 2 @ LA: 101 Hollywood for an Indian

Imagine this - a meeting with one of the most successful and powerful agents in the entertainment industry. And we are not talking about that accidental elevator trip. I am talking about a two hour meeting, set in one of the most fancy sleek conference rooms with a man who would be otherwise impossible to get for even two minutes.

That wasn’t a scene out of one of my scripts or a film I am recommending. This was the opportunity of a lifetime and one that I am privileged to have had thanks to Newhouse. More so thanks to a Syracuse alum who chose to provide a bunch of confused, starry eyed young aspiring media professionals with the most expensive and sought after thing: his time and his advice.

Day two started with a meeting with the Managing Partner of the Creative Artist’s Agency. Rob’s first piece of advice for us was something we all instantly jotted down onto our notebooks in that automatic instinct of student behaviour: “Information and knowledge is power”. Of course and how correct! Only a second later, after he narrated his personal experience to supplement this point did we realize that it was perhaps the most self-serving but ruthless way getting ahead. When Rob told us f how a tip shared by his friend while he worked in the mailroom of ICM, helped him bag that job, I was left wondering if hiding contacts and opportunities from fellow classmates was going to be more of a norm than a rarity come internship season. Going by the next thing Rob mentioned, “Life is not fair”, I guess it will be the norm.

In those two hours, we had an exclusive insight to the Rob Light “personal experience” lessons and added to that the understanding of how an agent works and why working at an agency is perhaps one of the smartest “first jobs” to start off with. Rob’s effort in personally putting together articles, quotes and a reading list of crucial books for our benefit not only impressed but overwhelmed me. True enough as faculty have mentioned, SU alums are always ready to give back and help mentor a fresh crop of Newhouse students. And making the best of it, I posed a question about the possibility of an international student with my work experience fitting into the financing area of films in an agency. Rob Light’s response was positive and I am following that up immediately when I am back in Syracuse with some research on present collaborations with Indian studios and companies in the entertainment business.

The rest of the day was spent almost entirely on the set of a show that I watched every afternoon back at home with my father and what unique cycles of the cosmos should this be! I was watching my favourite actors Patrick Warburton and Adhir Kalyan act on the set of the latest episode of the ‘Rules of Engagement’. I kept my eyes on the multi-cam set up throughout and learnt something new about blocking shots around a table, something I dealt with in my last project on campus. Later we spend time with Doug Robinson the producer of the show and once again an SU alum and this is the best part, Tom Hertz as well, the show’s creator and one of the writers of F R I E N D S. I held onto every thing Doug and Hertz said, be it that we must read as many scripts as we can everyday to the opinion that working as an assistant to a Producer or literary agent is much better than serving time as a Production Assistant (although I feel more confused about this and need this clarified). But what I valued most was Doug’s explanation of the differences between a Creative and Executive Producer and also how being close to the marketing side helps a Producer. Learning what I have from my last job as an Associate Producer, I could not agree more. This trip is beginning to make me realise that I should not shy away from learning more of the business aspect of the industry and development is something I want to do seriously but also make sure that I have a strength over my peers about the process of strategizing, negotiation and financing aspect of the creative projects. To quote Barney from yet another one of my favourite sitcoms ‘How I Met Your Mother’ this day according to me was “legendary”.