A GATHERING OF PASSION AND TALENT

 was invited to a gathering of indie film folks. The sponsors presented it as an industry networking mixer. A chance to meet others in the biz, expand your understanding of the opportunities in the biz and maybe attach to a project. 

The challenging part of those opportunities is that they are accomplished by social interaction and one’s ability to walk up to strangers, introduce yourself, start a normal conversation, and see where it leads. These events are necessary to grow your career but not easy if you’re unaccustomed to interacting in this manner. 

My role was that of a senior member of the entertainment industry. My invitation came from a friend who was an intern for us several years ago. Since this type of event is not my “jam,” I attended as a favor to her. Her passion has always been film. More specially Horror. She has since been navigating the indie world doing everything from production assistant to showrunner, with her sights set on producing.

Even though most attendees were under 35 and the majority in their late twenties, none had yet gotten their shot at the biggs. Many still had to maintain a “day gig” to pay the bills and landing industry gigs were still hit or miss. The fascinating fact was none seemed discouraged. They were all still excited to follow their passion where ever that led.

They had learned to say ‘yes” when asked the questions, “Can you do…?” or “would you be willing to do this?” Even when “this” had nothing to do with their dream or goal. They have learned that in order to get that break or meet the right person, you need to be in the game.

If you’ve been following my blogs or met me, you know my first line of advice is always, “Just say yes to anything that gets you closer to the inner circle.”

It was exciting to see there are still creatives with the willingness and insight to realize this isn’t the most straightforward career. It takes a lot of patience and persistence. You are constantly challenged to learn new skills and the never-ending chore of expanding your network. But if your goal and passion are to work in the field of creativity surrounded by like minds, all the struggle is worth it.  

Let’s spend a minute talking about finding those like minds, usually referred to as your network. Expanding your network isn’t like choosing people you’d like to hang out with or following on social media. It’s about meeting as many new and diverse people in the industry as possible. It’s about hanging in even if you are rejected (ghosted) by people and not flipping out when it happens, and it will happen. Don’t just conclud you’re not good enough or “they didn’t get back to me, so F’ them.” There are hundreds of reasons they didn’t get back to you. Most of the time it has to do with their cluttered schedule and nothing to do with you specially. 

It’s about having the passion and desire to keep on trying. Even when you meet someone who can offer some help, don’t stop there. You need to constantly grow your list of contacts while staying in touch with your existing contacts. That second part, staying in touch with existing contacts, is where most fall short.

Being a creative means, you are an entrepreneur. You are your own brand, your own company, your own product. Knowing that means you are responsible for driving consumers to that brand. Accepting that you are an entrepreneur who is selling “YOU” as a product.  No self-respecting business owner would abandon existing customers while fishing for new ones.

You need to be paying attention to both issues, making new contacts and staying connected to existing ones.

Both of these tasks take personal interaction skills and tact. It’s all a balancing act that you will refine the more you practice. Press too hard, and you become annoying. No one wants to work with or be around annoying. Don’t press hard enough, and you’re forgotten, letting someone else will fill the void. There is always someone ready to jump in.

I can share no magic pill or advice to tell you how to act. I can tell you your best chance is to be the genuine you and try to do all your interaction face to face. IG msg or emails are the weakest way to engage with someone new. Professional interviews are also a difficult place to make a connection. They are usually conducted to qualify the practical you, checking boxes to see if your abilities and experiences align with the job’s parameters.

So, what are you left with?

• Tag along with a friend in the biz and strike up a conversation with people you are introduced to. Don’t start the conversation by reciting your skills or experience. It’s not a job interview. Asking them up about their gig is always a good icebreaker. DON’T dare try and one-up them with something you’ve done. 

Leave with, “Hey, if you ever need help, I’m willing to do just about anything, and I’m a quick learner.” “Is it cool if we exchange contact info and I stay in touch just in case?” It’s essential to get their contact info. If they take yours, most likely you won’t be hearing from them.

• Join industry organizations. Don’t just join. Attend as many of their events as possible. This is not speed dating or looking for a group of people you wanna hang out with. This is getting to know people in the industry and collecting contacts. Many of the people you meet may not be directly involved with your aspirations, but I bet they know people who are. 
• Never turn down an invitation to hang out with industry people. If someone invites you to a bar or a club, take the invite. It may not yield direct results that night, but you’ll move closer to some that will. 

I told you why I went to the Indie “mixer,” but never mentioned why did I stayed? 

I stayed because I was meeting an entirely new group of people. People that see the world differently than me. That difference will be of value to me. How? No idea, but having done the “smoosh” thing for so long, I can “feel” the opportunity. Even though I talked to dozens of excited and interested people that night. All of whom wanted to work with me. The next day only three reached out.

Those three get it. They will make their mark in the biz. Those three will be of value to me and the industry, not because of their skills or experience but because they are driven by their passion to succeed.

Passion is the commodity that is the key driver of your success. So, open every door before you and chase down every lead. If you do those two things, I guarantee you will achieve the success you are working towards.