Saturday, July 4, 2009

Question 123: How can I find out what it's like to work in scripted to make sure it's everything I hope it will be?

Great question. It's always a good idea to research the market you want to transition into before putting all of your effort into it. Here are my suggestions:

1. Get 10-15 mentors in your classification to discuss their original expectations of scripted television and how and if they've been met.

2. Get 10 mentors in other classifications who work in scripted television to discuss their experience. Ask them about the hours, the politics and political hierarchy, and the balance of work and personal life.

3. Visit, in your case, edit bays. Other classifications would visit the set or the writers room depending on what area of scripted television they are researching.

Communicate your expectations and get feedback. Notice I suggested 10-15 people. This is not a random number. If you ask 1 person and they discourage you, it's important to have other people lined up to speak to. You will get varying opinions and it's important to hear from a variety of people so you can make an educated decision.

For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry coach, The Greenlight Coach, visit www.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com

Getting Jobs in Entertainment question 1280: I grew up in India and as a result English is my second language (cont'd)

"I grew up in India and as a result English is my second language. I  am looking to improve my comprehension when I read my text book...