entertainment industry coach question 345:My friend is directing a pilot and I can't get him to call me back. How can I entice him?

Is it an emergency? My guess is- no, because no matter how busy someone is, if it's an emergency, they find time to return your call. Which leads me to my point. I'm not saying that you did this, but I know many people do. They wait until pilot season, see who's working, and then start making calls.

It's fine to let people know you're available, in fact, it's your job, but "I'm available" calls don't usually get returned calls unless there's a job for you. And "just checking in" calls, really don't get returned during pilot season. People get so pissed off about this. They say to me, "Who do these people think they are? No matter how 'big' I get, I'll always return people's calls."

Really? When a production report gets distributed, and a director (and other classifications) gets announced, he/she is bombarded with calls ranging from complete strangers, to people whom they met once (and now think they're friends), to people they know looking for work (who only call when they're looking for work), to good friends in the business (who are not in their 'top 10' top of mind calls.)

So now, the director has 127 calls in his voicemail, from people looking for work, 'just checking in,' or with an "enticing" reason for him to call back.

*note: if the enticing reason to call you back is so that you can build your relationship in order to get work- you should have made that call BEFORE pilot season.

The director is working on a pilot. This is one of the highest pressure jobs, with the most demanding hours, and usually an impossible schedule. On top of the pilot, he may have a family whom needs his attention on the few off hours he has, or maybe he needs to go to the gym to work off some stress, or have the 'check engine' light checked on his car so it doesn't break down on the way to the studio.

Do you see what I'm getting at? By the time a director books a pilot, he pretty much knows who he's hiring. If you didn't get called, left a message for him, did not get a call back, and it's not an emergency, this is NOT the best time to be persistent. He is BUSY. It's not personal.

If when you book a pilot and have 127 people calling you daily, you are able to return every call, PLEASE, write to me so I can interview you on time management.

Give your director friend a break, and let him concentrate on his very important task at hand.

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

entertainment industry coach question 280: What exactly is a spec script?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A spec script is a "speculative" screenplay, one that the Variety slanguage dictionary defines as being "shopped or sold on the open market, as opposed to one commissioned by a studio or production company."^[1]

Spec scripts are written for various reasons:^{[citation needed]}

• by writers who hope to have a script optioned and eventually purchased by producers or studios;
• by writer/directors who want to direct a film themselves;
• by amateur writers hoping to convince a literary agent to represent them or a producer to hire them.

I would like to add that spec scripts are also written for television to show that the writer can write for other people's characters. In television you usually need multiple sample scripts from various shows to prove that if you write one great spec, it wasn't a fluke.

If you want to write a spec, and have no idea how to start, I highly recommend the UCLA extension program. If you live in Los Angeles, nothing beats the class atmosphere where you get help form your teacher and create relationships with the students as well. However, if you're not, you can take online classes and have a spec done in one semester.

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

entertainment industry coach question 277: Why do so many stupid films get made and I can't get mine made?

Other than the Wayan Brothers and a few other who go after big money in the "stupid movie" category, I don't think most filmmakers or studios set out with the intention of making a stupid film.

If you haven't made a movie, it's a lot like baking a chocolate souffle. You have a recipe, yet so many things can go wrong if you're off by the slightest bit.

I'm not naive enough to think that everyone is passionate about every project they work on (I've heard many interviews where someone has bashed working on my favorite genre), but I don't believe anyone intentionally sets out to be the piece of the recipe that causes the souffle to flop.

Keep taking the steps to getting your movie made, and forgive those who've tried their best but cost you 90 to 120 minutes of your life that you'll never get back.

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

Question 55: Can one get a steady job in the entertainment industry?

Is any job really steady this day and age? For the most part, positions in the entertainment industry are freelance. There are some studio and agency jobs that are contract jobs, but the reality is, nothing is truly stable in this industry. 

Some people are fortunate enough to get on a series that lasts for ten years. They, unfortunately,  have their own set of complaints.

If you were a teacher or a janitor and had tenure, your union would protect your job. In the entertainment industry, a union protects your contract and safety. An entertainment union can not guarantee/secure a job for you. Basically, you are a business owner, so the success of your business depends on you. 

Knowing this, I suggest multiple streams of income.

for more tips and articles by entertainment industry coach, The Greenlight Coach, visit www.thegreenlightcoachblog.com