Making Professional Contacts Personal
It's a common misconception that networking means shaking hands and exchanging business cards. The truth of the matter is that those filmmakers who are most successful have learned that personal relationships are more valuable than professional ones, and the line between the two can be completely invisible.
What's the most important factor when it comes to networking?
The most important element of successful networking is not showering a potential contact with insincere flattery. You should be genuinely interested in what others have to say, while at the same time still being yourself. A big part of selling your film is selling yourself as the creative force behind that film.
As in any profession, in filmmaking, when given a choice, people work with people they like. Networking is simply building a network of friends and relationships that can help you attain your goals, but this doesn't mean every person in your social circle has to be someone who can hire you. For example, your buddy who works for the phone directory may know the best place to rent equipment, or the woman who runs a camera for the local PBS station might like the chance to do something more personally creative. You may even have the invaluable resource of a friend who is simply encouraging and supportive.
Charitable Organizations
Many film industry professionals are involved with charitable groups. Some of it may be work-related, like the organization that is pushing for a more responsible depiction of smoking, drug use, and sexual activity in films. Others may focus on community outreach, such as providing the opportunity for handicapped children to go horseback riding. Many others participate in political issues, donate to food banks, or volunteer as mentors.
No matter the cause, this is an excellent way to meet people from all walks of life, and from every facet of moviemaking, while also making a contribution to society. If a big-time producer remembers you as the one who jogged alongside her for breast cancer relief, she's more likely to ask you to help her by being a volunteer for her upcoming fundraiser. In that type of situation, you can demonstrate your skills as someone who can be depended on, who is helpful, and can carry yourself well in stressful situations.
Again, the most important element of charity work is your sincerity. Don't pick a charity you don't believe in just because Rob Reiner will be at the next table.
Up the Long Ladder
It's well known that many individuals in the filmmaking industry caught a break by knowing or being related to someone in the business. It's also known that many powerful people in Hollywood started out in less glamorous jobs. That said, it's crucial that you don't underestimate the value of a potential relationship just because someone is “only” a receptionist. If you get that person on the phone, be as polite and courteous as if you were talking with the actual head of the studio.
When speaking to a receptionist or assistant, remember his or her name, and be sure to use it when thanking them before ending the call. If you're rude or disrespectful, that person may just forget to deliver your messages. The reverse is also true. Many executives have the wisdom to ask their reception staff or assistants for an opinion on a current project or prospective employee. This will serve you even better as the assistant you've been communicating with moves up the long ladder, becomes a story editor, then vice president of development, and ultimately forms his own production company. If you've been friends since that first phone call, it won't be forgotten.
Pay It Forward
The premise behind the phrase “pay it forward” is simple: Do something for someone, not because he asked or even because you expect something in return, but because you felt it needed to be done. Here is a true story, by way of example.
A young woman was working as a lower-level assistant for a talent agency when her boss asked her to clear out the old scripts from a filing cabinet. While moving most of them from the cabinet to the trash, one title caught her attention, so she put it aside to read later. It turned out the script sparked her interest and she took it upon herself to call a friend who was an entry-level worker at a production company. She told him about the script and they agreed it was the type of thing his company was looking for. They spoke to their respective bosses, who set up the deal (much to the surprise of the writer, who had evidently given up hope on that script long ago), and it was ultimately made as one of the first original films produced by HBO.
What this shows is how Hollywood can operate. The woman at the agency had nothing to gain except the fun of getting the film started. She received no increase in pay or a finder's fee, but her boss started giving her more attention and respect, even asking for her input on other projects. As a result, she moved up the ladder until she was in a position to be courted as a development executive by another company.
Bootstrapping
In the film world, as in life, it's impossible to pull yourself up by your own bootstraps. Someone else, however, can grab those same bootstraps and lift you up, and the more people you have lifting, the easier and smoother your journey will be. Once you're up, you can then help lift them. Make professional deposits, gain interest, and when your account is full, help others do the same. This principle is one of the most common ways for people to move up the Hollywood employment ladder.
A great example of bootstrapping is the team of Sam Raimi, Robert Tapert, and actor Bruce Campbell. While in their twenties, this trio of friends decided to make a movie. All they really had to work with as sets were the woods behind their house, and a dungeon-like basement. Their first $1,000 (donated by one of their parents) was spent entirely on fake blood. Then they wrangled all their friends and family to be either monsters or victims, and they made what has become the cult horror classic
Today, the three of them have (together and separately) produced, directed, and/or appeared in some of the most successful films and television shows of the last three decades, including the
In 1968, when asked to direct a film version of the Broadway musical
As a new filmmaker, you need to remember that everyone was a newcomer at one time or another. Everyone needs some help moving into the film business, then moving up. As best you can, stay on good terms with your crew, and keep in touch with them, because one day you'll need them again, and they'll need you.
