Don’t kill your Hollywood career before it starts. Learn this simple truth:
Showbiz is slow-biz.
Prepare to Hurry Up and Wait
You’re ecstatic! Mr. Bigshot is interested in your idea! He wants tape, paper treatment, script, and a budget NOW. No time to waste!
Dutifully, you pull all-nighters to deliver everything that’s asked of you, practically gift-wrap all of it, drop it of, and then…you wait.
And you wait.
And you wait.
That’s Hollywood
Is the studio/network executive/prodution company any less excited about your idea? Probably not. You’re simply now in the limbo that lasts from pitch to green light–that magic moment when someone writes a check to make your dream come true.
Projects Cost Big Money
Whether your pitching a movie, TV show, web series, or anything that requires an investment from someone else, realize that a lot of people need to say “yes.”
Plenty of legalities go into that kind of deal. There’s lawyers. Business affairs people. Agents. Managers. Executives. All of their assistants. A lot of moving parts. They won’t all coordinate their schedules to get your deal done faster.
They’re handling a lot of deals. Be glad yours is one of them.
We’ve gone more than a year from pitch to green light on some of our shows, and some projects go longer than that without seeing “forward progress.”
Keep Your Cool
During this waiting game, newbies tend to get flustered.
- “Why haven’t I heard anything?”
- “Why don’t you love my project anymore?”
- “I demand to know why you’re screwing with me.”
- “I will sue you!”
If you find yourself even remotely considering any of these statements STOP. Breathe. Waiting is normal. Launching any project takes time.
Polite Persistence
Here’s the best way to follow up on what’s happening with your project:
“Hi, just wanted to send a quick email to see if there was any news, or anything I can do to help move things forward. Thanks!”
Once a week, max. That’s it. No 20 paragraph emails, no accusing people of “messing” with you, no demanding instant results. Do that, and industry folk will lose interest in your project quickly.
You Want to be Seen as Professional
Remember, when someone buys your idea, they’re not just saying “yes” to your project, they are saying “yes” to YOU. If things go right, they’ll be working in the trenches next to you for a long, long time.
Don’t freak them out with childish impatience. Emotional outbursts because things aren’t happening on your schedule make you look totally amateur.
Yes, Waiting Can Be Hard
We know what it’s like to be broke and really, really, really want that first project to go. We were there not so long ago.
The best course of action, once you’ve done all you can to send your idea into the abyss, is to start your next big project. Like we’ve said before, one big idea is not enough. Here’s another big reason why:
Productivity Cures Impatience
Once you start working on numerous projects, you get to a point when you have a lot of “stuff” out to potential buyers. Rather than focussing on just one project and feeling trapped as you await its outcome, you’re keeping track of all the irons you have in the fire.
That’s the best way to stay motivated, maintain your sanity, and keep the respect of the industry.
Patience is a Hollywood virtue.