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"Industry Spotlight" is our monthly series where we interview professionals from across the entertainment industry about their current jobs and career trajectories. Our hope is that you will learn more about the positions you're already interested in, discover new roles you may not have considered, and utilize the wisdom of those who've paved the way before you to forge your own path for success.
This month, we sat down with an agent in the unscripted talent department of a major talent agency. HOLLYWOOD RESUMES: In one sentence, how would you define your job? AGENT: The job of an unscripted talent agent is to source and negotiate career opportunities for clients behind and in front of cameras. HR: What is your day-to-day like? AGENT: Managing hundreds of emails and calls between meetings and meals around town. HR: What do you like most about your job? AGENT: The ability to add value to a person or project. HR: How did you get your current job? AGENT: I worked my way up in the company assisting the head of the department directly and then everyone as department coordinator, where I shared outside information leading to deals that eventually brought in enough money to pay for my position. HR: What was your first job in Hollywood? AGENT: Assistant to a younger agent at a boutique talent agency. HR: What are the skills someone would need to succeed in your position? AGENT: Elegant aggression and attention to detail. HR: If you don't like ____________, you won't like my job. AGENT: Stress. HR: What’s something you do in your job that an outsider wouldn’t expect (and maybe you didn’t expect before you took the job!)? AGENT: Even though work often follows you home and on vacations, generally you can be your own boss to choose your business and control your schedule. HR: What’s a mistake you made early on in your career? AGENT: Working in a previous industry right after college, I burned personal bridges when I felt I was wronged in business. But I later learned to take the high road, as careers can be long and you may need that person later. HR: If you could give one piece of advice to someone trying to break in/move up in the industry, what would it be? AGENT: Find the right balance between keeping your head down and doing the work to pay your dues with self-promotion and knowing when your value is more than your current position.
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"Industry Spotlight" is our monthly series where we interview professionals from across the entertainment industry about their current jobs and career trajectories. Our hope is that you will learn more about the positions you're already interested in, discover new roles you may not have considered, and utilize the wisdom of those who've paved the way before you to forge your own path for success.
This month, we sat down with Jenny Paul, creator and star of the upcoming web series Adulting With Jane, premiering October 22. HOLLYWOOD RESUMES: In one sentence, how would you describe what you do? JENNY: I am an actor/producer/content creator working mostly in the indie film and TV space in NYC. HR: What was your first TV or film role and how did you book it? JENNY: I’ve had dozens at this point, indie and mainstream, but I’ll call JESSICA JONES my first biggie. I auditioned. Went in, dressed the part, went balls to the wall (the audition was for a fan girl), and booked it the next day. HR: Describe your process of auditioning and booking roles. JENNY: These days, most of my jobs, especially on a smaller scale, come from referrals or direct offers, but I’m still in auditioning rooms and putting myself on tape frequently for bigger roles in bigger network and OTT productions. My last big role was a recurring role on THE LOOMING TOWER with Jeff Daniels and Peter Sarsgaard. I was seen by the casting office for a different/smaller role, and then they called me back again to read for the one I ended up booking: ‘Maureen’ in the CIA office. HR: How/why did you start your own production company? JENNY: Intent Entertaiment is actually my third! Each LLC was opened specifically for a different project or set of projects that I either produced or was involved in producing. The first two were with partners, and this one is just me. For now. HR: What do you like most about your day-to-day? JENNY: The flexibility is nice. I can take acting jobs and work my producing around it for the most part. I also like using my left brain as much as I use my right brain. The acting/producing combo keeps me interested. And busy! HR: What are the skills someone would need to succeed in your position? JENNY: Flexibility. Resilience. Resourcefulness. Optimism. Empathy. HR: If you don't like ____________, you won't like my job. JENNY: An ever-changing schedule. HR: What’s an element of your career that an outsider wouldn’t expect (and maybe you didn’t expect before you got started? JENNY: All the networking. Knowing people. Knowing people that know people. Knowing people that know people that know people. It takes a village to raise an indie baby. HR: What’s a mistake you made early on in your career? JENNY: Letting my fear of not succeeding get the better of me and giving my power away (metaphorically and sometimes literally). HR: If you could give one piece of advice to someone trying to break in, what would it be? JENNY: Do whatever you can to discover and love your unique voice and viewpoint. There’s only one you, and I (and the business) are interested in being inspired by that person and that person’s contributions. HR: Do you have any advice for how to keep up with bills/rent when you're between projects? JENNY: I tutor SATs and ACTs-- and have for years. I don’t "need" to anymore for the most part, but it keeps me sane, helps bridge the gaps when money is tight, and makes a good year a really good year! HR: Thanks, Jenny! "Industry Spotlight" is our monthly series where we interview professionals from across the entertainment industry about their current jobs and career trajectories. Our hope is that you will learn more about the positions you're already interested in, discover new roles you may not have considered, and utilize the wisdom of those who've paved the way before you to forge your own path for success.
This month, we sat down with Ashley Griffis, Executive Director, Children's Entertainment at The Jim Henson Company. HOLLYWOOD RESUMES: What is your main job function? ASHLEY: My main job function is to find and develop new properties into shows that are responsible and relevant for kids and audiences today. I work with the creator/showrunner on the creative of the show to make it the best it can be, including packaging the project with talent, art, scripts, co-producers, animation, curriculum advisors, and so on. It is also my job to go pitch the shows to networks in order to sell them to series. HR: What is your day-to-day like? ASHLEY: My day to day is doing whatever I need to do to move each of my projects forward. On paper it looks like emails, meetings, and calls, but in reality it's pitching shows to networks, taking meetings with writers, giving notes on creative, brainstorming, checking in on deals, meeting with new talent, reaching out to agents, researching curriculums, focus group testing with children, taking new pitches, searching for new projects/books, and staying updated on what is relevant and popular with kids, parents, and teachers. HR: What's different about working in children's programming than other parts of the industry? ASHLEY: I believe the main difference between children’s programming and other parts of the industry is when you work on children’s entertainment you are not working on content for yourself (or other adults), but for a demographic that is developmentally and a psychologically different than you. Although many of us remember our favorite shows when we are kids, and we are able to tap into that inner child, it is important to remember how different it is to be a child today and what entertains them. HR: What do you like most about your job? ASHLEY: My favorite thing about my job is working with talented people with different backgrounds, stories, and ways of thinking. I love being genuinely surprised and inspired by an interesting story/character. I also love being creative with other people and working together to come up with a story or solution to a problem. HR: How did you get your current job? ASHLEY: I have always been very vocal about my passion for children’s entertainment and made that clear in college to my professors. So when my professor met a woman who worked at Henson, he recommended me to her. I was then able to get an internship with Henson, and while I was an intern I covered various assistants’ desks. I was then lucky to be asked to stay and work as an assistant. I continued to be vocal about my desire to help with children’s television, and when opportunities arose to help on shows, I was first to volunteer, while remaining a full time assistant. After a few years of being an assistant and helping on productions, I was able to transition out of being an assistant and into the children’s entertainment department. I was then able to work my way up and focus more on development. HR: What are the skills someone would need to succeed in your position? ASHLEY: The skills someone would need to succeed in my position are patience and persistence. It can take years for a show to become a series. One of my shows took over 9 years from inception to production. A lot of people think you can come up with an idea and make a show right away, but it takes a lot of time to incubate an idea and to package it with the right talent. In addition, it also takes a lot of time sell an idea to a network -- it all depends on the executives at those networks and their tastes or what’s already on their slate. You could have the best project in the world, but if it doesn’t fit their strategy or needs, or they have a show that's similar, you won’t be able to sell it. However, if you love a project, don’t give up on it. There are always new networks, executives, and avenues to get your story told -- just be open to the ebb and flow of the industry. HR: If you don't like ____________, you won't like my job. ASHLEY: If you don’t like selling, you won’t like my job very much. A large majority of my job is pitching my shows and the talent that's attached, including myself as a creative executive and my company. Pitching and selling is very difficult. You are trying to convince people who are looking for a reason to say no to love your project as much as you do or at least see the potential in it. You receive way more “nos” than “yeses” but you have to put the same amount of love and heart in each project even if they don’t sell -- and you have to keep on selling. HR: What’s something you do in your job that an outsider wouldn’t expect (and maybe you didn’t expect before you took the job!)? ASHLEY: Something in my job that an outsider wouldn’t expect is how much I have to understand about deals, unions, rates, and credits. It’s important to understand all of these things because I need to be able to manage a budget for each project and also be an advocate for the talent to get them their rates. It’s also important to be a responsible producer and create within the confines of budget so the project will be able to be made. It is also important to manage expectations and work with your own BA to make sure you are advocating for the correct fees for your company and know your own worth and what you will be providing for each project. HR: What’s a mistake you made early on in your career? ASHLEY: I made many mistakes early on in my career. I became an assistant straight out of college and had no real formal training on a desk. The biggest mistake I probably made was sending my boss to a meeting on a the wrong day! I somehow wrote it in the calendar a week early and she drove all the way there to find out it was the following week. I double checked every date after that incident. You can learn something from every mistake. HR: If you could give one piece of advice to someone trying to break in/move up in the industry, what would it be? ASHLEY: The best advice I was ever given is to take as many general meetings as you can, and when you are in those meetings ask if they would feel comfortable introducing you to someone else that would be beneficial for you to talk to. Most people will be happy to put you in contact with others that have similar interests, and this helps you quickly get to know more people in your area of interest and allows you network. HR: Thanks, Ashley! "Industry Spotlight" is our monthly series where we interview professionals from across the entertainment industry about their current jobs and career trajectories. Our hope is that you will learn more about the positions you're already interested in, discover new roles you may not have considered, and utilize the wisdom of those who've paved the way before you to forge your own path for success.
This month, we sat down with Hannah Bergstrom, an Associate Producer on ABC's Fresh Off the Boat. HOLLYWOOD RESUMES: What is your job and how would describe it one sentence? HANNAH: As Associate Producer on Fresh Off the Boat, I am responsible for leading our Post Production department through episode prep, shoot, editing, finishing, and delivery. HR: What is your day-to-day like? HANNAH: Every day is a little different but I could be prepping episodes with our showrunners and production team, overseeing VFX on set, cutting with the editors in post, giving notes to our colorist, working on the sound design at a mix, or watching episodes that are ready to be delivered for air. We work on multiple episodes at a time, so each day has a few episodes that need something. HR: What do you like most about your job? HANNAH: I love that I get to lead a team of artists and create a show that uses comedy to talk about topics like race, immigration, coming out, or simply just being that awkward kid. HR: How did you get your current job? HANNAH: I met my boss through a friend I made at a Women in Post brunch group. I’m so grateful that I said yes to that brunch! HR: What was your first job in Hollywood? HANNAH: I was a runner for Tony and Ridley Scott’s company Scott Free. I was so lucky to be around Tony Scott, Ridley Scott, and their team. I got to know LA very well by doing runs all over the city, and my connections at Scott Free helped me land my first post production job as a Post PA on Community. HR: Describe the kind of person who would do well in your position -- what skills would they need? HANNAH: Someone who is able to juggle being pulled in multiple directions and who has a strong creative and technical background to support their work will do well. A sense of humor also helps make the busy days fly by. HR: If you don't like ____________, you won't like my job. HANNAH: Watching an episode over and over again. HR: What’s something you do in your job that an outsider wouldn’t expect (and maybe you didn’t expect before you took the job!)? HANNAH: I didn’t expect that Fresh Off the Boat would have as many visual effects shots as it does. In our fantasy sequences, we get to have a lot of fun with VFX. Last year I got to produce a whole video game world based off the Sims video game, and the year before that we got to produce an entirely animated comic book style scene. We’re working on prepping for Season 6 now, and I can’t wait to start working on VFX shots for it. HR: What’s a mistake you made early on in your career? HANNAH: I made the mistake of parking in Tony Scott’s parking spot on one of my first days! HR: If you could give one piece of advice to someone trying to break in/move up in the industry, what would it be? HANNAH: I always tell people who are trying to break in or move up in the industry to use their position to their advantage. You are new to the job, so you should be curious about the job and curious about everyone around you. Ask good questions at the right time and people will remember you. Make yourself known as being a person that’s helpful, curious, and kind. That will take you very far. Make sure that you are delivering value on a daily basis, and that will make you invaluable. HR: Thanks, Hannah! |
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