I don't think you can automatically hire Andrew Cartmel though. All writers are whores, but some of them have got pimps...

If people can be hired they can be hired. It genuinely, really is as simple as that. That's why we have agents. To sort out the details.

That's what I mean about pimps.

Pimps get you work Paul. Agents don't.

Are we still talking being whores here?

Words are the game

Quote: Paul Wimsett @ 27th November 2014, 10:22 PM GMT

Do you get your jobs offline?

View original

Did you read what I posted? I suggested that not every freelancer works exclusively online.

My own writing career can't be taken to be indicative of every other writer, so why ask such a redundant question?

This problem applies just as much to TV and radio. A query to 6music about a show format is met with silence. A pitch to BBC TV for a documentary in a series that produces related topics, receives a reply(!) that submissions from the public are not accepted. We have to go through production companies. The reply did not contain the name of the co. that makes this series, as logic/helpfulness would suggest it should. A follow-up asking for their name is met with...you got it, silence. My own research eventually found the link at the end of this bit, which I make available to all of you, because, it is what logic/helpfulness suggests I should do. I have no idea what all of these companies do, you have click on each of them to find out. There are 30 pages.... still, there might be something in there somewhere.

www.pact.co.uk then, our members

Speak to people. It really is that simple. You have a phone. You have a voice. Hopefully you have a brain. Filters are there to FILTER. Like I say simples

The 6music one was a letter, to by-pass all this tech nonsense like filters. Anyway, how does it know which ones to filter? Anyone they haven't heard of? Why is there a siege mentality? What are they scared of amongst us, the population of GB?

WHAT TO FILTER: ?

The vast amount of dross out there, bereft of originality, (which isn't the main concern admittedly ), talent, craft, basic awareness of the medium. structure, discipline, humour drama, wit, balance, energy, engaging narrative, any effort made at all to engage with the business practicalities of script to screen. To find a properly pitched position and executed products, basically.

All the above are fine for TV and film writing courses of course.

It is not a siege mentality, they are a business. Simple. They are really not scared, just fed up of shit. And so there are filters as in every other f**king business. Want to be professional and deal with professionals.... well position yourself professionally.

At the end of the day it is up to you you and to us. There are no excuses. None. There is doing it or not doing it. For the self considered pure artists there are diaries and garrets and assorted items of clothing.

Strip all the nebulous shit away and apply good common sense. There is nothing unique here. Not even the writer usually. There is a spin and a twist. Know your audience, know your market and present yourself as best as you can.

Like I say, no excuses..

(If you want it that is - which is an entirely different matter I guess!)

No excuses, just reasons. Not sure why you are in such a stroppy mood, or is it permanent? Still, I can adapt to any style. Where are the guidelines to being professional? I've been to various offices in London to pitch, sometimes pre-arranged, sometimes not. No difference, they have a peculiar casual arrogance and, while being polite, act as if they don't know why you are there, shrugging of shoulders while saying nothing and, not looking at/listening to/reading what has been brought along. So, to adopt your persona, these are what I perhaps should have said instead of being civil.

Changing to Marc P mode nnnnn...now!
'You know why I'm here, I just f**king told you. How do you know its no good without reading/watching/listening to it!! No excuses for such casually dismissive crap. How can I be f**king professional when faced with a blatant lack of same? Visits, phone calls, letters, tapes, (in the olden days) emails, MP3's. Makes no difference. No excuses for it.
End of mode nnnn..now.

The internet has allowed me to broadcast music shows with humourous content -no really -. No-one can stop that. I don't need to get approval from 'pros' there. Over 100 I hour shows on my computer, all of which have gone out and been heard and liked. So, in a casually arrogant way, I know I'm good. The pros have no evidence that I'm not, they haven't heard/read any of it. Casually arrogant twats.

Good luck Steve. The 'you' was an all encompassing one, including me. As in the 'us' what I actually ... you know wrote. I am so far from stroppy you couldn't believe. That wasn't a MarcP pitching mode by the way. I negotiate toward a win win... Where possible. Mind you I have been binned off a few things for being a gobshite mind. But have a boat on stand by if you burn your bridges. If you can't deal with twats - keep happy by being a self broadcasting amateur. Happiness is far more important than success if they don't go together. And I It may well be everybody else's fault that you are not successful in a professional way. You certainly wouldn't be anywhere near the first there. But the sad truth is you can't do anything about that if true. The only person you have any real control over is yourself, sorry you took these obvious earlier observations as personal and I do genuinely wish you good luck. I know how infuriating these set backs can be from a lot of morons out there, but people do get through and make things happen. And again, genuinely, it's not all down to luck or even talent. Play the game! You are better than them!

My advice?

Don't pick it.
Measure twice, cut once.
Better out than in.

And count you blessings. The last half hour comedy script I annoyed people with got 20 ignores, a couple of "thank you but it's not what we're looking for"s, a "not funny"(though it's hardly my fault if the idiot missed both the jokes), and eventually a "It's a fun idea, but doesn't fit in with our current projects". I'll be carefully cutting out the words "It's a fun idea" and pinning them up somewhere. I'm calling that script a partial success.

Thanks for the clarification Marc. It's just hard to know how to get taken seriously. I could put a gun to their head which would turn out to be a water pistol, then wash their ears out.

As there seem to be quite a few of us, more if you include writers, songwriters, broadcasters, what about coming together for mutual support? How about an umbrella organisation? It could be called Give Us A Job You ***** or something more friendly. How about a YouTube channel? People do get noticed there. If Justin Blubber can make it, we certainly can!

Thanks for the seduction tips Tiggy. I've been very successful on the third one. I've used all those unplanned evenings at home to finally finish reading War and Peace