So I may be slightly deceiving you with the title of this post… I do not actually know everything. Shocker, I’m sure.
I do, however, know a lot about what’s going on in the film and television business. It’s simply a by-product of working where I do. I’m interning at Gunn Films, a production company based out of Disney. There I read a ton of scripts that come in from the “PitchFests” that my boss holds, and generally get to hang out in the super small office. That’s not, however, where I get all the juicy info. I’m also interning at Industry Entertainment, a management company that handles clients from superstar acting talent to television and film writers. And, me being me (that is, someone who compares herself to Liz Lemon far more often than any emotionally stable person), I’m covering the desks of three managers all heavily involved in television.
Coming into the office at the time that I did, I got to see the start of the dubious and infamous pilot season. And, as crazy as it is sometimes, I get to listen in on the heart of the action. I’ve seen and heard everything from unknowns getting representation, seasoned writers being offered producer positions, clients getting their pilots picked up, and even writers getting denied script credits. Between my two internships, I’ve gotten to read everything. Things that might make you very jealous. That’s all I’ll say on that matter.
But I worry. Say I know who is signed on to write such-and-such tentpole project, who is financing this or that and have already read at least a draft of the script. Then where, to put it all vaguely and naive-like, does all the magic go? Where’s the starry-eyed anticipation that I had not even a year ago when I plopped down at midnight on opening night of Inception, ready to have the sheer awesomeness cause my brains leak out my ears? Don’t get me wrong, it’s been invaluable already in my short time here in LA to chat with my bosses about the box office. But I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to recreate the feeling of successfully knowing absolutely nothing about a movie and having it truly surprise you.
Maybe that’s why people in the film and tv biz get such a bad rap. People perceive them to be jaded and disconnected from “real art.” Actually, they’re just as invested in making something interesting and innovative as you are in seeing it. I’ve learned that they’re just absolutely overloaded with information.
I guess you have to hold on to the little things to keep from getting all jaded about the industry. Like how Variety abbreviates “Box Office” to “BO.” Like how I’ll be laughing all week at stories that involve the phrase “Justin Bieber BO”. Yep, it’s the little things.
