Hard Cold Reality

Well, I can officially say that I work in the TV biz. Well, I'm interning but no diff....

This is my second week. I'm working at a production company and loving it. I thought they'd have me fetching coffee or some other bottom of the barrel type thing but nope, they've already go me doing some writing for them.

Today I had to read a script the company received for consideration and then give them my opinion as to a) whether it was any good and b) how well I think it would do with today's viewers. Basically coverage, but more in depth. They had no time at all to read it themselves so if I gave it a big fat X, they'd simply throw it in the trash.

I suddenly pictured myself come April, mailing out one of my scripts -- you know, one that I have slaved over, to a production company, hopeful that I might get a positive response. But instead of anyone who is anyone reading it...yup, you guessed it, they pass it to the intern to read -- to make or break my life. And of course this is bad because:

1) the intern may have no clue what he or she is doing
2) I might be competition for said intern and he/she might put a red X through it faster than I put my stamp on the envelope
3) the intern might not give a shit about anything more than putting their hours in -- a shitty review is easier than a favourable one
4) the intern might have really crappy taste

BOTTOM LINE : As sad as it is, this nightmare scenario is very realistic. I like to picture the writing world in a very different light. Me --the introvert - sitting in my lovely loft writing up a storm and pressing send, not worrying about sales or anything else outside the world I've put down on paper, but it doesn't work that way. It's a BUSINESS. That means you schmooze or you lose, you kiss ass, you bug everyone you can. And your script better be so god damn good that it will knock the socks off of anybody -- even an intern who falls under problems 1 through 4 above.

So, I was a very very GOOD intern today. I treated the script with the same respect I hope mine will get. I wrote up a great synopsis of the show and a very thorough and honest critique...even did research on today's marketplace.

I'd like to say I did it so the universe would treat me in kind but I didn't. I did it because I believe that every script and every person deserves respect. Okay, this post is starting to sound like an after school special. I'm done now.