Thread by @CubanMissileDH

It’s 2022 which means many are turning their minds toward getting a job. So here’s another TV STAFFING THREAD! Some find these writing threads tedious, but as my friends can tell you, I have no problem being tedious. Today’s 🧵 : THE CUBAN MISSILE’S GUIDE TO SHOWRUNNER MEETINGS

So you get that big showrunner meeting for all the reasons we’ve previously discussed. It’s important to remember that even getting this meeting is a huge accomplishment. It means you are knocking on the door! But there’s still one step: the interview. How should you approach?

The first step is preparation. If there is material to watch, watch it! If it is an existing shows, binge multiple seasons! If it is a creator who has done other work, watch that other work. Arm yourself with knowledge! The more gadgets in your utility belt the better.

Much like a nice congratulatory email, no one in the history of the world will hate hearing what you love about the work they’ve done. Even if they intellectually know it is somewhat strategic, it feels nice. Better if the praise is real!!!

Now you’re in the room. You’re meeting a showrunner. Maybe someone you’ve never heard of, maybe someone incredibly famous. Both scenarios are scary! But try to remember that you are there for a reason. There is something about you and your work that got you the interview.

And to expand on that theme, the number one thing I was looking for when we were hiring were not only talented writers and generally nice people, a prerequisite, but people who had passions, experiences, and outlooks that were totally different than my own!

There’s a tendency to suppress who you are during these interviews, but without fail, the people we hired were thoroughly themselves. That does not mean they were all equally confident. It is ok to by shy! It means, as much as is possible in 45 min, I saw what they were about.

The question I asked that seemed to throw the most writers off was “what are you passionate about outside of writing? What are your esoteric interests?” We tend to focus so much on the work, we sometimes forget that these personal elements inform every script and the room.

The composition of the writers’ room is a community of smart, brave, funny people. Are you a sneaker head? Do you love cooking? 8-bit video games? Are you an expert in something? For me, these were absolutely critical things to know. I wanted to see the real person!

And yes, sometimes you say the wrong thing. Sometimes your vibe is way off from the showrunner’s. I have learned that this is basically unavoidable. Every attempt I have made to adapt to the person has met with disaster and failure!

On one of our meetings, I heard the showrunners wanted writers fully dedicated to the show and didn’t like if their writers were married! So I DIDN’T WEAR MY WEDDING RING TO THE MEETING. Then, I accidentally referred to my wife, leading to the question “where is your ring”? NOOO!

So don’t make that mistake! Just be unapologetic in who you are. Some showrunners are dicks. If you are a diverse person, some will treat you like they are doing you a favor to even interview you. Fuck that and fuck them. You may not get the job, but you will find the right spot.

Last piece of advice and perhaps the most important: don’t be wishy-washy when asked a direct question. We had an interview on a big show with two very famous showrunners, and the first question they asked us was “how do we save the show?”

Thinking we would offend them to say, yes, the show does have problems, @BenjiSamit and I tried to diplomatically say the problems weren’t so bad, taking a middle path to avoid offending anyone. EXACT WRONG MOVE!!!!!

We did not get that job because the showrunners really did want people, even if they were only staff writers, who would weigh in and help solve problems. Who would have opinions when it mattered. They were right not to hire us. Wish I could have that one back!

But @BenjiSamit and I made a vow that if we were ever asked a similar question again, we would not hold back with a bullshit answer. A few years later, we were asked by a showrunner “what is the worst part of the pilot?” And we let it rip. We got our first job.

So yes, another tedious thread. As with all things, every part of this is hard. Take the markers of progress as little gifts that raise your spirit during the bad times. Every job you don’t get is one closer to the person who says yes.

Never apologize for who you are or where you’re from. Who you are is exactly who someone like me is looking for. Keep slugging. And remember, Crom helps those who help themselves.