Wednesday, February 18, 2015

PLAY NICE

The media business is a small world.

Behave badly, or develop a reputation for being awkward and people won't want to work with you. Hand your screenplays in late, or in an unacceptable, unfinished state and you'll be deemed unprofessional. People talk to each other in this business and reputation is everything.

It amazes me then that there are some people out there who still behave badly towards others. Luckily I've only met a handful of people like this and it's no surprise that in the majority of those cases I've never heard their names mentioned again, in relation to media career progression.

Don't be a plum! Don't sabotage your own fledgling career! Don't piss on people you might have to work for in the future! Here are a few of my simple rules to help you on your way...

  • Always be polite, even if you don't like the person.
  • Always be flexible where you can.
  • Never be rude if you don't agree with something. Present your case in a calm and logical fashion and if they still don't agree with you, move on.
  • Always honour your agreements.
  • Always hand your work in on time (earlier if you can).
  • Always make sure your work is the best it can be.
  • Never continually bother people when you approach them. If they don't reply back immediately they might just be busy.
  • Never be rude or derogatory about other people's work.
  • Always be professional.
  • Never be angry or vengeful.
  • Never rage against rejection.
  • Always remember it's never personal.
  • Always double check what you put out on social media.
  • Always have a smile on your face.

If you want to get far in this business if pays to play nice.

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