At a recent networking event, I met two filmmakers, 14 and 16 years old. When I asked them in what capacity they were there, they said: “Oh, we’re just trying to network as much as possible.” I had to bite my tongue it seemed so funny.
I wanted to figure out who they were, not why they were there. Everyone was there to network.
These guys were Michael and Gabriel, winners of TropFest Junior, the kids section of the largest short film festival in the world.
The big thing is not their first prize. Here’s why I believe they’ve already won:
1. They have plenty of time to fail, learn and win (and no mortgage to pay).
2. They are co-writing (to write faster and better)
3. They are networking (to know more people to sell to)
These teenage filmmakers have what many don’t have: time AND a strategy.
If you don’t have the years to fail and learn, are you really doing everything to counteract this?
Oh and you no longer have an excuse for not being able to work the crowd.
Karel Segers wrote his first produced screenplay at age 17. Today he is a story analyst with experience in acquisition, development and production. He has trained students worldwide, and worked with half a dozen Academy Award nominees. Karel speaks more European languages than he has fingers on his left hand, which he is still trying to find a use for in his hometown of Sydney, Australia. The languages, not the fingers.
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