Can old Hollywood learn new tricks?
That was the question hanging over a four-hour “master class” I recently sat in on to help people in the TV and movie industry pivot to the creator economy.
With shows being canceled left and right, shoots moving to cheaper locales overseas, and layoffs wrought by industry consolidation, these are tough times, even for a workforce used to unpredictability. Meanwhile, the independent creator economy is booming.
“I’m just trying to figure out if there’s a way to move into this creator economy as a person who’s behind the scenes,” one of the attendees, Rebecca Bregman, who was laid off after 15 years in unscripted TV, told me. She described the job market for her skill set as “bleak.”
“I’m sad, I’m mad,” she said.
Called “Flipping the Script Master Class,” the course Bregman and I attended was free and hosted by G&B Digital Management, a 10-year-old firm that represents creator talent, including Blake Scott Silva and Dr. Marie Mansaray-Lahai, who goes by RIE DEFINED. G&B founder and CEO Kyle Hjelmeseth said he saw an urgent need for the course, given the high number of people out of work. G&B has hosted two in Los Angeles and one in New York so far.
Some 40 people from film and TV turned out for my session. Held in a cozy space in Brooklyn’s DUMBO filled with cushions and colorful shaggy rugs, the class was part career training, part support group.
I spoke with several attendees, most of whom had worked for over a decade in traditional Hollywood jobs, primarily in production, directing, writing, and performing. Some were facing down unemployment and scared, while others were merely creator-curious.
They had a lot of questions.
For example:
What does the largely solo creator world mean for people who have spent their careers working with teams, behind the camera?How do people who have worked in prestige, long-form TV translate that to the short, unpolished videos demanded by social platforms?Where should they start, given shifting platform strategies?Where are the jobs in an independent, decentralized industry?How do they pitch their skill sets, and how much should they charge in a field where pay rates are the Wild West?
G&B Digital Management
The mood grew more heartened as Hjelmeseth and his education director, Joey Gagliardi, walked attendees through a high-level overview of the creator economy and practical ways they could leverage it. The day ended with a panel featuring Amber Kemp-Gerstel, who shared her journey from unscripted TV to DIY creator.
Hjelmeseth got the tough lessons out of the way for his audience. Big media companies aren’t the powerful arbiters of culture they once were, and green lights are getting scarcer. But he offered encouragement.
“I really want everyone to feel like there’s possibility out there,” he said.
Gagliardi broke down the dos and don’ts of building an online presence.
Here were my 5 biggest takeaways from the class:
1. Being a creator doesn’t have to mean putting your life on display
Hjelmeseth said G&B thinks of creators as falling into a few buckets.
There are personalities and entertainers, but there are also educators and industry insiders, which is where a lot of people who are used to working behind the scenes in Hollywood can play. The phones came out when he showed a slide showing how you can get paying gigs this way.
One example he gave was Kayse Goodell, a filmmaker, who showcases the work done by people on set like grips and photography directors. Others do voiceovers or let their visual work speak for itself.
The point is: There are a lot of ways to put yourself out there without being on camera.
Even if you aren’t trying to earn a living as a creator, having a strong social presence shows people in the creator economy that you understand the space and are pitching your skills.
2. Your film and TV skills are transferable
The nomenclature may be different — think profile photo, not headshot — but many filmmaking tasks have a counterpart in the creator economy.
“You’ve already been trained for all of this,” Gagliardi said. “Nobody runs a ship tighter than a producer.”
As an old-school journalist, this was reassuring to hear.
Don’t assume people know the value of your work. Cyndi Steele, a former TV producer who’s now G&B’s chief of staff, advised the group to use specifics — like the number of episodes or hours of programming you’ve produced — in pitching creator-economy people who may be unfamiliar with how legacy Hollywood works.
3. Take the path of least resistance
Post what you’re passionate about or are an expert in, and build it into your everyday life. That way, it won’t feel like such a chore. Post regularly and with a consistent message so people know what to expect. This also makes you more marketable if you’re looking for brand dollars.
The easiest way is to stick with one format and a few stock phrases. Crustbycarson, an accountant who posts about running and cooking in his off time, is a good example of this.
Open with a hook.
“It’s the economy of attention, and if you want to be part of it, you have to have that cold open to captivate them in the first few seconds,” Gagliardi said.
4. It’s OK to be unpolished on social media
This came up a lot with attendees, a group used to working on traditional, high-budget productions. On social, the production value is less important than the entertainment value.
That said, some creators feel more at home with higher quality production values (and some brands want to associate themselves with that).
5. Learn the new power rules
Those working in traditional formats are familiar with a model in which the audience comes to them. If you want to become a creator, you have to build an audience from scratch.
If you’re working with creators, understand that they expect to be part of the process. It’s not like the old Hollywood model, where producers called the shots and talent often just showed up.
“We haven’t treated creators as creatives,” Steele said. “If you work with a creator, you have to understand, they’re the expert.”
