Carnegie Mellon University: "Paula Wagner and Steven Bochco, two of Carnegie Mellon University's most notable alums in Hollywood, came home this fall to share insights, wisdom and advice with students in the School of Drama.
Wagner became the first female agent at the Creative Artists Agency (CAA), producing numerous blockbusters including Mission Impossible I, II, III; The Others; and The Last Samurai.
A writer and producer, Bochco is best known for his groundbreaking television work including Hill Street Blues, LA Law and NYPD Blue."
7 comments:
Although I appreciated their talks, I felt as if the entire discussion was geared toward the actors. Its great that CMU drama does bring in outside speakers, but I hope that in the future some could be designers. The talk was interesting, however, after a certain extent it was no longer applicable to the design part of the college.
I understand where sylvianne is coming from, but I do think that a lot of what was said at this meeting applies to the greater community. I found that the most potent messages were answers to questions, in which you had to individually expand upon the answer given.
I think another reason that it may have been interpreted as a very actor-focused discussion was the fact that most of the student-proposed questions were asked by actors or musical theater majors. A few directors did ask questions, but not many designers or managers.
Some of the most valuable information I got was from Paula Wagner's responses. She talked a lot about what the industry is looking for now. She said that the industry is looking for people that have commitment to their purpose, and have authenticity and dignity. You must be genuine to get far is what I took away.
She also mentioned something that really resonated for me, especially in the current economic standing of our country. Paula mentioned that you have to be able to solve your interviewer's/boss's/superior's problem AT THAT MOMENT. You may be fully qualified for a position, but if there is no need for your skills, you aren't going to be hired. One really needs to be meticulous with one's choices for job/internship/apprenticeship seeking. Why waste your time sending out mass copies of resumes, when you can target your focus to a handful of employers that could really benefit from your presence?
I thought that this talk was amazing and was glad that it was made a school wide event. Paula Wagner and Steven Bochco had such great advice and their stories about the business were interesting. There was not a dull moment in the talk. We were so fortunate for them to come here and speak with us. I agree with Liz in that all of Paula Wagner's responses about what the business is looking for now were very much helpful. The article on the CMU website doesn't do the talk justice. It is just a quick overview. I would encourage those not able to attend to watch the whole thing on youtube. The importance of being a good collaborator is so great. Their advice was invaluable and eye opening.
Yeah, I definitely think that Steven's and Paula's comments and advice were applicable to anyone who went to the discussion. While we all are studying different aspects of theatre, we are all inevitably going to face the challenge of finding our way into the entertainment industry and theatrical community as we leave college, trying to "get our foot in the door" as Steven said repeatedly. Whether we go into theatre, or tv, or film, or anything else, their comments were very relevant to anyone trying to prove themselves as hardworking and worthy artists and performers. I'm very glad that we are so privileged to have such illustrious alumni and that they give up their time to help us start to make our ways in the world just as they did.
I agree with all staements above. I feel that the talk with Paula Wagner and Steven Bochco was a very enlightening experience for the entire school of Drama community. The information, resources, and advise they gave was applicable to everyone in every major to some degree. While he did tel actors how to help themsevles in auditions or how to get to know the important people, this imformation still applies to the technicians as well. But I also see were Sylvianne is coming from. I mean look at the list of people who hae visited this semeester: from Mary Rogers to Steven Bochco and Megan Hilty and Phylicia Rashad, they all are crucial members of the acting, directing, or writing professions. Where are the designers? The acting majors have have several in class visits from outside working professionals (excluding staff and faculty), but where are the DPs visits? I would really like to ee a set or costume designer from a movie or Broadway show. I'm not saying I don't appreciate the visis from other peole, its just that I feel a lot could be learned from a design perspective if designers could have one on one time with professionals.
I agree with Liz that the reason some people perceived the talk as actor focused is because performers asked most of the questions. Learning about the entertainment industry from all perspectives esp. from a production standpoint is incredibly valuable to all of us. We all need to remember that commitment to our craft and artistic integrity are key to remaining afloat in this industry. Being an effective collaborator and understanding all positions of those around you will make you that much of a better designer.
There's been a good sized argument between some of the DP's over whether going to those talks had anything to do with us or our industry. While I don't know that I specifically learned anything from those talks, I do see the merit in hearing from some of the most successful professionals in any industry. It serves as a reminder that we constantly need to be tenacious, and sometimes have to shove our foot in the door to get in the room.
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