nickelodeon writing fellowship – month 8
this past month of the fellowship has been frustrating.
i’ve been waiting to go into the writers’ room since may. in past years, the fellows went to the rooms earlier, but for some reason, things seem to be taking a lot longer this year. kevin finally got to join the tuff puppy writers room on june 1, but brian and i are still waiting.
our last day here at nick is oct 7, so that’s just over 3 months. if i don’t end up in the writers’ room, i think my chances of being hired on a show would obviously be low. even if i do end up in the room, with only a few months left of the fellowship and shows winding down, i don’t know if it would be enough of an opportunity to make any sort of impact.
if i don’t get staffed at nick after the fellowship, here are the options as i see them:
– hope i get into one of the other writing programs. i applied to disney, warner brothers, and nbc just in case nothing worked out at nickelodeon. if i got into any of those, i’d get a chance to meet more people and hopefully get staffed, and get an agent. although there are no guarantees of getting staffed after any of these programs, the percentages seem pretty good at wb and abc.
– try to get an agent. the nick fellowship doesn’t help you find an agent like the other writing programs do. i know people who went through the nbc program and the wb program who signed with agents at caa. i’m not sure what my strategy will be, but i know i need to have a pilot written. this is my main goal for the next 3 months.
i’m also working on an animated web series, but the pilot has to take priority.
if nothing works out, i can always go back to web design to pay the bills.
there’s still 3 months left though, so i’m hoping some sort of opportunity presents itself. wish me luck.
Wishing you tons of luck and success!!
You’re obviously very hardworking and proactive, so given that you have enough talent to have been selected for the Nick fellowship, I’m sure things will work out for you eventually. (Also, good luck.)
Yeah, write that pilot. That, as you say, has to be the priority. Then, who knows? If you get into the room, make friends with the other writers and see if you can network an introduction to their agents/managers. But even if you do get an intro to an agent/manager, it only matters if you have great material to give them (I’d also have a few ideas fleshed out for new projects).
Anywho. That’s just my two cents.
Maybe you won’t get in the room in time (and that’s a big maybe because I believe you will), but regardless of what happens, don’t disregard all the amazing things you’ve accomplished that got you this far. If anything, you got into this fellowship which is a pretty big deal in itself.
Celebrating every victory, whether big or small, is important, especially in this industry where we have so little of them.
I agree with Mike that writing the pilot is a great priority to have. It can only be win-win, whether as writing sample for the fellowships, or for an agent/manager. And crafting a successful pilot is a great thing to master.
In any case, I am positive something will work out in the end. Hang tight.
Good luck with everything!
Hey Kiyong! As a friend tells me constantly when things are looking bleak, “Chin up, Charlie.” I’ll bet you’ll get your invite to a writers room within the month. Things just seem to be slow everywhere for everyone these days. But you obviously have a clear outlook and pragmatic approach to the situation…which is better than most folks in this business! And try to enjoy the time you have left at the Fellowship…time is moving way too fast. You’ve made it this far for a reason.
– Charlie, er, Jason Hindo
things are happening! details coming.
Hi! It sounds like you’re doing great. I have a question for you…what are the weekday work hours in the office that the fellows are expected to keep? I have applied and am hoping and looking ahead to the possibility. Thanks, Angela
the official hours in the contract are 10 – 5, but i think you’d be safe in assuming most days the hours would be around 9:30 – 6:30 or so.