3 Reasons Why Your Filmmaking Career Is Stuck

 Film & TV careers can easily get stuck, plateaued, or difficult to keep afloat for a number of reasons.

And it's been a crazy couple years in this industry, to say the least!

Today I'm going to share my top 3 reasons why your filmmaking careers might get stuck, and how I got unstuck.

Using this list as my guide has enabled me to close multiple TV deals even while the industry is slow.

1. Wrong idea, wrong time

Timing is everything.

We must to stay up-to-date with what the marketplace wants and adjust our ideas based on those trends.

The biggest misconception about my journey to creating Surf Girls on Prime Video is that I pitched the project and got it straight to a streaming platform.

The realistic timeline from ideation to TV? 5 years.

2019: I landed a role at the World Surf League, where I built relationships with pro surfers

2020: Conceptualized the initial idea for Surf Girls

2021: Pitched, filmed and released YouTube series with a smaller media company

2022: Re-pitched and green-lit the series as TV show 

2023: Released TV show

Bottom line? Good ideas can take time.

The world had changed in the 5 years between when I first created the idea for Surf Girls and sold it as a TV show.

Two years into the development of Surf Girls, interest in women’s sports was growing at an exponential pace. 

And that's when Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine and Prime Video picked up my project for TV.

2. Your creative materials aren't convincing

You can have the best idea in the world, but if you're unable to communicate your vision concisely, it's going to be very hard to convince someone to buy it.

I've pitched and partnered with 3 different production companies on 3 TV sports docs since Surf Girls. 

Here are the creative materials + access points I brought to every pitch:

1. Pitch Deck

2. Sizzle Reel

3. Relationships with athletes + sports league 

In my experience, giving a potential partner as many reasons to say 'yes' is the best approach. 

The less work required for them, the better.

Having my sh*t buttoned up and together before the pitch is the #1 reason I've been able to move quickly on getting my projects to market with reputable production partners.

3. You don't have the right network yet

The film & TV industry is built off of relationships.

It takes time to meet the right people and create your own authentic community.

I've been consistently attending film & TV events in my niche since 2016.

Depending on the event, I'll bring a friend or go alone.

I've found that going solo increases my chances of meeting someone new. 

It pushes me out of my comfort zone to go introduce myself to strangers. 

I still get nervous, but now have the experience to take social cues and handle the conversation with ease.

Go where the industry is, say yes to the networking event, go to the brand party, and immerse yourself in the culture when you can.

When I'm not attending events, creating weekly social media content has been the most effective way to build my network.

If you aren’t promoting yourself and your work, why would anyone else?

Most of you are reading this newsletter because I posted on social media.

Action Steps & Summary

Here's my quick recap checklist to reference when feeling stuck in your own career:

1. Timing. Stay up-to-date with what the marketplace wants and adjust ours ideas based on those trends.

2. Creative materials. Creating industry standard materials is crucial. Keep educating yourself and refining your craft.

3. Network. Put yourself out there, don't expect people to come find you.

Time to make moves.