“Think Bigger” and “Fail Bigger”—these were my two big takeaways from the London Screenwriters’ Festival Talent Campus (TC). Thanks to one of my colleagues on TC, our cohort had the opportunity to do both of these things.
Adenike Ojo, a producer and screenwriter, suggested we organize an event for Emerging Screenwriters that would be truly affordable and inclusive.
Off the back of her suggestion, we began thinking bigger. Our cohort planned “Make It Reel!” in just 5 weeks time, over the busy holiday season, with no start-up funding.
In thinking bigger, we knew the consequences—we could potential fail bigger. But the alternative of thinking small, or, heaven forbid, not trying at all, was unthinkable. You don’t graduate from TC without taking a power shower every morning and believing in your ability to be, and do, the extraordinary.
We were not daunted even though we had to book a slate of six speakers within a week, set up a website within two weeks and advertise and sell 100 tickets within 5 weeks. It was a big ask, and not just for us, but for the speakers giving up their free time on a Sunday afternoon.
Everyone rallied together their contacts, and within the time limit, we confirmed the following people:
- Marcus Ryder, CEO of the Film and TV Charity
- Cary Rajinder Sawhney, MBE, Founder and Director of the London Indian Film Festival
- Jess Rampling, Commissioner, True Crime Originals
- Jon Mason, producer and founder of Jollywise
- Jill Martin Wrenn, Media Coach
- Anke Lueddecke, award-winning director and producer
But that was just a starting point. We still needed to confirm a venue before advertising. We needed a platform to sell the tickets on. We needed to fundraise to pay for expenses. We needed a sound system, food and most importantly–an audience. Somehow we managed to do all of these things and not neglect our loved ones over the holidays in the process.
We thought bigger and it happened. Okay, it was a bitterly cold on the event day and not everyone turned up, but all the speakers did.
And, yes, it got stressful when the sound system failed more than once, but the speakers managed to be heard, and the sound controller fixed the issues. We would agree that we were fortunate not to have bigger problems, but we were prepared for bigger problems. We saw them as an opportunity for learning and growth, because that’s the key to being bigger–you embrace failure when it occurs and you refuse to quit.
Talent Campus provided the mindset of thinking bigger and then our cohort ran with it. I can’t wait to see what these amazing and talented team members do next!
Author repped by Kathleen Rushall of Andrea Brown Lit Agency.
Screenwriter.
@amscribbler
