By Katherine Blessan
“Neil, can you remember the name of the blonde guy we spoke to together near the bar?” He gave me two different names, but none of them seemed to fit with my visual memory of the man we’d spoken to nor with the names I’d saved on my phone. It doesn’t help that some people’s professional photos look nothing like how they look in person. Or maybe it’s just that I spoke to someone who wasn’t on the official acceptance list!
This text exchange happened a few days after the Talent Campus official networking event, where we mingled with industry executives in the basement of the bohemian Phoenix Club in Soho. Chris Jones had trained us in effective networking just before the event and he’d told us that ‘Stage 5’ was being effective afterwards. Well, I’d failed at that hurdle. It must have come down to me not having noted down people’s names with visual reminders at ‘Stage 4’, in other words being effective in the room.
Oh, and I’d also resisted the advice to take selfies with people – mainly because it’s so not me – my arms are too short among other reasons / excuses!
Anyway, I felt assured that this was all OK, as ‘failing’ and messiness are all part of the journey! At least I’d turned up, smiled and made some connections. And the same Neil told me the following day that he thought my pitching was amazing, which I really couldn’t see. Take the rough with the smooth. It’s all part of the networking game.
If I’m honest, the most important networking aspect of Talent Campus was not mixing with executives (fun though that was). It was the friendships built with the other Talent Campers.
Chris insisted we give a daily hug to every camper (sometimes twice a day). At the beginning, I found this a bit awkward – hugging people you don’t really know is weird. But by the end of the 6 weeks, I found myself leaning in for a proper squeeze as I really wanted to hug these gorgeous people! I truly felt I’d found my screenwriting tribe.
Like any group of diverse people, we were made up of unique personalities who contribute to our team dynamics. There were the nurturers, the maternal types, the one-line quippers, the over-sharers, the go-get’um types and the monumental organisers. On the last day of our first in-person training, we had ‘circle’ time where each one of us shared our journey of getting onto Talent Campus. The stories shared during that time were either heartbreaking or inspiring, and I felt incredibly bonded to the group after hearing their stories.
We’re going to stay in touch with our fellow campers – some of us via the mentoring groups we were placed in and some via collaborative projects already started. I am sure that further collaborations and encouragements will emerge over time. During the writing of this blog, I’ve encountered the power of the group in dealing with an exciting dilemma. I’ve posted on our group WhatsApp the question, how do I respond to an email from Jodie Whittaker’s agent that says, “When are you shooting?” As a first-time filmmaker, I need to strike the balance between offering the moon and playing it too cool! Or do I? Let’s see what emerges from the collective wisdom.
Watch this space for further unveiling….
Katherine Blessan is a novelist, short story writer and screenwriter. She loves to write stories that touch on social issues and explore the space where cultures cross.
