A busy week in '06!

Multiple things to report - and for once, all of ‘em are good. No mysterious rashes to rain on my parade this time! Here, in no particular order, is what I'm calling the ‘Yay for Me!’ Triumvirate:

First up: I quit smoking! And, it was really, really easy. Easier than coughing, easier than going to the ATM daily - easier than smoking. Upon a fellow alumni’s advice, I read ‘The Easy Way To Quit Smoking’ (author: Allen Carr), and haven’t really thought about it twice since. But, worry not: Here’s where I promise not to turn into the Preachy Paul many reformed smokers morph into, chewing three packs of Excel a day while pointing fingers. I enjoyed it, and now I look back with fond memories of my Belmont Milds - but, like myself and gin martinis, we’re just better off apart.

Second: Our submission to the CFC’s pilot Pilot Programme went in on Friday. (A bit of back-story: myself and my creative partner from Ryerson teamed up with a CFC alum from a few years back to develop a series called SELF HELP. I, and a handful of others, think it's pretty darn funny. We’d been working on it for about a year when KE introduced the program, so it was a natural fit to submit. That, and we already had the work done.)

The program should really be called a contest, as that more accurately describes the process, but ‘contest’ seems to scare people because no one wants to be known as a loser (although the way some people carry on…). This contest is open only to projects with an attached producer, which we didn’t have prior to the announcement. The CFC sent us a list of folks in mid Dec. that they thought would be a good fit. Now: we’ve always been aware that SELF HELP 's label will be one of those ‘either you get it or you don’t’ type of things, and that broadcasters and producers alike would fall into one of those two categories. Most of the producers on the CFC list, it seems, didn’t get it. We received a bunch of responses that read: ‘Great writing, really funny, love the team, but… we don’t connect to it on a personal level’. One of my co-creators calls this the ‘Canadian version of saying ‘no’’ - the most polite way possible for someone to tell you your show is a half-baked attempt at humor and is destined for stop-motion webisodes. Regardless, we did find a producer who really got it (I think), and seems to really be into working with us. We’re pretty excited about it - sometimes the most unlikely match is the most honest, because nothing is forced or expected. She is the Thelma to our Louise. Apparently option papers are being drawn up now, but more on that as it comes, as well as our series’ status in Pilotsville.

Third: I’ve formally formed a relationship with an agent here in Toronto. I’m a bit shocked at how quickly this came to fruition, but it’s something that will really give me comfort and confidence - in addition to all the other things that go without saying. Because I’ve been leaning toward this agency (While I signed with a particular agent, the delightful lack of competition around their office causes me to refer to the entire agency) for a while, I’ve retained two important pieces of advice on the subject for constant reference:

1. Don’t jump into anything. This is a relationship that (hopefully) lasts for many, many years.
2. On a whole, agents are all the same. They all do the same job, and should all have access to the same people. Therefore, go with your gut: whomever you trust and feel the most comfort with will be a better match out of the gate than someone who, while they can deliver Keira Knightley gift-wrapped on your doorstep, you can’t even mutter their name without your tongue turning green.

These seem to be good rules. Did I follow them? Yes and no. Yes, in that I did research other agents, talked to a few, and looked at what each can do for me. But no, in that I didn’t go much further than that before making my decision.

The reason is not because of haste, impatience, or bias. Ok, maybe a little bias. But frankly, meeting with other agents really showed me some of the things I’m not looking for. All very nice people, with great track records, careers, etc., but you know what? I felt considerably more cared about and safe with one agency - why go against what’s already so pronounced? Because one of SELF HELP’s co-creators is repped by them, I have had an introduction to them and their methods. From day 1, I could see myself there. I’m a casual guy, and they compliment that. There’s a lot of work and dedication necessary to break a new writer, and they are prepared and willing to take those steps - and have done so with great success. And, of all the people I’ve talked to and questions I’ve asked, I’ve not heard a bad story or negative comment regarding their methods or reputation. When I put all this together, it seemed like a no-brainer. Why push away something that would take a good year or so to form (if it ever did) with someone else, if everything else measures up? (By the way, if you disagree, I’d love to hear your reasons why. Seriously.)


BTW, here’s my list of what I was looking for in an agent( and agency):
Responsive
Informative
Have good contacts
Have no secrets
Creative marketing ideas
Persistent
Respectful

Based on this checklist, they fit the bill to a tee.

I’m signing to formal contact this week (I assume). Does anyone have any advice as to what I should be looking for, or paying attention to?

That’s about it. I officially begin my ‘day job’ in ad-land tomorrow. A bit nervous about handling the workload between the 9-5 and my ‘career’ projects I’m writing. I’m trying to work out a schedule in my head. Here’s what I’ve got so far:

Monday/Wed: 9-5ish work, then to the gym, then home to write for 1 hr.
Tuesday/Thurs: 9-5ish work, then home to write for 2 hrs.
Friday: 9-5 work, dinner at my parents, then relax.
Saturday: 10-5 write
Sunday 11-5 write

I don’t really work well in the evenings, so weekdays may be hard, but this seems to give me enough time that I’m not going to burn out in two weeks and more importantly (and this is where so many of my plans fail), it seems to be fairly realistic… Until ABC begins its Sunday NBA tripleheaders, when it all turns to shit.