Networking Advice to Get and Stay in the TV/Film Industry from Pipeline Artists Symposium on Vimeo.

You have dreams as a screenwriter. You work and write and sacrifice and say no to fun stuff with friends because you're working on your craft. Getting better.

But the thing is, if you don't know people in the industry, you'll lose out on opportunities to people who do.

You might have the chips stacked against you.

• Not a lot of free time to meet people
• Not living in an industry town
• Not good at talking to people
• Maybe small talk makes you want to hit your head with a ball-pene hammer to escape
• Or you feel you've never been invited to the table in the first place

But what if you could learn actionable hacks that could save you YEARS of mistakes and propel your career relationships, in the time that it takes to watch one film, for the cost of a few coffees at Starbucks?

During the first ten years of my time in the TV industry, I made EVERY SINGLE freaking mistake you can make when it comes to networking.

I cringe every time I think about it.

But all those mistakes bring a lot of award-winning, kick-ass insight. So, I reverse engineered how networking is in the industry, and how to do it, especially when you have no bloody clue what you're doing.

And it completely changed my career. Previous session attendees contact me all the time to say these tips have changed things for them, too.

Straight up—this is NOT a dry, boring session. Why should it be? We need to kick down those doors! This is our livelihood!

It will help you with some of the most common challenges writers face. Here are just some of the things you'll learn:

1) Secrets and attitudes we need that people don't tell us.

2) Hacks from the TV and film industry on who writers should network with and who is usually overlooked.

3) Adjacent industries we can build our skills and presence in until the TV/film industry recovers in the next year or two.

4) Networking in person, like at live events, including how to know who to talk to, the best areas to find them, and what to say. (P.S. And how everything can come down to a foot!)

5) How to send an email to someone you don't know and get a response. (P.S. And tips like why "I" makes people run for the hills!)

It's super high-energy, it's funny, it's irreverent, and it's filled with TRUTH. I will bear my soul and tell you cringeworthy stories!

The session has received 100% positive feedback, including from industry bodies like WFTV CA, LSF, MANFF, writing groups and international universities. It was voted "most useful session" at LSF, University of Derby, and Bolton U. Upcoming sessions include Ed TV Fest, WGGB, BAFTA, NFTS, etc. 

Join in! You'll feel so much better, and empowered with actionable steps to take. The sooner you start (even if you're a new writer), the sooner you'll get all the benefits! 

[Recorded August 12, 2024]

What attendees have said ...

Great, practical advice, even for writers who already research the crap out of this stuff. Great advice for introverts and neurodivergent types! One of my favorite parts was the even photo and analysis of body language and people dynamics—so helpful!!

I was really thrilled to find that this webinar was very concise and accurate in the objective of giving meaningful advice! Amanda was so great, and it was truly inspiring.

Amanda’s no-bull brand of advice was welcomed by this newbie “Imposter.” She exfoliated at least a decade’s worth of mistakes, offering practical insight into an intimidating and overwhelming industry. Networking is the one big bad monster I feared couldn’t be overcome, making me question whether or not this industry could be my home but Amanda normalized the fear so many of us face when trying to meet new people and make new connections while offering solutions to help us  get over the hump.

Loved Amanda's energy and positive mindset. It also gave me fresh inspiration and a more lighthearted approach to networking, generally. I'm going to have some fun with it. Some practical stuff like the social media purge was good to include. Be yourself was kind of an underlying message I got from Amanda and I'm going to embody that—my peeps are out there.

I loved hearing the first-hand experiences, and I adored the visual elements enhancing the speaker’s thoughts regarding cold-emails.

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Amanda Graham has written 23 eps of BBC tv and edited scripts and ghostwritten pitch decks for 92 film and tv development projects including for the BBC and Channel 4 and the Zero Gravity Group. She has two of her own projects with Olivia Colman and Ed Sinclair's indie South of the River, one with Colman and Tristram Shapeero attached. She has a working partnership with Shapeero, including a new comedy project with Carol Kolb (Brooklyn 99/Community/The Onion), and ongoing partnerships with stuntwoman and Director of DreamMore Films Jadey Duffield and comedian and co-writer Jo D'Arcy. She has worked with Visionality, and Channel X. Her book "Good Stuff to Read When You're About to Lose Your Shit" is currently being shopped by book agent and editor Nicky Lovick. She's also an award-winning speaker and won Lecturer of the Year for the School of Arts at Bolton University, 2021. Her networking sessions have been given for WFTV, the Rotary Club, MANFF, Black Creatives, Female Voices Rock, Universities of Derby, Chichester, South London, and were voted most useful session by LSF, U Bolton, U Derby. Upcoming sessions will be given at the Writer's Guild, BAFTA, NFTS, and the Institute of Neurodiversity in Geneva. Amanda is a BAFTA Connect Member, was selected for BFI / BAFTA Crew 2021, and Ed TV Fest's Ones to Watch 2018-2019.