Chris Ming, Author at Christopher Ming Blog

career

Writer’s Imagery

Last updated on March 9th, 2019 at 04:03 pm

All the writers coming in have a certain image, Eric said.

Break it down for me.

He broke it down: hippie-indie-scenester. White, early-30’s. Clean cut intellectuals in square frame glasses. Drink orders come in two varietals: water and tea – as if ordering anything else would be faux pas. Nobody orders coffee, despite the likelihood they guzzle it by the gallon on their ownsome.

Armed with this nugget, how do you cash it in? How do you use this information? Is image another tool in a writer’s arsenal, clanging and jangling in different timbres against the hammering rat-tat-tat of alliteration or sliding rule of simile? By its nature, the writer’s contribution is relegated to the cutting room floor. In any media or production, writing happens in the shadow, behind the spotlight. The writer’s image won’t make it to the final product, or be part of its brand. So will image play a role in a writer’s career?

In a perfect world – no. In a perfect world, any person in any field would be judged solely upon their work. The quality they produce would be the only factor propelling them forward, and lack thereof what holds them back.

But The Perfect World be pop: nil.

Dozens of factors come out to play in determining a person’s long-term success. Personality. Timing. The ability to schmooze and network and play the game. Politics, conscious and unconscious biases of those reigning from the echelons above. In each factor, everyone stands to gain a little and lose a little. Image is no exception.

If in 95 percent of an executive’s career, the writers they encounter all slot neatly into the same round hole, the edge lies with being the square peg. They are the crucial outliers – the people standing out who stand a chance amongst clutter.

There’s no “right” image to achieve, no magic bullet to stand out in a positive way. It should be organic, coming directly from the heart, and as much a part of the person as hair color, bust size, and talent.

It’s peacocking minus the cock. Aiming for contradictory is a good start – contradictions naturally attract attention. What’s initially seen as an abnormality can be the springboard bumping you to a higher level of success because of the attention the abnormality garners: the white rapper, the black golfer, the Chinese basketball player, the writer moonlighting as a stripper.

Of course, there’s zero substitute for talent. For constantly and consistently producing quality in an environment of talented people. You must have the goods. You gotta have chops. You must work on the other components of the package: personality, likability, charm, before even thinking about how you’re going to out-image the hippie-indie-scenesters. Coupling the package with a distinct image is only a gambit, but one that offers an edge in a competitive field where you must seize every advantage you can.

A writer’s image won’t make it to the final product. But it can determine if the product makes it to the finals.

Photo Credit: John Jackson

career

Get Used To Waiting

Last updated on March 9th, 2019 at 04:03 pm

You see yourself a mover/shaker? You going to be lining up deals and inking contracts? Then get used to waiting. Your life isn’t a half-hour scripted series – no roll credits, scroll to next episode, cue theme music, and bingo-bango! the deal be done, chico, and you’re skipping to the bank.

Two ways to attack the waiting period. The first is with your ego on a pedestal: how dare they make me wait? Don’t they know who I am? Well, I’m nobody, but it’s still rude.

Or –

How could they make me wait this long? Didn’t they see my qualifications? Didn’t they whiff the desperation I be reeking?

Or –

Replay the entire interview like a TiVo’ed Lifetime movie you can’t delete: did I say the right things? Did they misinterpret my words? Did I offend someone?

Method deuce: go in with no ego.

See it isn’t about you – a difficult concept for those who wear their interviewing ability like a merit badge, tallying their flawless interview-to-job-offer stats like notches on a bedpost. A sign clear like crystal that their reach never exceeded their grasp.

Not nobody interviews you to advance your career. The interview is about advancing the best interests of the company. Whether you’re that person or not isn’t a reflection on you.

Wait – backtrack, flip that: if their decision makes you feel more or less whole, then you’re already missing a piece no job or salary can fill.

Not to say you should be delighted to get passed on. “Show me a happy loser, I’ll show you someone with a short-lived Hollywood career.”

But get the job, don’t get the job – says nada about a person’s character.

The only thing that says anything is this: how do you spend that time waiting? The world doesn’t pause while waiting on this one, this miniscule deal, this microcosm of a negotiation in the big picture of things. You got to be stirring other pots, simmering sauces and catching whiffs. Because with several pots cooking, why sweat the buns in the oven? – they’ll rise in their own time. In the long-run game, that’s how you earn maximum bonus.

Then if you get an offer, super-duper. Put pots on the back burner.

If you don’t, battling ego is a 24-7. There be no ceasefires, friend. So easy, to take it personally. Sulk into the office with a chip on your shoulder that’d have Atlas asking you for tips. Stop giving your best, stop anticipating the needs of others. Hey, they passed on you, right? So screw them. Start looking for another opportunity elsewhere, because you know this isn’t the source.

Or…

You let it go. Harder than it looks. But you do it anyway – keep doing what got you noticed in the first place. No, scratch that – do it better. Every time your goddamn contagiously cheerful mug waltzes by, every time their new hire messes up, make them ask themselves: “Did we make a mistake?”

In the meantime, keep them pots a-stirring.

Photo Credit: 30miller

career

No One’s Listening

Last updated on November 2nd, 2021 at 05:09 pm

Jeff sat. He was new blood. A transplant. Like a minted quarter, shiny and uncirculated and fresh to death.

Seated around him, three individuals who arrived a month previous. All whom sang the song and danced the dance required to get established in this town. He had every opportunity to pop questions, to mine for nuggets that’d make his transition easier. Finding even one morsel would make the effort worthwhile. Competition’s fierce, and that one byte of data might separate him from permanent resident status or a return ticket in three months with nothing but a story.

And he squandered the op. Instead, he talked. He shared his glorious triumphs, scheduling appointments from a league away, blowing in with the wind and blowing the hair back on his interviewers for his unpaid internship. He glowered about the bigger fish to come.

If you’ve heard “Los Angeles is a lonely city,” that’s why. Many people talk. Few listen.

The interaction, where one person opens their mouth, sound comes out, then the other person gets their chance, often isn’t dialogue around here. They’re two separate conversations, tangentially related. No interplay; just moments of waiting for the person to breathe or pass out, so the other person knows it’s their turn.

Does the entertainment business attract people like this? Or does it bring out this quality in them? Everyone’s looking to make it, on their own dime, sweat, tears – smart, brave souls, most – and that pursuit engages most of their energies. Their hustle consumes every morsel of attention. Any conversation not about them or their feats or their struggle is of no interest. Their attention wanes in the time a youtube video buffers. Eyes glaze in the 20 seconds post posing an obligatory question.

In the trenches of this environment, a battle rages. It’s a war of soul, an internal conflict when you wake up every morning. The battle is reminding yourself to be sympathetic and kind. To be human. To remember when it’s all over, all anyone has is what they gave back to the world.

Most days, it’s a losing battle. Platitudes and sage words don’t advance careers. They don’t pay rent. They don’t take away the loneliness.

How long can you look out for others who aren’t looking out for you?

How do you work hard and honest when most would take any edge you give them?

Offer up your soul and they’ll dump on it. Eventually, you get tired of cleaning shit up.

Seen one way, it’s a travesty to acknowledge you’ll walk away from this town jaded.

Seen another way, it’s an opportunity. An opportunity to stand out by being the person who listens, the person who looks out for others as much as he looks out for himself.

First thought that comes to mind is “it can’t be done.” This is a business built on relationships, but it’s also built on smoke and mirrors, on nepotism, and big deals brokered and broken in old boy’s clubs. And trying to rise against that with, what – kindness? heart? – is an act of madness.

Except this is a town where game changers also emerge from the mist. Not in the same abundance as the people who don’t listen, but they’re present. People who were told “you can’t do that,” or “nobody does that,” and do it anyway, because they believed in something more than their own personal advancement. Because they saw an opportunity the rest of the cogs were too busy churning to notice.

Of course, it’s hard to be one of these people. A game changer.

Why else would so few do it?

Photo Credit: thesohnzone

career

Can’t Be Done

Last updated on March 9th, 2019 at 04:03 pm

“You can’t be an assistant and a writer,” Teddy said.

Why?

“None of the assistants at the agency want to be actors or writers,” Teddy said. “They wouldn’t have time to do both. It’s just not done.”

He forgot. That every day in Los Angeles was another day someone back home said wouldn’t be done. He forgot how many friends wished us good luck (zippo,) how many thought this was a pipe dream we’d never execute (∞.)

Leaving home, leaving behind the foundation of a career, family and friends to live in a city with no home, no job, and no contacts, that’s “not done,” either. But we did it. What we’re doing here – trying to make it in Hollywood – is something most people consider can’t be done. It’s something, for the great majority of people, won’t ever happen.

Yet those people still arrive in droves every year.

Us included. Here we are.

He lost sight of this.

Intern for any company or agency. You see the number of scripts in this game. You realize why it’s so difficult for any good script – any great script – to get noticed. As Eric says, “All the bad scripts are clogging up the system.” The WGA registers tens of thousands of scripts a year – and around 500 films are released a year in the states.

It’s completely improbable for anyone to write one of those 500 movies. That doesn’t stop them from getting up every morning and chugging out word counts, editing, and studying scripts. Relative to this long shot (they’re all long shots) juggling an assistant position and writing doesn’t seem too difficult.

Why can’t it be done? Why can’t you be an assistant and make it as a writer? Not enough time? Means you wouldn’t have enough time. You wouldn’t make the necessary sacrifices.

If it costs a studio $50 million to produce a picture, they’d say it’s impossible to do it for any less. Yet someone like Avi Lerner comes around and makes the same film for $20 film.

Saying something is impossible means they themselves can’t do it. Can and can’t are relative terms.

Teddy said isn’t how it’s done — making it as a creative artist by first being an assistant. That it doesn’t fit the model – what model? There is no model, no guaranteed path, that’s what makes this particular hustle, making it in Hollywood, so hard and so beautiful and so demanding. There are no guarantees, no right or wrong ways.

There are only the people doing it. And the people telling them why they can’t.

Photo Credit: pankie18

career

Internships: Part Three – Scorecard

Last updated on January 15th, 2022 at 06:18 am

Line ‘em up. Knock ‘em down.

It’s one method in the madness. Probably not a good one: sawed-off shotgun, Super-C Spread Gun, see-what-sticks spaghetti-style method. Like Terry Rossio wrote in the essay, Breaking the Ice, however: “Breaking into the film business is not a problem that resolves itself through a single answer or path. It’s a problem that succumbs only to a process, a series of efforts taken over time. And the bitch of it is, you never know which is the right strategy until it pays off.
So you do everything. Whether the odds are with you are not. You do everything.”

Get started by subscribing to the UTA Job List. Copy each listing that sparkles, no matter how remote the twinkle. Create an e-mail template that you’ll tweak after spending a few minutes researching individual companies. Then start blasting off those cover letters and attached resumes, knocking them out like Rocky Balboa and his never-ending string of sequels.

Take educated guesses at the names of the people who will read the cover letter (based on the company website, or the e-mail address.) There’s nothing to lose, so take your poke. Maybe you’ll be wrong. Maybe you won’t be. But even the poorest guess won’t sound more awkward than “To whom it may concern,” or “Dear Sir or Madam.”

Attach your resume, but include it in the e-mail copy, too. Don’t give nobody the chance to give you the lick because of outdated antivirus software. More about the resume: screw chronological order. No one looks at dates, not even a peek. They spend ten seconds glazing over your resume to find something that catches their eye, so help them find it quick.

No need for it to be the most immediate job experience, or one where you learned the most. If it’ll seize their attention, raise you out of the pile of resumes on their desk, put it up top. A position related to what you’re applying for. A company of similar function, size, or reputation. Hell, any recognizable company, with brand name stats.

At this stage, they’re looking for credibility. They want talking points. They want you to take the opportunity to prove you’re no crazy. Make it easy.

Pop off the e-mails. Don’t spend too much time on any one company. It’s a numbers game. Send them then forget them.

While you’re waiting for the next batch of openings from the UTA Job List, use your connections to meet with people. Or try foot leather – waltzing through the company doors, seeing if they’re looking for interns or unpaid help.

Long shots for sure. But everything seems like a long shot, and “you never know which is the right strategy until it pays off.”

Scorecard

Companies applied to: 20

Companies applied on UTA Job List: 18

Interviews through personal contacts: 1

Physical resumes dropped: 3

Days spent looking: 25

Internship position offered: 1

Return to Internships: Part Two – First Interview

Photo Credit: Marc Dennert

career

Internships – Part Two: First Interview

Last updated on November 3rd, 2021 at 03:22 am

He glanced at the resume. Read it aloud, a clear as Ever indication this was time primero he laid eyeball to C.V. ink.

“Shogun Sushi,” mumble mumble, “Rutgers University,” mumble mumble, then stopped. Where they always stopped. Asked what they always asked. “What’d you do for Maxim Magazine?”

Eric offered one takeaway, other than his narrative on the crapshoot that is procuring an internship: “Be clear about what you want to do. The last guy they passed on because he said he didn’t know what he wanted.”

So when he posed his question – what do you want to do in this industry? – he got the straight.

Be a screenwriter. No if’s, and’s, or um’s.

At which point Matt concluded the interview, and offered two-penny thoughts on the best path to becoming a screenwriter, none which involved his internship program.

“I see this internship as a stepping stone for people,” he said. “I don’t want someone who’s going to do this, then take a position for $38,000 a year at Chase Bank or something.” He followed this back-handed back hand with suggestions how a Chase bank teller should go about it.

“Spend a year just focused on your writing, and reading great scripts. You don’t have to be a part of this program to do that.”

Or –

“Take a class on screenwriting at UCLA extension. Learn about the structure – that’s the best way for you to become a screenwriter.”

Or –

“Spend a year working desk at an agency. Learn from the movers and shakers. You’ll spend 80 hours a week there your first year. Probably won’t write much. But you’ll come out with contacts, and with luck, get somebody to represent you.” At which point he realized how contradictory his advice was, and tried fobbing it off with – “you’re well-spoken, you dress well, and you’re a sharp guy. You look like an agency kid to me.”

Mad-Libs are more specific.

Twenty minutes of this. Followed with some standing, a warm smile, and hand shaking hand. All formalities – the interview finished 18 minutes ago. But not nobody wastes your time unless you let him; if the crash ‘n burn looks top gun, best aim for great balls of fire.

Matt, I respect your opinion. I respect everything you just said. But I want to leave no doubt in your mind that I want to be in contention for this internship.

Finally. A genuine smile to replace the smirk. “Then you are.”

Never heard from him again.

Continue to Internships – Part Three: Scorecard

Return to Internships – Part One: Getting an Interview

Photo Credit: Enri Endrian

career

Internships – Part One: Getting an Interview

Last updated on November 2nd, 2021 at 05:09 pm

“It’s rolling the dice,” Eric said, “trying to get an interview for one of these internships.”

On the second day of his internship, his boss presented him a stack of resumes. “He told me, ‘go through these, find five candidates to interview for the last internship spot.’”

“When you’re given 50 resumes and cover letters, and told to get it down to five, you look for any reason to discount someone. That’s how I eliminated the first half: I looked for any reason to not consider them. Typo – gone. Poor formatting – gone.

“One guy, trying to be funny in his cover letter, wrote he was looking for ‘slave labor employment.’ It was cute – he was eliminated. Another girl put a suggestive picture of herself as the background to her resume – gone.

“That got me down to 25 resumes, at which point it’s even more of a crap shoot, not less.” All of the obvious rejects were already sitting in the trash, he explained. With those that remained, how many were likely to jump out as the “right” person for the position?

Very few.

“It came down to my mood, or the little details I noticed in the resumes. ‘Oh, you went to a Big 10 School? Okay, you’re in.’ Or, ‘You went to Texas State? I like your football team, you’ll get interviewed.’ Any insignificant detail can make the candidate stand out, and it’s completely subjective to the person going through the resumes.” Eric shook his head. “Not to mention any subconscious biases or prejudices.

“I chose three resumes and realized they were all girls. And I’m not going to hand my boss five female candidates, so I eliminated the remaining girls from the stack of resumes. Which isn’t fair to them; anyone of them could have been more qualified than the three already picked, but that’s just the way it goes.

“It just makes me realize more that if you want to get somewhere in this industry, you have to know people. Submitting your resume to a database of resumes – like I did before – is fruitless. The people in charge want recommended people; they’re aware what a shot in the dark the hiring process is. If they pick a random, they could wind up with a psycho nobody likes. If they hire based on your recommendation, at least they’re removing the ‘random’ element. Everyone benefits when you hire based on a recommendation.”

Continue to Internships – Part Two: First Interview

Photo Credit: MindField Group

los angeles

Restaurant Work in Los Angeles

Last updated on May 5th, 2018 at 11:23 am

“Sounds like a no-brainer,” Teddy said. He reclined deeper into the sofa, sunlight splashing off the cigarette drooped from his fingertips. “What did you come out to Los Angeles for? You didn’t come out to serve, or to learn more about the restaurant business. You came to write. So take whichever job will help you do that.”

finances

Transition Year: Health Insurance Guide

Last updated on November 3rd, 2021 at 09:21 am

*Author’s note – this health insurance guide was started early 2010, and completed in May 2010. It was never published, due to the assumption that President Obama’s Healthcare Reform would render most of the information redundant or null. According to the CNN New Network, by the end of 2010, “children up to 26 can stay on their parent’s plan.”

However, different employers interpreted the bill differently.

For example, the “Young Adult Option,mmmm” provided by NYSHIP (New York State Health Insurance Program) “permits young adults to continue or obtain coverage through a parent’s policy until the young adult’s 30th birthday.” However:

“NYSHIP has elected to provide the Young Adult Option under the new law, and will not be extending the age of dependency for coverage as a dependent under family coverage nor contributing to the cost of coverage for a young adult. Instead, a young adult who meets the eligibility criteria will be able to enroll for individual NYSHIP coverage by paying the full individual premium for the coverage they elect.”

In essence, the Young Adult Option plays very similarly to COBRA.

Taking this into consideration – that not everyone would reap the benefits of the Healthcare Reform – it seemed irresponsible not to share the information below, especially if someone could possibly benefit from it.

The transition year is fraught with challenges. Look at learning and obtaining health insurance as one more to overcome – and a crucial one. Not taking the time to do the work, become informed, and obtain suitable coverage, is a decision with disastrous consequences. Especially since all the information is out there; you just have to be willing to go find it.

Below is a brief look at some health insurance options. It primarily addresses the concerns of post-University graduates who are either unemployed or don’t qualify for their employer’s health insurance.

Disclosures:

The author isn’t an expert on the subject of health insurance, health care providers, or HMO’s. All information provided is based on personal experiences. Thus, use this guide to supplement your own research. You are responsible for your own decisions.
The crux of information pertain to residents of New York and New Jersey.
This guide assumes you live a fairly healthy lifestyle, without the need for many prescriptions or checkups. Plan according to your needs.

While Still Covered by Your Parent’s Health Insurance

Use it or lose it.

Actually, you’re going to lose it regardless. Milk it before you do.

Get your doctor visits in – every single one covered by your current plan: your primary care physician, dentist, orthodontist, dermatologist, optometrist, podiatrist, chiropractor. Been putting off getting orthotics for your shoes? Back hurting, but too lazy to check it out? Do so while you’re covered.

Getting that clean bill of health is important, especially if you’re going to be paying the next time you see the doctor. There’s no price tag on your peace of mind, either. The next stage of your life will be tumultuous. Attack it with a sound body and sound mind.

Some employers may require shots (a Tetnus shot, a Tuberculosis Screening, etc.) so look into getting those, too. Not sure if or what kind of shots an employer might ask for? Ask friends who work in a similar industry/company. Check a potential employer’s website, or call their HR department.

If you’re thinking of doing extended travel, see if your provider covers immunizations. They’re expensive: one Twinrix shot (immunization against Hep A and Hep B) costs $68 – and three are required for complete treatment.

Typhoid Fever shot? After consultation fees – over $100.

They aren’t cheap. Your parents paid their premiums every month for a reason, so make use of what they bought.

While in School/a Minor

Can you extend your parent’s health insurance?

This puts off the headache of researching new plans and finding new doctors, for a little while, at least.

If you want to extend their health insurance, research this option early. Do it yesterday. Once you’re booted off their plan, the option might disappear.

Another option is to extend your university’s health insurance. These rates are often much lower than private insurance companies. Consult with your university’s health services for more details.

On Your Own

Option 1 – Go back to school

If your intent is to delay the real world and all its trappings: health insurance, paying back loans, and dinners that don’t consist of happy hour specials, graduate school is an option. Not a great one, especially if you’re not sure what you want to do with yourself, but at the very least you can put off these concerns for another couple of years.

Option 2 – Start at Ehealth Insurance

Ehealth Insurance is a good starting point.

Enter your information and get your quote. It’ll give you a ball park of how much you can expect to pay, and provides a few options.

Option 3 – Blue Cross Blue Shield

Many freelancers (designers, writers, servers) living in NY and NJ use BCBS. Anecdotal research shows that premium for basic major-medical coverage is around $350, which is usually a cheaper rate than COBRA.

Option 4 – COBRA

COBRA gives you the option to continue receiving your group’s health benefits under certain circumstances: loss of a job, graduated from college, reduced hours worked, etc. It’s a temporary extension of coverage, but you pay the entire premium (your employer doesn’t cover any of it.)

Read the fine print so you know exactly what’s covered with COBRA.

Option 5 – Healthy NY

Healthy NY was an initiative started to guarantee all New York residents received affordable health care. There is a list of requirements, so go through it carefully. Here’s a brief outline:

Must be a NY state resident
You (or your spouse) must be currently employed or been employed in the last 12 months
You didn’t have health insurance for the last 12 months, or lost it due to a specific event, like loss of a job, loss of other coverage, graduated from university, etc.
You aren’t eligible for Medicare
Your current monthly gross income must be less than $2,257.* The monthly gross income is measured back three months. What this means is if you apply on June 1^st, your monthly income for the months of March, April, and May should not exceed $2,257.*

If you choose a plan with a high deductible, your monthly premiums will cost approximately $175.* Most doctor visits will include a co-pay.

Option 6 – Family Health Plus

Family Health Plus follows the same requirements for Healthy NY, except:

Your currently monthly gross income must be less than $903* – again, this gets dated back three months.
Your resource level (basically, your net worth) cannot exceed $13,800.*

With Family Health Plus, there are no premiums, and most doctor visits won’t require a co-pay.

Option 7 – Travel Health Insurance

Footprints Recruiting provides down-and-dirty information on travel health insurance for globe-trotters, along with a few potential providers. Do your research.

What About Dental Plans?

If you feel you should really have dental insurance, do a search for quotes. It’s surprisingly affordable, and probably worth the money if your gnashers are a concern. A routine cleaning (no x-rays) costs approximately $70, and dentists recommend two cleanings per year.

Health Care Reform

If the Senate passes President Obama’s Health Care Reform, the primary change for those recent graduates is young adults will be able to stay under their parent’s insurance until their 26^th birthday.

Conclusion

Do your research, and please share what you learn with others. Paying out-of-pocket for a hospital bill could financially cripple anyone, and put them in debt for years. That’s something – under no circumstances – anyone should go through.

*exact number subject to change. See Health NY or Family Health Plus for current exact figures.

Photo Credit: Hefty Insurance Services Inc

los angeles

One Month in Los Angeles

Last updated on November 3rd, 2021 at 07:37 am

We followed the GPS’ purple arrows into Culver City, our modern, corrupted version of Yellow Brick not even Gregory Maguire could dream up.

Teddy pointed out the window at the formidable white building, fortified behind a tall, black fence. It’d only be less inviting if the wrought-iron was composed of ivory tusks, pillaged from a majestic, prehistoric creature, and curved outwards.