Justin Hedges, one of my twitter favs, and author of the blog The 3 a.m. Screenwriter, asked us a question today. He may be meeting with a celebrity later this week, and wants to know how to stand out in the crowd.
We’ve been fortunate enough to have a few big meetings with celebs over the years.
Whether sitting with potential hosts for Scream Queens (like our new host Jaime King) convincing Stan Lee to do a pilot with us (he did), or proving we could run a show alongside Ashton Kutcher (Beauty and the Geek) we’ve gone into some “big rooms.”
Were We Nervous?
Honestly, before every one of those meetings, we’d look at each other and say, “Holy Shit!” We’d then compose ourselves, and prepare. After a good number of these “dream” meetings, we’ve learned something we’re going to share with you.
Here’s the secret that will help you keep your cool and look like a pro when you get that big celeb meeting:
SECRET: The Meeting is About the Project, Not the Celebrity
That’s it. Keep this one simple tip in mind, and everything else will fall into place. You’re not there as a fan, you’re there as a professional, and your project is as much an opportunity for the celebrity as it is for you.
If you don’t believe in your project enough to know that’s true, cancel the meeting.
For some other tips to get your head in the right place, check out this post we wrote on working with celebrities.