A large client reached out to me recently, inquiring about whether they could work with us, confirmed during the call with me that they were excited about the prospect and eager to move ahead..then immediately ghosted me.

The thing that makes that remarkable and worth writing about is how completely unremarkable it is.

If you're looking to work in the film industry, prepare to get ignored. A lot. And prepare yourself to be completely ok with that. I imagine it's the same in every competitive industry, but I've spent my whole adult life in film, and that's also why you're here, so let's get into this.

Generally you're dealing with busy people who are weighing up multiple options, who very rarely have a strong motivation to find the best option, but rather the option most likely to make them look good, or at least not make them look bad.

It's just not about you, and that realisation feeds into so many things. Here's just a few

• Since it's not about you, you being good won't necessarily make a huge difference. The gatekeepers to the job you're looking for might not even know what “good” is, and that's why the creative industries are so full of charlatans. Try to be “good” as defined by a LinkedIn user, and do whatever it takes to make your CV look impressive. I switched from Hollywood films to indie films after doing Man of Steel, and went from being head hunted to being an industry outcast incredibly quickly. My skills were skyrocketing, since I got to be much more involved in filmmaking in film, but my CV told the story of a drop out.
• Since it's not about you, you've left people's minds as soon as your conversation with them has finished. If you still value the work/contact, and if they've ghosted rather than rejected you, gently remind them now and again. Often the ghosting just means they found a preferable option, but that option may fall through, and then they'll likely go for whatever is most convenient - which if they have your contact information to hand, and a recent e-mail, might be you
• Since it's not about you, don't make it about you. Certain key creative positions work fine with big brash egos that won't take no for an answer (that's why Hollywood's upper echelons are not filled with pleasant people), but the majority of work is for people who know their place. Even if someone has hunted me out for work, and really wants to work with me directly, if we do work together, I know it's not about me, it's about the project.
• Since it's not about you, no one will care to tell you why they didn't choose to go with you. It's actually very common that they did choose you, but the project they were hiring for fell through, and they moved onto the next thing. But feel free to ask. I remember when I was applying to study animation, there would be 50+ applications for every place on the course. When I was invited to interview, I wasn't confident that I would get in, so I told them that if I wasn't accepted, I would apply again next year, so could they let me know what my weaknesses were, so that I could work on them until my next opportunity. That was 18 year old me going off a wing and a prayer, but I still think it's a great question to ask if you are interviewed.
• Since it's not about you, don't rely on it for your own creative fulfillment. There are huge upsides to working in film, but however high you climb, you'll never have the same freedom that you do if you're doing your own projects, for yourself and/or your audience. Read the biography of your favourite director if they have one, and see how bitterly they fought for creative freedom, and how 99% of the time, they lost.
• Since it's not about you, don't allow the journey to affect your perception of your own self worth. In my capacity as an educator, I feel that the material that I work with is human potential, and I think as a result, I'm a pretty good judge of it, and I think it's a massively unvalued resource - and any company that turns to AI first finds that out pretty quickly too. I have never met a person who didn't have the potential to make it as a professional in film, and I don't think I ever will - and nearly every hire I've ever made for my own company has been from outside of film, and I've trained them in the skills necessary

As always, if you're stuck in a rut and can't find your way forward in film - I can't promise I can fix it…but I won't ghost you either. Erm although sometimes I do miss e-mails, so give it a second go or find me on Discord if I don't reply!