Networking Done Right: Why You're Not Trying to Network with "Execs" (Yet)
Advice from a TV writer/showrunner
Everyone talks about "networking" in Hollywood. It's this mythical beast, right? You picture yourself at some swanky party, schmoozing with studio heads, handing your script to a showrunner while sipping artisanal kombucha. And then you wake up and realize you're still sitting at your kitchen table in your pajamas.
Here's the problem with that fantasy: when you're starting out, or even when you're a few steps in, you are almost certainly trying to network with the wrong people. And you're doing it for the wrong reasons.
Don't try to network up; network sideways
What does that mean? It means stop trying to get five minutes with the head of development at Warner Bros. They don't know you, they don't owe you anything, and frankly, they're probably sick of people sliding into their DMs or trying to corner them at events. Their job isn't to make your career; it's to make their career and make money for their company. And if you're not already proven, you're not going to help them do that.