Significant Career Lesson From an Assistant at Television Writers Room
Marshall, an Executive Story Editor, learned the critical importance of open communication with supervisors from the outset of a job; the interviewee emphasizes the need to explicitly discuss expectations, such as "what your day-to-day job is supposed to look like," to avoid misunderstandings and potential problems, advocating for clarifying even seemingly minor details like call handling protocols and information sharing within a writer's room.
Communication, Executive/Leadership, Workplace Challenges, Industry Realities, Actionable Tips
Advizer Information
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Job Title
Company
Undergrad
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Marshall Knight
Executive Story Editor
Television Writers Room
UCLA
n/a
Arts, Entertainment & Media, Advertising, Communications & Marketing
Creative
Honors Student, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Student Athlete
Video Highlights
1. Proactive Communication is Key: Marshall stresses the importance of open communication with superiors from day one. He emphasizes clarifying expectations for daily tasks and procedures, such as handling calls and information flow, to avoid misunderstandings and potential conflicts.
2. Understand Implicit Rules: The interview highlights the existence of unspoken rules in the television writers' room, like the 'cone of silence' regarding information disclosure. This underscores the need for new employees to actively seek clarification on these unwritten norms.
3. Importance of Clarifying Expectations: Marshall's experience shows the value of explicitly discussing job expectations with supervisors. This includes understanding how to respond to executive inquiries and navigating the communication dynamics within a writers' room setting. This prevents misinterpretations and ensures everyone is on the same page.
Transcript
What is one lesson that you have learned that has proven significant in your career?
I think the hardest lesson I had to learn was how important open communication is with your bosses, especially in a writer's room setting as an assistant. It's about understanding exactly what they expect and what your day-to-day job is supposed to look like. This isn't the same on every show.
For instance, it's critically important to know how a showrunner wants you to handle phone calls. Do they want you listening in and taking notes when they take a call, or would they rather you didn't? Different executives and showrunners have very different ideas about that role.
If you get that wrong, simply because you didn't discuss it at the beginning and lay out how they wanted you to do the job, it can cause a lot of trouble. I wish I had known earlier how important it is to sit down with your supervisor on day one.
You should discuss every piece of your job and make sure you're on the same page about expectations. For example, if an executive calls asking for progress, what should you say? I didn't know that it's really supposed to be a "cone of silence," and that no information leaves the writer's room unless expressly permitted by your showrunner. Having those conversations upfront prevents confusion about your day-to-day responsibilities; don't assume anything.
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