What an Attorney and Filmmaker at Law Firms and Production Companies wishes they had known before entering the Legal and Film Industry
Regarding the legal field, Michael wished someone had emphasized that working in-house for a company straight out of law school is "not true at all," a misconception he encountered. In filmmaking, the most valuable lesson learned was to not take rejection personally, recognizing that misinterpretations of work are part of "the process" in dealing with a high volume of submissions.
Overcoming Challenges, Industry Realities, Hard Truths, Resilience, Practical
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Michael Erike
Attorney & Filmmaker
Bailey Law Firm & YachtKlub Productions
Loyola Marymount University
Sandra Day O’Connor College Of Law - J.D.
Finance
Arts, Entertainment & Media, Law
Legal
Scholarship Recipient, Greek Life Member
Video Highlights
1. In the legal field, there are more options than just working for a law firm or the state; in-house positions at companies are also possible.
2. The filmmaking industry is challenging, requiring many years of work. It's crucial to not take rejection personally; misinterpretations of scripts are common, and it's part of the process.
3. Rejection is part of the process in both law and filmmaking. Feedback may be based on misinterpretations, and persistence is key to success.
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone would have told you before you entered the industry?
In the legal field, as an attorney, I wish someone had told me that, as a lawyer, you could work for a law firm, for the state, or for a company. I'm sure people could break it down further, but that's the broad basis.
I heard from almost everyone that coming out of law school, you couldn't work straight for a company. They said it was unheard of. I wish someone had told me that wasn't true at all. I think I would have sought out more companies. The end result would have been the same, but it would have been interesting.
I would say that in-house is indeed an option coming out of law school. On the filmmaking side, I knew it would be hard and take a lot of years. It may be the most uncommon route ever. I guess I wish someone had told me not to take it personally.
That's probably the best advice. When you get far enough that people want to read your work, and then they read it back in a way that isn't at all what you want the project to be, and then they pass on it, it's hard not to question it. I wish they had taken the time to dive into the material.
Years ago, something my brother and I wrote around Covid time, in 2020, actually picked up heat. Some of the big studios were reading it. I remember getting mad about some of the feedback. I wish someone had told me that this is the process.
With hundreds, if not thousands of pages to read, it's possible they will misread your work. That will happen. But eventually, someone will see what you see. It's just knowing not to take it personally. That is the process.
It's like being an attorney and doing a lot of reading. That's just how it is. I wish someone had told me that I didn't have to find that out the hard way.