Today’s profile subject did a mid-career switch from outside entertainment into a field that had nothing to do with his previous career or his educational background. But developing the ability to handle a classroom full of small children probably prepared him well for the challenges of film production, where weather, equipment failures, and sometimes even the whims of a temperamental movie star can impact a project’s budget. See below for details on Jaren’s current position, how he got there, and how he keeps his perspective when things get crazy on the job. 

Current position: Production Controller, Alcon Entertainment. Projects include The Book of Eli, The Blind Side, Lottery Ticket, and Something Borrowed, which is in post production and will be released in June 2011. (We are also beginning production on Dolphin Tale in Florida with Morgan Freeman, Harry Connick, Jr. and Ashley Judd.)

College & degree: BA in Child Psychology, CSUN

Pre-entertainment career: I was a kindergarten and 1^st grade teacher, and before that, a camp counselor, a therapist for children, an assistant in rehab facility, and the head of after school programs for kids.

How did you get into finance? I knew a production accountant who hired me to work for her on a TV show. That was my first job in entertainment.

First job in the entertainment industry: Accounting Clerk on “Courthouse” on the Sony Lot. I got to meet Robin Givens and Mike Tyson and spent lots of time on set. That made me hooked on this industry.

Big break: Leaving freelance production accounting and being hired as a production and production finance consultant at Saban/Fox Family. This is where I got the full taste of both areas of production and was able to really delve into many facets of what I currently do. It was a very difficult job, but it opened up many doors and allowed me to get to where I am today.

Eureka moment (when you realized you did or did not want to do something or that you should do something differently, etc.): Leaving teaching in 1995 was very hard for me. I loved it dearly and it was very rewarding. But, I knew that I needed to do something else with my life. I just did not know what at the time. And I still feel like I have one more big transition in my life, professionally speaking. Of course, once I find that “moment,” I will know what my future holds for me.

What is your role as Production Controller?  I supervise, manage, and facilitate all of the financial aspects of shooting. I oversee prep, shooting and post, as well as tax incentives, budgeting and estimating, cash flow forecasting, and day-to-day physical production. I also do on-site visits and performing audits of production accounting files.

Describe a typical work day in your current position: Imagine standing in front of a target and dodging balls being thrown at you. I love it. Every day is different, which I enjoy. Crunching numbers, reviewing costs, analyzing situations, projecting, putting out fires…

Worst job (or day) in entertainment industry: Oh, there are many, I prefer to keep them to myself. Don’t want to be negative.

Best job (or day) in entertainment industry: Coming to Alcon. Hardest and best decision I ever made, personally and professionally.

Best thing about your current job: The people at my company are just the coolest. At any time, you can break out in throwing a football around or have loud conversations about the most minute things. I just enjoy seeing happy people at work every day.

Worst thing about your current job: Sometimes communication breaks down. It makes it difficult to complete tasks and wasted time occurs.

Brush with greatness (can be a celebrity encounter or just being exposed to someone being brilliant at what they do): Watching my daughter dance in her recitals. She will be my “brush with greatness” every day.

Secret of your success/advice to the newbie: A few things come to mind… Always listen. Be a sponge. No information is worthless. Meet as many people as possible and ask questions. Get to know the person you are speaking with. Be multifaceted; don’t settle for just doing one thing. Be respectful and polite. Treat everyone the same way, because you just might see them on your way down. Have pride in yourself and your job. Work hard. It will pay off… eventually. Love what you do. Never forget where you came from. Remember your roots and your upbringing.

Next move: I try to take one day at a time. Always keep options open, but never be completely content with my current situation. Ultimately, looking to be a head of production or producing children’s programming. I want to feel like I made a mark on this Earth so I will be remembered.

Know anyone who could use an entertainment industry insider? If so, please encourage them to subscribe to YourIndustryInsider.com and sign up to receive YII’s Mogul Mindset eBlasts today! Also, please visit Your Industry Insider Store to check out recommended books and DVDs. Content will be added regularly as suggestions come in from industry insiders!

Today’s profile subject, music manager Jennifer Yeko, started out doing music management as a side project while making a living in a very unique way. The creativity she demonstrated during that period, before she was able to call herself a full-time music manager, as well as the foresight she had to focus on licensing music to television shows and films before others were doing it, are two indicators that she is well-suited for this entrepreneurial pursuit. Details of her career journey and the day-to-day of her music managment career can be found below…

Current position:  President, True Talent Management, a management company representing artists and bands, songwriters, composers, and producers.

College & degree:  I have a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut.

Internship:  I didn’t have any internships.

First job in the entertainment industry: I started out living in Connecticut and commuting into Manhattan. I was a Conference Coordinator at Variety Magazine. We lined up all the speakers for trade shows, including Showbiz Expo.

Career Path:  After Variety, while I was an executive assistant at an ad agency which designed corporate websites, I had a conversation with a friend of mine where I told her I wanted to get more into entertainment. She said if I wanted to be in entertainment, I had to live in Los Angeles. I found out later that she really only meant it as an off-hand remark, not as a directive, but by that time I’d already moved across the country.

When I arrived in LA, I decided I really wanted to be in film or in online content. My ideal job would’ve been to design websites for studio films. But the first job I was offered through one of the recruiters was working as an assistant in Sales & Marketing at EMI Records. I had no interest in the music business, but the recruiter convinced me to take it.

From there, I went to a promotional marketing company, Simon Marketing, which connected brands and entertainment companies. The internet boom was starting up again around this time, so I worked for an internet/entertainment website next, Checkout.com. It was a high-profile site and people had high hopes for it, but they didn’t pan out. But it was a good experience while it lasted.

So how did this lead to music management? At this point, since the supposedly secure corporate jobs I’d had in Los Angeles had ended in either mergers with big layoffs (myself included) or some other financial meltdown, I decided that I should start my own company. (If my work life is going to be this unstable, why don’t I just work for myself?)

During the final stretch at Checkout.com, I noticed my friends there were all starting to manage actors and bands. I thought, if they can do it, why can’t I? So I started True Talent Management and I learned the ropes from them. The first artist I repped came through Checkout and the relationship kind of organically happened. We were at one of his gigs and he was telling me he was having problems getting paid by the venue. He said if he had a manager, he wouldn’t have to deal with it. So… I became his manager.

In the beginning, I was managing artists and had also started a speed dating company. I’d spend 9:00 – 6:00 doing music and run speed dating events at night. I’d recruit people, run the events, do the matches… It definitely enabled me to pay my bills while I was developing my management career.

Was there a moment when you felt confident for the first time that music management was going to be a good livelihood? No, not one moment, but a culmination. I was showcasing bands and a music attorney remarked at one event that he was impressed I was getting these major label reps to show up. So it was probably getting in with the record labels and also being able to license songs for film and TV.

The majority of my business now is licensing songs for film and television. That’s where I’ve really made a name for myself. It’s become very popular in the last few years to do song placement, but I’ve been doing it for ten years so I was ahead of the curve. I also do some radio promotion and some music press and I started an independent record label and publishing company, but it’s very small so far.

Big break: Getting that first entertainment gig at Variety in New York. I must’ve gone to 30 to 50 recruiters to get my first entertainment job. Once you’ve worked in the entertainment industry in one job, it’s like you’re “in the club.” Getting someone to give you that break really does make a difference.

Eureka moment (when you realized you did or did not want to do something or that you should do something differently, etc.):  When I realized I could manage artists and bands that I loved and make a career from it!

Best career advice you’ve ever gotten: Always be thinking about how you can help OTHER people.

Describe a typical work day in your current position: What I love about my job is that there is no typical work day….some days I’m on the phone all day, other days I’m driving around to meetings or meeting with artists in the office or out at shows, etc.

Worst job (or day) in entertainment industry: Getting fired. No one wants to be fired by a client. Managing is hard. It’s not if you’ll get fired, it’s when you’ll get fired. And it’s never fun.

Best job (or day) in entertainment industry: Getting songs on “Sex and the City” and “The Hills” and other huge TV shows.

Best thing about your current job: No day is the same.  I get to work with amazing artists and songwriters/producers that I LOVE!

Worst thing about your current job:  Having to constantly bring in new business, new clients, paying the bills.

Brush with greatness (can be a celebrity encounter or just being exposed to someone being brilliant at what they do): Finding a songwriter that works harder than I do. I work really hard so if I find any artist that is working harder than me, it’s a good day. It’s like getting a winning lottery ticket.

Secret of your success/your advice to the newbie: Have a positive attitude, no matter what. Work so hard it could kill you. (I don’t mean that literally, of course, but that’s the idea.)

Next move: To sign and manage a band that becomes a household name, that everyone hears about and likes.

You can find out more about Jennifer Yeko at www.truetalentmgmt.com.

Know anyone who could use an entertainment industry insider? If so, please encourage them to subscribe to YourIndustryInsider.com and sign up to receive YII’s Mogul Mindset eBlasts today! Also, please visit Your Industry Insider Store to check out recommended books and DVDs. Content will be added regularly as suggestions come in from industry insiders!

Today’s Inside Scoop subject, Nina Bargiel, is truly on the cutting edge of entertainment, embodying fictional characters across platforms, creating the social media trappings of a real life for them. It’s a writing assignment she relishes and we here at YII believe that if you want to know what the future of storytelling holds, following Nina and watching what she does is the way to find out.

Current position (or recently completed projects): Past: Writer on “Lizzie McGuire” and “The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy.” Transmedia Producer on “Valemont.” Current: Transmedia Producer on “Savage County.”

College & degree: BS, Film & TV Production, Boston University

Internship: I was an intern at H-Gun Labs, which was a music video production company in Chicago in the early 90s.

First job in the entertainment industry: Working in the mailroom as part of the Agent Trainee Program at UTA.

Big break: I met the woman (who became my friend and mentor and ultimately gave me my first writing job) through her mother, who ran the volunteer program at the animal shelter I volunteered at.

Eureka moment (when you realized you did or did not want to do something or that you should do something differently, etc.): I thought that I wanted to be an agent. Working at an agency and being called a “stupid c*nt” within my first hour on the job disavowed me of that. I wasn’t stupid.

Career path: I started out thinking I would be an agent when I moved to Los Angeles after college, because, well, an agent was a JOB. It was run like a business! You got a paycheck! Once I got into an Agents’ Training program, I realized within days that this wasn’t what I wanted to do. My friend and mentor got me an informational interview with a woman who used to be her agent but had moved into TV Development, and I impressed her enough on my interview that she asked me to be her assistant.

What I learned reading pilots is that I was pretty sure I could do that. The only issue was that, I NEEDED TO DO THAT. During the same time my brother was becoming disillusioned with his career in finance in New York. We decided to sell ourselves as a writing team and create specs. Of course, it was slow-going, and there were some personal issues with my boss that made it impossible for me to continue working for her. I quit and ended up at an internet service provider (ISP) in 1997, when the Internet was just getting its sea legs for a lot of people. I became interested in blogging (which I don’t think was even a word) and telling stories on the Internet.

A year or so later, my friend and mentor offered me a job as her assistant, and promised that once she got a show on the air, I’d be writing on it. I left the ISP and went back to entertainment, but I continued telling stories on the internet. Finally, in 2000, my friend/boss was offered the opportunity to run a new show on the Disney Channel called “Lizzie McGuire” and she gave me a staff writer position. I worked as a TV writer until 2005-2006 when things slowed way down, and then the strike hit.

In 2008, an Executive Producer I had worked with asked me if I still told stories on the Internet. He had co-founded a company that was making web series. I ended up taking my years of telling stories online and turned it into a job, a job that is now known as a “Transmedia Producer.” I created the online world for an MTV series called “Valemont” which spanned an ARG (alternate reality game) at ValemontU.com, three blogs, nine Twitter accounts, Facebook and Verizon SMS messaging and  ended up winning a Streamy for best online experience. Right now the projects I’m working on only have me creating and running the online experience, which means my job is part writing, part producing, part tech support and part performance art. It can be a 24-hour a day job, as the internet never sleeps.

Describe a typical work day in your current position: Generally I wake up and check my email. (What time this is depends on whether or not anything is launching that day, and what time zone the online experience is in. When I was on “Valemont,” the back story was that it was an East Coast school, so I worked a lot on EST even though I live in PST.) I put out any fires, write new content, check to see audience reaction/interaction and adjust accordingly. (While the online worlds – metaverses, 360-experiences, transmedia – and their storylines are always outlined by me, I always leave enough room for the audience participants to chime in.) Then I check Twitter (which I have open during the day) to play characters (I was nine different people for “Valemont,” and two different people for “Woke Up Dead.” My next project will have me being six or seven characters on Twitter at the same time.) In between all of this, I’m pitching new projects and writing spec scripts. When I’m on a show, I am never more than five feet from my computer.

Nina & Hilary Duff

Best job (or day) in the entertainment industry: Any day I’m being paid to create is a good day. Even on a bad day. Seriously. I get paid to make stuff up, and when I’ve been up for a thousand hours or I’ve gotten another round of notes, I remind myself of that.

Worst job (or day) in the entertainment industry: I’ve had my share of terrible jobs, but that first hour at UTA took the cake. I have tremendous respect for agents, managers and the like.

Best thing about your current job: Can I have more than one? While I’d happily return to TV, transmedia is new and exciting and we have the opportunity to create and connect with an audience in an enormous way.  I’m lucky in that I don’t have to go to the office. I can work in my pajamas some days.  HOWEVER…

Worst thing about your current job: Being a solo practitioner means that I’m the sole person responsible for the online world. The internet never sleeps, the world never stops existing, which means that some days I don’t sleep, either. During “Valemont,” my father-in-law passed away suddenly, and I was updating character Twitter accounts from my cell phone at the gravesite.

Brush with greatness: I think after working out here for awhile, famous people cease to be interesting. Brent Friedman (Co-Founder at EFE, and my boss for “Valemont”) is a brilliant forward thinker. The Co-Creator of “Valemont,” Christian Taylor, is an amazing writer who creates characters that are fun to play with. People who are out there creating transmedia – Mike Monello, Steve Peters, Brian Clark, Jan Libby, Andrea Phillips – who I just had a chance to hang out with at ARGFest, are creating the future of entertainment. The world is changing, and I think they’re in front of it.

Secret of your success/advice to the newbie: Two things: 1. A.B.C. Not “Always Be Closing,” but “Always Be Creating.” 2. Talk to people. Meet people. Get out and find where people who are doing what you want to do are and meet them there. I used to be incredibly shy, but the internet helped me out of my shell. I can connect to people without using an intermediary by following them on Twitter, friending them on Facebook, or sending them a polite, non-creepy email through their website.

Next move: I want to marry my two jobs (TV writing + Transmedia Producer.) I have a few pitches I’m putting together that are not only a show, but the entire built-out world around the show. There’s a lot of stuff living in my head right now that’s finding its way to paper and then hopefully to a TV AND Computer Screen near you!

Know anyone who could use an entertainment industry insider? If so, please encourage them to subscribe to YourIndustryInsider.com and sign up to receive YII’s Mogul Mindset eBlasts today! Also, please visit Your Industry Insider Store to check out recommended books and DVDs. Content will be added regularly as suggestions come in from industry insiders!

Treating your writing career as a small business might be a unique idea, but it has informed profile subject Alicia Kirk’s path in the television world and empowered her in a business where it can seem like, unless you are on top of the heap, you have no power at all. From her entry into television through her ascent up the writing staff ranks, Alicia has always kept one eye on the road, ready for when the unpredictable world of network television throws another curve in her path. Readers are wise to take that lesson with them for thier own entertainment careers.

Current position:  Producer on “Criminal Minds” (CBS)

College & degree:  I have a BFA in screenwriting from USC.

Internship: The summer after my junior year in college I interned at a small production company called Persistent Pictures.  While working there, I met my first lit manager.

First job in the entertainment industry: My first job was writing BAMBI II for Disney.  Animation writing was so much harder and more rewarding than I expected. 

What made you want to be a TV writer?  I’ve been a TV junkie my entire life and I love the medium, both “great” TV and “bad” TV.  I always wanted to be a TV writer, but the opportunities I got right out of college were in features and at that time, I was just trying to get a job– any job. 

After a few years writing features that were never produced, I realized I really wanted to see scripts get made. In television, we are always working on ideas that will get produced very soon.  Within a few weeks of writing a script, I’m talking to a director about locations, budget, casting, etc. For me, the process of production is as fun as the writing part. When I realized writing for TV would allow me to be part of producing scripts I’d written I became totally focused on getting into TV and staying there as long as possible. 

What made you think you’d be good at writing for TV? I really enjoy the collaborative process of filmmaking.  I love working with other artists who are the best at what they do and being inspired by other writers, as well as directors, DP’s, casting, costume, set design, producing, etc. In television, there is a lot of collaboration, both in the writers’ room and during the production process, and I thought I’d have a lot to bring to the table both creatively and as a producer. 

Big break: I’d been working on a feature script with Heather Graham’s company for two years when her first television show got picked up. She helped me get a meeting with the showrunner. Getting the job on that show was my big break into TV. That first staff writer job is the hardest to get and I had been trying for years to break in to no avail. I’d been working in features and wasn’t inside the TV world.  Without those contacts, becoming a TV writer seemed nearly impossible. Getting a staff writer job on Heather’s show was the biggest break of my career to this day.

Eureka moment (when you realized you did or did not want to do something or that you should do something differently, etc.): When I realized that I am my own business. Instead of feeling like my future employment relies on luck or the whim of a powerful player, it was really empowering to understand that I make my own product that I try to sell to clients. My business does not have the same security that working for a giant corporation does, but it does have profit participation and great potential for growth. This realization empowered me greatly at a time when I felt powerless about my future. It motivated me to work my ass off, finish a script, and start another one… and another after that. I still believe this kind of empowered thinking is responsible for whatever success I’ve achieved and will achieve in the future.

Best advice you ever got: There are two pieces of advice that I’ve never forgotten and have helped me through tough times-

1.) Every single person in this town wakes up every morning and wants a great script. Actors, producers, directors, and executives are always looking for great written material. If the pages are great, then not a lot else matters, so stay focused on writing great stuff and don’t get lost or feel defeated by “networking.” Just put your ass in the chair and write.

2.) The only people I know who are not doing what they want to do are the people that quit. This is an entrepreneurial business and sometimes things aren’t going well and you must regroup and change strategy but you have to keep going.  Do not give up.

Career path: After I graduated from college I worked as a tutor and a nanny in order to work as few hours as possible (though of course, thus I also made as little money as possible) in order to have time to write scripts. For me, working outside the business was very helpful because I had a flexible schedule and also because, for me, reading scripts was really depressing and often demoralizing.  I could never figure out why one script would sell and another one wouldn’t, and my writing would get affected by my insecurity. This isn’t true for everyone, but when I was just starting out, it was important to focus mostly on writing and having a survival job that let me write as many scripts as possible.

I think this paid off immensely and helped me get occasional writing jobs in features until my big break into television, but later on I realized that the most important thing about that time in my career was that it prepared me to write professionally when the time came, I’d worked for five years on nothing else but the craft of writing and re-writing. In television, there is no time to wait for inspiration; ideas need to get pitched & notes listened to & scripts written on a deadline.

Since I was hired in television, I’ve written a new original pilot almost every year in order to keep my work fresh and be ready for staffing season which can come unexpectedly- even while on a big show that seems like it’s got a few more years in it.  The week “Without a Trace” was canceled, we were #11 in the ratings. The business can change on a dime but being consistent in keeping up with material helps a lot when riding out unexpected waves. 

Describe a typical work day in your current position: I get to work around 9am to futz around on the internet, return emails, chat with co-workers and assistants and then I’m ready to get down to business by 10. We have a full day of the writers’ room Monday, Wednesday, and Friday where we work as a group on the episodes that are getting ready to go to outline. Tuesdays and Thursdays we work on writing our scripts, outlines, and boards for developing episodes. 

It’s a very collaborative atmosphere that values each writer’s individual process so we also meet in smaller groups to work on each other’s episodes at all stages of the process- board, outline, and script.

Worst job (or day) in entertainment industry: My worst job was working in an environment run on insecurity and fear. I do very poorly in those environments because it’s hard to get invested when the job is more about politics than about making a great show. I didn’t realize it at the time, but ultimately it was a very important learning experience.  If I can, I’ll try to avoid that kind of environment in the future.

Best job (or day) in entertainment industry: The best day ever is any day an episode of mine (on any show I’ve ever worked on) starts pre-production. Concept meetings, location scouts, casting concept meetings… I love it all, especially the first day of prep. Every single, time it reminds me of being a little kid that wanted to get into the movie business and, on the first day of prep, it seems really crazy and incredible that I’m actually doing it.

Best thing about your current job: Great leadership. At any workplace the tone is set from the top down and, in a creative business, this is even truer. A truly great leader is decisive while valuing others’ input. When I feel valued I feel invested, that makes me enjoy the work I’m doing. 

Worst thing about your current job: So far really loving it, I honestly can’t think of anything. Yet.

Brush with greatness (can be a celebrity encounter or just being exposed to someone being brilliant at what they do): The first celebrity I ever worked with was Heather Graham and I was pleased that she was incredibly kind, generous, and joyful. Years later I looked back on that experience and became surprised in retrospect, as since then I’ve met many people with her level of success and fame that did not hold on to the love of doing an artistic craft for a living.  Every time I think of my experience working with Heather, it reminds me that if I ever stop loving this then it’s time to get out. This business is outrageously fun and fulfilling, and if we’re lucky enough to be part of it then we owe it to ourselves and each other to be kind and most importantly, enjoy it.

Secret of your success/advice to the newbie: Write. A lot. And read Stephen King’s book, “On Writing.” He says some of the most helpful things I’ve ever heard and a lot of them, I say to myself as a mantra when I’m unsure of the future in this unpredictable business.  He has a lot of great advice and says it much more succinctly than I could.

Next move:  I’d like to focus on making great episodes of a show I adore for now and then develop my own ideas in a few years. I’d like to get more experience and learn from my current bosses before venturing out with my own pilot. My hope is that if I develop when I’m ready the process will be taken seriously and I’ll have the support I need to do it as well as I can.