Author: Katherine Di Marino

Working in the film and television industry you will find a lot of criticism coming your way. Some people will like what you do, and others won’t. The first few times it happens you tend to feel insulted… then you figure out it’s just the nature of the beast. Expect to be critiqued. I’m not saying you have to learn to love it, but get used to it. Some people are good with providing criticism because they don’t make it feel personal. They remark equally on what they liked and what they didn’t like. Other colleagues you will find just…

At all stages of your career and life there is always the reality you are going to offend somebody. And you won’t even be aware you’ve done it until they stop responding to you. That’s when you have to start retracing your steps and asking yourself at what point did you put your foot in it. Yes creative people are more sensitive than others, so in this industry sometimes it feels like all you’ve got to do is look at somebody the wrong way, and feelings have been hurt or someone is annoyed. But often there are a few commonalities…

At many points during your career you are going to have to suck it up! There are many difficult people in this world who unfortunately find themselves in senior or management positions. They will make your life difficult, but if you want to make money, build your resume, and make contacts, you will have to deal with their crapulence. I am having to deal with someone at the moment that likes to change the rules to the game after it’s already started. Some people like to move the goal posts on you just because they can. I do a lot…

So I got a divorce. And what do people do when they get divorced? They celebrate. Well, some do. I went to Vegas with a friend to eat at buffets, gamble, and drink heavily. One night we went to Tao for dinner, and then The Venetian to dance. There was a big fight in town that night – can’t remember who it was, as I have no interest in sporting events. So that meant a lot of famous folks came to the city to watch two grown men beat each other senseless. So there I am, dancing my little heart…

2002 was a very good year for me. I had just won two awards, and received a fellowship to attend a media festival. There I would be pitching a children’s series I created in front of several hundred people including broadcasters. It got a development commitment with the CBC. 2002 also sticks out because I was given one of the most valuable pieces of advice I’d ever receive in the industry. I returned back to my day job, and was taken aside by the President of the organization I worked for, who spoke in a hushed conspiratorial tone. He said,…

In my career I’ve put out a lot of fires on other people’s behalf. They’ve come to me with a problem, or I just happen to notice something they are doing that is going to end in a lawsuit….so I say, “Hey…. maybe you might want to reconsider that.” They listen, take it in, and most of the time act on it. Perhaps they are embarrassed they should have known better themselves, or maybe they are a type A personality that likes to maintain control, and can not acknowledge when someone has assisted them – whatever the case I find…

Its 9:00 a.m. and I have to go to a Thanksgiving dinner tonight. I found myself putting on my nylons, ironing my floor length skirt and donning it, and then getting the wrinkles out of a crisp white shirt. I am dressed and ready to walk out the door at 4:00pm. Why? Because one never knows what might happen between now and then! I’m nothing, if not prepared. According to Wikipedia the most developed type of preparedness is “Disaster Preparedness”. That’s a little dramatic for my liking. Hopefully you will be prepared enough to forego any pending disasters that might…

There are a lot of things to think about when you are starting up an office – either for yourself or your boss. And one of the most over looked aspects is security. I’ve seen many lapses in my day so here are a few to give you an idea of why I’m concerned. I worked in an office complex full of production companies. The person running our office hired someone to set up a network for us. Apparently he was not the brightest bulb in the box. One day we were informed by someone in the building that everyone…

If you find yourself soliciting senior people to attach themselves to your project be prepared for questions – lots of them. And when this happens the most important thing is not to get your back up. I have encountered several individuals who suddenly became smart asses, trying to cover for the fact they didn’t know why I was asking the questions I was… and obviously did not have appropriate answers prepared. About a month ago I was approached on LinkedIn by a person with a non-existent resume. They were asking me to attach myself to a docu-drama as an Executive…

I just received an email moments ago telling me that a funder is taking a pass on a script I wrote. It was kind of like being punched in the gut in slow motion, and you read and re-read what they have sent you, just to make sure you didn’t misread the thank you but no thanks part. But it’s great! I know it is! At least it’s had my writers group laughing in the aisles…..that means something doesn’t it? And yes it really truly does. For the second time in my career something I have created has been turned…

I have been working on a painting on and off for about the last three months…… and slowly I’ve come to hate it. The more I do the worse it seems to get. Making matters more difficult is the fact I went to see a Jean Michel Basquiat exhibit a few weeks ago, so now nothing I do will ever equal what I saw on the walls of the gallery. As I sat there staring at my painting yesterday I did something I’ve never done before. I picked it up, and turned it upside down … then looked again. Suddenly…

If you’re perusing this website because you’re thinking about trying to pursue a career in film and television let me give you a bit of advice. If you’re thinking about asking other people in the industry whether you should take the plunge or not – DON’T!! Use your own judgment and go ahead, and do what you want to do, without seeking permission or votes of confidence. People are kind of interesting. They tend to remember the bad instead of the good, and if asked, most would tell you it’s a long hard road with lots of potholes, and if…

I’ve gone about my career in a very peculiar fashion… and I don’t recommend it for everybody. I started out with the notion that in order to be a producer you had to know EVERYTHING and every facet of the business. So I set about learning it. I became quite convinced that it was a long hard road to getting that elusive first credit on a dramatic series, that it took me years and years to get around to getting up the gumption to produce my first short film in order to get the ball rolling. I think the fear…

A few mornings ago I woke up with a start. I checked the clock. It was exactly 6:00am. I was in the midst of a crazy dream that involved Steven Spielberg, George Clooney and a bear. I lay there for a few moments contemplating what it all meant and I came up with an interesting answer. George and I were holding court with Steven, when the man turns to me and says he wants the wedding ring back he lent me. I told him I’d ruined it by running it through the dishwasher. We discussed the business of directing of…