"Just Say Yes" Producer Maggie Parke speaks at CSUN

October 11th 2010, Maggie Parke came and spoke to faculty and students at California State University of Northridge. The talk was well attended by CSUN students, extremely informative and had a very engaging Q & A session.

A little bit about Maggie from her bio at Elfin Productions -

Maggie Parke, Head of Development for Elfin Productions is currently completing a PhD in Film and New Media at Bangor University’sNational Institute for Excellence in the Creative Industries.

Her research focuses on the adaptation process of popular novels into event films (Harry Potter,The Lord of the Rings, Twilight, etc.), and the incorporation and management of the source text’s fan base and author. She has worked with a number of film events such as TwiCon, LeakyCon, Twilight’s UK premiere, and Breaking Dawn’s book release in New York City, and also consults on fan management and development in event film adaptation.

She had some early training from The Script Factory in London, and has since read for a number of projects and companies including development for The Film Agency for Wales, in Cardiff.

Raised on tales such as The Dark is Rising sequence, Mary Stewart’s Merlin trilogy, and the works of Jane Austen and Louisa May Alcott, she loves an unlikely hero, a well-done, mythical fantasy, heart warming characters, and a happy ending.

 

Me and Maggie Parke:

What I took away from the Session:

The major thing I learned, or rather had reaffirmed by, from Maggie Parke’s talk was that there is no one way to do things. There is no set path or trial that you should follow or need to follow to be successful. There is no particular school you have to go to or company that you have to work for. However while there is no one way to get to sues there are still several practical things, or steps that you can take.

            Maggie’s Major emphasis was about seizing opportunities and building relationships. She says to always hand out your card. To meet up with contacts whenever you can. You have to play the networking game because you never know who knows who knows who and what opportunities will arise out of those connections.  You really just need to focus a lot on being a good human being and kind, fetching people coffee even.

            Another key thing Maggie espoused upon was the importance of persistence and patience. She talks about doing blanket emails and that even if you get 1 yes out of 99 no’s it is still worth it. She also stresses that you need to be respectful and not a pest to people. Be patient if it’s meant to be it’s going to work out.

            Experience! Just Say Yes! Do whatever they will let you do! Maggie could not stress this enough. She says that you will learn so much more by just going. Reading scripts will teach you what works as far as story goes. Being a P.A. will expose you to al of what really happens on set during Production. If you are afraid to take chances and to try out new things then you are shutting doors for yourself.  If you work hard at whatever you are doing, people will notice and reward you for it.

            The final piece of advice Maggie gives is that you should tap into every available resource. If you are adapting a work, find out if it has a fan base and if the author can help you get the fans excited and help you manage that market. You don’t have to bend to the whims of fans, but respect them, keep them in mind and reward them for their support.  Use social networking as a tool. Tools like Facebook, Twitter and Blogger are all very powerful and best of completely free.

            In summation Maggie hands down great principles to guide the young aspiring filmmakers and screenwriters. Seize opportunities and build friendships. Be patient and persistent. Say yes. Use every available tool. If you do these things the journey, wherever it takes you, will be one of success.

 

To Learn more about Maggie Parke you can:

Follow her on Twitter @MaggieParke

Check out her Website MaggieParke.com

and her Blog www.imstillwandering.blogspot.com 

 

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 - Ben Andrews