Nate Federman

GSW is in free agent purgatory as they try to deal with Kuminga. They want to sign and trade him, but if he takes the qualifying offer, it will push them into the second apron. So they need to sort out Kuminga, get him moved off the roster, and then they would theoretically sign Horford.

The audience always cheers when he does; they’re complicit in this.

Fair. Love an alpine lake.

You got what you deserve for skipping Lage. May the Gizz vocal effect rattle your brain while Bobby spits on you.

In all seriousness, you gotta go see him!

Might just be semantics, but my buddy wasn’t lacking confidence (that he could do the job or was worthy of help). Rather, he believed it was inappropriate to ask people to help him. That to ask implied entitlement. Hindsight 20/20, he realized he had earned the entitlement to ask.

Leah, I don’t know you personally, but based on a few months of following you on here, I can say you definitely deserve good things. You bust your ass and help others. You’re a connector and relationship builder. Good things will happen for you!

Gonna follow my own advice and ask for something I feel like I’ve laid the groundwork for.

If like these #Scriptsky #Screenwriting threads I do, give them a repost.

I’m trying to get a book about working in TV published and I’ve been told I need “a bigger platform.” Hopefully these 🧵s can help.

So if you’re trying to make it in Hollywood (or anywhere really), no one automatically owes you anything. But the squeaky wheel really does get the grease.

Put yourself in situations where you can build relationships, and then ask for help when appropriate. No one gets anywhere on their own.
20/20

There’s a big difference between feeling like you’re owed something, and feeling like you’re owed the right to ask for something.

And that’s what I mean about good entitlement. That’s what my friend regretted not doing more of. He had laid the groundwork, but didn’t ask for favors or help.
🧵19

Me asking Greg wasn’t crazy. I had already laid the groundwork. He knew and liked me. I had been learning the craft of writing while being a writers’ assistant. I had 2 strong samples that had been vetted by other Office writers.

But you can’t expect people to do you favors if you never ask.

🧵18

“I didn’t know you wanted to be a writer, Nate. Do you have a sample I can read?”

I did! And he eventually read it (there was a delay that likely cost me the job, but thats another story for another time) and liked it. And based on that sample, he hired me to be the digital writer.

🧵17

Same thing goes for how I ended up getting the digital writer job on The Office.

Greg walked into the room and said his friend was looking to hire a staff writer, anyone know someone good. No one did. So I pulled Greg aside and asked if he’d consider submitting me. His response was shocking…

🧵16

“Sure, Nate, I think you’d do a good job.” I got a tryout in the role during preproduction of S3, did a good job, and was hired.

But I never would’ve gotten the job if I hadn’t built relationships with the writers, been capable, and… ASKED FOR IT. You gotta speak up when appropriate.

🧵15

First, I asked the line producer. He was encouraging, but said it was Greg Daniels’ decision.

So I worked up the courage to ask Greg. Gave him my 30 second spiel about why I thought I’d be a good fit. He just stared at me for what felt like several minutes (but was like 10 seconds) and said…

🧵14

I spent S2 on The Office working as a PA, busting my ass to make other people’s lives easier, building relationships with the writers, and using my free time to get trained by the current writers’ assistant. So when I heard they were going to hire a second writers’ assistant, I wanted the job.

🧵13

Now some stories about good entitlement. The kind that doesn’t piss people off and is often how folks get ahead in this business.

The key is asking for things from people you have good relationships with. Reasonable asks.

Let me start with how I became a writers’ assistant on The Office…

🧵12

All these stories involve people who thought they were entitled to things for little or no reason other than they really wanted them. And while we mythologize people who succeed this way (eg the mostly false legend of Spielberg sneaking onto the Universal lot), it ends poorly for most people.

🧵11

After it became clear that I didn’t love his script and wouldn’t be attaching myself to showrun his show (something he admitted was his actual intention), the guy screamed at me that he wasted $600 bidding on my script consulting services.

He assumed that he was buying way more than access.
🧵10

One more bad entitlement story:

As part of a charity auction, someone bid like $600 for me to read their pilot and give them notes.

The pilot was awful! One of the worst things I ever read. But I prepared pages of notes to try to help the writer improve it.

He did not appreciate them…

🧵9

The kid was fired on the spot and blackballed from the Fox lot.

Not only did he fuck himself over, he made me look bad bc I vouched for him. So when I asked him what the hell he was thinking, I wasn’t satisfied with his answer: “How else was I supposed to learn how to write?!”

🧵8

Another story of bad entitlement:

I helped a fellow SU alumnus get a PA job on a reality show my friend directed. On his 1st day, the kid wandered off from the production trailer and snuck into another building, so he could eavesdrop on a writers’ room. They found him with his ear to the door.

🧵7

You can’t walk into a writers’ room, guns a blazing, and act like you work there. Especially if it’s your first time meeting the writers! That’s presumptuous and pisses people off!

Build relationships with the writers, ask if it’s okay to pitch, and if you get the ok, do so sparingly.

🧵6

I have no idea what that kid was thinking, but I bet he assumed he’d dazzle the writers with his brilliance and get staffed on the show.

Instead, he never set foot in the writers’ room again. But here’s the thing, even if his pitches had been good, they would’ve been poorly received…
🧵5

When I was a writers’ assistant on The Office, I prepped the interns before they sat in on the writers’ room. “Just be a fly on the wall. Don’t talk.”

One intern ignored me and kept pitching (awful) ideas. It was super awkward. Even more so when he cut off a writer to say their pitch was bad…

🧵4

So what’s the difference between good and bad entitlement?

Sometimes it’s obvious (see disclaimer 1). Sometimes it’s not.

There’s no clear cut rule, but in general, an assumption that you’re entitled to something based on doing little or nothing is bad! Here’s a few stories to illustrate…

🧵3

First, a few disclaimers:

1. If you, as an individual, believe that you’re owed something SIMPLY BECAUSE OF YOUR RACE/GENDER/CLASS that’s bad entitlement.

2. I’m aware of how my own privilege has benefited me, and recognize that asking for things from others is easier when one is privileged.

🧵2

When I worked on #TheOffice, my best friend on the show was also an aspiring writer. He was talented, well-liked, worked hard, but his writing career didn’t pan out.

Years later, his biggest regret was “not being more ENTITLED.” I knew just what he meant.

A 🧵 on good/bad entitlement.
#Scriptsky
1

Nah. Right as senate Democrats figure out how to meet this moment.

@eliarieh.bsky.social I’m a TV writer but I wrote a non-fiction book. Folks who have read it seem to think it’s good, but my TV agent said she knows nothing about publishing, so I’m trying to figure that world out. Any chance you’d be willing to chat with me (re: querying/publishing advice)?

In lieu of all the discussion about Bob Weir at #GD60 last night, here’s me on the @stubmedown.bsky.social podcast, telling the story about coming to appreciate an aging Bobby when I saw #DeadAndCo at the Sphere. Feels timely.

stubmedown.podbean.com/e/stub-me-do...