The issue of unionization is always there in the background, but it would be very complicated for legal and political reas..

..ons....

..s -- ones that are mutually beneficial. Certainly that's been true for Ed and me.

..g. There are so many "cooks" now in the kitchen, so many people from networks and studios demanding control, that it ma..

..kes it difficult often for the creative people just to do their work.

..g medium. Cable television is the most exciting part of the entertainment universe right now, if you ask me. Look at t..

..he fascinating work being done there.

..g way. This in my mind is going to be the game changer -- when you have limitless feeds over the Internet coming into y..

..our TV. No one knows what this will end up looking like!

I'd like to think that quarterlife had some influence, but I'm not sure it has, frankly. it was still using the advertisi..

..ng-supported Internet model. And I think that model has shown itself to be inadequate for Internet-only productions. L..

..et's see what happens with Internet Over TV...

.. like thirtysomething -- is that your errors get covered up over time, because the next week's show must go on. We need..

.. to make mistakes in order to learn, but we can also be analytical about them, and not make them over and over again. R..

..emember, John Ford did about 50 two-reelers before he ever made a feature film. I'm sure there were many errors in thos..

..e early films...

.. because they are the ones going to the plays and the shows to find the new talent. I depend upon my casting directors ..

..to show me great new talent.

Yes, and it was a mistake. Unfortunately, I can't reveal who the actor was, but he said no. And we were then stuck with ..

..a piece of material that wasn't right for anyone else. Much better to concentrate on telling a great story, and having ..

..faith that you will find the right actor for each part.

..mass" of connections, relationships, and opportunities. An actor needs to put him or herself constantly in places where..

.. he or she can be discovered -- in plays, showcases, student films, etc. I also tell actors that they should develop t..

..heir own skills as writers and directors and producers. If there's no opportunity handed to you, then MAKE one!

..on what other people are doing, to make films that just refer to other films instead of to the real world or your real c..

..oncerns. What works, it seems to me, in the long run is an individual vision or voice. Spielberg had that, Lucas had t..

..hat. so many great filmmakers had a passion for telling a certain kind of story. And if that story is on a socially co..

..nscious theme, it can still work.

..tor, etc.!). It really depends upon the individual. Play to your strengths. I will say that the business in general d..

..emands that we specialize -- it wants you to declare that you're a writer or an actor or a director. it doesn't trust p..

..eople who are "generalists". I became a hyphenate by moving from one stage to the next. First as a writer, then as a p..

..roducer, then director. Then I hired myself to act!

..in, in this world it's often not enough to just be an actor. You need to start creating your own opportunities. And th..

..ere's no better way than by being a producer as well. the Conference is absolutely amazing in the sheer amount of infor..

..mation and expertise it offers. I recommend anyone connected to the entertainment business to attend -- you will find i..

..t transformative.