Why "Hold the Door" with (me) Camille Wilson

This week, it's just me :) You'll hear a little more about how I got into the entertainment industry myself and why I decided to start the Hold the Door podcast.
 
 If you want to stay connected with me, you can find me on LinkedIn, and as always via @HoldtheDoorPod on Instagram.
 
Thanks for tuning in all season! See you back here soon for season 2!

Make sure to subscribe to Hold the Door on your favorite listening platform. You can also get updates on guests, episode releases, and more by following the show on Instagram @holdthedoorpod.

Transcript

Camille: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the host and guests alone.

Hello. Welcome back to Hold the Door. I'm your host, Camille Wilson. This week, it's just me. I thought I'd close out the first season with a solo episode, but still wanted to include most of the elements you're used to. So here's my bio.

Camille Wilson works as a coordinator on Netflix's inclusion strategy, aka internal diversity, equity, and inclusion team during the week. And in her spare time, she is the host of Hold the Door, a podcast that highlights how folks from underrepresented backgrounds are not only surviving, but thriving in entertainment, an industry that wasn't built for them. Prior to arriving at Netflix, five and a half years ago, she completed NBCUniversal's West Coast Page Program, which was the first environment in which she truly found a group of equally obsessed entertainment lovers. This cultivated a deeper love of the industry and a desire to help improve its many historical flaws. Ultimately, she is on a mission to give back to the industry that's given so much to her. When she's not at work, you can find her playing Ultimate Frisbee, trying to get the most out of AMC A List, trying new coffee shops in LA, or simply hanging out with friends. Hope you enjoy me just talking.

Okay, so, uh, You've heard my professional bio, and I actually shared my personal logline in the first episode, but I'll share it again here. And for a little bit of background, I got this idea from a woman named Jen Grisanti, who uses this as a tool to kind of intro her, um, course or like training session for TV writers. So it's just kind of a way to be creative, think about their own experience, but then also practice writing a logline.

Okay. So my personal logline is a black Mexican Guamanian queer woman who identifies as a professional overthinker embarks on a journey to do the things she always secretly wanted to do… host a podcast.

Um, and then usually I'll start off with how my guests got their start in the industry and if entertainment was always the plan. So for me, entertainment pretty much was always the plan. I think in elementary school, I Might have gone a little bit back and forth and said, like, wanted to be a lawyer or something like those general jobs that everyone kind of knows about at a young age.

Um, but once it got kind of more real, it was always entertainment. And I think, I grew up. My family is like a big movie family. And so we grew up watching A lot of movies. My dad was in the Navy, so we were driving cross country for our moves a lot and just kind of had a TV with the VHS strapped in between the front two seats.

And we would watch and then eventually upgraded to like the strapped in DVD players. And so watched a lot of content. Um, my sisters and I. Would do a lot of rewatches. We still do talk to each other in movie quotes and I think at some point I started to kind of get like more invested where I would then watch movies with, I would go through all the special features.

I would watch movies with like the commentary on hear what the directors were saying was going on and was just really invested. And so I think, honestly, I think it came from me loving. The worlds that I was seeing and wanting so badly to be in that environment and be part of what was actually happening.

And so obviously a lot of the, I was watching fiction things. So, um, You obviously can't be in those worlds. So I thought the kind of the closest thing you could do is create those worlds and be part of that magic. And so, um, I always kind of liked writing. And so I was like, okay, I'll be a screenwriter.

And then once I got into kind of like high school, college age and was learning more about the industry in like, in a very minimal way, I still didn't know much, but I was starting to learn like how things are getting made. And I was like, Oh, a film could take years to make. And that's just one thing that you've made. And so then I was like, okay, TV's faster. Let me try that. I can be a TV writer.

And so not too long after that, I discovered that I don't really love writing in a script format and I actually do not like reading scripts that much. At least not to the level that you kind of need to to be successful in that part of the industry That i've discovered so far. Maybe there's another way to do it. Um, but I Was like, I don't know if that's for me, but I was still very much invested in being in the industry.

So, um, after I graduated from college, I did, I went to UCLA, I was an English major with a creative writing concentration, and I wanted to originally do the film and TV major, but at the time, I kind of talked myself out of it and didn't end up applying, but I did do the minor. Which I felt like was an okay compromise, but it was very different from the major because the minor is really theory and history.

It's less, like you don't make anything, you don't come out with a portfolio. So still learned a lot, but it wasn't exactly what I kind of envisioned going into school. But I loved being at UCLA and I had a really great time. I made a lot of good friends. I was playing ultimate frisbee, um, and just doing other things around campus that I really liked. And so I think I was very focused on just enjoying my time in school and not as stressed about like, is this major going to be exactly what I need to get a job?

And, um, I think that worked in my favor. I had a really good time. And when I say that I'm not talking about parties, I'm just saying like, I enjoyed that time of my life because I feel like it brought me a lot of fulfillment and created a lot of relationships that I, um, really valued then. And the ones that I have still, still really valued now. So, no regrets there.

And then once I graduated, I just assumed that because I had a degree and it was from a good school that people would be knocking down my door, trying to hire me. And I had heard that. Being a PA on set, sometimes you go to the interview and then they basically ask like, can you start working tomorrow? So in my head, I was like, I actually don't really need to prep and do a lot of interviews ahead of time because I can't start tomorrow, I'm still in school. And so I was like, I'll get a job right after and start when I'm ready. And um, could not be less true, like as far as me starting right away and having control over that timeline.

I was living at home, dog sitting, applying to jobs, feeling so sorry for myself. Um, In like a very privileged, like kind of silly way that I was feeling sorry for myself, but I was like, I'm so great. Why can nobody see this? And a lot of my friends were, I didn't really have any friends that I can really remember at the time who were trying to get into the industry. And so it felt like a very isolating experience where I didn't really have a next step. And I think a lot of them did have like, Oh, I need to go to grad school and do this step, or I need to get this certification. Or I had this job offer from an internship I did last year or two years ago or whatever.

And so, I was just kind of trying to figure out like how this works, what to do, like how to get contacts. And so I got a couple interviews for assistant positions at different entertainment companies but and at the time I was like, why are they not hiring me? But now I'm like, it makes sense because I really didn't have any experience. They probably needed someone who would jump in and get going right off the bat and could work in a really fast paced environment. And I definitely think I could have done that and would have succeeded, but I don't think I was selling that and telling them what they wanted to hear because I didn't know what they wanted to hear.

And so I eventually came across NBCUniversal's page program for the West Coast, because they also have an East Coast, um, option. And applied to that, you just kind of like send your application into the void, and I had been doing that a lot. But then I made it to the next level, um, Did my online interview, made it to the next level, went in to do my in person panel interview, and then eventually got in.

So I think about like eight months after I graduated, I finally moved back to LA to start this program. And so, this program has also changed since I did it, but at the time it was a year long rotational development program where you spend three months in four different assignments around the company. Basically, just get exposure and experience working in the industry. So they are expecting you and kind of wanting you, honestly, to be at an entry level. A lot of people do it right out of college. I think a few people will do it, like maybe they've had one year of experience working somewhere.

And so I think that really. That basically is how I ended up getting officially into the industry where I'm like, I work at an entertainment company. It's like a recognizable name. People, they're putting out content that I can point to, um, and just kind of getting exposed to like, um, I don't want to say premieres and things like that, that I feel like are very associated with the entertainment industry, but. getting exposure to like scripts and like the language and, and terms that people use in the industry with like rolling calls and coverage. Um, and I guess I should explain those.

So rolling calls is really, um, essentially a particular way of answering phones for an executive because a lot of Hollywood happens over the phone. And so there's like a particular way that you want to answer the phone. There's a particular way that you let your executive know who's calling and then there's a particular way that you decline having that conversation or that you connect the call and let them talk. And then, you take notes on that call, or sometimes you drop off because it's private and they don't want you to listen, but usually you're listening in. And then you, kind of like, roll into the next call and do the next thing. And so, a lot of times you, you are answering the phone, but, um, rolling calls a lot of times refers to, There is a list of calls that either need to be made or need to be returned. And then you're kind of like going down the list with your exec and just like knocking these things out. And so, um, it's stressful because there is a flow to it in a particular way, but it, um, I think. A lot of people can, like most people I think you could figure it out. It, it sounds, it probably sounds easy. But when you're in it, it feels really scary. Until you kind of get the hang of it and then you can do it in your sleep.

Um, and then coverage refers to script coverage. So, scripts, If it's a TV show, usually it'll, I mean, things have kind of changed a little bit with streaming, but it used to be like you either had 30 minute or an hour long episodes. And so now obviously that has adjusted a little bit, but the script length will usually be about a page per minute of the episode. And so if you think about all the scripts that you would have to get through and then have to reread when there's edits, like that is a lot of pages, a lot of time, especially when it's something new. That you haven't been exposed to before, or your exec hasn't been exposed to before. And so coverage is, um, a lot of times the assistant, or even sometimes the intern, or someone who's, you know, job is literally to do coverage, you will read through the script, put a log line at the top, give like specific information of like, it's this many pages, this is the genre, this is the writer, here's the log line, like basically one sentence of what it's about, and then It's a short summary of what happens, so usually like a page, maybe two pages, so it just makes it a lot easier, you know, when you go to your exec, instead of them reading a script that would have translated into an hour and a half long film, They get to read one page and see if it's worth their time reading through the actual script or not.

So yeah, basically being in the PAGE program just kind of exposed me to those things. It gave me contacts in that, Now I just know certain names, and I know just people who are actually in the industry, whereas before, like I said, like, a lot of my friends were not trying to get into the industry, um, and didn't really have, like, family or anything who, like, We're in the industry or knew a lot about the industry who could be like, Oh, call this person or reach out to this person.

And so that kind of created, um, my like foundation. And then of course, just meeting other people who are in the program, um, and learning from them and getting to know kind of like what the possibilities are. Because going in to the industry, I was like, okay, you can be a writer, director, producer. Or actor pretty much is what I was thinking.

And so in the page program, like you can be a lawyer, you could be a doctor, you can be on the marketing team. Um, there's just like a lot, almost any job you could have anywhere is also within the entertainment industry. And that's just something I didn't really think about or understand. So yeah, that's kind of how I got into the industry.

Um, so Getting into DEI work, one of the, well, I would say probably my two favorite assignments that I did in the page program were the talent lab, which is specifically like talent development. And so you're really focusing on like new hire orientation, um, like new manager trainings. And so I really enjoyed. Just the constant like flow of new people coming in. They're usually in a good mood because they either just got a new job or they got a promotion. Um, it's also just kind of a change of pace because now you're coming into this space we're giving you lunch, we're giving you like little treats. We're like trying to make it fun while you're learning. And so being kind of behind the scenes of that, I was like, Oh, this is kind of fun. I like meeting all these people and, and seeing what they're doing around the company. And I felt like the people that I was working with were also very like-minded in that, um, they were also people, people. And enjoyed that kind of like type of work and engagement that I also enjoyed. And so just kind of like filed that away. And at the time I was still trying to be more on the content side to be like a writer or something.

And then one of my other favorite assignments was in DEI programming, essentially. And so that was more about more external facing where there were a couple Programs where you could apply to it as someone, you know, who's like an aspiring writer, aspiring director, aspiring comedian, aspiring actor. And you would go through this program. They will kind of help you get connected, expose you to other people, or maybe have like a couple of mentors who are in that field and successful. They'll teach you a little bit, basically help you hone your craft and then at the end basically try to set you up for success to work in this part of the industry that you're interested in. So there's usually some sort of showcase. Um, sometimes they're trying to help you get an agent if you don't have one yet. And then, um, basically just exposure so that people can know, Oh, this is a writer that I could hire later. Or, um, I like their style. I want to stay connected.

And so, I really enjoyed that, which again, it was a lot of like, interpersonal work, a lot of like engagement with new people, new perspectives and the people were always like passionate and excited and invested and engaged in their career. And that's just a fun time to engage with folks in general. And then I think it did feel like we were actually doing something because we are trying to help fill a gap, um, where there is one.

And so once again, I was kind of like, okay, just file that away. And so when I was starting to apply to jobs after the program to be full time in, in a certain position, then I was like, Hmm, I did kind of like this people stuff and, um, Maybe I need to go into HR. And so I like HR stuff, but I wasn't really so excited about the benefits side of it or like payroll kind of stuff. And so I was like, I don't really know if it's HR that I'm interested in specifically, but that is kind of the space where I, I feel like I'm being called a little bit. And I feel like a lot of the people who are in HR, um, were like, kind of similar sometimes. And the cool people, I know a lot of people don't like HR, so the good ones.

Um, but yeah, so eventually I was like, um, DEI is kind of checking all those blocks for me where I feel like I have a purpose here. I'm part of the industry, but I feel like I'm doing something that is really impactful. Not to say that other roles are not impactful. Of course they are, but I think it was impactful in a way that felt fulfilling to me. And it kind of naturally involves a lot of engagement with people. And yeah, at the end of the day, like, we're really just trying to make the world a better place. And focusing in on an industry that I already knew I loved, but one that I felt could definitely be improved. And so that's kind of ended how I ended up in the DEI space.

And so with the podcast, I'm hoping that it will fill a gap that I'm seeing in the entertainment industry, especially at the entry level where folks from underrepresented and underestimated communities are coming in, trying to figure things out, but just may not be getting the resources and the attention that they need to make that process easier. And so sometimes when you look up and don't really see anyone who looks like you or has similar experiences to you to even be a mentor, it's tough to imagine that, you know, You can get there without any guidance.

And so, if this podcast doesn't give you literal resources and things that you can take word for word into your own life and work, then I'm hoping it will at least give you some hope and inspiration to be able to figure out what that looks like for you to see that other people are doing that and have been successful.

And I think content, content being the main thing that comes out of the entertainment industry is so powerful and it really has the potential to make change for good. And in order to make those changes, like we need new voices. Um, we need like that authenticity. We need you. And so, if you're interested in getting into the entertainment industry, stay interested. If you're already here, keep going and we will support each other through it.

So I wanted the first season of this show to have the theme of like taking the leap, or like making that change, making that pivot. So I wanted to focus on a moment or a decision for each person where they made a change and it kind of set them on a new path or their career on a new trajectory. And so, hopefully that came across. And so, I want to take this time to thank my guests because it would not have been possible without you. So, thank you to Lhani, Liv, Tamera, Mel, Shei, Mikayla Kiara, and Evan. I really appreciate your time, your thoughts, promotion on social media and word of mouth. And hopefully you all were able to kind of understand them as people in their careers a little bit more and that it was encouraging and also interesting.

And since we're wrapping up, I also need to thank my youngest sister Natalie who was essentially my social media consultant. Honestly the social media even though it, like, it was one of the most annoying hardest things about this because… I won't go into it, but I just want to say thanks to Nat for fielding all my questions and my texts and sending me some drafts and just kind of helping me out with that.

And then also thank you to Lhani who is the same Lhani who was a guest on the first episode I am still trying to figure out what would be an appropriate word for the role that she played here, so kind of like lawyer, PR, editor, cheerleader, all of those things kind of need to be wrapped up in one and then some. She did a lot and was very patient with me. And there's a high chance some of the best questions I asked on the show were her idea. So huge thank you to her for giving so much time and energy to me and the show.

And then to keep it consistent the question that I've been asking everyone at the end of each episode is what keeps you up at night industry or otherwise.

Honestly, I'm, if there's anything I've learned from doing this show, it is that we are not sleeping well. And that is a little bit concerning. So hopefully that changes, but what keeps me up at night, is like my to do lists and feeling anxious about the things that I want to get done and if they're the right things that should be getting done.

That's my true answer. But my more fun answer is that there is a video on Hunna G Beats Instagram of chlothegod, um, basically sitting down to do freestyle. And, honestly, I think about that so much. I'm so impressed by anyone who can just, like, flow. Because, I don't know, I just can't think that fast. I feel like they're so clever and, yeah, it's inspiring. Sometimes I just think about that and it keeps me up at night.

Anyway, thank you to everyone who's been listening. I would say this show wouldn't exist without you, but it turns out you really can just upload anything you want onto these streaming platforms. So maybe it would still exist, but it definitely wouldn't be nearly as fulfilling or fun for me. And wouldn't really serve a purpose if anyone if, if nobody was listening. So thank you for bringing me along on your car rides and your walks.

I am working on season two, so keep an eye out for new episodes, likely in the summer. Hopefully it won't be, feel too long, but, before you know it essentially. And in the meantime, please continue to share the episodes with anyone you think might be interested.

The Instagram will stay active. So be sure to follow @holdthedoorpod. And any suggestions for future topics or guests, including yourself, are always welcome. I really appreciated hearing how you're engaging with episodes, anything that you learned that was new, anything that you thought was funny, any connections that you made, so, thank you again for listening, and you will hear from me soon.