The Hidden Cost of ‘Just a Quick Look’
🌟Career Coaching: Want more clarity, energy and progress? Start by treating your time like it matters.
What if the lawyers aren’t wrong?
What if charging by the hour isn’t a cash grab, but common sense?
I used to laugh at the idea of lawyers billing in six-minute increments. And I was furious when a lawyer to whom I sent a “thank you” email subsequently billed me for her “my pleasure” email response. Now? I’m starting to think they’re on to something.
Because in the entertainment industry, we too often treat time like an infinite resource, especially when it belongs to someone else.
A client of mine who has a freakishly good eye for story was drowning in scripts. Were they assigned? No. Were they requested? Not exactly. Did she know most of the people who sent them? Barely.
They were from LinkedIn connections, former classmates, vague industry acquaintances, distant cousins. They sent her scripts, treatments, pitch decks. One guy even sent his 28-page marketing plan for a feature about a time-traveling dentist (okay, admittedly, that one was interesting).
And because this client is a very kind human being, she read every single one. And she sent notes. Smart notes. Thoughtful notes. Notes that would’ve cost four figures from a consultant.
Why? Because she thought she was “giving back.”
Basically, she had built this massive side hustle that she didn’t get paid for, and that’s problematic.
On my client’s side of the equation, she clearly needed help setting boundaries, saying “no” and setting fair rates for her services.
But on the other side—those who made the requests of her—there is an underlying assumption that her expertise should be freely shared. And that’s a myth I think needs busting.
In the entertainment industry, we’ve normalized the idea that asking for hours of professional labor is part of networking. That sending someone a cold DM with a script attached is being proactive. That asking a casting director for some talent suggestions is part of the hustle. That requesting a “quick review” of anything from anyone is a compliment you’re giving, not a favor you’re asking.
When was the last time you asked a physical therapist to review a treatment plan for free because “you trust their opinion”?
We don’t do it in other fields, but for some reason, in this crazy industry, we treat human knowledge like a public library, where we should be able to check out the know-how for free and perhaps dog ear a page or two. But it took that producer a lot of time to understand those contracts, collective bargaining agreements and deal memos. It took that publicist years to build relationships with the press. It took that director an enormous amount of trial and error to know how to make a script work.
So if you ask someone to give you some insight for free, what you’re really doing is offloading the cost of your learning onto someone else’s career.
Please don’t get me wrong. It’s not that you shouldn’t ask for help. But please ask like a professional. Start with respect. Acknowledge that you are requesting their time and their expertise. Understand the value of what they are giving you. Be okay if the answer is “no”. And for heaven’s sake, if you are given a chance to meet with them on Zoom or IRL, show up! On time! And don’t expect them to pay for your coffee just because they’re older.
Every “quick favor” adds up. And for the person on the other side, that’s time they’re not using to lead, write, direct, build or feed squirrels.
This isn’t about becoming transactional. It’s about becoming intentional.
When we treat time as a resource, and not an obligation, we give people the room to do their best work, not just their most available work. If you want to be paid for your own writing, your own designs, your own production work, then start by treating other people’s time like the gift that it is.
So did the lawyers have had it right all along? Time is indeed valuable. And if we respected it more, maybe we’d all have a little more of it left.
Great post!