Recharging and Sustaining Your Entertainment Career
About this Advisor Studio
In Advisor Studio sessions, film and television industry professionals share field experiences and insights into their specific areas of craft, including writing, directing, and producing for TV and film.
What does it really take to develop an indie career? How can you attract the right collaborators? Whether you are starting out or still finding your footing navigating the industry, there are moments when you might feel as if you are moving at a snail’s pace. In this immersive online event, Entertainment Career Coach and Talent Agent Consultant Jim Arnoff will lead an interactive group coaching workshop to accelerate your entertainment career.
In 90 minutes, you will learn coaching techniques to envision your ideal career with precision, release those career blocks that have been holding you back, and create an action plan to build the career you deserve.
Topics covered include:
- Crafting a strong pitch for yourself and your projects
- Shaping a compelling biography
- Effective communication tools to attract representation
- Strategies to present yourself and your work with confidence
If you would benefit from an accommodation to fully participate in this event, please either submit a request here, contact us at (435) 776-7790, or email us at accessibility@sundance.org to discuss your specific requests. Every effort will be made to accommodate advance requests; however, requests made within 5 days of the event may not be guaranteed.
A recording of this Advisor Studio will be posted to Sundance Collab's Event Recording Library within two business days of the live event. Once posted, all registered attendees will be notified by email and can find the recording in the “My Purchases” section of their profile.
Advisor StudioPeople
Jim Arnoff
Jim is a Certified Career, Business and Life Coach to the entertainment industry where he coaches individuals in all areas of the industry. Jim also consults as a talent agent having represented television production companies in developing and pitching unscripted series. As a consultant, he shapes pitches, strengthens sizzle reels and works with producers to launch their own production company. Jim practices entertainment law in television and film.
He worked at William Morris as both an in-house Business Affairs lawyer and television packaging agent. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, George Washington University School of Law, the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching with a certification from the International Coach Federation. He leads workshops for Veterans in Media and Entertainment, Alliance of Women Directors, Writers Guild of America/East and West, Writers Guild Foundation, NYU Tisch, NYU Arts & Entertainment Alumni Network, Hollywood Radio & Television Society, JHRTS, Women in Film, Motion Picture Academy, AFI, Film Independent, Black Magic Collective, Cast & Crew, Catalyst Story Institute and the PGA. Jim is an adjunct faculty member of the School of Visual Arts ("Pitching Your Scripted Television Series to the Industry Experts") featuring scripted showrunners and network development executives. He is a member of the New York State, New York City and LGBT Bar Associations. (Website: jimarnoff.com)
Erica Elson
Moderator | Digital Course & Event Producer
Erica Elson is a Producer, Writer and Educator based in the mountains outside Los Angeles. Her short film, WING NIGHT, premiered at Method Fest in Los Angeles. She is the co-author of the book THE AWKWARD HUMAN SURVIVAL GUIDE and co-hosted a podcast by the same name on the 5by5 network for five years. Elson's articles have been published by HuffPost, Lifehacker, and Reader's Digest. Prior to working in education, she worked in television development and writers’ rooms such as VH1’s HINDSIGHT, where she had the chance to write for the spinoff web series PLANET SEBASTIAN.
Elson joined the Sundance Collab team in October 2021 and produces courses, Master Classes, and events in the areas of screenwriting, television writing, directing, producing, and documentary filmmaking. She has moderated conversations with Sofia Coppola, Richard Linklater, Alexander Payne, and Susannah Grant, among others.
Prior to Sundance, Elson was the Thesis Production Supervisor at the American Film Institute for five years. She oversaw several award-winning graduate thesis films, notably the 2021 BAFTA student film winner APART, TOGETHER and the 2023 Sundance Film Festival short WE WERE MEANT TO. While at AFI, Elson developed a passion for sustainable production and created the Green Film School Alliance, which includes forty schools on four continents. She holds a BA in Communication and Film Studies from Concordia University and an MFA in Screenwriting from the American Film Institute.