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It is a source of constant wonder to me that people now actually go to school to become publicists. For the sake of all the gods, why? All that is needed is a certain skill with language, personal integrity and staying power. A sense of humour is always helpful.
When I first got into PR, I thought I'd found my dream job. Writing (after a fashion) for a living. Working in the arts. it was fast-paced, high-energy, ever-changing. Perfect for a twenty-something-year-old. My partner and I formed the first "boutique"-type entertainment p.r. firm in the business, at least insofar as Canadian publicity was concerned. We had a lot of fun.
I began my career promoting the first ever Hospital for Sick Children's Telethon, now an annual event. From there I moved into theatre, working on such productions as CATS; then film, working with such producers as Fran Kuzui (of BUFFY fame); then TV drama, launching such series as AVONLEA; and finally into television documentary film, with such producer-directors as two-time Emmy winner Simcha Jacobovici.
P.R. in the 80's was a very different beast than it is today. There was both money and a pervasive sense of enthusiasm. Newspapers had the space to devote to arts coverage, and the desire to do so. In the 90's, things became grimmer. Space, especially in the "non-essential" entertainment sections, was cut back. Long-time columnists were axed, wire copy dominated and even the so-called "alternative" papers became stuffy and corporate.
Sometime in the mid 90's, it just stopped being fun. I still loved parts of the job. I loved being on set with FX: THE SERIES, where I got to work with the delightful Carrie-Ann Moss. I adored working on documentary films because I always learned something.
But the need to create my own material was very strong. In many ways, becoming ill might have been just the catalyst I needed to reinvent myself yet again... |
