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Submitted by Wevv Mang on Friday, August 19, 2005 at 11:46 PM EST
RWTB – Wevv Week – OAW – Writing For WWE Greetings! Welcome to the penultimate installment of Wevv Week. There’s only one more part to go and that will be the special I have been hyping all week long. But today is the OAW section. It’s a topic I have thought about for over a year now and I’d like to share my thoughts on it. So, sit back and enjoy. Wevv Week Continues. Over-Analyzing Wrestling Today’s Topic: So You Want To Write For WWE? It can be a compliment or an insult. It can be the best dream come true for a WWE fan. Or it can be the lowest position on earth for a WWE fan. It’s a job that can be one full of possibilities and challenges or it can be the bane of existence. When some one comes up with a fresh idea so unique that it sparks reader’s imagination, it’s a compliment. When some one comes up with the most outrageous, crazy idea, so repulsive you have to laugh at it, it’s the capper to the bashing. You should write for WWE. I’ve had this phrase used on me for both reasons, as I’m sure many other writers have as well. When the news blurbs come up with the tidbit that WWE is hiring writers again, I’m sure they were flooded with net applications from fans. I’ve thrown my hat in the ring as well, in the early days, I don’t bother anymore. As of right now, here are the listings on Hotjobs.com by WWE Hotjob Listings As you can see, there is still a writing position open as well as the eternal announcer position that has been open for years. I’m sure many have been tempted to apply. But I wonder if they have really thought about what it would be like working for the WWE. Not just as a ring techie, but as those folks behind the scenes. The shapers of what we see on TV, who normally, get no TV time themselves. News about the writers, aside from an occasional name released when they are fired is scarce. They generally don’t talk about their time spent working for WWE, so there is little to go on. But here are the requirements listed in the application. Some of those I will talk about, but it’s the ones that aren’t listed that I want to focus on. While thinking up talking points, I realized that I could think of plenty of negatives, but few positives. So, I’ll try to cover the positives first, to see if they can outweigh the negatives. Television Experience WWE is the top rated, longest running show on TV. It’s has a live show and a taped show. And then there are the many other syndicated shows, but not for mush longer, and tons of side projects, like cooking up stories to put in the magazines and web content. It’s more than just writing for TV, as it’s a full creative position. It also presents a unique opportunity to learn about television production. See, the show does not take place on a fixed set, but on a new set every week. The taking down and setting up, the wiring, the lighting, the sound, the actual broadcast itself, it’s an opportunity like no other. Even professional sports don’t have the rigors that a WWE show does, as most of their equipment is fixed in place. WWE can take advantage in some arenas, but not every city has a professional sports team, or uses the same arena that WWE does, or will let WWE use their stuff. Wrestling? That’s worthless. I should clarify, that the opportunity to learn is like no other, as direct involvement of a writer would be next to nil. But it’s there. You’ll be on the road with these guys for weeks. You should pick up something if you have more than a passing interest. The more knowledge you have of how TV is made, the more you can work with that knowledge to create shows down the road. Knowing what chroma keys and eight point garbage mattes, and what visual effects you can utilize can come in handy when you want to do something special. At least you’ll have an idea of what it will look like on TV as opposed to going on a big explosion that produces a lot of light and smoke in the arena but just whites out the camera so the folks at home see squat. May look great to the guy sitting in the 27th row, but the guy on his couch may think otherwise. Also, having an idea of what can be done on the fly helps when planning that big movie down the line as you’ll have an idea of what a scene looks like and how to capture it on film. Testing Your Mettle Are you really cut out to write for TV? Should you stick to novels and/or movie scripts? Maybe drama is not your thing. Maybe comedy is too hard. Working on a weekly schedule will test your abilities as a writer. You will handle many different types of genres, and see what you can do with something you may not be familiar with. You will grow as a writer. The depths of your creative talents will be tested. And with a better understanding of your self as a writer, you can confidently face obstacles or steer clear of them in future endeavors. Writing a segment that succeeds in wrestling can bolster your confidence as a writer. If you can succeed in WWE, you can write just about anything. You will gain a feel for what an audience likes. There is also the live aspect. You will get instant feedback on how an angle works. When the ratings come in, you can gain even more confidence. If the live audience and the home viewers both reacted favorably, you can say to yourself “ I can figure out what people like” and from there, the sky is the limit. Travel Travel is a great way to broaden one’s view on life. As a member of WWE, you will see the world, and I mean see the world. WWE travels across the globe, now more than ever. From the big cities to the small towns, WWE goes there. And so will you. At least for TV tapings. Think of it as a scouting mission. You’re scouting locales for a movie and can use that knowledge to make your writing seem more real. If you’ve been to a small town, you can base your writing on real life experiences And in case you can’t tell, I’m running on optimism. There is a lot of opportunity with WWE. But the reality of it is, it’s mostly promised, but that’s true of just about any television-writing gig. A show could be cancelled before it ever gets off the ground. A show can change direction in the middle of the season. Change happens. Let’s take a look at the negatives to see if they really are negatives. Unfortunately it’s easier to see the negative. There are three big negatives that cross the whole of WWE, from the lowest position to the highest and it seems that it really doesn’t matter what your job is, these things will be a factor. 1) Vince Vince is a larger than life character. He’s also the unquestioned boss. He’s a very hands-on guy and chances are no matter what your job is, you’re going to meet Vince. It’s just a matter of what Vince are you going to meet. The TV character Vince is just that, a TV character. Vince isn’t going to punch you in the neck because he can. But then again, the TV character is based on the real guy and there are plenty of instances when the cameras are rolling that Vince comes out. Like on interview shows where he wants to fight a sports anchor. That guy just seems a little too close to the surface to be comfortable around Vince. Vince is also a perfectionist. Again, that conclusion is drawn from interviews, which are few and far between. Vince seems to want things his way or not at all. Writing for WWE is writing for Vince. Give what Vince what he likes and you should be OK regardless of what just about every other person on the planet thinks. Now, imagine for a second that you have a great idea. You take it through the proper channels. You get to pitch it directly to Vince some how. Vince hates it. How do you think that meeting is going to go. Vince has no shame. Vince has some restraint, but well, you make the call. Are you ready to face that every week? Then again, if Vince likes you, you’re protected from just about whatever can come your way. Not everything, we’ll get to that in a moment. Vince also likes to bounce his ideas off his writers, and the first instinct for any employed average joe, is to agree with the boss, or at least not laugh right in his face as he tells you about his idea for a transsexual wrestler who likes to lick peoples feet. Honestly, after seeing some of the stuff that actually gets on TV, how would you react to the stuff that doesn’t and knowing that Vince is serious about that idea? This guy thinks it’s good. And that is where the next part comes into play. 2) Politics Politics run rampant in WWE. When even net dweebs like you and me can pick up on it, it’s not a good thing. Before the turn of the century, WWE was a fairly unified front. Sure there were rumors as the newsletters and internet began to grow along with the popularity of wrestling, but even then, that’s pretty much all it was. Just rumors. Now, the biz is on lockdown, but even then, the attitude gets through and moves without information are left for speculation. And most of it is pretty transparent. Politics exist everywhere, from the schools to the workplace to, well, everywhere. There is always some one willing to spread some rumors and tell some tales, and nearly none of it is flattering to the subject. Like your work place, school, whatever, there are more than one faction in WWE. How well they work together, well, that is open to speculation and there has been plenty of that. But if the number of writers who have come and gone over the years is any indication, it’s not a healthy place to work. Many factors contribute to the climate, but the most devastating one, is one I listed as a positive. Travel People crammed into small groups for any length of time, combined with fatigue from said travel, will breed speculation. Now, as a writer, you won’t be required to travel as mush as a wrestler, but there is still travel. And being out of the loop can be just as bad as being in it non-stop. Now, you can probably think of two factions at least within WWE. Who’s in them is harder to define, but I say there are more than just two. I say there are at least five. Vince, Steph and H, Bradshaw, Shane’s friends, WCW, ECW, Vets, Rookies, Bookers, Guys who just want to work, guys who just want to wrestle, guys who just want TV time, Ambitious people, cliquey people, and the clueless. And the folks who make up these factions belong in more than one. It’s survival. If you want a job, you really can’t go it alone. You can’t just think up cool ideas and do your job. You have to play the game. If you just do your job, next thing you know, you’re hearing rumors that you have no idea what wrestling is about, and you’re bumped down the totem pole, and part of the quarterly spring cleaning. You got outflanked. It doesn’t take much. One day, you’re in the meeting and saying “ I think we should do something with Funaki. How about he does this sketch where he gets to make fun of Frankie Kazarian?” Folks murmur and think about it and decide against it. But then, you crossed some one. See, Funaki is on some one’s shit list and bringing his name up was against the unspoken rules and your soon writing poetry for Heidnereich. And getting a nice steamy turd in your briefcase. Because that’s funny to the “boys”. 3) The Wrestling Business Itself Wrestlers are egos. They have to be. It’s part of the job. You have to have some kind of personality, and be able to express it. It can be through wrestling, or it can be through talking, but the most important factor to making it is to have something. Something that sets you apart from the other guy. Something better. In WWE, they have their pick and choose of nearly the entire wrestling world. If they wanted Raven, Raven would be working for them. Now, I really don’t have to say that wrestlers are different from your run of the mill actors. Nor are they the same as professional athletes. They are a breed apart. Wrestlers are a close-knit bunch. They may not all like each other, but there is code among them. But this isn’t about being a wrestler. This is about being a writer. It’s just that you have to know a thing or two about wrestlers to be able to write for them. You don’t have to know how to wrestle, or spend time in the ring, or even be very physical. Hell, you don’t even have to watch a single wrestling match to write for wrestling. Heresy you say? Not so, say I. Think of this. Think of a movie. An action movie. Think of a classic fight. Guns, knives, lasers, whatever.. Now, take that scene, and instead of the guns, knives, lasers, bombs, chairs, whatever, insert wrestling. Now, take it one step further. Was it the fight that made that scene so good? How much of the back-story of that fight do you recall? Writers aren’t laying out the match move for move. Writers just have to make that match important. And they use story to do so. An example. Man steals another mans woman. Man confronts man about stealing his girl. Girl speaks up about going with man. Insults man. Men fight. Ta Da, you have the Hardy/Edge feud right there, and the same plot device for over a hundred movies, TV shows, etc ad nausea. Right to the dawn of time. It’s making it interesting that’s hard. That’s where talent comes in. You may think I’ve got sidetracked, but you are kind of wrong. You probably had some old IWC vet’s imaginary voice running through your head when I said that watching wrestling isn’t important. It may have been your own. Now, what do you think the wrestlers themselves would say if they heard that statement? And that’s where the problem comes in. Wrestlers have been ingrained to protect the secrets of the business. Writers who are fans of wrestling are marks and those who aren’t well, they’re not worth anything. It’s an attitude that comes from working in a unique environment. It’s part of what makes a wrestler a wrestler. To those outside the wrestling business, it’s going to take some time to learn what the hell everyone is talking about. Even if the idea is the same, a wrong word can make the whole situation go kablooey. Calling for a chair smash instead of a shot, or some other little, minor, petty, same damn thing, but wrong word, can make a wrestler put his guard up and then politics come into play. In a worst-case scenario. Most wrestlers aren’t irrational pricks. Just a few. A few in power. But right there, there is a barrier that must be worked through. Television writers are used to dealing with actors. Actors have egos, much like wrestlers, only they tend to display theirs differently. There are lots of places to get work as an actor, and very few places to get lucrative work in wrestling. If you write on the net for a wrestling website, well, forget about it. You’re the antichrist as far as WWE is concerned. Even if you never wrote a bad thing about Vince or any wrestler, you’re coming in a negative. Just the words “net writer” are enough to set off a couple of wrestlers. Going into a negative spiral there, and there must be more to writing for WWE than doom and gloom, backstabbing and treachery. But is it a positive? Let’s see if we can answer that question. Writing For WWE Will Make You Rich Some how I don’t think so. With all the budget cuts, from top execs on down, I don’t think the pay scale for a WWE Staff Writer is high. No one who has been fired as a WWE writer has gone on to buy an island, based on his or her WWE salary. Vince probably could or Steph, but then again, it’s their company. Even Gerwitz ain’t no millionaire, and he’s been there forever. Writing For WWE Looks Good On A Resume Again, I don’t think so. It may be the number one, longest running TV show, but the attitude about wrestling isn’t positive. Wrestling is seen as crass, insulting TV. Saying you were a part of it isn’t going to flatter anyone. The only staff members I can think of who have moved on to other shows is a guy who works on Jimmy Kimmel’s show. And he worked for WWE during their boom years. And I’m not even sure he was a writer. Writing For WWE Will Let You See The World If the idea of seeing the inside of airports and hotels is your idea of high adventure, then it might be a positive. But then again, how much fun is having your luggage lost, waiting hours for a plane crammed next to people, and then eating crappy food at a hotel at four o’clock in the morning? It could be cool, if you got time to see something of the town outside the arena, but then again, you’re working not sight seeing. Writing For WWE Will Make You Famous Not at all. As a writer you aren’t going to get on camera. Your name will be mentioned only when things are bad and there’s a leak. Let one word slip on a website and you are FIRED! Period. And the people you brag too won’t be that impressed for long. But there must be a reason to want to write for WWE. Now, I have painted a less than flattering picture of what it could be like working for WWE. But there is a big question still to be asked. And I’d rather not end this on a sour note. Would I write for WWE? Yeah. Yeah, I would. I think it would be cool. It would be aggravating, tiring, annoying, frustrating, and heartbreaking. Still, it’s show business. Show business can be glamorous, but more often than not, it’s failure. It will probably chew ya up and spit ya out, but for those first few weeks, it will be a rush like few others. The chance to tell a story to millions of people is one hell of a strong lure, even if the odds are stacked against it. It’s the possibility that drives folks to go to Hollywood. It’s the possibility that makes people gamble. Because it just might work. To be the one that Vince turns to and says “You saved wrestling. Have my condo in Florida as a token of my appreciation. Oh, and Torrie and Trish are waiting for you.” Dreams. Powerful stuff. Without dreams, no chance would be taken. Now, I probably wouldn’t last. The bullshit factor is pretty high. But the more you know going in the better your chances of staying in are. It’s just a motto of mine. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. So, still want to write for WWE? Still even thinking of writing for WWE? Could you survive? Could you thrive? Still sound like fun? Still YOUR dream? Get in line buddy. And that’s a wrap on this special edition. Yep, and that’s why I have more than one section to my column. Those long, deep thoughts take a lot out of me. But, there’s still more to go. One last special edition of RWTB. For this one, I’m thinking of doing something new. Something different. I just hope it works. Check out Sunday and see for yourself. Wevv Week Continues. QUICK PLUGS! The Movie Bar! The Movie Bar Forums The Project LOP Forums! LOP Columns Forum! LOP's Very Own PWA, Best E-Fed on the net. Period. Until Next Time, Thanks For Readin' and Thanks For Ridin' Wevv Mang mrwevv@mac.com Please label all email FEEDBACK.
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