New Experience: Being a Panelist

I'd love to put credits in here with actual full names, but because I'd like to avoid Google picking up links to names in my blog (where I tell you all sorts of inside information about being a kooky freelancer), I'm unfortunately only going to use first names. 

So I got to be a panelist on Monday night for the very first time!

I must say that the whole experience of being a panelist was quite exciting from start to finish.  A few weeks ago, I received a well-timed email from WIFT-T (Women in Film and Television - Toronto).  Heather was writing to invite me to be part of a panel that my good friend Sasha was moderating and for which she had recommended me.  Sasha is the Supervising Producer at marble, and technically, my boss' boss (?) for the online/interactive side of Taste Buds (that kids' cooking show I've been working on).  It was extra exciting because there were members of so many different cool industry organizations in the audience, and I counted six people who I already knew.  (I totally remember when I wouldn't have known anybody.)

Basically, my role on the panel was to highlight the differences between writing for TV and writing for online (of the same brand).  

Overall, it was a great experience and I had a lot of fun, and if there's a next time, I totally learnt what I should and shouldn't do.  Unfortunately, I can't help my voice squeaking at points because when I do any sort of public speaking, my mouth usually goes dry.  And then I'm always afraid of drinking the big glass of water in front of me because I'll look like I'm shaking for nervousness, when it's really that I'm more nervous about knocking it over by accident.  I know, priorities, really.

Truthfully, I was hoping to be more funny than (just) informative, and luckily, it appears as if I was both.  Lots of people came up to me afterward, to ask questions, introduce themselves, and to thank me for being part of the panel.  A lady who I might make another professional best friend said that I was eloquent; my friend John said that it was good, and that everyone had the same "huh?" reaction when this one lady asked her question in a rather bitchy way.  I had a really nice but brief conversation with Tom the Animation Executive Producer afterwards too!

Tom:  You were very good.

Deb:  Thanks!  You're very funny!

Tom:  YOU'RE very funny!  You nailed all your jokes.

Deb:  Thanks!

I actually pitched him a show when I first got out of school.  So in total, I think I've spent about 3.5 minutes ever talking to Tom.

My Facebook status update that night was:

had a good run with tonight's panel.  People laughed at my jokes ... hope I did marble proud?

and Sasha wrote back with:

judging by all the creatives in the room hunting you down at the end of the session, i'd say you did good :) you rep'd marble and your sheep 'interstitial' (fussy crowd) well :)

I love my sheep sketch.  Check it out at www.tastebudstv.com in the Video/Food Hints section.  In fact, while you're there, check out the rest of the site which got me a spot as a panelist!

And guess what?  Hubby came to the event too, even though he usually hates these networking things.  He had a great time and said he had fun because of the conversations he got to have (because convergent media was actually relevant for him).  So I took him out for a sushi dinner afterward.  :-)  A good night for both of us.