Recognizing Talent

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There are too few people who recognize talent in this world, let alone have the presence of mind to encourage it.

This is true in all facets of our lives, from the workplace to family members and even extends to an industry that would seem to be completely dependent on finding new talent, the Entertainment Industry.

Let’s go over these one by one:

Workplace talent is all too often seen as a threat, especially in an economy where no job is bullet proof. Often, the talented individual is squelched – or ideas are stolen from – by the immediate supervisor. Either the Talent is compartmentalized and given very narrow duties or is actively sought under the guise of boss-employee “friendship” to have his/her brain picked for further nuggets to be mined, polished, re-packaged and sold to the higher ups, with whom the Talent generally has no contact.

There is little that can be done about these types of bosses… You learn to recognize them and either deal with it or find another place to work. Unfortunately, in many smaller companies, these kinds of bosses, managers and directors fill the halls, people who are so afraid of losing their position that they will stop at nothing to kill off a perceived threat to their position or status with the Bigger Bosses.

Many papers, articles and blogs have been written on this subject, so it looks as though it is prevalent across the U.S., if not the world.

Family talent is often dismissed because we hear it ALL. THE. TIME. Performing, writing, drawing, whatever the manifestation, the Talented One usually has shown, practiced, decorated, fixated on it above all else about his/her obsession until the family unit no longer has any patience… or has simply seen it all before, no matter how terrific. Familiarity may breed contempt, but FAMILY familiarity seems to breed invisibility.

Everyone is pretty much wrapped up in their own concerns and tend not to see clearly what is in front of them every day. Again, not much the Talent can do, except perhaps hold their work closer to the vest and only let it out at intervals, perhaps when a piece is finished rather than at all stages of creation.

Entertainment Industry. This is a strange one. So many famous people are only famous for being famous, have little or no talent, but are pretty (boys, too! Remember the young Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt) or interesting looking so they get plum roles and we are left scratching our heads as to why THIS person is on the stage or screen when we saw someone with much more presence in our local Playhouse last week. I guess it is hard to determine who is going to catch fire with audiences… But I do ask for a modicum of real talent if I am going to spend money on concert tickets or movies or TV show DVD collections!

That being said, there is one Hollywood type who is TERRIFIC at spotting real talent in all aspects of the industry, from actors to writers to production personnel to set designers. This person is pretty much universally considered to be one of the best talent magnets out there, and for very good reason: a huge percentage of his “alumni” go on to do very well for themselves, and yet remain amazingly loyal to him, willing to work with him at every opportunity.

Joss Whedon. Yeah, the funny looking geek with the slight lisp and many cancelled TV series who has somehow still managed to garner a rather rabidly loyal fan base who will pay to see anything – ANYTHING – that he has worked on in any capacity.

There are reasons for that. Many reasons. Many GOOD reasons.

Next: Rundown of his projects from the perspective of a movie/tv fan and somewhat late and reluctant fanatic on all things Joss.


Just Musing,
Susan


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