“I’d like to thank God. The Academy. My mum and dad. Brothers and sisters. My lovely wife. Our kids. The cast and crew. My friends that kept the faith. As tonight I’m standing on the shoulders of giants. I thank you all.”
Award acceptance speech – Bedroom Genius October 09

If you were to give an award acceptance speech who would you thank and why? Think about your answer for a minute. Please, do not rush this bit so you can quickly read on as this is a participatory blog between you, the reader, and me, the writer. Everything I write from this point on will only make perfect sense once you’ve done this.

Okay, let’s begin.

I used to wonder when I was a kid why at award ceremonies when a nominee's name was announced to receive the award full-grown adults would begin crying, proper slobbering bawling too and then they'd begin to thank nearly every person that they've met in their life. Sometimes the ceremony orchestra has to strike up to drown them out just to get them off the stage.

Why does this happen?

At the end of most films the credits will roll. If you’ve been in the cinema when this happens most people get up, put on their coats and proceed to block up the aisles as we all try to leave the cinema at the same time. I’m guilty of this too but if you sit down and read the credits of a film, the program of a play or a CD album’s Shout Outs page you’ll educate yourself to all the different talents it took to create that single success. The award recipient if they’re conscientious will repay with recognition all the people who were crucial to that success but are invisible in that moment. So, the secret to great success is, and has always been, collaboration.

Here's the Rub.

Unfortunately, a lot of artists do not wholly believe this or don’t know how to network and collaborate well. I say this as I’ve witnessed many artists struggle alone for years while creating great work. I understand their reasons why too. Be it, bad past collaboration experiences, being short-changed by flaky glory-hunters who don’t deliver their end of the collaboration and also there's the fear of having their work ripped off, stolen or even worse still their recognition going to someone else. The other extreme is also wanting to collaborate with too many people thinking that it'll increase the chances of success when in actual fact consistency in a very good collaboration, like any relationship, is what yields the greatest results. It's basic economics, an object that is sought after that is scarce increases in value. So, less is more.

The Key.

It's now at this point if you've followed through on the first part of this blog think of the names of the people you chose to thank in your acceptance speech. What are the desirable character traits they have in common and how do these traits benefit your relationship with them? Those very traits are what you must also find in the people you wish to collaborate with too. See, there is an art to great collaborations. Below I’ve compiled a short list of what works for me:

Gut Instinct:

If for whatever reason you feel something is not quite right, WALK AWAY!

Respect:

Only collaborate with people if they have the same mutual respect for what you do as you have for what they do.

Communicate:

Agree very early on what you mutually want from the collaboration and install checks and balances to make sure each side delivers. If they don’t, WALK!

Honesty:

Do not ask of others that what you are not willing to also give. Be honest with yourself in any collaboration.

Loyalty:

If they are overly collaborating with everybody and anybody at the same time as you they do not have your best interests at heart. It devalues your collaboration. Again WALK!

Word-of-Mouth References:

Ask who they have collaborated with and speak to that person/s for a reference.

In the absence of you receiving an award when, and not if, you have the time, thank the people who have helped you achieve successes as an artist and generally in your life.

Finally, to everyone who has taken the time out to network on the site, attend and participate in any of the Bedroom Genius events so far and to all those who will be participating in the Bedroom Genius film I’d like to thank you all.

The End. Finé.

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