“The results and achievements of the writers who have gone through the competition speak for itself.”
As part of our “Get To Know Your Judges” edition of the Mini Series, we set out to meet with manager and 2015 Launch Pad Pilots Competition guaranteed signing judge Henry Huang. Henry is a manager at Heroes and Villains Entertainment. Henry cut his teeth at ICM, before moving on to Industry Entertainment, where he rooted himself in the television space.
For the last several years, Henry has represented multiple writers on the Young And Hungry Lists as well as successfully staffing a number of his clients on major cable and network series, including Jane the Virgin, Graceland, Legends, Helix, Beauty and the Beast, 12 Monkeys, Rogue, The Fosters, Reign and many more. Henry has quickly emerged as a leader in the landscape, known for his hard work, dedication, and tireless persistence.
We sat down with Henry for a Bite-Sized chat about how he got his start, why he was drawn to the Launch Pad Competition, and the weirdest query letter he’s ever received.
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[mks_dropcap style=”square” size=”20″ bg_color=”#ffffff” txt_color=”#000000″]⇒ What’s your breaking in story?[/mks_dropcap]
After majoring in Economics in college and starting a career in banking, I realized I just didn’t have the passion for the work and left my job. I was a television fanatic growing up but never fully understood that there was a career working in it.
After a serendipitous conversation with a friend that opened up my eyes to the possibilities, I got my first gig at Sidney Kimmel Entertainment in New York.
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[mks_dropcap style=”square” size=”20″ bg_color=”#ffffff” txt_color=”#000000″]⇒ What drew you to judge Launch Pad?[/mks_dropcap]
Henry: The results and achievements of the writers who have gone through the competition speak for itself. The competition draws a lot of really talented writers.
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[mks_dropcap style=”square” size=”20″ bg_color=”#ffffff” txt_color=”#000000″]⇒ Is there a particular moment where you knew you wanted to be a manager/agent? [/mks_dropcap]
Henry: I moved out to LA to work at ICM. While I quickly realized that I didn’t want to be an agent since I wanted to do something more creative and hands on, it was the best experience to learn about all the different jobs in entertainment. In doing so, I learned about the opportunity that managers have to do both the business and the creative as well as produce.
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[mks_dropcap style=”square” size=”20″ bg_color=”#ffffff” txt_color=”#000000″]⇒ What’s the biggest industry lesson you personally learned when you were starting out? [/mks_dropcap]
Henry: The most important lesson I learned when I started out was definitely not to treat an assistant job for what it is but rather as a training for the job you want and an education about all the different aspects of the industry that you have access to.
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[mks_dropcap style=”square” size=”20″ bg_color=”#ffffff” txt_color=”#000000″]⇒ What’s the worst/weirdest query letter you’ve received that’s stuck in your memory?[/mks_dropcap]
Henry: Too many to count but the one that scared me the most in a bad way was one that entailed a homeless man in Central Park that killed joggers and made a stew out of them. And when I say it scared me, I was scared to pass.
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[mks_dropcap style=”square” size=”20″ bg_color=”#ffffff” txt_color=”#000000″]⇒ What are some of the traits you see in successful writers? [/mks_dropcap]
Grit. It manifests itself in different ways but everyone I know who is successful in this business has it. It could be having a singular vision for a project that no amount of rejection will alter or relentlessly pursuing that staffing job.
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[mks_dropcap style=”square” size=”20″ bg_color=”#ffffff” txt_color=”#000000″]⇒ What’s your biggest challenge at the moment? [/mks_dropcap]
Henry: Probably staying on top of the constantly changing business models that are present in the business now. It’s fantastic that there are so many different innovative ways to get things done now, but it’s a lot to cover.
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[mks_dropcap style=”square” size=”20″ bg_color=”#ffffff” txt_color=”#000000″]⇒ What is your favorite part of your job? [/mks_dropcap]
Henry: Storytelling. Hearing stories, telling stories, crafting stories. Whether it is real or fictionalized, I find hearing about different perspectives and experiences absolutely fascinating.
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[mks_dropcap style=”square” size=”20″ bg_color=”#ffffff” txt_color=”#000000″]⇒ Any advice you would give writers looking to submit to Launch Pad? [/mks_dropcap]
Henry: Whether you win, are a finalist or go unnoticed, keep writing. You’re always one script away from your dream job. And have grit.
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Look out for the next Mini Series coming soon!
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The 2015 Launch Pad Pilots Competition is now accepting submissions!
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