The Industry As I See It

The Future Is Ours To Create

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:05:00 +0000

With graduation quickly approaching and as I prepare to enter the entertainment industry workforce, I decided that my final blog post for the EBMS program should look at the current state of the industry. Switching from being a student to a working professional is always a nerve-racking experience for anyone and lately the news has been reporting that the entertainment industry is suffering, which just leads to even more anxiety for those looking to start a career in film, television, or music.

However, according to the-numbers.com, the film industry is still a multibillion-dollar industry. In 2012, approximately 1.37 billion movie tickets were sold which lead to a $10.71 billion dollar profit in movie ticket sales alone. Add to that the 100 top grossing movies on DVD last year and that’s an additional $2.4 billion dollars in revenue. These numbers don’t include Blu-Ray and all the additional sales from movies outside the 100 top grossing films, but still an industry that is pulling in over $13 billion dollars a year doesn’t seem to be struggling as much as the newsmakers would have us believe. The television and music industries are still hanging up there as well. According to HollywoodReporter.com, the music industry has reported that illegal music pirating is down significantly and they reported their first revenue growth in 13 years. Television remains a $36 billion dollar industry and most sources still show an approximate 2.3% growth rate annually.

Overall, looking at the Bureau of Labor Statistics there are currently over 1 million people directly employed by the Film, Television, and Music Industries and many more that work in that field but are employed through a company under a different NAICS code. After thoroughly researching the state of the industry, I am no longer as concerned with my ability to achieve my dreams of working in what I believe to be the best industry. So to all my classmates, I leave you all with this… over the last year I have grown to know each and everyone of you and I value our friendships. I know that you are all going to do great things in this industry and I look forward to working with each of you in the future!

Advertising and Marketing... "how to captivate your audience"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 19:53:00 +0000

Marketing in the film industry can often prove difficult with some campaigns becoming extremely successful and others falling short. Each movie, TV show, or music album has to carefully consider a large number of factors that will determine whether or not the promotional materials will captivate their target audience.

Often times there is a correlation between the mystery and intrigue of a marketing campaign and the film’s success in the box office. Take for instance the movie, “Prometheus”, according to Forbes, in today’s generation of social media it is no longer about having clips and trailers. Today it is about having clips and trailers that go viral.

Prometheus did an exemplary job at creating two different videos that both went viral. The first video featured the CEO of the fictional Weyland Industries giving a TED talk in 2023 and the second introduced us to the artificially intelligent robot named, David. On top of the viral videos, the studio also created a website for the film which looked more like a corporate website for this fictional company.

While Prometheus shows us how successful a promotional campaign can be, there are numerous others that demonstrate just the opposite. A great example of bad marketing was the movie, Snakes on a Plane. This movie released its title but tried to keep the overall plot a mystery which allowed the mass of internet users to create their own ideas of what this movie would become and in doing so the fantasy ended up being better than the reality for almost all of the audience members.

Overall, I think it is important for us, as the next generation of filmmakers, to remember the importance of advertising and marketing. We always have to review our ever changing target market and how they best receive new content and tailor a campaign that meets their needs, wants, and preferences. By combining good stories with exceptional marketing campaigns we will be able to create the successful and profitable entertainment media content we have always wanted to.

Film, Television... and Legal Liabilities?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 20:24:00 +0000

The entertainment industry is filled with many different types of liabilities that could subject a company or individual to a lawsuit. As I prepare to enter into the film and television world, I have to research and plan for some of the many legalities that I will most likely face throughout my career. As a future business owner one of the primary issues that arises continuously is in regards to talent. If you are a savvy business owner, you have numerous artist/talent contracts in place in an effort to abate future disagreements. Unfortunately, even with these covenants, it is not always possible to avoid litigation.

After researching such instances, I found a very interesting case, which involved a company being sued by an artist. The first lawsuit was filed by Nicollette Sheridan, an actress, who pursued her employing production company, Touchstone Television Productions, for wrongfully terminating her contract in violation of public policy. “She alleged that she had been fired because she had complained about a battery allegedly committed upon her by the show’s creator.” (208 Cal. App. 4^th 676) Touchstone countered by stating it was upholding the current contract but simply choosing not to exercise the option to extend. After careful consideration, the court awarded a directed verdict to Touchstone stating, “Wrongful termination does not lie if an employer decides simply not to exercise an option to renew”. However, the court also permitted Sheridan to file an amended complaint that Touchstone had retaliated against her, for the battery allegations, by deciding not to renew her contract. So far as I know, at the current time the amended lawsuit has yet to be filed.

While this is only one of many cases, it is evident how carefully you must protect yourself as a business owner. This lawsuit revolved around a company’s disadvantageous timing of contractual negotiations with an actress who felt that the company had not appropriately dealt with her claims of alleged battery from another company employee. There were various procedures and countermeasures that could have been taken to thoroughly investigate the claims in order to clear the table before the company informed the actress of their decision not to renew her contract, which could have effectively circumvented ending up in a legal battle. In conclusion, it is advantageous for a company to thoroughly research past court cases related to their industry to sufficiently reduce their risk of ending up in similar lawsuits. This will save the company a great deal of money and headaches, as well as, provide a better overall corporate image.

References:

Touchstone Television Productions v. The Superior Court of Los Angeles County, 208 Cal. App. 4th 676 (2012) [Online] Retrieved from http://www.lexisnexis.com/us/lnacademic.

Product Planning the "Apple" Way....

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 00:52:00 +0000

With yesterday’s “iPhone 5” announcement by Apple, I decided to research some background information on the success of these incredible smartphone devices. iPhones seem to have taken over the smartphone market very rapidly since their inception back in 2007. According to Forbes and The WallStreet Journal, the iPhone has a 17% market share in the entire cell phone market versus all other phones. Why has the iPhone done so well? I believe it is due to great product planning and marketing.

Recently in class we began discussing effective product planning and appealing to a target market. Apple has been following these techniques for years in a very unique way. Every Apple product is designed and developed under strict protocols to ensure that no information is released to the public before Apple is ready to hold a special announcement event to debut it’s new creation. This gives all Apple products an air of exclusivity and mystery, which appeals to a large target market of consumers that want to have the latest in luxury and will pay anything for it. Another target demographic is the technology enthusiasts, these are the consumers that consistently want the latest and greatest when it comes to new technology and they will also pay just about anything for that.

Combine these target markets and throw in Apples moderate pricing and you have a combination that not only satisfies those target markets but entices others to join the Apple brand. For many consumers that don’t fit the two primary target markets, Apple is still their brand of choice. Why? Because Apple has effectively pulled their chosen markets together to create mass appeal for all their products. Many consumers will buy a new iPhone because their favorite celebrity has one or their friends and/or family will recommend it because of the ease of use or any of the other appealing features.

Overall, after looking into Apple’s backstory, it becomes evident that no matter what product Apple is unveiling, they clearly have follow the product planning model to the “T”. Apple is constantly evaluating the scope of each project, they due thorough environmental scans in a non-traditional sense by utilizing the internet through blogs to gather information on consumers likes and dislikes of a product. They plan out SMART goals and objectives. Apple has clear strategies, tactics, and implementations when introducing a new device. And after tracking data from consumers regarding the new product, they make refinements accordingly. All of this is what gives Apple it’s edge when it comes to producing new and innovative products and has provided their business model with such a high level of success.

So You Want To Be An Artist Manager?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 00:51:00 +0000

Artist Management… What is it? It wasn’t that long ago that the definition of an artist manager was clearly defined and almost anyone could have answered that question. The reality of an artist manager today, however, is much different. To simplify what I have researched regarding this subject, back in the day an artist manager was solely concerned with getting record deals and then acting as a liaison between the band and the label, but nowadays an artist must act as a jack-of-all-trades. Their new objective is business development. This means building a brand out of each of the acts they represent and developing brand equity with each.

The Artist Management Resource website lists, “The Music Manager, The Business Manager, The Road Manager, The Tour Manager, and The Production Manager” as titles given to music management representatives. Each of these has distinctive and separate responsibilities, which help ensure the success of an artist, but more and more these days there is often only one person who handles all of this responsibility. There are positives to this, because with only one manager handling all of these duties, that means larger commissions without splits, but it also means a lot more work and less delegation.

I know many people think they would like to live the glamorous life of an artist manager. I mean what’s not to like about a career where you spend your time with some of the most famous people, attending the best parties, making lots of money, and living a lifestyle most people would kill for? Well often times we all hear the saying the grass isn’t always greener on the other side… There are many challenges an artist manager faces, including but not limited to, massive workloads and less compensation than most would think. And there is always the possibility the artist doesn’t resign with you after the term of your agreement.

But, if you’re still sitting there wondering how to become an artist manager, I will give you the three steps to successfully prepare for a career in this field. According to ArtistHouse Music, “Educate yourself, find a mentor, and finally become active as a fledgling artist manager.” Easy enough right… Well have fun, work hard, and I wish you the up-most success in your future endeavor.

Negotiating Tactics and Lessons Learned...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 22:31:00 +0000

After spending a lot of time trying to find individuals to interview about negotiating techniques, I realized that there are so many people who don’t know even the fundamentals of basic negotiation. I called numerous local small business owners to ask them some questions about the negotiating tactics they utilize in the entertainment industry. While many of them stated they realize they do negotiate a great deal, they weren’t knowledgeable about the techniques or strategies they used. In most cases they seemed to have a deal or no deal mentality especially in contract negotiations. It was either you like the offer and sign or you don’t and I will take my business elsewhere.

This lead to me research more about negotiating techniques from individuals who specialize in the field and have created podcasts to help further the education of others like myself.

The assignment was to find three – twenty minute podcasts, but I found a great deal more and decided to listen to quite a few to get a good grasp on the importance of negotiating effectively as well as key strategies that would aid in successful negotiations. After viewing multiple podcasts on the subject, I realized that there are key themes revolving around successful negotiating and many of them are the lessons we have learned in class.

While watching Stan Christensen talk about The Art of Negotiation, I was fascinated by his presentation on misconceptions about negotiating. He covered a few topics regarding the conventional wisdom surrounding negotiation. Many people, myself included, have a preconceived notion that negotiators are older, gray haired, and have many years of experience in the field. Often times we allow our assumptions to control our attitude during a negotiation. If we are presented with an older negotiator, we assume they are going to be formidable and we will most likely lose the negotiation, but if they are younger than they are inexperienced and we will dominate the room. This is entirely false and is related to the belief that you must have natural talent to be a negotiator. Mr. Christensen pointed out that very few people view themselves as talented negotiators and no natural talent is actually needed, just the proper training.

Another point that I was intrigued by and feel that I practice already during any negotiation I am involved in, is the false belief that we must WIN during the negotiation. For me personally, a negotiation is not about advocating or winning but finding the best deal or mutual gain for both parties involved. It was interesting to hear how many people do not view negotiations in that aspect but more like a competition where one party is the winner and the other is the loser. One of the most important things to remember during a negotiation is the relationship management aspect. Many people enter into negotiations with the mindset that negotiations are one-time events and you will never see these people again. That is another false assumption. Chances are you are most likely going to see these same people numerous times throughout your career as well as in other negotiations, so it is imperative to build strong lasting relationships built on trust and understanding.

Moving on to the podcast featuring Brian Dietmeyer, CEO and President of Think! Inc., I enjoyed this talk because of the depth in which he delved into the basics of negotiations and preparing for them. His key point was simplicity. Many people approach negotiations with the same attitude that may appear in the form of different phrases such as, “I can get the same thing from someone else for cheaper” and “You are so much more difficult to work with than anyone else would be”. These tactics are used often so don’t be shocked just be prepared. Most of the fundamental rebuttals during a negotiation rely on two things the alternative and a concession. Your opponent always wants to compare you to your competition and always wants a concession from you.

Mr. Dietmeyer states, “In a negotiation more data and information always wins the negotiation”. The key to successful negotiating is research, planning, and preparation. Understand the needs of your opponent, figure out their BATNA, and using objective criteria compare yourself to your competition for them to prove your value. By gathering all the facts and information you don’t have to enter a negotiation scared, instead you can be confident and hold the power, because after all knowledge is power. Remember, negotiating is an art and revolves around timing, rehearsal, and delivery of speaking skills.

The last thing I want to talk about is respect. William Ury, co-founder of Harvard’s Program on Negotiation, world-renowned negotiator, meditator, and bestselling author, tells us that the most important factor in any negotiation is respect. I watched a podcast where he talked about what he called, “The Power of a Positive No: How to say No and still get to a Yes”. The premise of the talk was that people want to know that you respect them. Whenever people hear the word no they feel rejected and/or disrespected and this destructs the relationship. A positive no shows the other person respect and asks for understanding from them. The example he used was regarding dinner plans. Basically, when one party asked another to dinner a simple “no” would have shown rejection and would have hindered the relationship. A simple shift in phrasing to, “Actually I have a prior commitment, but maybe sometime next week…” would change it to a positive “no” scenario where the respect and relationship remains in tact.

Finally, after looking back over all the things I watched and learned from these podcasts as well as many others, there are many things that I plan to incorporate into my negotiating style. For me negotiating is truly an art and the more you practice that art the more refined it becomes. One of the last concepts that I plan on developing is “Building a Golden Bridge”. Put simply, make it easier for the other person to do what you would like them to do, by designing a proposal that is attractive to them, satisfying for their interests, allows them to save face, reaches out to them, and reinforces the relationship.

References

Lane, Richard. (10/28/10). TRT: 25:10

Successful Negotiation Strategies with Brian Dietmeyer, CEO & President of Think! Inc. Selling at a Higher Level.

Retrieved date: 8/12/12.

http://www.sellingatahigherlevel.com/2010/10/successful-negotiation-strategies-podcast/

Christensen, Stan. (10/31/07). TRT: 57:25

The Art of Negotiation. ECorner - Stanford’s Entrepreneurship Corner.

Retrieved date: 8/12/12.

http://ecorner.stanford.edu/authorMaterialInfo.html?mid=1819

PON Staff. (02/25/07). TRT: 08:19

The Power of a Positive No: How to say No and Still get to a Yes. Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School.

Retrieved date: 8/12/12.

http://www.pon.harvard.edu/resources/book-reviews/the-power-of-a-positive-no-how-to-say-no-and-still-get-to-a-yes/

Business Startup Costs... Draining the Bank?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 01:37:00 +0000

We've all heard the old saying, "It takes money to make money...", but in my opinion that is not 100% accurate. Plenty of new companies have started from nothing and I am here to cover one area in particular that can help you minimize the idea that it will take you a large sum of money to start your business, EQUIPMENT! Everyone looking to start a company has at some point looked up the cost of all the equipment they think they will need to start their company and this can be overwhelming, but there is a variety of options and opportunities that can help you minimize this initial cost.

There are many options out there when it comes to equipment acquisition: buy new, buy used, trade-in, lease or rent. Each of these is a viable option and worth considering for anyone looking to start a new company with as little investment as possible to avoid drowning in debt. However, there are pros and cons to each option. For most people owning seems like the smartest choice, while renting seems like the least beneficial. I mean, why would you spend all that money on something you won't own in the end? Total cost of ownership is what a majority of new business owners forget to consider.

When you purchase a piece of equipment there are many costs that come with it. Start off by looking at the actual purchase price; if you can't pay it out in cash that means you will be financing and incurring interest for the time it takes you to pay off the balance. Then there are overhead costs for each piece of equipment such as insurance, tax, repair costs, and accessory costs. Lastly, the more equipment you own the more space you will need to store it all and now you are looking at warehouse or storage costs. There are benefits that come with owning such as tax incentives and deprecation value that help reduce the amount of taxes you owe at the end of the year and for a large company with the capital to invest in owning equipment it is definitely worth it but for small startups in can often cause more of a headache.

Renting on the other hand can often eliminate a lot of the unnecessary stress of owning equipment. What is the expected life of the equipment and what is the frequency of use? Often times people invest in equipment and plan for it to last a certain amount of time based on estimated wear and tear, but what happens when the equipment unexpectedly fails? Now you are incurring repair costs and possible replacement costs. If you rent your equipment all you pay is for the rental fee. If the equipment breaks its covered under insurance and the rental house will have another in stock for you immediately so you can keep your business operating. One of the biggest benefits of renting is that it eliminates the fear of uncertainty. Renting your equipment allows you to turn it back in during slow times or if a project falls through.

So just because you may not have a large sum of cash in the bank account set aside to start the company of your dreams, doesn't mean you can't begin working toward that goal of opening that company and getting it up and running. There are plenty of options out there for anyone who has a vision and the passion to push forward. Of course no decision or argument for the rental or purchase of equipment is perfect for everyone or every company. The most important thing is to research your options and weigh the pros and cons as they apply to your company and your business and make an informed decision for yourself.

Financing in the Entertainment Industry

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 18:24:00 +0000

While the entertainment industry has very strong financials overall, it can be difficult for new startup companies to build enough capital to develop new and successful creative content.

Lets take a look at the film industry for this example. If we look at the website, “The Numbers”, which charts film industry statistics each year, we can see that the industry stands strong even in the face of the tough economy. Last year in 2011, the film box office sold approximately 1,286,007,721 tickets and at an average ticket price of $7.93 that is a total gross revenue of $10,198,041,231 in tickets alone. The top 10 largest production companies including Universal, Paramount, Disney, Warner Bros, etc. brought in roughly 91% of this revenue.

With these numbers stacking up, we can see that the industry’s financials are very strong but where does that leave the up and coming startup companies looking to break into the industry?

Well the newest and very promising solution for those looking to produce their own unique and creative content is crowd funding. Sites like Kickstarter and IndieGoGo are solely dedicated to providing the opportunity for those with visionary minds to create something unique and different. While the numbers are not definitively broadcasted, after some research it appears that, as of the first quarter of 2012, these sites combined have launched over 200,000 projects and have raised over approximately $300 million dollars and that is being very conservative.

Other options for those looking to raise money for their projects or their company is to research more traditional methods and find any method that works for your particular needs. There are many options like bank loans that will loan you an initial startup cost to help get your company off the ground. Then there are many grant options as well for those who qualify and this money does not have to be repaid. Finally, there are equity investment opportunities where you can find investors who will provide capital for a stake in your business. Of course, there are both benefits and drawbacks to each type of fiscal opportunity so a lot of research should be done to ensure you pick the proper type for your individual needs and the needs of your business.

My advice to anyone looking to open their own entertainment company and start producing content is to constantly think outside the box. I have discussed a couple options for raising funds for your company but there are so many more. If you are truly passionate about this industry and believe in yourself, with a little hard work and dedication it is possible to find the monetary backing for your startup company.

TED.com Business Storytelling

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 16:13:00 +0000

Per Wikipedia, "TED (Technology, Entertainment, and Design) is a global set of conferences owned by the private non-profit Sapling Foundation, formed to disseminate "ideas worth spreading"." I first viewed the TED talk by TED's Executive Director, Chris Anderson, on the push to evolve human specialties. He showed that through the expansion of the internet and the ability for people to access and broadcast more content, we push each other to grow our individual skill sets further and further. In this day in age, millions of people can now view us as we demonstrate our skills on a global stage of sorts. He called this phenomenon "crowd accelerated innovation".
While watching him and his charisma on stage, his sense of humor, and his ability to engage the audience I began to realize that I needed to develop my speaking skills as a future entertainment industry professional in order to compete with the current leaders in the industry who have honed their skill sets and that is when I truly understood what he was talking about. Without even realizing it, I had begun to start planning the evolution of my public speaking skills.

I began researching other TED talks and came across a TED talk by Elizabeth Gilbert author of the New York Times bestseller, "Eat, Pray, Love". This TED talk focused on nurturing creativity. She pointed out that from the time we are young children, people are always trying to hinder our creativity even subtly with questions like, "Aren't you afraid you will fail at ...?" Throughout history we have always held the most creative in high regard but we never seem to believe that we ourselves or those we care about are capable of the kind of creative genius or that they will not be able to make a living from it. This hinders some of the most creative people and forces them to reevaluate their career decisions. Throughout the talk she discusses the importance of nurturing this side of people to allow them to grow and expand their skills so they can realize their potential and possibly create some of the next great works of art. I thoroughly enjoyed her style during the speech. She seemed comfortable on stage and created an environment where it seemed to be more of a one on one conversation with a friend than a formal speech. She used humor and energetic vocal tones to keep it fun and light throughout her presentation.

Again, I find myself thinking about my own speaking and presentation style and how I can utilize the techniques of these two amazing speakers to expand my repertoire of skills for the time when it becomes necessary for me to give a speech whether in front of my class of 14 people or a crowd of thousands. I look forward to viewing more TED talks and continuing to learn not only from their content but also from their persuasive and engaging speaking styles.

The 3-D Fad Is Back With A Vengeance!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 08 May 2012 06:37:00 +0000

There has been a 3-D craze about every 20-30 years since the 1950s when it was introduced. As a child of the 80s, I remember how big 3-D became. However, it was not as convenient and accessible as it is today and the technology left much to be desired. 3-D relied on those red and blue paper glasses to see movies and it was fairly entertaining once in a blue moon when you'd see something coming at you, but to watch an entire movie throughout those colored glasses was moderately if not extremely annoying. However, the new 3-D is upon us and the technology has significantly improved, but the question still remains is this another fad that will fade out eventually or is 3-D here to stay?

In my opinion, 3-D should be faded out and as filmmakers we should return to our true goal, which is to tell a good story without having to use smoke and mirrors to attract audiences. While many people enjoy the three-dimensional movies, not everyone thinks they are getting their money’s worth and many are complaining of dizziness and headaches after seeing a 3-D movie. In fact this may be more common than you think. According to a study from the UK charity The Eyecare Trust, “One in ten people have 3-D vision problems”. It is physically impossible for these people to see the movie in 3-D even with the glasses they see the image as blurry and have no perception of depth. Add onto that the percentage of the population that get motion sickness and now you are limiting your audience even further.

Overall, I think filmmakers should let go of the 3-D trend. On top of the added cost of making a 3-D movie, viewers seem to be slowly losing interest as well. According to Fox News, “It seems that 3D success stories are becoming a rarity in Hollywood, as more and more audience members have been opting to see the films sans glasses. Only 45 percent of the “Kung Fu Panda 2” box office was from 3D; 38 percent of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” installment came from 3D; 45 percent of “Green Lantern” earnings stemmed from 3D screenings; and 40 percent of the box office from “Cars 2” came from 3D viewings. Those mark a significant drop from the last couple of year's big 3D releases. James Cameron’s 2009 hit “Avatar” accounted for 80 percent of its theater earnings in 3D. More than 60 percent of audiences watched “Shrek Ever After” in 3D, and “How to Train Your Dragon” earned 57 percent of its box office revenue from 3D.”

I believe we will soon see the end of this era of 3-D but I look forward to seeing the changes when the technology reemerges in 20 to 30 years!

Social Media Marketing & The Importance of Evolving Advertising

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 02 May 2012 18:51:00 +0000

Much like the ongoing argument in Hollywood regarding the transition from film to digital, advertising has been evolving recently and social media marketing is becoming more prominent. Television commercial, radio ads, print ads, and billboards are slowly fading out and social media is connecting advertisers with their target audience. Today it is easier to reach our target audience through smartphones, websites, apps, Facebook, and Twitter. Our generation is more focused on web content, what are friends like on Facebook, and what is currently trending on Twitter and more and more this is how we are determining what movies to watch or what songs and artists we like.

Social Media defines our generation and allows us to access information and opinions from hundreds of millions of people almost instantaneously. It is important to realize that this does not only benefit the consumer but also the advertiser. It is a platform that can reach millions of people and best of all it is little to no cost. However, according to a recent article on IndieWire by Sherri Chandler, “The relationship must be natural, reciprocal, and built on respect” in order to successfully advertise through social media. Do your research and know your audience before building a marketing campaign. You have to know who you are advertising to and what their likes and dislikes are. You also have to stay active with your ads and keep people informed and interested.

In Filmmaker Magazine, Lance Weiler states, “Today everyone is his or her own media company. With the push of a button they can publish, shoot or record and moments later it can be online for the world to see." This can cause the everyday audience to undervalue true filmmaking and the process and teamwork it takes to create a great product. There are many benefits to embracing Social Media as a means of advertising. Whether you are a big corporation or a small start-up company, it allows you to reach the masses and tell them about your product and hopefully get people interested. There are also many success stories of up and coming filmmakers and musical artists being discovered thanks to the power of social media.

Utilizing social media for marketing and advertising allows individuals and companies to have almost an infinite amount of ways to reach our audiences. “Professional” opinions and “knowledgeable” sources have almost become a thing of the past and our friends, family, and even strangers our now influencing our decisions through social media. In conclusion I believe Social media is the future of marketing and its not going anywhere, therefore, as the next generation of entertainment industry professionals we must learn to embrace it and utilize it to our advantage.

SAG-AFTRA... One Union?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 23:45:00 +0000

The SAG-AFTRA merger has been on a lot of people’s minds recently. Both supporters and opponents of the merger have voiced their opinions and as the March 30^th deadline approaches the debates are becoming more heated. I feel that as upcoming members of the entertainment industry, it is important to our success that we learn and understand as much about the political nature of the business, as well as, our individual areas of expertise such as producing, artist management, etc.

There are a few opposing points of view that I find very interesting. Supporters of the merger claim that SAG and AFTRA members will be stronger as a single union. Increasing their ability to negotiate with the other unions rather than competing against themselves. Opponents claim that SAG is a union of actors while AFTRA is comprised of actors, broadcasters, and journalists. They claim that the latter two are actors and they do not depend on residuals to supplement or provide their income. According to an Anti-Merger video, on Deadline.com, featuring Ed Harris, “The interests and needs of actors versus broadcasters and journalists in fighting for fair contracts and protection of their rights are NOT the same.” This is the basis of one of the arguments that opponents of the merger are using. They are questioning how this merger will increase leverage with producers, if this union has differing needs because it will no longer solely represent actors?

There are many issues revolving around this merger from union dues, pension and health benefits, retirement, residuals and royalties, and what will happen to the spread of non-union work just to name a few. The list of supporters has grown exponentially with names like Robert De Niro, George Clooney, Sally Field, Tom Hanks, and Betty White all asking members to vote yes to the merger. While many like Ed Harris, Martin Sheen, and Ed Asner are strongly opposed to the merger and along with many others have stated, “I want a stronger Screen Actors Guild, not a weaker SAG-AFTRA”.

Overall I think it will be interesting to see the results of this merger vote and in my personal opinion I think that the SAG-AFTRA merger would make for a stronger union together and the benefits for both sides members would outweigh any downfalls. But don’t take my word for it, as industry professionals do yourselves a favor and read more about the SAG-AFTRA merger and make an informed decision.

Netflix as Major Cable Network?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 21:27:00 +0000

According to Deadline.com, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has recently been in talks with some of the largest U.S. cable companies recently regarding having Netflix streamed via paid television. I, however, see the costs negating any possible benefits in the long run, but according to the Hollywood Reporter, "At least one cable company could end up experimenting with offering Netflix by the end of the year".
The reason Netflix is so successful, in my opinion, is due to the fact that they are reasonably priced and the ability to stream their service over such a wide variety of devices. Netflix service has been a reasonable way for many users, especially the college demographic, to switch from relying on standard cable TV over to a service that is much cheaper and very convenient with lower incomes and hectic schedules. I personally enjoy my Netflix service and as an end user, I am concerned with some of the decisions that the company has made recently. Analyst Tony Wible stated, "A deal with [pay TV distributors] may increase Netflix's chances of survival, but would force the company to reduce its terminal revenue opportunity by sharing average revenue per user with [distributors]." I see this as the beginning of a very long and dangerous road for Netflix that could potentially end with the company shutting down or being bought out. Either way for everyday users, this could lead to no more Netflix or at least paying higher premiums for the service.