Show Biz

Show Biz…

I have found the Entertainment business today to be an exciting and very challenging field of work and study. It is, at once, vibrant and exciting, but can also be cut-throat and brutal. It’s a game with rules, key players and a distinct hierarchy. It can be all fun and games, or pain and suffering… it’s all in how you play; like football. Once you get on a good team and start winning, you start making the big bucks. If you fumble or make a bad play, it’s not over for you, it’s only over if you get to hurt to play.

The rules of the business are written in the sand and change with each new wave. It’s easy to drown, get washed away, or lost at sea in this business. If you want to survive or play you are going to need to find a rock to stand on or a crew to boat with. You need to be skilled, Talented and sharp; with something to bring to the table. Being drop dead gorgeous can also help, but alone is not a guarantee for success. You need to be likeable, passionate and informed at least until you establish yourself. Everybody knows that movies are not made by one person, so learn to put up with massive egos, scummy superstars and needy producers. The movie business brings together quite a cast of characters, so be prepared to deal with all types of people. From polished agents, to dirty crew hands; everyone has a place and a part to play; find yours.

In the postmodern era Hollywood rules the media world. It’s the Hegemonic authority of the visual arts. Hollywood is the place where movie style dreams actually do come true. We know this because we see it on TV! And nobody doubts the authenticity of TV; right?

In Hollywood the sun shines on everyone, and potentially anyone could be the next big thing and hit the big time; i.e. make a sh*t load of money. It's a quasi residential/social/superficial lottery! It’s about 50% who you know, 30% what you can do, and 20% being in the right place at the right time. Always be nice to people too! You never know when you are going to need something from them, or be working under them. The tables turn fast. Don’t get to lofty when you’re and high or too low when down. You should stay level at all times; poker face, bluff how good or bad you are doing and people will always assume the best. It is show business, so naturally it’s all a show, all about image and perception.

If you want to really make it in the film business today however you have to be able to do many things everything. Because of recent transformations, globalization, and general cross promotion you have to be able to do more than just act or sing or write these days. On the flips side you need to be able to do more than answer phones and get coffee, you have to be able to do many things with an effective degree of competence, and still have ability to know how you can do those things and then more things; better. It is a creative business and is always looking for and rewarding creativity on all fronts. After all it is the imaginings of people that is remaking the world as we know it…

The internet and new media has dramatically changed the structure and employment practices of the entertainment world. Competition is now global, decentralized, and has thus has gotten stiff. You are essentially competing with talent from all over the world. These days you will do better if you are able to create jobs not just get them for yourself. If you are not exceptionally talented without training (or after training) they you really need to know somebody. And even knowing somebody is not a guarantee of success. You have to offer something new and something fresh, you have to demonstrate that you can bring a new approach, a new idea, and an ability to tell the difference between the new and old.

If you want to be a Power Player in the biz today you need to be aware of what that takes; a lot. It takes more than just talent, smarts, money or good looks. It takes guts, imagination, intuition and determination. You also need to know the market and trends and how they are changing. You need to understand the business and it’s unconventional operations.

The point is, is that today the media needs artists! People in media today must have the creative ability to express themselves and what they can do. It needs designers with imagination and expression, using computers and market intuition. Being able to artistically express yourself and then sell your creations (stories, scripts, paintings, websites, clothing designs, ect) to people or sell your image to people is the name of the game. Unless of course you work in Administration in which case your job is to spot these people and put them to work for you!

A sign of the times is that big musicians today make much of their money from clothes and products –branding-, not CD's. Actors are following a similar path, getting into fashion design or other arts --or are becoming philanthropists. Postmodern Artists build their empire on their name. They use there name to sell products the have little to do with, or films they were not involved in. They use the aura of there brand to collect tons of money without even doing anything. It’s all about image… reality is irrelevant. Image is all that matters.

How can the used/done be made new and marketable? How is what I bring going to benefit or inspire people? If people like it, if it touches or entertains them, they'll use it. Why would people want to buy what I have? This is what we must begin to ask ourselves in our quest to build an Entertainment. Ask yourself what you want and then listen for the answer; and then go and get it.