Archive for the ‘Art And Entertainment’ Category
Family (Music) Business
David Hooper asked:
If you’re a musician or songwriter, your manager and your attorney should always be two different people, your agent and your manager should always be two different people, and you, your manager, and your agent should all have different attorneys, all of whom should work at different law firms.
But that’s not all…
Your manager shouldn’t be in your immediate family. In other words, don’t get a parent or spouse to do the job of a professional. Management is a real job that requires real skills.
Parents screw things up. They believe the publicist-generated hype, are too close to the situation, and are often living their own dreams through their “client.”
Worked with a 15-year-old maybe two years ago. She was a very nice, very attractive, and very talented singers. She was good and everybody who heard her demo wanted to help her. In fact, she was so good that a couple of major labels were interested. Everything looked bright for her.
But her father… That guy was a passive-agressive jerk who made it very difficult to get anything done. He was extremely high-maintenance and was constantly taking up valuable resources that would have been better used on his daughter and her career.
My time is too valuable to deal with idiots, so I stopped working with her.
A few months later, at SXSW, her name came up in a conversation. I was talking to an established music attorney who was interested in her, but had reservations because “her father is a real asshole.”
Obviously, this could happen with somebody you are not related to, but it’s not likely, especially if you’re careful about selecting somebody to work with. Professionals in this business understand how to work with people and know how to do it in a way so that things get done.
You wouldn’t get your relatives to play on your record, so why have them do something that is just as important?
This rule also applies to your spouse, by the way. Watch Spinal Tap and you’ll see exactly what I’m talking about. While the movie is a joke, the situation when it happens in real life isn’t nearly as funny
If you’re a musician or songwriter, your manager and your attorney should always be two different people, your agent and your manager should always be two different people, and you, your manager, and your agent should all have different attorneys, all of whom should work at different law firms.
But that’s not all…
Your manager shouldn’t be in your immediate family. In other words, don’t get a parent or spouse to do the job of a professional. Management is a real job that requires real skills.
Parents screw things up. They believe the publicist-generated hype, are too close to the situation, and are often living their own dreams through their “client.”
Worked with a 15-year-old maybe two years ago. She was a very nice, very attractive, and very talented singers. She was good and everybody who heard her demo wanted to help her. In fact, she was so good that a couple of major labels were interested. Everything looked bright for her.
But her father… That guy was a passive-agressive jerk who made it very difficult to get anything done. He was extremely high-maintenance and was constantly taking up valuable resources that would have been better used on his daughter and her career.
My time is too valuable to deal with idiots, so I stopped working with her.
A few months later, at SXSW, her name came up in a conversation. I was talking to an established music attorney who was interested in her, but had reservations because “her father is a real asshole.”
Obviously, this could happen with somebody you are not related to, but it’s not likely, especially if you’re careful about selecting somebody to work with. Professionals in this business understand how to work with people and know how to do it in a way so that things get done.
You wouldn’t get your relatives to play on your record, so why have them do something that is just as important?
This rule also applies to your spouse, by the way. Watch Spinal Tap and you’ll see exactly what I’m talking about. While the movie is a joke, the situation when it happens in real life isn’t nearly as funny
Insiders Secrets to Becoming a Paid Actor
M Blood asked:
Do you know who hires actors? Producers hire actors. Producers hire and fire everybody. So, whom do you want to meet? Producers! Of course! Do you know what your job is? As an actor, your job is to bring life to the producer’s vision. You must understand that this is your job, so . . . Go to give, not to take!
Suppose an actor met up with a producer and said, “Mr. Stoller, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Your film ‘Undercover Angel’ really touched me. What a great gift it has been to so many people. And, ‘Miss Cast Away’ was one of the funniest films I’ve ever seen. You’ve brought a lot of joy to a lot of people, and I just wanted to say ‘Thank you.’ I’ve read about your upcoming project, ‘They Cage the Animals at Night’. The book is amazing. The film will undoubtedly win lots of awards and touch millions of people. It’s something that really needs to be told. . . If I could be of assistance to you in any way on that project, please don’t hesitate to ask. To be, in some small way, a part of the success of a Bryan Michael Stoller project, especially this one, would be wonderful. I really want to see the project come to life. Here’s my business card. Please let me know if I can help.”
I am sure that producer would remember you with good feelings. Here the actor complemented the producer, the actor was informed, sincere (yes be sincere, it cannot be lip service, be real because your ‘vibration’ will be what is felt more than your words) and positive. It was not all about YOU. It was about the producer and his work. One of the most important result-producing tools you have, when interacting with a potential employer (producer), is attitude. It’s not about talent or lack thereof. The bad attitude is what ruins the job for most actors. Unfortunately, most actors believe that it’s all about them. It’s not! It’s about the project – that dream, that vision that the producer has been living for years. Either the producer perceives you to be someone who can help bring his or her dream to life on the screen – or you’re in the way. It’s as simple as that.
Here is a very different scenario. Imagine an saying to a producer, “Hey, hey, man. You’re a producer, right? Oh, boy, I really hope you’re different from all the others. None of those other jerks ever want to give me a break. Everything’s a ‘catch 22′. If you’re not sleeping with the produers or related to them, I guess you won’t ever get in their films. Hey, I’m an actor. You should hire me because I’m really good. Come, on, Man. Don’t be like those other jerks. You should give me a break and put me in your film. I studied, man. I paid my dues, so you should hire me. I sat through all those stupid workshops. I could use you, man. This film could launch my career. I’m going to be a big name someday, and you’ll be sorry if you don’t put me in your film.”
See the difference? The actor with the attitude “go to give, not to take’ is very rare – and we, the producers, hire those rare people. If I, as the producer, perceive you to be one of those rare actors with a professional attitude, do you think I want you in my project? You’d better believe I do. Absolutely, I want you as a part of my film!! It’s actors with good attitudes that make the projects work! I know so many directors and producers who say they would much rather hire someone with less talent but a good attitude than some ‘brilliantly talented’ actor they don’t know who may have a bad attitude and potentially cost the producer his or her project! Several of our producer friends have literally said they would hire acting coaches to help less-talented actors (with great attitudes) rather than work with someone whose attitude is bad!!
Some actors seem to be in this industry for their own self-aggrandizement, and they will destroy the producer’s product if they think it will make them look good. Now, if you go to give and not to take, to make that producer’s vision come to life on the screen, and if I, as the producer, see you as that rare, positive, giving actor, wow, do you think I don’t want you in my project? YES. I want YOU BIG TIME!!
Do you know who hires actors? Producers hire actors. Producers hire and fire everybody. So, whom do you want to meet? Producers! Of course! Do you know what your job is? As an actor, your job is to bring life to the producer’s vision. You must understand that this is your job, so . . . Go to give, not to take!
Suppose an actor met up with a producer and said, “Mr. Stoller, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Your film ‘Undercover Angel’ really touched me. What a great gift it has been to so many people. And, ‘Miss Cast Away’ was one of the funniest films I’ve ever seen. You’ve brought a lot of joy to a lot of people, and I just wanted to say ‘Thank you.’ I’ve read about your upcoming project, ‘They Cage the Animals at Night’. The book is amazing. The film will undoubtedly win lots of awards and touch millions of people. It’s something that really needs to be told. . . If I could be of assistance to you in any way on that project, please don’t hesitate to ask. To be, in some small way, a part of the success of a Bryan Michael Stoller project, especially this one, would be wonderful. I really want to see the project come to life. Here’s my business card. Please let me know if I can help.”
I am sure that producer would remember you with good feelings. Here the actor complemented the producer, the actor was informed, sincere (yes be sincere, it cannot be lip service, be real because your ‘vibration’ will be what is felt more than your words) and positive. It was not all about YOU. It was about the producer and his work. One of the most important result-producing tools you have, when interacting with a potential employer (producer), is attitude. It’s not about talent or lack thereof. The bad attitude is what ruins the job for most actors. Unfortunately, most actors believe that it’s all about them. It’s not! It’s about the project – that dream, that vision that the producer has been living for years. Either the producer perceives you to be someone who can help bring his or her dream to life on the screen – or you’re in the way. It’s as simple as that.
Here is a very different scenario. Imagine an saying to a producer, “Hey, hey, man. You’re a producer, right? Oh, boy, I really hope you’re different from all the others. None of those other jerks ever want to give me a break. Everything’s a ‘catch 22′. If you’re not sleeping with the produers or related to them, I guess you won’t ever get in their films. Hey, I’m an actor. You should hire me because I’m really good. Come, on, Man. Don’t be like those other jerks. You should give me a break and put me in your film. I studied, man. I paid my dues, so you should hire me. I sat through all those stupid workshops. I could use you, man. This film could launch my career. I’m going to be a big name someday, and you’ll be sorry if you don’t put me in your film.”
See the difference? The actor with the attitude “go to give, not to take’ is very rare – and we, the producers, hire those rare people. If I, as the producer, perceive you to be one of those rare actors with a professional attitude, do you think I want you in my project? You’d better believe I do. Absolutely, I want you as a part of my film!! It’s actors with good attitudes that make the projects work! I know so many directors and producers who say they would much rather hire someone with less talent but a good attitude than some ‘brilliantly talented’ actor they don’t know who may have a bad attitude and potentially cost the producer his or her project! Several of our producer friends have literally said they would hire acting coaches to help less-talented actors (with great attitudes) rather than work with someone whose attitude is bad!!
Some actors seem to be in this industry for their own self-aggrandizement, and they will destroy the producer’s product if they think it will make them look good. Now, if you go to give and not to take, to make that producer’s vision come to life on the screen, and if I, as the producer, see you as that rare, positive, giving actor, wow, do you think I don’t want you in my project? YES. I want YOU BIG TIME!!