Is Eric From Entourage A Perfect Example of How to Become an Artist Manager?

The show Entourage gives an interesting look at the life of an artist manager from friend to professional. Now I know this is something you might read and wonder how I came to write this so let me explain.

When we are first introduced to the character of Eric (E) he has been Vince’s best friend since childhood. They grew up together and when Vince got his big break Eric unofficially because his manager. As the show continued throughout the seasons we witness Eric’s growth through his career choice. We also get to see how even being the artists best friend doesn’t mean you share the same career goals.

Through the first few seasons Eric is basically a bonafied Yes man. His job is to agree with whatever Vince’s agent says because he knows what’s best for Vince. This right here is a prime example of how managing either your best friends or a total strangers career can be a challenge. You have to prove to the artist and any other person involved in their career that you know what you are talking about and doing. This can be going out of your way to find the perfect project for them or making sure they are keeping their life in order.

As the seasons progressed so did Eric’s ambition and career goals. He started asking for advice from people he saw as mentors and taking a risk in opening his own management business. These were ricks that Eric needed to take in order to prove not only to himself that he can make it in this business. However, one of the biggest things Eric could have done was no longer be Vince’s Yes man. He would truly give his advice on projects because he didn’t just want to sit back and collect his commission.

Finally, Eric would prove that he has what it takes to take over one of the biggest management firms in Hollywood. Of course, you can say that this only happened because it was a TV show, but in reality it shows what hard work and having the “it” factor for finding projects can lead you. It shows that you need to have that personally connection to the artist and be willing to say no to them. Not everything they say or want to do is right and best for their career. They need to know that no one artist is the same and sometimes you need to forge your own path.

I think one of the main reasons I choose to write about is because when I first started watching Entourage I showed me what I wanted to do with my life. My friend was going to be Vince and I was going to be his Eric. Only thing is that my friend knew I wasn’t a yes man and would tell him if something was wrong or not fit for him. Another reason is because if you look at a lot of artist these days their family and friends play major roles. Brittney Spears and Kanye West are two major examples of how sometimes family and friends are the best management.

Now I’m not saying everyone should look at Entourage as a way to learn and understand the entertainment business. The show gives you an inside look, but it truly doesn’t show you the blood, sweat and tears that go into managing an artist. Yes, you might get to enjoy yourself here and there, but it isn’t always fun. You are on the job 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Most of your time will be spent on the phone depending how big your artist is. Oh and let’s not forget the late nights and ever changing schedule.

Those are things that I learned first had watching agents and managers work. Being constantly on the clock isn’t something most people can handle so along with the knowledge you also have to be ready to commit to yourself and the artist. Their life becomes your life. 

Interview with Beau Ryan of Machinima.com

With the web becoming an ever-growing environment new media companies are becoming major intuitions for both established and new entertainment professionals. Machinima.com is becoming one of the major hubs to distribute already established content and new & original series. In the past few years Machinima has worked with studios like Warner Bros. to produce and distribute the Mortal Kombat: Legacy web series.

I talked to Beau Ryan a Junior Entertainment Programming Manager for Machinima. It is Beau’s job to browse YouTube for content that Machinima can distribute and also talk with directors and writers about original content for their YouTube channels.

Me: Do you take different approaches to negotiating with someone who already has an established series you are looking to distribute and any original content you bring to Machinima? 

Beau: Yes, we were looking to distribute There Will Be Brawl on one of our channels so we had to work with the creators and TheEscapist.com on getting the rights to the series. We figured that by bringing it over to Machinima, we would be able to introduce it to a whole new audience. However, after the first few episodes we weren’t receiving the views and SEO hits we hoped for and people were pointing out that people could watch the whole series on TheEscapist.com.

When working on new and original content our negotiating takes a different route. We tend to work with the creators on establishing a relationship were both parties can prosper. We’ll work with them on making the series a hit were the views and SEO meet both our ideal numbers.

Me: How do you handle positional bargaining tactics?

Beau: If someone comes in with a figure and mind, but it’s not in our budget we’ll offer them what we have in our budget. It also depends on who the person is. When someone like Kevin Tancharoen comes to us about a series and they have a number in mind then we will talk with our Ad Sales department on helping to find sponsors for the series and help cover those costs.

Should John Doe come to us about their series we will work with them on getting something to cover upfront costs and then offer them some of the CPM traffic. So say for every 1,000 views we’ll offer them $3 dollars, which in the long run can become more then a figure they originally wanted. It really all depends on who the person is and what they have done.

Me: Can you give me an example of how you worked toward mutual benefit when you were negotiating a deal? 

Beau: It depends on their needs and what they have in mind. Sometimes people have a figure in mind and don’t want to hear about CPM traffic payments. Some examples of us working toward a mutual benefit were when we worked with EA on the DragonAge: Redemption series and Warner Bros. on Mortal Kombat: Legacy. For those both parties knew this was going to be a relationship that would prosper and worked on making it so.

Of course, there are cares where we have to say no to people no matter what because they refuse to work with us on negotiating a deal that would work for all parties involved.

I want to thank Beau for his time. You should check out Machinima.com and RadNerd.com.

Is Crowd Funding The Way To Go?

The second the Internet came online is the second everything about the entertainment industry changed. People were able to share information about all types of projects in various stages of development. You could download the script to your favorite movie and not have to wait to go to the movies to see trailers. Then in 2005 a little site entitled YouTube changed the game again. Now a days people from all over the world are creating new and entertaining content every second of the day and uploading so millions of people can enjoy it.

However, sometimes creating that content isn’t cheep and people need to find new and interesting ways to fund their projects. This is where Kickstarter and Indiegogo come in. Kickstarter and Indiegogo are crowd funding sites that allow anyone and everyone the opportunity to donate money towards a project they like. Anything from a $1 to $5,000 can be given to a project to help it meet its goal.

The reason these crowd funding sites are changing the game is because they are doing what YouTube did and that is changing the Hollywood system. Typically if you wanted to fund your project you would have to either beg for money from a studio or max out your credit cards just to finance your idea.

Of course, most people aren’t just going to donate. Both sites allow you give rewards for specific donation levels such as thank you or producer credits, props or stills from the project to even walk-on roles. Think of it as a way of giving back and saying THANK YOU for helping my project out.

The one thing I love about these sites is that they give people the chance to create something that they normally wouldn’t have been able to on their own. By helping them pay for extra props, a real editor or special effects these projects can become something more than just another D-rated movie or short. Plus, if you really enjoy the idea it could also catch the eye of someone in the Hollywood system and give that creator a chance to continuously entertain you.

I asked my friend Traycee King why she chose Indiegogo to help fund the second season of her webseries 8.13.

Indiegogo is a great way to get the community involved and to make them feel like they helped make a film. I also chose it because whether or not I make my goal; I want to finish as much as I can! With Indiegogo, I can keep the funds whether I make my goal or not.

As you can see some people in the system want to give back and get people involved with their projects. Yes, it’s nice to reward fans with cool features on DVDs and Blu-Rays, but lets face it those are old news. With these crowd funding sites you can get people more involved and give them a sense of being part of the project.

I will honestly think about using Kickstarter or Indiegogo to finance one of my future projects. 

How YouTube is Changing The Game

Over the past few years becoming a YouTube Partner has become a career for people. Their videos have received enough plays and comments that they are making six figure salaries by uploading a short and simple video weekly. How is it that most entertainers work years before earning that much, but John Doe from anywhere can achieve that right away via YouTube?

Out of the top ten earners in 2010 from the YouTube Partnership number ten received $101,000, while number one made $315,000.

Number ten on the list Natalie Tran has ranked in over 429.2 million channel views and 1 million subscribers. Natalie’s channel is mostly videos of her talking or ranting about something going on in her life. This type of video is called video blogging or Vlogging. Yet, some how 429 million people have watched her videos and found them entertaining.

The top earner on the list, Shane Dawson, is boosting over 707.9 million views and over 2.7 million subscribers. Just like Natalie, Shane vlogs about things going on in his life. In 2010 enough people watched Shane talk about his life that he was able to receive $315,000 from YouTube.

Now not everyone one of the YouTube partners are able to achieve money like this. No, these people have very tight guidelines to follow in-order to maintain their status as a Premier YouTube Partner. They need to upload a video once or twice a week, interact with viewers via the comment section of their page and maintain a stable number of views, comments and subscribers. For most people this is a full time job.

However, some have been able to cash in outside of YouTube. The people behind The Annoying Orange recently had a show air on Cartoon Networks Adult Swim block. The YouTube user Fred has had a movie made by Lionsgate and is currently working on a show Nickelodeon. Others have gone on to expand their career.

iJustine who refuses to discuss how much she makes from YouTube has gone on to guest on Law and Order and co-host Game Trailers on Spike.

No matter how you look at YouTube is slowly changing the entertainment model. Studios and networks are beginning to pay attention to what draws peoples attention of people online instead of reading the scripts they receive. 

TED talk - Why Videos Go Viral

These days it seems like everyone is trying to create the next viral video. However, most of the time 99.9% of them fail at their attempt. Now why is this? YouTube’s trend manager Kevin Allocca gives us three reasons on why videos go viral in his TEDvideo from November 2011.

Mr. Allocca explains that the first step of something going viral is getting the attention of tastemakers. Examples he uses are how the day Jimmy Kimmel tweeted about the Double Rainbow video it went from nearly no views to over a million in a single day. The same goes for Rebecca Black’s music video for Friday. Comedian Daniel Tosh and others tweeted about video and the rest is history. It seems like one of the key elements for something to go “viral” is that you need to have that one influential person to mention or share your video to the world.

From there it’s up to the YouTube community to take control of the next step in the “viral” process. Just about all the successful “viral” videos have either responses or have been parodied by other members of the YouTube community. Mr. Allocca points out that there are over 10,000 parodies of Friday by Rebecca Black and within the first seven days videos for the other days in the week were created and uploaded. The community within YouTube is like nothing you will find anywhere else. The users are so involved and their creative freedom is unchallenged that on a rare occasion the parodie can out shine the original video.

The final and most important element is that you can’t go into making or uploading a video with the idea that it will be the next big “viral” thing. What makes Double Rainbow, Friday and Nyan Cat so successful is that they were unexpected and didn’t take off till months after they were uploaded. The unexpected factor is also what makes “viral” videos so great because they come out of nowhere and take the Internet by storm.

After viewing Mr. Allocca’s TED talk I have a better understanding of how “viral” videos and how they become the Internet legends they are today. Since new media is slowly taking over just about every industry, the better understanding you have of how to stick out and get people to notice your work the better your idea or business will succeed. Honestly, if it wasn’t for the video Dollar Shave Club created I would have never heard of their business, but with a successful “viral” video they have my attention and business.

No matter how hard your try the Internet can make or break your idea or business. It gives everyone a voice and just about everyone chooses to use it. Anything you think is funny or will be the next big thing can be seen by millions of others as a terrible waste of time. So the things you need to remember when going into creating content is that you need to make sure that it can gain the attention of tastemakers inspire community participation and most importantly be unexpected.  

The International Academy of Web Television

The International Academy of Web Television is the newest addition to the to the International Academy. It is just like the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science except for all productions produced for the interent.

The IAWTV was founded in 2008 and is devoted to the advancement of the arts and sciences of web television production. The following year the IAWT held the first Streamy Awards to honor and recognize excellence in web television production. The winners are selected by the members of the IAWTV.

It was only fitting that the web community would get their own organization to recognize and honor the achievements of the web community. Over the past few years the web has seen a boom of orignal content and series allowing it to become the go to place for getting your ideas out to the public. It has also seen an increase of high profile names come to act, direct and produce online content.

This is due to sites like Youtube, My Damn Channel and Funny or Die just about everyone can create and upload their content to be viewed by millions. They aslo allow for things to go "viral" which could lead them to be nominated for a Streamy or Webby award. By constantly creating high quality content the IAWTV can invite you to become a member, which to some is a very high honor.

Having an organization like the IAWTV shows just how far long web content has come over the years and how wildly recognized it is. With so many networks moving towards more reality based programming it is becoming more and more difficult to get your original idea told. By taking advantage of the IAWTV and the vast number of upload sites more and more are being picked up by the big talent agencies and networks to create their original content.

A lot of my friends in Los Angeles are members of the IAWTV. They tell me about the workshops that members hold where they share scripts and help each other flesh out ideas. This is a big thing especially when you are looking for help finishing an idea or looking for others to help write future scripts. If I were still living in LA I would take advantage of these workshops to help me with my scripts. However, I look forward to taking advantage of everything the web has to offer and the opportunities it can bring in the near future.

Hollywood & The Web A Relationship That Can Last

Over the past few years the web has become a major entertainment hub for both everyday people and major Hollywood studios. This is mostly due to the low production costs and instant worldwide distribution. In a matter of minutes your content can be viewed my millions of people and help launch or reestablish a career.

First I want to take a look at those who have used the web as a means of creating a career for themselves. Back on October 17, 2010 three friends got together and filmed the first episode of what would become Epic Meal Time. They took an idea of creating the most ridiculous food combinations and mixing in a little Canadian stereotype and created a hit show. Each episode earns millions of views, merchandise options like T-shirts, flavored maple syrup and bacon flavored spreads. The popularity of their channel earned them appearances on late night TV and a live show tour that typically sells out in minutes. Most recently Epic Meal Time moved its show from YouTube to the Internet TVstation Revision 3 who was actually just purchased by Discovery Communications.

Another great example is how Freddie Wong has taken advantage of YouTube and how it has helped create his career. FreddieW uploads videos showcasing his and partner Brandon Laatsch Visual Effects abilities. Freddie and Brandon’s work has brought them opportunities to work with companies like Microsoft, Electronic Arts and McDonald’s.

Of course, it wasn’t always fun and games for those who took to the web as their means of sharing their content. For the longest time Hollywood was scared of the web and didn’t know how to approach it. One of the first real companies to do so was CBS with their webseries Clark and Michael. It followed fictional versions of Michael Cera and Clark Duke trying to get their TV series produced. This was a bold move for CBS especially since they did it in 2007 when no one was really viewing the web as anything more than for web searching and emailing.

Now days just about every company is the web to release behind the scene videos, exclusive content and anything else they think people want to watch. However, most of them aren’t taking full advantage of what the web truly offers. Most recently Hulu and Netflix have been stepping their game up with original series like Battleground and Lilyhammer.

Netflix is also taking advantage of their internet streaming service and using it to bring shows like ArrestedDevelopment and Jericho back to life. These shows didn’t have long lives on their respected networks, but have such a strong fan base that bringing them back to life would be profitable for Netflix. Plus, there are no network constraints or limitations.   

Finally, I think the big thing that really has Hollywood watching what is happening with the web is the award shows that have taken life to honor those who release content on the web. The Streamy’s and Webby’s are the two biggest awards for the Internet and over the past few years some big Hollywood names have been nominated and won these awards. When your big players are taking advantage of the web and you are really holding back because you don’t know how to use it says something.

I know that when I begin my career I am going to be taking advantage of the Internet any way I can to help promote my content and create original content for it. It is a cheap and effective way to get an idea out there and show people what you are capable of doing.