What’s Next in 2010? One Manager’s Prediction:

As the entertainment business wraps up for the holidays, many people are asking what’s next in 2010 in entertainment?

Here’s my prediction:

Interactive is where entertainment is going.  Audiences want to be connected to the story — from beginning to end. They don’t want to just be told what the story is — they want to be active in its evolution.

This will have a huge effect on everything from movies to tv to web to advertising.  Think about it this way:

What if it wasn’t just a handful of people at a network deciding what shows get made and if the shows stay on the air or get canceled?  Or what if instead audience members got to decide which movies got made instead of one person who controls all the decisions at a studio?

In fact, Mountain Dew let consumers pick a new flavor in a hugely successful massive multi-player online game. The response to the campaign was amazing.

Perhaps if we brought this idea into entertainment — movies, tv, even all content could do much better because, if done right, audiences are already active participants and will want to promote the content and will have a valuable stake in its success.

This idea is already being incorporated into indie movies.  The film THE WEATHERED UNDERGROUND comes out January 26th and could open the doors for more content to go this route.

Check out the film’s trailer here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpPCS8yZBJ0

No matter what type of content, if you allow audiences to be involved, you are creating an active conversation with the audience and can help push your project to huge success.

Have a great holiday!!

What You Need to Know Upfront When You Join Forces with a Big Producer

Since the dawn of the movie business, less established producers have teamed up with more established ones to help set up projects. However, as budgets shrink and studios strong arm producers, directors and talent into smaller and smaller deals, it is imperative that, if you are teaming up with a producer, you figure out in the very beginning what the deal will be.

This will save you time, money and huge amounts of frustration.

Here are some questions to ask BEFORE you agree to team up with a producer:

• How does the big producer split his/her money? (Often there is just one pot for all the producers and it is up to the individual producers to split it. Some big producers might demand a 90/10 split — 90% to them and 10% to you.

• How will the produced by card work? Does the big producer demand a single card or will he/she share a card? If the big producer won’t share a card, what happens if a buyer asks the producer to share a card?

•  Will you get to be on set?

• Will he/she be mentoring you?

Once you are equipped with the answers to these questions you will be able to analyze the situation and figure out what is best for you.

You might decide to walk away from the producer — even at the risk of not setting up your project — or you may decide that, even if it is a bad deal, the big producer will help set up your project and this is worth it to you.

No matter what your decision, it is important you have all the information upfront so you know what situation you are walking into.

Two Out-of-the-Box Ideas Produced Huge Results for an Actor and a Director

Sometimes it takes out of the box thinking to get the results you want.

Here are two great examples of people who tried something different and got exactly what they wanted:

TJ Miller, an LA-based comedian (CLOVERFIELD, “Carpoolers”) shot the below video after two unsuccessful auditions for the Warner Bros’ YOGI BEAR movie. Studio boss Alan Horn and producer Donald De Line saw this footage and offered him a major part in the film. He’s now in New Zealand shooting.

Watch the audition video here:
http://www.deadline.com/hollywood/actors-will-do-anything-to-land-a-role/

Fede Alvarez scored a million-dollar deal based on the heat generated by “Ataque de panico!” (Panic Attack), a four-minute, 48-second short about an apocalyptic robot attack that Alvarez directed through his commercial production house for less than $500. After the short found its way to the Internet, it generated a huge amount of buzz and suddenly Alvarez had every agent, manager, lawyer and producer calling him.

Ghost House Pictures quickly made a seven-figure deal with the director for a feature film — which is almost unheard of in today’s marketplace.

Further, Sam Raimi will be in a mentoring role to Alvarez similar to the one that Peter Jackson played in Neill Blomkamp’s directing debut on DISTRICT 9, an under-$30 million film that’s grossed over $180 million worldwide!

Watch the short here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dadPWhEhVk

These are just two examples of what a little ingenuity can do for you.