Old School Mogul

Posted on April 5, 2010 by Adam

You can have every gadget, every bit of proper schooling and all the proper protocols – but nothing trumps connections.

Jerry Weintraub is the type of mogul who looked for opportunities in whatever field – Broadway, music, film, TV etc. He found John Denver, produced the Oceans movies, and booked Led Zeppelin and a million other things – this is a guy you want to share a steak and martini with. He works the phones – trading favors for favors and getting stuff made.

Your relationships are your currency.

Foster them, nurture them and build off them.

Action Ratner

Posted on March 27, 2010 by Adam

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT -

While all film exec and filmmakers have their passion projects– they are also on the lookout for a great business model as a steady stream of revenue. Brett Ratner has always been at the forefront of finding lucrative business models to match with his interests. Here he is taking aim at the reasonably priced action thriller. Sam Raimi does it for horror, Peter Jackson for sci-fi and now Ratner for action. Its smart – they become producers and factory owners for burgeoning talent.

Mattelwood and Transmedia

Posted on March 25, 2010 by Adam

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT -

Toys have long been thought of as the after effect of a franchise. Its an additional revenue stream after TV and movies established the characters or its been a longstanding toy that is turned into a movie. But in the new age of toy companies leveraging their assets in savvier ways – Mattel is revolutionizing their R+D process. Instead of relying on Hollywood to drive the ship – Mattel is taking matters into their own hands. They asked their developers for new toy ideas that can be turned into properties – took the top five and picked the best one. By creating a new line of toys with its own back story and hiring producer Neal Mortiz (Fast and the Furious), Mattel is taking control of their ‘transmedia’ options. Transmedia being the ability to spinoff their product into every conceivable market. – play with, see, hear and eat. Now they can control all parts of the process. By exercising more control over the creative – Mattel will enjoy more equity and more financial responsibility for the product.

Oprah’s Second Act

Posted on March 22, 2010 by Adam

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT -

Every now and again an icon risks it all for a second act. Howard Stern was one example. He got paid when he switch to Sirius but lost some of his cultural significance. It’s almost heresy to suggest the same thing might happen to Oprah but who knows. She is ending her show in 2011 where she was the main talent and moving to overseer of a network. OWN has strong distribution and lots of resources but a channel’s strength depends on the hits. Even if Oprah takes a version of her show to OWN – will it have the same impact? No one knows – buts its insanely fascinating to watch the process play out. This article is a behind the scenes exploration of cable economics and politics.

Go Over and Around

Posted on March 10, 2010 by Adam

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT -

Many times the establishment keeps out the most innovative thinking. Most people are only interested in not getting fired. Agencies – from advertising to talent are finding themselves ill equipped to handle not being the center of the universe. Consumers and brands are circumventing this ‘Grand Central’ mentality. No longer do you need to go through agencies. Go around it. Make your own marketplace. Of course technology can help– here is The Idea Lists – which connects talent and brands…without agencies. Here comes the future.

A Media Star’s Own Shop

Posted on February 25, 2010 by Adam

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT -

Quincy Smith has the connections, experience and media savvy to be a big time player. Or rather bigger than he already is. You know you are in a good when you leave a job and your former employer (CBS) signs up to be your first client.

Its just important that you know his name and follow his new company CODE Advisors. I heard this guy speak at a Paley Center event last year and he is super legit.

Bright, quick and savvy – I look forward to following his career from here.

Tasty TV

Posted on February 20, 2010 by Adam

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT -

Food programming will continue its meteoric rise because its brand friendly, relatable to everyone and has great visuals. Its amazing that some people thought the Food Network would never work because you couldn’t ‘taste the food’. Having brands that can easily integrate into the programming helps protect the ad revenue against time shifting and TV anywhere. All major food brands should be looking to create their own branded material – Instead of waiting to be invited into a show. Your advertising teams are letting you down!

Friends ‘Til the End

Posted on February 18, 2010 by Adam

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT -

Damon and Affleck burst on the scene in 1997 and now 13 years later with plenty of bumps, bruises, paydays and projects under their respective belts – they are seeking more control over their projects. With Affleck emerging as a strong director and Damon as one of the best actors alive right now – I would bet on these guys making a lot of money and picking up another Oscar at some point. Good to see that Hollywood does not fray all relationships. In the end, its all about creative control and ownership – that’s how you turn a good living into a fortune.

True Development

Posted on February 9, 2010 by Adam

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT -

If you are producing content – you should be producing it in a variety of mediums. You should leverage your research, development and content into other deals by making partnerships. Deals like this one with niche content providers like small magazines and websites will be the norm. It started with book to film but it goes much, much further.

Headsets & Highballs

Tag Archives: Industry

Old School Mogul

Action Ratner

Mattelwood and Transmedia

Oprah’s Second Act

Go Over and Around

A Media Star’s Own Shop

Tasty TV

Friends ‘Til the End

True Development