In light of the recent trademark infringement case,
Kelly-Brown v. Winfrey, “Own
Your Power” has become a controversial phrase, and one that I must admit is
having a positive impact in my life. As a result of this powerful command, I
have begun to take control of my own power. Having been discouraged by the lack
of response from industry professionals to various forms of telecommunications,
I walked bodaciously into the law offices of one of the most distinguished
entertainment attorneys in the industry. Humbly, I requested an interview to
complete this industry blog post assignment for my Advanced Entertainment Law
(AEL) course at Full Sail University.
Fortunately, reviewing the Kelly-Brown v. Winfrey case
sparked a fire that has me walking in my
authority. My primary objective was to complete an interview with an
entertainment industry attorney who could answer questions pertinent for
building TrueVine Entertainment and proficiently developing emerging brands.
Simone Kelly-Brown’s courageousness, demonstrated by standing up to one of the
world’s most powerful talk-show hosts in the world, helped me begin to
synthesize the wealth of knowledge gained throughout my life. Win or lose the
case, this can only be a win-win
situation for Kelly-Brown. Her boldness
to defend her brand rather than yield to the shadow of mogul Winfrey, has
gained her respect, and new admirers, including myself.
“Entering action with boldness has the magical effects of
hiding our deficiencies” and eliminating obstacles (Greene, 2000). One hurdle
to overcome, in achieving success in the entertainment industry, is getting to
yes from vetted professionals who have answers to the many questions that can
help neophytes make their presence known and grow their business. Boldness,
courage, and confidence are impressive traits that can help you gain respect of
the “gatekeepers” who protect access to those who can help you achieve your
dreams.
Through prayer, faith and owing my power, I was blessed to
gain the attention of Sandy Hart, who has 30 years experience working as an
administrative assistant for one of the firm’s founding partners. When
approaching the very first gatekeeper, the receptionist, I calmed my nervousness
with a warm smile, and rather than answering her question, “do you have an
appointment,” I redirected by responding, are you Liz, I spoke with you over
the phone last week… “Building an affiliation” came very naturally, as the
office was adorned with some of my favorite flowers and she was in a glowing
motherly way (Fisher and Shapiro, 2005).
 |
|
Thank you to Beautiful Ms. Hart
on behalf of all neophyte
entertainment professional who
may find benefit from this post.
|
The receptionist personally went to the offices of the
executive assistant, who came out to greet me and gave me a very compelling
interview before leaving for lunch. I was very encouraged when Ms. Hart pulled
out the questions that I had sent previously by e-mail. With clerical business
skills honed at a local business college, Ms. Hart had had several years of
experience working for attorneys before joining the team of entertainment
professionals at the entertainment law firm. She stressed the importance of
professionalism, multi-tasking, documentation and working efficiently and
effectively to produce “win-win” outcomes for everyone involved. She corroborated many of the lessons learned
throughout my studies, including the importance of networking, modeling
successful people and using social media to build a fan base.
Ms. Hart emphasized that artists must be very proactive in
their own career by availing themselves to every possible opportunity,
including auditioning for local showcases sponsored by radio and television
stations, as well as studios offering industry competitions. They must, “power
through rejection,” avoid procrastination, constantly refine their skills and
stay abreast of technology as well as other events and trends that affect the
industry. Her best advice for artists to build a reputable team, in order of
importance, is as follows:
1.
Develop convincing talent that makes you
outshine your competition.
2.
Be knowledgeable about the industry and your
plan.
3.
Conduct research to find opportunities.
4.
Always have business cards on hand with current
information and headshots.
5.
Audition, apply to showcases and competitions
6.
Network at auditions, festivals and through
social media.
7.
Get noticed by utilizing YouTube.
8.
Find an agent who is committed to your best
interest, who has connections and who can present your plan.
Once an artist establishes an impressive fan base they will
be better positioned to attract the attention of a manager or agent for
representation. The hiring of an entertainment attorney is usually done when
there are actual deals to be made and agreements on the table. The search for an entertainment attorney can
begin with industry referrals and continue with an Internet search and
contacting the local Bar Association to see if they have a referral
service. Attorneys will generally have
access to referral lists that can identify agents, publicists and additional
resources to help the artist build a reputable team.
I began to immediately implement some of Ms. Hart’s
suggestions into managing TrueVine artist Negus
RA, by demanding that he put a music video up on YouTube immediately. This
helped me to connect with the artist and gain a better understanding of his
music. Although my preference is for love music, listening to THA INTRO helped
me realize that this emerging artist has great potential to write cutting edge
music for movies such as the box office hit White House Down. Save the President, a
lot of people went home in “body-bags.”
Allen,
P. (2007). Artist management for the
music business. Elsevier Inc., MA
Fisher, R., Shapiro, D. (2005)
Beyond reason: Using emotions as you negotiate. New York, The Penguin Group.
Greene, R. (2000). The 48 laws
of power. New York. The Penguin Group.
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