The Secret of Making Hollywood Deals
Issue #2212
- WEALTHY: How to get a true feel for where the economy is heading (Rick Pendergraft)
- HEALTHY: Why you should skip the orange juice (Craig Ballantyne)
- WISE: George Burns on retirement
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
- Cracking the inner sanctum of the entertainment biz (Paul Lawrence)
- Use Starbucks’ success secret to boost your own sales (Suzanne Richardson)
- It’s Good to Know… about Jainism
- Add the Indian word "pundit" to your vocabulary
He’d Have Called Them Crazy - Or Worse!
With the Internet, it’s now possible to spend no more than a few dollars, write a couple of very basic ads, and have instant access to millions of potential customers all in a matter of minutes.
If anyone had told Jim Sheridan he could bank thousands in just 24 hours… without any product of his own… without spending a penny on getting it or promoting it, he’d have justifiably said they were nuts.
But Jim made a decision that he would overcome his skeptical nature and give it a go. Boy, is he glad he did! That one deal alone banked him $187,296 in one day.
Take a look at how Jim brought in over $187,000 in a single day!
- Patrick Coffey
Beware of Revisions
Economic reports are under even more scrutiny than usual right now. That’s because the Fed uses these reports to determine policy. With the Fed recently shifting its focus back to inflation after a few months of focusing on growth, the reports are growing in importance for the market.
Yes, you should keep your eyes on these reports. They drive the market in one direction or the other, and they give you a feel for the health of the economy. But there’s something you should be aware of: revisions. When a report first comes out, the number is often better or worse than expected. Then, a month or so later, it gets revised lower or higher.
Let me give you an example. In the August Employment report, non-farm payrolls showed a decline of 4,000 jobs. But when the September report came out in early October, the August number had been revised to reflect a gain of 93,000 jobs. So a report that had looked like a bad sign for the economy now looked like a good sign.
Unfortunately for investors, these revisions get far less attention than the original reports.
To get a true feel for where the economy is heading, watch the revised numbers as well as the initial numbers. This will give you a leg up on other investors.
[Ed. Note: Rick Pendergraft, a two-time winner of the "Top Trader" award at Schaeffer’s Investment Research, is a contributor to ETR’s free e-zine, Investor’s Daily Edge. Learn how to protect your portfolio and multiply your money - in any market - by clicking here.]
"Retire? I’m going to stay in show business until I’m the only one left."
George F. Burns
The Secret of Making Hollywood Deals
You may think it’s impossible to get into the entertainment business. Sure, it takes hard work. But it IS possible. And I’m about to show you how to exponentially increase your chances.
Maybe you know of a real-life story that would make a great movie. Or maybe you have a can’t-miss concept for a reality show. No matter what your idea is… no matter how good it is… you can’t just call up a studio or TV network and expect to sell it on the spot.
The entertainment industry is guarded better than Buckingham Palace. And that’s understandable. Because if the doors to Hollywood were wide open, movie and TV execs would be bombarded by a barrage of terrible ideas.
Of course, not every idea is bad. There is the occasional gold nugget that every Hollywood bigwig would love to get his hands on. Perhaps your idea is one of them. So I’m going to give you a secret weapon that can open the doors for you.
This secret comes down to one word: attachments.
If you could get a Will Smith, Jennifer Garner, Adam Sandler, Halle Berry, Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson, or Russell Crowe to agree to be in your project, you’d get a much more welcoming reception when you make your pitch. Right? Well, that’s what I mean by an attachment.
You may be thinking, "Yeah, right, Paul. There’s no way Matt Damon will agree to be in my movie." And you’re probably right. Unless you’re already good friends with a big star, it’s next to impossible to get them to give your project a second glance. Hundreds of thousands of would-be producers are trying to get major actors to look at their projects. To protect their clients, agents will rarely even consider hearing a pitch from an unknown independent producer like you.
But here’s the good news. You don’t need a big star.
If you have a really good real-life story to sell, your "attachment" could be someone nobody’s ever heard of. I’m talking about obtaining the "life rights" of a person who was involved in the story.
You don’t want to try this with a big story that’s making national headlines. The chances of securing rights to a story like that are slim. You’d be competing with dozens of producers with deep pockets. But there are thousands of movie-worthy true stories out there. Most of them don’t make it past one or two mentions in a local newspaper - and some of the principals might be willing to let you option their rights for next to nothing.
Recently, for example, I’ve been talking with a policeman. He helped a young man escape from the gangs in his neighborhood by slipping away in the middle of the night to live with a foster family hundreds of miles away. It struck me as a story that could make a good movie, and I’m pursuing it.
Instead of an idea for a movie, let’s say you have an idea for a TV series about fishing. You want to find someone who will enhance your chances of selling the project, but who isn’t such a major "name" that they won’t entertain your offer. So, in this case, you might be able to get a well-known fishing guide to "attach" himself to the project. This kind of show might not end up on a big broadcast network. But it could wind up on a cable sports channel and still make you a nice little bundle.
Or perhaps you have an idea for a reality show. In this case, a "D List" celebrity may work for you. The reality show Mr. Personality, for example, is hosted by Monica Lewinsky. While Ms. Lewinsky certainly isn’t a star, her name draws a certain amount of attention to the program. And attaching someone to your show who will likewise draw attention to it - for whatever reason - will make network execs take notice.
Now, I’m not saying it will be a piece of cake to attach people like this to your project. But with a good idea and a professional presentation, you’ll have a strong chance of getting them to consider it.
Here are the basic steps:
1. Brainstorm creative attachment ideas.
You can always go after a big name. If they say yes, you’ll be well on your way to selling your project. But that’s unlikely to happen. And you definitely don’t need a big star. Instead, think about other people who could add credibility to your project.
A chef for your cooking show? An archeology professor for your reality show about excavating ancient ruins? A reporter who covered the sordid sex trial you want to produce a true-life movie about?
2. Research the attachment’s contact information.
You’ll be able to contact some of the people you come up with directly. They might even be listed in the phone directory - under their own name or the name of their business. But most of them - even those who aren’t well-known - will have agents, managers, and/or publicists.
To find out who is representing the people you’re interested in, get a subscription to the service offered by IMDB.com for industry professionals. Or try a website like WhoRepresents.com.
3. Entice the attachment with a written proposal.
Write up a brief presentation that includes your contact information, your logline (a 30-word or shorter description of your premise), an idea of how the attachment will be involved, and a list of potential buyers of the project (producers, networks, studios).
4. Come to an agreement, and make it official.
Your deal with most attachments will be in the form of an option agreement. You can hire a qualified attorney to draw up a contract for you, or you can find samples of appropriate agreements in books and online.
With this element in place, it will finally feel like the project is coming to life.
5. With an attachment on board, pitch the project to a buyer
Once you have an attachment on board, you are ready to sell your project to Hollywood.
One of the best resources for finding potential buyers is Hollywood Creative Directory . It’s filled with the names, addresses, and titles of entertainment executives. Another good resource is the IMDB.com professional subscription service I mentioned above. A quick Internet search will provide you with additional options.
And keep in mind that when you pitch a buyer now, you’re not going to be coming empty-handed. You’ll be able to introduce yourself as a producer with a "packaged product."
[Ed. Note: Paul Lawrence is a writer/producer with feature film credits that include Cruel World, starring Jaime Pressly and Ed Furlong. To get all of Paul’s deal-making details - starting from square one all the way to closing with a buyer - take a look at his Breaking Into Hollywood program.]
The Secrets of the Mega-Rich You Never Learned in School
What separates wealthy people from the average Joe slaving away in a cubicle? They have a radically different mindset about money than the rest of the population. Not only do they think about money differently, they talk about it differently, and have the skills to build wealth faster and more efficiently.
Anyone can learn and profit from these skills that wealthy people use instinctively, yet sadly they aren’t taught in American schools.
But you can begin learning these skills today, and start using them to transition to true wealth and personal freedom.
Click here to learn how you can start thinking, living, and profiting like America’s richest people!
ETR Insider Report: The Starbucks Approach to Marketing Your Product
By Suzanne Richardson
"Who sells more coffee - the mom and pop cafe down the block? Or Starbucks?" Copywriting expert James Sheridan asked that question at ETR’s recent Info Marketing Bootcamp. Over 200 voices chorused "Starbucks!"
The answer to James’ question may have been obvious. But the reason Starbucks is so successful is a "secret" every marketer should know.
"The temptation is to focus on the product with your advertising," said James. "If your product is a currency trading service, for example, your temptation might be to talk about the currency market. But that’s wrong."
James went on to say that you don’t want to give your customers what they need. Instead, you should give them what they want. "If you’re selling a currency trading service," he said, "you’re not in the investment advisory business. You’re in the business of making people money."
That’s why Starbucks is so successful. They’re not selling coffee.
Think about it: The difference between a cup of Starbucks coffee and a cup of coffee from the mom and pop cafe across the street is negligible. What sets Starbucks apart is a stellar concept: the Starbucks experience.
The mom and pop cafe only gives you coffee. There’s no concept involved. And people don’t really NEED another cup of coffee.
But they do WANT friends, a sense of community, even the feeling that they’re hip.
So millions of people are happy to pay $4 and up for Starbucks coffee. At Starbucks, they can mingle with cool artists, smart techies, and urbane hipsters in a laidback setting while sipping on the world’s finest organic coffees and teas.
"Is Starbucks scamming us?" James asked. "No. And neither should you feel like you’re scamming someone with ’smoke and mirrors’ if you are wrapping your product in a concept."
The product is incidental. It’s the concept you wrap it in that sells it.
The Worst Calories
What are the worst calories you can put in your body if you want to lose fat? Liquid calories. Not only do they add up quickly without suppressing your hunger, liquid calories often come in the form of sugar.
Researchers from Purdue University tested the appetite-suppressing effects of various liquid foods in lean and obese men and women. When the subjects were allowed to eat or drink as much as they wanted, they consumed 12 to 15 percent more calories in liquid form. For example, if given the choice between eating a piece of fruit or drinking the fruit juice, they consumed more calories when they chose the juice.
Liquid calories just don’t fill us up as fast as real food does. So when it’s a choice of an apple or apple juice, for example, always go with the solid source of calories.
[Ed. Note: Fitness expert Craig Ballantyne is the creator of the Turbulence Training for Fat Loss system. For a free online source of information, motivation, and social support to help you improve your health, lose weight, and get fit, sign up for ETR’s free natural health e-letter.]
It’s Good to Know: About Jainism
As we said last week, Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, and Sikhism are the four major religions in India. But India is also home to more than 4.2 million Jains.
Jainism, one of the world’s oldest religions, originated in India. It emphasizes behavioral consequences, the equality of all life, nonviolence, self-control, scholarship, and spiritual independence.
The nonviolence of Jainism extends to vegetarianism, because all life forms are considered sacred. Some Jains are so opposed to killing animals that they wear cotton mesh - called muhapatti - over their mouths so as not to accidentally inhale insects or even microscopic organisms.
(Source: ReligiousTolerance.org, Wikipedia)
What If There Was A Way To Legally Beat A Traffic Ticket?
“When Attorneys Get Speeding Or Traffic Tickets, This Is What They Do… No Points, No Increased Premiums & Definitely No Stupid Driving School. These Tricks Work Like Magic.”
If you’re like me then the simple sight of a police car in your rear-view mirror is enough to send shivers down your spine, but…
When the lights start flashing…
There Goes That Safe Driver Discount… Right? Not anymore…
- Patrick Coffey
Word to the Wise: Pundit
In India, a "pandit" is a learned man, an expert or scholar. In the West, we adopted this word as "pundit" (PUN-dit).
Example (as used by Dutch athlete Ruud van Nistelroov): "Most of the pressure comes from myself, not from others. I don’t need a manager or a pundit to put pressure on me. I do all that myself before others do it."
[Ed. Note: Become a more persuasive writer and speaker … build your self-confidence and intellect … increase your attractiveness to others … just by spending 10 VERY enjoyable minutes a day with ETR’s new Words to the Wise CD Library.]
Michael Masterson
Copyright ETR, LLC, 2007