Music’s New Stage: The App

With an ever-changing industry like music, sometimes you have to foresee some trends in order to maximize your business. As more and more businesses move towards a digital format, the music industry is now moving from digital to mobile, and back.

Thing is, the music industry operates differently from others, and while the fashion or manufacturing industries may be tapping into the digital era, the music industry was forced into it since home computers were invented and more so with the Internet. But now, it’s all about mobile, and although music has not been pushed there, it has found it can do wonders for the business.

To start off the greatest thing about mobile is that it’s a direct connection with consumers. It would seem that every company has a mobile application, or “app”, these days, and now so do bands and artists.

It’s a way for them to interact with fans and have them watch behind-the-scenes videos, buy music, chat with each other, and post any content knowing it will immediately be sent to their mobile devices.

The key to attract fans into downloading you band’s app is to offer something they couldn’t get on the web. Whether it be concert ticket giveaways or exclusive content, consumers need to have a legitimate reason to download an app, otherwise they’re not going t be engaged.

The app should also dedicate a section to music purchasing. Even if it redirects to iTunes Store, you want to give them the option to purchase the music easily. After all, it is a business.

Mobile is definitely a trending topic among businesses and it offers a great deal of opportunities for the music business. For an industry that often times is behind the trends or pushed into them, mobile is a trend where the music industry can take control of and capitalize on the opportunity at hand.

Resources:

http://www.thebiz.com.au/trends-in-music-industry.htm

Example of P!nk’s App: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pink/id293680837?mt=8

BandApp: http://www.bandapp.com/builder/

A Quick Guide to Producing a Musical

It’s no secret I have a passion for theatre, and especially musical theatre. It’s really the ultimate platform for a performer producer or director to excel in every aspect. You’re not only dealing with the acting of a play, you’re dealing with vocals, orchestra and band, set changes, scene direction, etc. It really does require the best possible team to put on a great show. But, before the curtains go up, there is much planning to be done in order to produce a musical. I decided to make a “quick guide” or checklist to help those starting out in musical production.

Step 1: Choose the musical

The first thing you have to do is choosing what musical you want to produce or if you want to put on and original piece. Either way you have to take some general considerations when choosing what will be showing.

• Audience: Think about the public you want to reach, what type of musical would they be most likely go to see.
• Venue: Consider the theatre you want to produce in, their technical capabilities, the sound, the technicians available, and even the prestige of the venue. 
• Budget: Most musicals will vary greatly in costs depending on (mainly), size of the cast, set design requirements, and size of orchestra  (or band). Be aware of the seating capacity of the theatre and your ability to contact sponsors. 

Step 2: Choose your team

As a producer you must choose the initial production team. There are six important roles you must fill: Stage Manager, Director, Vocal Director, Music Director, Choreographer, and Set Designer. More than a team this will be a support system of sorts. One thing you need to remember is that creative decisions taken by one, affects the work of another. For example, if the Set Designer decides to add a step to the stairs, the Choreographer needs to adjust; the Stage Manager must make sure the lighting is correct, etc. Strive to maintain a positive work environment, and be aware of industry gossip (some of these people have already worked together). Last, but certainly not least, sponsors! The more the merrier and be sure to build relationships with each and everyone. Draft a proposal as soon as you can, and start distributing as soon as you finish Step 3.

Step 3: License the work

To produce and perform a musical on stage, you must obtain a dramatic performance license. If the title is available, a dramatic licensing agency, such as MTI, will sell a license to perform the musical in exchange for royalty fees (per performance), and a rental fee (for copies of the score, script and libretto). These agencies are very strict. I advise to red the agreement carefully and comply with every step, to ensure a good relationship for the future.  

Step 4: Cast the show

This step is a team process. You’ll mainly need the Choreographer, Vocal Director, and Director to cast the show. Whether closed or open call, there are different tasks to be made to ensure attendance to the casting.

• Find a big space with the needed equipment.
• Set up a communications plan to make the call, and specify what you’re looking for.
• Prepare a form for participants to fill out when they get there.
• Coordinate a cycle system in which participants go from acting, to singing, to dancing (which ever order you choose).
• Don’t make hasty decisions and only give constructive criticism.

From personal experience I would advice to have a small interview before going into the cycle. This helps you get a sense of whom the participants are and it also calms them before they perform. Also, evaluate your options along with your team and announce to the participants when you will be contacting them if they are chosen. It’s common courtesy in Puerto Rico to send out a thank you letter or email, to the participants that were not selected, for attending the audition.

Step 5: Market and promote

Just as you would a new product, marketing a musical needs to have all the components of a traditional marketing plan. As Randall Ringer says, “A general rule of thumb on Broadway is that only 30% of shows actually make back their original investment.” So there’s a lot of pressure on marketing and selling the show. What you want to do is hire a Public Relations firm and have them work the communications plan. Why a PR firm and not an Ad Agency? Because PR is what’s going to drive ‘buzz’ around the production and that’s key to building a fan base. You’ll definitely need to place some ads in trade magazines, newspaper, and maybe even a billboard or two, but shows mostly sell on ‘buzz’ and hype created on the web. Be sure to have a photography session with the cast and also during previews so you can later use for the ads, to send to media, and basically build a word of mouth. From experience I can say, that the week before opening night is crucial to selling the bulk of the show, so plan your communication accordingly. Remember to always target your communication! You want the message to get to the right people, the ones who’ll come to the show.

Step 6: Raise the curtain!

If you’re thinking the work is over on opening night, think again. This is theatre! Be prepared to deal with technical difficulties, in-show mishaps, staffing dilemmas, and box office nightmares. It’s going to be very difficult, there are going to be long days and sleepless nights, but it’s worth it. You’ll love every second of it, and once it’s done you’re going to want to do it all over again.

I hope this quick guide gives you a some sort of direction on producing musical theatre, and although I’m not an expert I’m available to offer advice if you have some doubts. Break a leg!

Resources:

http://www.mtishows.com/content.asp?id=3_1_0

Ringer, R. (2011). Marketing the Broadway Musical. Narrative Branding. Retrieved from: http://narrativebranding.wordpress.com/2011/04/26/marketing-the-broadway-musical-or-the-people-in-the-picture-on-broadway/

http://voices.yahoo.com/how-hold-auditions-independent-musical-4744684.html

http://www.wikihow.com/Hold-an-Audition

The Final Word in Entertainment

Working in the communications industry you quickly learn that neither you nor you client has the final word on any decision, that’s up to the Legal Department. Shattered ideas or impossible adjustments to documents frustrate people sometimes, but the Legal Department has to do their job, and that is to prevent liabilities. The same happens with communication’s cousin, entertainment. I sat down with Rafael E. Silva Almeyda, Attorney at Law specializing in the entertainment field, to discuss some major points anyone who wants to get in to the entertainment industry must know.

            The first thing that came up from the conversation was the need for people, especially artists, to sit down with a lawyer before they venture on with a business deal or sign anything. Silva explains that a lot of problems artists and personalities face come from binding themselves into contracts they didn’t even read thoroughly.  “If they expect to get somewhere, they better start reading and getting an attorney to look at things before signing anything”, commented Silva. He went on to suggest that if artist or personality should get into some legal issue, he or she should never make any statements for it could be used against them either in trial or public’s perception.

            Any production, artist, event, etc., should be treated as the business they are and Silva makes a point that an attorney should be there from the very beginning. “That’s when trouble starts…everyone thinks they know what they’re doing when in reality they don’t know the first thing about contractual obligations.” One of the biggest cases he has worked on was on a defamation case made against a TV personality in Puerto Rico. He was on the defendant’s team and they managed to win that case. He went on to explain that, “law is mostly interpretation. You find yourself a good interpreter and you got yourself a tremendous lawyer.” What he meant by that is that there are tough situations to deal with in the entertainment industry, but we may not necessarily be the best to handle any or every situation. It’s not what you know; it’s whom you know.

The more he told me about how he does work with his clients the more I thought it was the same process at a communications agency. Every single item that either comes in or out has to be approved by a legal council. It does take extra time out of the deadline but it serves the purpose. Negotiating deals with fees and ownerships can be confusing for someone who is not fluent in legal lingo, but the best recommendation is for the artist or executive to simply write down what do they expect from the deal and give it to the legal council. In turn he or she will revise that the contract has these specifications and also raise flags with what he or she thinks may be issues in the contract. “The best advice I could give to someone entering the entertainment industry is to not sign anything before an attorney sees it.”, concluded Silva. 

From Marilyn Monroe, to Rebecca Black, to Lord Voldemort

When it comes to the entertainment industry, the scandals and battles are rarely about entertainment. Like almost every other industry or situation, it’s always about money. From Intellectual Property (IP) of Marilyn Monroe, to Rebecca Black’s copyrights to her single “Friday”, and even the Voldemort & Poppins licensing for the epic showdown at the London 2012 Olympics; it’s all about who gets the money, and who’s to be paid.

When it comes to an iconic figure such as Marilyn Monroe you would think that the use of her image is up for the public because, how can you copyright a person…when it’s deceased? Well, the company Digicon thinks it is entitled to, not only use her image but also put her to perform. You see, Digicom created the VM2 (Virtual Marilyn) and plans to use it to put on a concert. Just like Tupac Shakur performed at Coachella this year. However, Marilyn Monroe Estate is not too happy about the situation. They claim that Digicom use of the technology is an infringement to copyright and trademark laws, even though Digicom had licensed the rights 15 years before. The Estates position is that the rights of usage of imagery and name could be possible as long as it differentiate it from the actual Marilyn Monroe and it did not confuse the public. And by utilizing it to “act and model” which was Monroe’s actual careers, it would lead to public confusion.

I can’t speak for the general public but I for one will not be confused with a hologram of a long deceased movie actress. I think Marilyn Monroe’s Estate is looking to prevent the use because it would lead to a substantial gain to Digicom (of which they wouldn’t get anything). They could very well, license it later to another company and state that they get royalties for the same use. Because this technology is so recent, cases as this one would have to be settled at court and establish a precedent, if they so choose to file a suit. However, to me it’s just a matter of a “bad play” the Estate made not thinking about the possibilities of VM2, and Digicom should be allowed to use their technology as they see fit.

Going from Hollywood royalty to the Nation’s favorite song to hate, “Friday” from Rebecca Black is no easy task. But Black’s mother made it easy by sending a letter to Ark Music Factory denouncing the copyright infringement she alleged they did, made it clear that this case wasn’t that far apart from VM2.

Back in fall of 2011, Black was introduced to Ark Music Factory. “Black’s mother, Georgina Kelly, reportedly paid the company $4,000 to record the song and produce the accompanying video for “Friday,” a song pre-written by Ark founders Patrice Wilson and Clarence Jey.” (Moss, A. 2011) This payment, however, only covered a fraction of the costs involved in this single. 4k can’t get you really far as far as music and video producing in L.A. Nevertheless, Black’s mother alleged “that Ark failed to provide Black with the master recordings of her song and video […], has been exploiting her likeness […] without permission, has falsely claimed she is exclusively signed to Ark, and created an unauthorized “Friday” ringtone.” (Moss, A. 2011) Ark’s response? They quickly said, that the mother would receive the material, quoting “they can have it all”. However, Ark’s lawyers are question the validity of their initial agreement, and they are currently trying to see if, in fact, Black is entitled to the song recording rights. If she is or she’s not this could mean a great deal of money mainly from digital downloads will be owed to the other. If they were to enter the legal battle, chances are the costs for it would be higher than the actual profit from the song. So, different from VM2’s case I don’t think one or the other is right or wrong. They should be smart enough to get to an agreement before the America starts to hate a new song, and “Friday” will monetize no more.

From Hollywood royalty, to America’s most hated song, to… battling nannies and wizards? If you tuned in to see the opening ceremony for the London 2012 Olympics you may have noticed the fact that Mary Poppins had a duel with Lord Voldemort. And when you hear cases like VM2 and Rebecca Black’s “Friday”, you start to think, how was this possible? Are there copyrights or trademarks for fictional characters? Well, the answer is yes. The more important question is, how did Danny Boyle handle all the licensing?

Dealing with fictional characters is very different from an artist, to say the least. As we know, copyright law protects the material where these characters appear, but not necessarily the characters themselves. For a character to be copyrighted Dan Nabel explains that, “In order to achieve trademark protection, a fictional character must function in the minds of the public as a “source identifier,” such that if someone other than the trademark owner used the character, there would be a likelihood of consumer confusion.” Here’s the point where Digicom and the Black family have to take notice, even though they’re dealing with music and imagery. Boyle managed to take on a whole production seen around the world with an array of artists, characters, imagery, etc. that complied with the requirements of the law and the IOC (International Olympics Committee). What usually works, and this is no industry secret, is to do things on time and contact the correct people. For example, in Voldemort’s case there’s two licenses you could request, the Voldemort created for the movies from Warner Brother, or the Voldemort depicted in the books from J.K. Rowling. This event was to highlight the work created by brits, so they licensed the Voldemort from Rowling. The opening ceremony for the London 2012 Olympics is an example of how a production of such magnitude can take place with all their paperwork in order, and if they could do I believe Rebecca Black can straighten out a contract and Digicom can resolve their issues with VM2.

They key learning from all three cases is that licensing is a must in every case. The best advice anyone could give is to trying to always state their negotiations in writing and consider every last detail, from licensing to most importantly the handling of profits. Have that contract signed by both parts, and if necessary, notarize it. When it comes down to it, Marilyn’s Estate is only looking for a way to cash in in VM2, Black’s mother is upset about money from different sources not getting to them, and thankfully Boyle paid the respective license owner their due fee. Like I said, it’s almost never about the entertainment. It’s about the money.

Sources:

Nabel B. (2012). IP Lawyers are Collateral Damage When Mary Poppins Battles He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named at London’s Olympic Games. Law Law Land Blog. Retrieved from: http://www.lawlawlandblog.com/2012/07/ip-lawyers-are-collateral-damage-when-mary-poppins-battles-he-who-shall-not-be-named-at-londons-olympic-games.html#more-2248

Gardner, E. (2012). Marilyn Monroe Estate Threatens Legal Action Over Hologram. Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved from: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/marilyn-monroe-estate-hologram-legal-334817

Moss, A. (2011). Rebecca Black 'Friday' Controversy: A Serious Legal Analysis. Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved from: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/rebecca-black-friday-controversy-a-175069 

Direct Line to Artists: The Fans, The Viewers and The Followers

It goes without saying that we are living in a social-media-ruled world. With the titans being Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. Social media is a way for us to connect with friends, and even meet new people. So why shouldn’t artists do the same with it? Having a fan/viewer/follower (whatever you want to call it) these days is like having their address and phone number. It’s a way they can reach people on a personal level, with the advantage that they chose to be reached by the artist. They didn’t have to fill out a form, or even send in their application. They just hit they “Like”, “Follow”, or “Subscribe” button. It’s that easy! But here comes the interesting part, because social media is so personal (for both parts) is it an advantage for an artist to have 24/7 connection with the world? Aren’t they already followed by the paparazzi enough? Well, let’s get into that.

Troy Carter, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Coalition Media Group, and manager of recording artists such as Lady Gaga, believes social media is a must for an artist these days. In some cases though, artists may not be tech savvy but he says that they should at least know how to tweet. Why tweet? It’s the easiest. Carter goes on to say that social media for an artist is just as important as touring was 20 years ago. It’s a way to build audience. The trick to having a real connection with their fans, that’s why it’s important for the artist to manage these accounts themselves.

What we’re seeing recently is that Facebook and Youtube are becoming “team managed” accounts, leaving Twitter to be managed by the artists themselves. Like I mentioned before, Twitter is easy to use and it offers the advantage of not being as personal as Facebook. In Facebook, your fans can post or tag you in countless posts and your wall content becomes those of fans. However, in Twitter your timeline is your timeline. Fans can tag you using the “@” but this doesn’t appear on your timeline unless you decide to reply to them. In any case, fans have chosen to follow the artist and they do it because they want to know more about them. Whether a fan is next door or on the other side of the world, they both are going to feel connected to the artist. That’s something that they couldn’t do before with other types of media, or anything a paparazzi can photograph or a magazine can achieve with its publishing’s. It’s the artist voice the fans want to hear.

Social media is a global platform, it can be accessed from anywhere by anyone. That’s a great platform for artists who want to build their fan base, but they must not rest on that alone. Going back to something Troy Carter said, he stated that the worst thing for an artist is to have people know their name from a massive outlet. IT gives them no ownership, it doesn’t create that special connection between art and fan. That’s why social media is a great tool for artists but they have to put in the work to go out and perform. It should be used as a means to connect with the “ARTist”, and for the artist to keep true to their fans. 


Source

The Fourth Kardashian Sister

Surely you know who the Kardashians are, right? Even if you don’t know them by name, you recognize them. Here:

Yes, them. With Kim (far right) being the #7 in the 100 Most Powerful Celebrities according to Forbes, and also the top of the Overexposed Celebrities list. You can’t help but ask yourself…why are they famous? Well, some say the Kardashians had their claim to fame when second oldest, Kim (daughter of Robert Kardashian, the lawyer who represented OJ Simpson in the murder trial) made a sex tape with the rapper Ray J (or Brandy’s little brother if you must). Others say it’s because E! (and Ryan Seacrest, executive producer) shoved their show “Keeping up with the Karshiands” down America’s throat like it was nobody’s business. But I like to think it was something more than that, or rather someone. May I introduce the fourth Kardashian sister (or their mother), Kris Jenner:

Her last name may be Jenner, but that’s only a technicality. Kris is full-on Kardashian. She has transformed herself from “mom” into the quintessential “momager”, and she’s doing everything right. With the success of “Keeping up with the Kardashians”, Kris has gone on to produce several spinoffs like: “Kourtney and Klhoe take Miami”, “Kourtney and Kim take New York”, and “Klhoe and Lamar”. She is the president of her own production company, Jenner Communications, and the manager of all of her family’s careers. Kris has her own QVC collection, along with the Kardashian Collection for Sears, and the K-Dash line. Oh, and did I mention she’s an author? She wrote a memoir titled “Kris Jenner…And All Things Kardashian”. She, as Bruce Jenner said on the show, is a “marketing machine”.

Kris Jenner is undoubtedly the reason behind the success of the Kardashian Klan. Her time and attention paid to her artist reflects directly on the achievements of her family, and of course their bank accounts. When a reporter for Forbes asked her, how she decides which are the best opportunities for their brand she said, “When you love something that much it comes really easily – it’s just a natural. If something doesn’t feel good and it’s a struggle and it’s just something that we don’t like, then it wouldn’t be anything we could put our name on.” She also accounts Social Media as one of the tools she and her family uses to help grow the business by staying in touch with the fans and self-promoting. Kris Jenner lives and breathes Kardashian, and her success is mostly due to her attachment to the brand. That was her trick, she didn’t treat it as a family venture, she saw it as a brand venture and as a manager she sees the opportunites and takes them. If not, she makes them.

She has been known to be a tough negotiator and fighting to have her brand (family) on the media as much as possible. On her interview with Forbes, Kris mentions something that is really relevant in a manager’s life that people tend to look past. She said that in order to keep it all under control you need to be a well-organized multi-tasker. Being an artist manager is not a 9 to 5 job, nor does it have the simple “in” and “out” basket where you have your tasks in order. Everything is happening at once, and everyone wants your attention at the same time. You definitely have to be organized and able to manage various tasks simultaneously.

She gave on last piece of advice that I think holds true for everyone in the rough-n-tough entertainment industry. “When you love what you’re doing, it shows in the outcome.” Kris Jenner. So here’s to the fourth Kardashian sister, and may we learn from her.

Sources:

·      Schawbel, D. (2012). Kris Jenner on Building the Kardashian Family Brand. Forbes. Taken from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel/2012/01/17/kris-jenner-on-building-the-kardashian-family-brand/2/

·      Pomerantz, D. (2012). Kim Kardashian Tops Our List of the Most Overexposed Celebrities. Forbes. Taken from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/dorothypomerantz/2012/03/29/kim-kardashian-tops-our-list-of-the-most-overexposed-celebrities/

·      The Celebrity List. (2012). The World’s Most Powerful Celebrities. Forbes. Taken from: http://www.forbes.com/celebrities/list/