What's Trending?

Technology has always been a big impact on everything in the world, especially when it comes to the entertainment industry. Recently, in the film industry 3D has become very trending. The evolution of film has changed rapidly over the decades. In the more recently time of the evolution, there has been high definition to blue-ray disc and now to 3D. I think society adapts to different trends all the time, that they are easily bored. This new trend of 3D is something different than what most are use to. The reality and illusions 3D gives makes people want it more and more. The economy is in a terrible state right now, however, movie theatre sales have not decreased and with almost every movie (action/adventure in particular) being featured in 3D, movie sales will continue to bring in money.

Another big trend in the technology world is social networking. Of coarse there have been social networks in the past like BlackPlanet and there was MySpace, which became pretty popular, however, Facebook has taken over completely. As many may know after watching The Social Network, Facebook wasn't for all individuals, it was mainly for college students. As it became more popular, it was offered to more groups of people. It is one of the most popular sites today with over 600 million users and now many companies have created fan pages to keep fans updated with their latest news. Another social network is Twitter, which is used by 175 million users. It is used by celebrities, companies and different individuals everyday. It has become a big part of the marketing world. Most of the world has become dependent on these new trends but there will always be something better to replace them, only time can tell. Can you imagine how the world and technology will be 5-10 years now?

Being a recent college graduate, I will be able to excel in these areas because, first I am a social network freak, two my institute has prepared be by using all these trends in my program. I have learned through marketing classes and research what trends are appropriate for different businesses.

Sources:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/14270491/Facebook-Market-Analysis
http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2011/04/how-many-people-really-use-twitter-a-lot-but-less-than-you-think-chart.html

Finance

In this blog, I will be answering a few questions on financing and how it is being used in the two of the following companies. The first company is CDFI Coalition of Community Development Financial Institutions. The second company is Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED), a non-profit organization based in Washington D.C. Both CDFI and CFED's purpose is to help access financial resources and expand economic opportunity for low-income families and communities.

What types of financing opportunities are described on the websites?

CDFI Coalition's financing opportunities include loan funds, banks, credit unions, micro-enterprise lenders, corporations and venture capital funds all in community development.

Some of the financial opportunities that are described on CFED's website are the American Dream Match Funds, Asset Building for Children, Individual Development Accounts, innovation@cfed, Manufactured Housing and Self-Employment Tax Initiative.

What are some of the requirements and qualifications to obtain the financing?

When looking at CDFI Coalition's website; they had several members who were associated with them. After looking through some of the other websites, they only way to obtain any assistance was to simply apply fir it. These organizations are for low-income families and communities, therefor everybody isn't eligible for assistance.

After looking through the website, it seems that one would also have to apply through their local government to access assistance from the organizations.

What other types of information are available on the sites?

Other information that may be available on these sites are not only financial assistance but housing, community building education and jobs as well. These organizations are trying to help build the rural areas become a part of the working middle class. The are trying to help those who are trying but are unable to fully help themselves.

Some advantages that may result in the assistance of these organization could be financing for foreclosures, rebuilding one's home and funds for a college education. After carefully examining the two websites, I don't believe there to be any disadvantages from using alternative financing. The only possible disadvantage I believe to be is not being eligible to qualify for any assistance.

Sources:

http://preview.cfed.org/

http://cdfi.org/index.php?page=aboutus-4

Experts Views on the Value of Business Plans: Part 2

After researching about business expertise Daymond John, I thought about how I could make my company expand. Daymond John started his company in his house. He used it as his headquarters, which saved him a lot of expenses. He also did not have many employees; it was mainly him and a few friends, who were his business partners. I thought, in order to save money in the beginning, I should have fewer employees and gain more as I expand my company. I also wanted to change my marketing strategies to save money as well. Marketing is one of the biggest expenses in a company; it will change yearly within my company. In my business plan, I want to why my company is profitable and why the investors should invest in me. 

The section I consider to be most important to investors is the start up costs, marketing budgets and sales budgets. I believe these sections to be most important to the investor because investors want to know how much money a company needs, what they need it for and how much revenue can they raise. All three factors help them consider if they are going to invest in one's company and how much they decide to invest. Another important section I want investors to notice is how I plan to build my brand. Building a brand can really expand a company, this is another reason I would want and need the investors investments.

 Sources:

Burns, Renita. (2010, May 11). FUBU Founder Talks About Building Your Brand. Retrieved June 5, 2011 from http://www.blackenterprise.com/2010/05/11/fubu-founder-talks-about-building-your-brand/

Daymond John. (n.d.). About Daymond. Retrieved from http://www.daymondjohn.com/about/

Kristen. (2011, April 14). Starting a business, advice from Daymond John, founder of FUBU and Shark Tank investor. Retrieved from  http://theclothingmenu.com/2011/04/starting-a-business-advice-from-daymond-john-founder-of-fubu-and-shark/

Daymond John & Russell Simmons - Business Experts & Moguls

"Entrepreneurs need to constantly

make an effort to improve branding"

Many people know Daymond John as one of the tough sharks from ABC's Shark Tank. However, if you know about the multi-million dollar brand FUBU, than Daymond is a household name. Daymond John is the founder, president and CEO of clothing line FUBU. Daymond grew up in the Hollis neighborhood of Queens, NY, mostly known for being the birthplace of Hip-Hop. Daymond first got into apparel industry when he wanted a tie-top hat that he couldn't afford. He then started making hats for himself and friends. 

In 1992, after making $800 in one night, Daymond realized that he was on the path to a great business. He recruited some friends and created the logo FUBU. They would sew the logo onto t-shirts, sweatshirts and hockey jerseys. A year later Daymond would hit his big branding break when he asked childhood friend LL Cool J to wear his shirt for a FUBU promotional campaign. He and his mother eventually mortgaged their house for $100,000 in order to have the money for start-up capital. His mother also moved out and the house became the headquarters and makeshift factory of the company.

In 1994, Daymond and his partners officially emerged FUBU and traveled to Las Vega to an industry trade show. They returned to Queens with $300,000 worth of orders and a contract with New York City's department store Macys. By 1998, FUBU's revenue had staggered to $350 million dollars and continues to grow everyday.

According to BlackEnterprise.com in an interview with Daymond, the number one thing entrepreneurs must remember when developing a brand strategy is the brand's three word mantra (Burns, 2010). The three word mantra defines the brand and what it stands for. It is important the public understands the mission statement but the employees must also understand it as well. 

Another blogger, Kristen, attended a speaking of Daymond's, where he gave his 5 advice tips of what a beginner entrepreneur should do when starting their company. The 5 tips are as follows:

Set your goals- set goals for what you want to accomplish 6 months to a year from now. Look over the goals everyday and accomplish a step towards it.

Homework is important- do your research within your market and competitors. What appeals to the audience? Do their interests and needs differ depending on the state or country they are in?  Who are your competitors?  Why are you different?  Answering these questions will help eliminate some mistakes along the way

Amore (love) what you do- you have to love and believe in what you are doing in order to keep it for long.

Remember your brand- every brand should be defined in 3-5 words.What words describe and make you different? Make sure to look at your business and personal brand because investors look at both. 

Keep trying!- you need to keep trying to become successful.

"My goal has been to present urban culture in its most true
form to the people who love it and the people who live it."

Everybody knows Russell Simmons from his businesses Def Jam, Rush Communications, Phat Farm and many more but his road to success continues to inspire young entrepreneurs on the rise.

Russell Simmons was born in Jamaica Queens, NY to graduate parents of Howard University in Washington D.C. When Russell was 18 years old, he begin taking classes at Manhattan City College and found a job at an Orange Julius outlet. Simmons would also go hang out at night clubs, where he sold fake cocaine. After he quit selling fake drugs and leaving college, he began promoting concerts. 

He also formed his own management for artist and called it Rush Management. He managed some of the hip-hop legends like Kurtis Blow, Whodini and Run DMC, who featured his brother Rev. Run. After the success of his artist, Russell launched his record label Def Jam in 1985. From then many artists were signed to the infamous label. In the early 1990's, Russell launched Def Comedy Jam, which featured African Americans like Martin Lawrence and Bernie Mac. In the next two years, Russell founded Phat Fashions and launch Rush Communications, the umbrella group for all of Simmons' ventures.

In an article for CNNMoney, Russell talks about businesses that succeed. In the article he also talks about his book "Super Rich: A Guide to Having It All", a guide to spiritual enlightenment, the surest path to wealth.

Simmons offered advice for entrepreneurs, young, old, big and small:

*Do a business you believe in.

*Be passionate about what you do.

*"Stay on your hustle", "Don't quit."

*Give away business products and services for free. "If you are a good giver, you will be a great getter." "The less you need, the more you attract."

*Find businesses that lift people up.

*Don't worry about the results, it distracts the entrepreneur from building his or her business.

Sources:

Daymond John

ABC. (n.d.). Shark Bio. Retrieved from http://abc.go.com/shows/shark-tank/bio/daymond-

          john/276281

Burns, Renita. (2010, May 11). FUBU Founder Talks About Building Your Brand. Retrieved 

         June 5, 2011 from http://www.blackenterprise.com/2010/05/11/fubu-founder-talks-

         about-building-your-brand/

Daymond John. (n.d.). About Daymond. Retrieved from

          http://www.daymondjohn.com/about/

Kristen. (2011, April 14). Starting a business, advice from Daymond John, founder of FUBU 

         and Shark Tank investor. Retrieved from 

         http://theclothingmenu.com/2011/04/starting-a-business-advice-from-daymond-

         john-founder-of-fubu-and-shark/

Russell Simmons

Encyclopedia of World Biography. (n.d.). Russell Simmons. Retrieved from 

         http://www.notablebiographies.com/news/Sh-Z/Simmons-Russell.html

Padgett, Tania. (2011, April 26). Russell Simmons: Getting rich is so simple. Retrieved from 

 http://money.cnn.com/2011/04/26/smallbusiness/russell_simmons_small_business/inde

 x.htm

I Want To Be Famous: The Impact of Digital Marketing

I Want To Be Famous: The Impact of Digital Marketing

50 Cent, a Social Media Mogul

50 Cent is known as one of the most controversial rappers alive. He had had many battles with rappers Ja Rule, Rick Ross, The Game and a few more, but 50 Cent also known as Curtis Jackson has become quite the businessman. 

He has many business ideas and products such as G-Unit Records, G-Unit Clothing Company, G-Unit Sneakers, Vitamin Water, 50 Cent: Bulletproof (video game), a series of G-Unit Books, buying a platinum mine to brand his own line of platinum, breaking a deal with Right Guard for his own body spray, "Pure 50", establishing his own film company, Cheetah Vision, the launch of ThisIs50.com, Sleek by 50 Cent headphones, trademarking the names 50 Cent and G-Unit and the list continues. 

All of these companies, business ideas or products have remained successful through 50 Cent's brilliant use of social media. His main source of social media is through his twitter page @50Cent. He tweets about everything he has ever been in connection with. One of his big success happened in 2009 when he sent a direct message his twitter followers to keep #beforeiselfdestruct a trending topic. This was all while in preparation for his album Before I Self-Destruct to release. He would also tweet about his songs, free ticket giveaways and iTune downloads before his album released. 50 also tweeted to his followers that they invest in his stock H&H Imports, which increased rapidly in the stock market.

Not only is he big on twitter with over 4.6 million followers, he also has a blog web site, ThisIs50.com, where fans can connect with one another and post videos, events, music and more. This site also has a twitter page with over 70,000 followers as most of his other products have twitter pages as well.  50 as well as his brands are also connected through Facebook, Youtube, Google and Yahoo!. 

According to Forbes.com in 2006, he was ranked #8 in The Celebrity 100 and #4 for Forbes Wealthiest Rappers 2011. With his brilliant business decisions, he will become one of the top wealthiest individuals in the world.

The Impact of Digital Marketing

Digital Marketing has had a big impact in today's society. Many companies use it to sell their products and promote their work. It is very popular and known in the entertainment industry, especially in film and television. I want to focus on the impact digital marketing has done for film and television because it seems to be the most affected by it and is my particular field of interest.

Most film production companies still use traditional marketing. The most used key element of traditional marketing was posters (billboards, magazine and newspaper ads and bus stops) , trailers (visual teasers) and previewed screenings (free tickets given away at events or raffles).

The Internet started a gradual effect on digital marketing when it shared clips, photos and synopsis of the film on websites like Yahoo! and search engines like Google. Soon production companies created the film's website to access merchandise and get more information about the film or other films through that production company.

Now, many filmmakers and production companies choose to use digital marketing because it's more effective and gives better results. Social networks has become very popular in the choice of communication. Not only can filmmakers and production companies create Facebook and Twitter pages but the actors, directors and production crew can share the daily activities of the films and their own personal lives. Digital marketing allows the audience to be involved and anxious about the films.

I have listed three different links to websites that also elaborate on the impact of digital marketing and the cost increase for digital marketing.

http://www.emarketer.com/Reports/All/Emarketer_2000449.aspx 
http://www.slideshare.net/emmarogers/pp12-traditional-distribution-and-marketing
http://jillatkinson.wordpress.com/2009/10/30/why-the-entertainment-industry-needs-to-embrace-digital-marketing/

Overall, I like that the entertainment industry has become more technology savvy and I believe they are moving in the right direction in entertaining their target audiences. I think it is important that they stay current with the technology and if they continue to do that, they will stay successful.

Film Distribution

I recently read an article called The Pros and Cons of Digital Distribution by Lauren Mahomes. Her article is mostly directed towards independent filmmakers. Her disadvantages were money, marketing and destroying art. Her advantages were money, range and keeping up with technology. I do agree with Lauren that digital distribution for independent films are more beneficial, however some of her points were unclear and contradicting.

She uses money as an advantage and disadvantage. She says that traditional distribution is expensive and the few films that are selected are distributed in a few number of theaters. She suggests that taking control with digital distribution will guarantee money to the filmmaker. She also uses money as a disadvantage because even though digital distribution guarantees money, it's not a lot of money. I think she contradicts herself because she's saying even though you're making money, it's not enough. That would make me think that is a disadvantage completely.

Her disadvantage for marketing relates to her advantage for range. In her blog, she states that marketing is extremely hard because the audience has to find you. I disagree with her because I don't believe marketing to be hard online. There are so many social networks video websites, that it is almost impossible not to be able to market yourself. This goes into the advantage she has for range, she says that with digital distribution you don't have o worry about finding your target audience because they will be able to find you. Again it was unclear to me because I feel if you market yourself, the right audience will know who you are and will follow your career.

I do agree with Lauren when she says digital distribution is destroying the art because many people do like to download movies on their ipods, ipads, etc. However, even though many people like to download movies, many studies show that movie theaters are still popular and with the launch of 3D films, it hasn't gone anywhere yet.

When she talked about the advantages of keeping up with technology, I wasn't sure of what she was talking about. It was very confusing and I couldn't grasp her point.

Overall, I think Lauren is still learning about distribution and the benefits it can have for a independent filmmaker. It isn't as easy as it may seem to most people but it can be stress fee if the right research is done.

The full article can be found at:
THE PROS AND CONS OF DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION

Source:
http://www.raindance.org/site/index.php?aid=6963

iTunes

When trying to distribute a new song, book or film, a lot of musicians, production companies, authors and independent filmmakers have used Apple's iTunes. iTunes has become so popular within these distributions because society has become dependent on technology. With the releases of laptops, ipods, ipads and tablets; people have become accustom to downloading and having instant results.

iTunes is a free digital media application created by Apple but is available for Windows as well. The iTunes Store is a digital media who provides music, books, podcast, television and film for low cost to free. The option to buy a single instead of a entire album has made iTunes one of the biggest music distributor yet. There is also the option of renting TV shows and movies or buying them and you can do that in HD or SD. This will soon make iTunes the best distributor in the world. One of the best thing about iTunes and its distribution is the podcast. The podcast show the trailers, interviews, and anything that promotes the movie, TV show, book, or songs and the best thing about the podcasts is it's free.

iTunes makes distributing easier for several record label companies, film production companies, cable networks, authors and other medias because not only can people in America get connected with the latest song, book, TV show or movie but International countries can do the same.


iTunes is only the beginning of media distribution. With technology growing everyday, it will be the every distributing companies first option. iTunes is instant and convenient to most people in the world. It has already proven to be the best when distributing music and will soon climb to the top with movies, TV and books.




Source:
itunes_logo_op_800x257.jpg
itunes-store-home.png

Industry Expert

For my industry expert blog, I interviewed Entertainment Lawyer, Elliott Alderman of The Alderman Law Office. The Alderman Law Office is located in Washington D.C. near the White House. Mr. Alderman has been serving clients in the Washington D.C. Metro, as well as nationally and throughout the world for nearly 30 years. Mr. Alderman is a very busy man and was swamp with cases, but was able to have a brief meeting with me.

Can you give a little background about yourself?

Well, I was an English major at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, where I received my Bachelor of Arts degree in 1978. I was a William V. Frankel Scholar and the Root-Tiden Nominee to New York University Law School. I then attended American University, Washington College of Law in Washington D.C., where I received my Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree in 1982. I was associated with The Dean's Fellow Program and a Summer Research Assistant. I passed the District of Columbia Bar Exam in 1983 and the Virginia Bar Exam in 2004. I have worked with the U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Copyright Office. I have done some counseling for tax analysts and I started The Alderman Law Office in 1994.

Why did you become an Entertainment Lawyer?

As a kid, I've always been into my schoolwork. I was one of those kids who liked to study. Even though I was into my studies, it didn't stop me from being a normal kid, I was always outside playing sports and just being a kid. As I got older it was the interest in arts and literature led me to my current position.

What kind of cases do you handle on a daily basis?

I do a lot of content licensing, rights clearance, opinion letters about copyright infringement, advice on monetizing content, sue people for violating my clients' intellectual property and defend people who are sued.

I want to start a movie production company, what should I be aware of?
Violating another company's intellectual property. Trademark infringement is always a major issue with companies, you want to make sure you're not stealing someone else's mark and using it as your own. Copyright infringement will also gain you several lawsuits. Anything you use that is not your own creative work, get a clearance from that party. Everything should be in a written contract, no verbal contracts, period.

Does the profession interfere with your personal life?

Practicing law is very consuming and definitely interferes with your personal life. It can be very stressful at times, but you learn how to corporate it in your daily routine. Although it demands a lot of time, I wouldn't change it for the world.

Can any lawyer be an Entertainment Lawyer?

Many lawyers claim to do entertainment law but unless you have particular copyright and trademark expertise, it is really impossible to do entertainment work. Any persons seeking legal counsel in the entertainment industry should make sure their lawyer is an expert in those particular areas.


I was glad to interview with Mr. Alderman, due to his busy schedule. His advice was great and would help me with my future business. I now know that any lawyer isn't always the right lawyer to have in the entertainment industry, also what to be aware of when starting my own business. With the right counsel, any business can be successful.

Contact Information:

Elliott C. Alderman

The Alderman Law Office

1629 K Street, N.W. Suite 300

Washington, DC 20006

Phone: (202) 973-0188

E-mail: thecontentlawyer@verizon.net

Web sites:  http://www.aldermanlawoffice.com

                  http://www.thecontentlawyer.com

                 

Twitter:      http://twitter.com/#!/ContentLawyer

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/thecontentlawyer.com

Linkedin:   http://www.linkedin.com/pub/elliott-alderman/9/38b/658

Controversy

This week's class assignment is to locate three articles, videos or podcast detailing any legal liabilities within our desired industry. Today I have decided to discuss the Charlie Sheen controversy, the Oscar nomination controversy and the 2011 NFL Lockout.

Charlie Sheen and "Two and a Half Men"

As many know, Charlie Sheen has been in numerous counts of trouble over the past 15 years. Since his recent drug issues and custody battles, he finally snapped. In recent reports, Sheen blurted out outrageous rants about owner Chuck Lorre and this eventually got the show cancelled. Since the show is cancelled, the network is not obligated to pay them. The question now is will Charlie pay for his actions. I believe since the situation is because of him, he should be given a fine to pay for suffering. Although it's not legal there shouldn't be a penalty for someone else's mistakes. Click here for the article.

Oscar Nominations

I have never been a big fan of the Oscar's; to be quite honest, I have never watched them. After reading the following article, I can continue to not watch them. In the article, they discuss the nominees and how this is big for their promotional sales. I don't think it's right that this happens to a lot of films because many films, actors and directors don't always get the credit deserved. The real talent isn't always portrayed and a lot of celebrities that received the award aren't as talented. Click here for the full article.

2011 NFL Lockout

In the following article, Law professor; Director, Tulane Sports Law Program, Gabriel A. Feldman discusses the NFL Lockout Legal Negotiations. Gabriel explains the reason behind the allegations in the NFL and what steps would be taken throughout the process. When I think about the 2011 NFL Lockout, I don't see it as a big deal. In my opinion, NFL players are over compensated. I know that the NFL is a contact sport and many players can get hurt at any time in the game but at the same time they aren't heros. When I say they aren't heros, meaning they aren't public service providers. Police officers, firemen and teachers are all underpaid. These are people who change lives everyday, these are the people who should make the big bucks. To follow the article click here.

Source: 

Inside TV

IP Finance

The Huffington Post

Best Practices

Going into this course, I was sure I knew a few things about how to be a manager. I mean, I am in the entertainment industry. But, I was sure to find out, that I really didn't know much at all. During my week 1 readings, I discovered that there are many different roles in a manager depending on the agreement and state laws. For example, I thought the one of the major duties of a manager was to book events for the artist, but in California, it's prohibited. In fact, that's not the role of a manager at all unless it's in the agreement.

The first week's discussion was one of my favorites because I learned to think how an artist can differentiate themselves from similar artist. The assignment made me expand my thinking and show what abilities I have as a potential manager. 

In the second week assignment, I thought it would be very easy, being as though I am good at event planning. There were still some things I had to learn when planning for an artist though. First, I was unaware of the rider agreement that most artist have. It was something that was always a mystery to me. 

I also like the second week's discussion because it really showed how having a good management and production team is beneficial to any artist.

In the third week's assignment, I learned how much of a hustler one must always be in order to gain success in the artist's career as well as the managers. If the manager isn't doing their job, than neither person will be successful in their career. In my interview with Melvin, I also learned that being a manager for the money isn't the best thing to do. Choosing this career path must be a passion if you really want to enjoy it.

As we worked our way into product management, I wasn't to trill to learn more about it. But, the one thing I did learn is if your going to pitch an idea for a new product, everything must be concise. One must be able to tell what the product is, what is can do for you, how it's different and how it can compete. Most importantly, do not forget how much money it can make the company.

All in all, I really enjoyed this class, but i know there is more to learn.  

Interview with Melvin Yerby

Melvin Yerby is a independent artist manager. He is the manager of Washington DC local artist Ms. Carry.  In the interview with Mr. Yerby, he gave me an insight of what an artist manager is and what he brings to the table.

What is your definition of artist management?
An artist manager is someone who manages the artist career as far as what gigs should be taken, any special appearances, things of that nature. Artist managers basically plan and organize the artist's career. There are many different things an artist manager can do for the artist but that all lies within their contract.

You say it all depends on what is in the contract, what are your duties as an artist manager?
Since I work with independent artists a lot, I pretty much do everything for them. The biggest thing I do for them is find clubs or other venues where they can perform. That is my main focus, getting their name in everyone's ear. I also set appointments for studio sessions, meetings with producers, photographers, radio personalities, the list goes on. Many local artists can't afford to have publicist, image consultants and all those other people, so I try to be as big a help I can.

Where do you search for other talents at?
Usually when I go to clubs with my artist, I search around for the talent. If I like somebody, I'll definitely give out my card. But, I meet different artists at studios, open mics, photo shoots and then there are times I just have to do some good networking.

What kind of artists do you manage?
Well, I'm not picky of what kind of artist they are, male female, singer, rapper, it doesn't really matter as long as they are focused, driven and are ready to work, I'm ok. If I am working hard to get these artists gigs and help them start their career, I want them to be just as driven and eager. They should want it just as much as I do.

What are some of the skills of an artist manager? 
The number one things I would say is to have the passion to do it. It won't be an easy job if your just doing it for the paycheck. You have to be dedicated and ready to hustle. Of coarse having the right education credentials is a plus and will get you further faster but that doesn't always guarantee success. Good communication with the artist, trust and loyalty is definitely the key to a good manager.

What are some of the things you have to negotiate when it comes to your artists?
I've had to negotiate compensation for some artists because many clubs won't pay for them to appear at their clubs, they want us to pay them. So I try to book them for open mics, where they can win prize money. I negotiate how much studio time can be provided and what deals I can get for it. There's a young lady who does an internet radio station name MzUnderstood, I try to get my artists on her show. Everything I do, I try to get the best deal I can that will be beneficial to both the artists and whoever.

What are the ups and downs of being an artist manager?
Well....the ups of being an artist manager is meeting the different talented people and hearing all the creativity they bring to the world. Even though I'm only in D.C., I get much respect from some of the smaller local clubs and people know who I am. It's just a fun experience all around. The down part is having to constantly be on the grind. This is a 24/7 job, so you have to always be working. There's no room for slack.

What advise would you give to anyone trying to become an artist manager?
Anybody in the process of becoming an artist manager should make sure this is what you want to do. If you can't see yourself doing this 5 years from now than this job isn't for you. Also make sure you have the right skills and knowledge of what an artist manager does because if you don't know what you're doing than your career as well as your artist career is going straight down the toilet. The last thing is be prepared to work and work hard. This job can be a challenge but if it's really what someone wants to do than they be good at it.

I'm sure Melvin and his artist are on their way to success. Good luck to them all.

New to Negotiating

I decided to interview someone who is new to negotiation. Many people want to know how negotiating is when your new to the business. This would be a good study guide on what is the right way to go about negotiating and the wrong things that can hurt the negotiating.

The person I chose for this interview is a young entrepreneur named Douglas Ricks III. His company is called 1004 Innovations, which will be a multi-media company, focusing in web designing and designing green eco friendly products in various markets. Douglas is currently located in Norfolk, Va and has met with a few investors.

How did you feel when you had your first negotiation?

When I went into the first negotiation, I thought I had a strong view on the subject at hand. I was real optimistic and thought the investor would understand what I wanted. However, I didn't want to be overwhelmed and big-headed. I just wanted the investor to hear my plan.

How did the negotiation go?


I think it went well because I learned what actual steps I should take. The investor could tell I was new to industry and I needed some guidance. He gave me some insight on what was realistic. I feel like I gained a good contact and he referred me to the right people who can guide me in the right direction.

Do you feel your company will succeed and how will you go about it?


I feel my company will succeed as long as I stay diligent and focus on what needs to be done. I will take the necessary steps needed in order to reach my goal. I know I need to do more research on competitors and stats. I feel that with the right connections I will be alright and on my way to the top.