You can’t do it without help.<\/p>\n
Once upon a time, a couple of decades back, I asked David Geffen for help.\u00c2\u00a0 Ours was a correspondence relationship, I didn’t go to his office, I don’t even remember talking on the phone.\u00c2\u00a0 I believed I was hot, and with his help, I could make it.<\/p>\n
Geffen declined.<\/p>\n
He didn’t judge my talent.\u00c2\u00a0 I just wasn’t big enough for him.\u00c2\u00a0 It wasn’t about money, it was about challenge… He had bigger fish to fry.<\/p>\n
That’s what wannabes can’t understand.\u00c2\u00a0 That the Big Kahunas don’t want to be in business with them.\u00c2\u00a0 The Big Kahunas only want to be in business with the creme de la creme, which comes to them when their garage management, when the B-team’s efforts have been exhausted.<\/p>\n
The wannabes don’t like this.<\/p>\n
But there’s only so much A-level talent.\u00c2\u00a0 And A-level talent’s greatest quality is not salesmanship, but creativity.\u00c2\u00a0 The manager\/agent\/businessman enables that creativity.<\/p>\n
In other words, if the writer gives good pitch, he’s a shitty writer.<\/p>\n
I read that in a book.\u00c2\u00a0 Never forgot it.\u00c2\u00a0 Could even comb my brain and remember who said it, but that’s not important.\u00c2\u00a0 But the underlying concept is when something rings true, when it has resonance, you never forget it.<\/p>\n
Jerry Weintraub made his first movie with Robert Altman.\u00c2\u00a0 It was the legendary "Nashville", which every studio had turned down.\u00c2\u00a0 Weintraub did not know this, of course.\u00c2\u00a0 That’s Hollywood…\u00c2\u00a0 People may not exactly lie, but they leave out the key elements…like Jerry was the producer of last resort.<\/p>\n
But Jerry went to bat for Altman, even put in his own money, because he believed in Altman’s talent.<\/p>\n
Are you that talented?\u00c2\u00a0 Almost no one is.\u00c2\u00a0 Primarily because they lack the perseverance.\u00c2\u00a0 Any overnight success fades from the landscape as quickly as he or she made it.\u00c2\u00a0 Anybody who lasts had an epiphany at an early age and has worked ever since for this crowning moment, when everybody’s paying attention.\u00c2\u00a0 Sure, they need it, desire is key, but they can back it up, because of all the woodshedding they did when no one cared.<\/p>\n
So we’ve got few "artists" who can navigate the gauntlet to success.<\/p>\n
And we’ve got few businessmen too.<\/p>\n
There are plenty of managers who’ll tell you what to do.\u00c2\u00a0 Manipulate you.\u00c2\u00a0 Maybe even rip you off.\u00c2\u00a0 But how many have a vision of what they can do for you and can execute upon that?\u00c2\u00a0 That’s a very thin layer of people.<\/p>\n
And it’s not only skill or insight, it’s relationships.\u00c2\u00a0 Can you get so and so on the phone?\u00c2\u00a0 Or do you know another person who knows so and so?\u00c2\u00a0 What’s your rep?\u00c2\u00a0 Are you honest, do you come through, do you deliver?\u00c2\u00a0 People only want to be in business with those who deliver.\u00c2\u00a0 The more successful you are, the less time you have to waste.\u00c2\u00a0 You don’t want to sit around and talk about doing something, you want to do it!\u00c2\u00a0 And that’s where so many lack skill and get scared.\u00c2\u00a0 Anybody can sit in front of the TV and fantasize a relationship with an actress, but can you come to Hollywood and work your way up the ladder until your dream becomes possible?<\/p>\n
Anybody can go on TV and sing their song.\u00c2\u00a0 Actually, that’s untrue.\u00c2\u00a0 There’s a skill in appearing natural, being able to sing as well as you do at home, if not better.\u00c2\u00a0 But very few people are willing to work in shitholes, for no pay and no attention for years, the only one believing in themselves before they get traction and get that TV opportunity.<\/p>\n
It’s easy to be on reality TV.\u00c2\u00a0 Be incredibly good-looking, have a 1000 watt personality and be willing to look stupid.\u00c2\u00a0 But how many stars of the "Real World" are in show business today?\u00c2\u00a0 No, real stars base their careers in talent.\u00c2\u00a0 Sony dropped J. Lo because she couldn’t sing.\u00c2\u00a0 Tommy Mottola did well with imaging, sold J. Lo’s music when MTV was king and how you looked was key.\u00c2\u00a0 But once he was gone, J. Lo’s music career was dead.<\/p>\n
Castigate Tommy, but he knew how to get behind an act and push and sell it.\u00c2\u00a0 Mariah Carey may have succeeded at another label, but would she have become a superstar?<\/p>\n
Behind every great artist is a businessman.\u00c2\u00a0 Who makes it easier for the artist to create.\u00c2\u00a0 Who paves the way. You just have to work on your talent long enough until one of these great businessmen, whether it be a manager or an agent or a record executive, takes notice of you.<\/p>\n
And they’re not going to notice you if you’re jumping up and down screaming.<\/p>\n
And they’re not going to take your call if they don’t know you.<\/p>\n
And they only trust people they know.<\/p>\n
And their reputations are so good, you’re dying to be with them.<\/p>\n
But they’re only dying to be with you if it’s a challenge, if it puts a smile on their face as well as money in their wallet, if they believe your talent is so great that if they do their job, you’ll do yours.<\/p>\n
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