CROWDFUNDING

CROWDFUNDING

Crowdfunding is a word I had never heard of until I came across an article while doing research for a Finance class.  It is a type of funding similar to a co-op where individuals jointly own enterprises or endeavors for mutual benefit. Crowdfunding is primarily done over the World Wide Web. Anybody can find a cause that uses crowdfunding to support an artist, a band or a movie. Political campaigns could be considered as crowdfunding. The advantage to this type of funding is that bands or an artist would not have to solicit funds from a large corporation or borrow money from a bank. Disaster relief efforts or fundraisers by well known bands are crowdfunding, such as in 1984 “Feed the World”, 2010 Nashville Flood Relief benefit concert and the 2005 Hurricane Katrina benefit concerts. For bands looking for funding (https://www.sellaband.com/) is a site where bands can upload their music. Anybody can then listen to the music and donate money towards any band they like. It is not an investment tool there are no monetary returns like stocks. But, there are incentives much like pledge drives for PBS TV and Radio. Donate $10 you’ll get a CD from the band or a DVD from a movie if it is released. (http://www.movies.com/movie-news/what-is-crowdfunding/5107) This website has various links to projects in the United States that are using crowdfunding as an alternative resource for to raise capital.

TRICK? or TREAT?

Signing a contract is making a commitment, a legal obligation. They can be either treats, or tricks. Usually a person enters into a contract in hopes of gaining something for themselves. Actually, contracts should benefit all parties involved. If the parties involved come to a standstill they should objectively examine, and discuss, each other's particular needs. Formulating a base of mutual expectations should lead to a "treat" contract. Sometimes a contract is non-negotiable.  A contract between a Professional Ballet School and it's prospective students is non-negotiable. A Ballet School Manager whom I interviewed related that structure and discipline are the fundamental roots of dance. The consideration of the school contracts include both a family commitment contract and a student commitment contract. Without these two signed contracts, a new student will not be admitted to the ballet school. Other clauses in the contracts include liability release, medical history, photographic releases and personal financial data. There is no Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement in this case. If the families do not comply and sign the contracts, their child will not be accepted. The world of entertainment is made up of "Special" people. Artists are a sensitive breed. Fragile egos, insecurities, delusions of grandeur abound. Dancers are no different. The term "diva" or "prima donna" is usually associated with a personae with a large ego. My interviewee stated, "Many of the emotionally generated issues that occur are addressed in the student/family handbook rules." Depending on the type of "offense" and circumstances surrounding it, both the student and parent/s are subject to possible expulsion. 3 incident reports lead to immediate expulsion. The 1st incident is  a conference with the school director. The 2nd incident is a formal signed document "warning". The 3rd incident is expulsion from the school. It is obvious that the Ballet school has the upper hand in leverage and power. However, the family does have an opt out option called a "Drop form". This enables the family to leave the school on their own terms. The drop form stops the responsibility of the financial contract immediately. No further charges are incurred. But, they do not get reimbursed for the initial tuition fee or fees up until the drop form is received by the financial officers. Immediately on receiving the drop form the family and child/ren must leave the school property. Ms. L stated that usually it's a parent that have "unrealistic expectations". She also stated," In my job I must have patience for the process. If you are not a people person this job would not be suitable for you." Parents are also usually the ones that apply "tricky tactics". Some believe their child/ren are the next big dance "Star", which could be a possibility, but they try to get away with non-compliance to the rules. This in my opinion could be particularly bad for the child/ren emotionally and teach them improper behaviors that could be detrimental to their  careers should they be exceptional dancers. On the positive side, dancers from this particular Ballet school have gone on to become famous in their field. As I was offered the opportunity to observe a rehearsal for a major production, I saw that the Ballet Master is very caring and has the dancers best interests at heart. Dancers are usually sensitive and affectionate with each other even though at times they must compete. The principal dancers are highly appreciated by the Ballet Master and they are the only ones who might be able to make choreographic suggestions to the Master, but only outside of the main event during social hours. Dancers can never question the Ballet Masters' role of Choreographer, especially during rehearsals. Autonomy is limited within the Ballet School. The students are allowed to wear their own jackets, backpacks, shoes inside the school but they must wear the proper required attire for the specific dance class. On Saturdays, according to Ms. L, students 8 yrs. old and above are allowed to wear any color leotard they wish. Ms. L's status and affiliation as School Manager with the most prestigious Ballet Company in Orlando, Florida is a fact she is very proud of. She enjoys being able to assist in developing children into the best technically trained dancer who will be able to enter into the professional realm of ballet. She interacts with people from other countries. She is able to negotiate scholarships and financial assistance for lower income families. Ms. L sponsored a young dancer who is now a principal dancer and has an awesome career. The world of Classical Ballet requires a huge commitment from families and students. The one's that "make it" work hard everyday rehearsing, usually up to 10 hours a day, 6 days a week. Ms. L is very proud of each and every one of the students. Due to confidentiality agreements, Ms. L requests to remain anonymous.

"EMBRACING MENTAL SKILLNESS"

“EMBRACING MENTAL SKILLNESS”

Entertainer Joshua Walters is a comedian. Comedians as we know, have a certain “edge” to their personalities. Uncannily, at times, it seems they view the world with such a different perspective one wonders what particular brain function they have that sets them apart from the rest of us. Quick witted, streaming consciousness, brain synapses’ travelling at the speed of light. From thought to speech quicker than you can say Red Skelton. Or Robin Williams. Likewise any comedian who can reach into the most inner recesses of your primal instincts and activate whatever it is in our human genetic make-up that makes us want to laugh. Some children and adults who are quick thinkers, loose tongued or physically hyperactive like some slapstick comedians are often considered mentally ill. They get profiled as having Attention Deficit Disorder, for example, the class clown who demands attention. Rebels. Can’t adhere to authoritarian “rules”.  Perhaps a person who is bipolar may be in the midst of a manic episode and create a magnificent work of art. Vincent Van Gogh was bipolar. Joshua Walters is bipolar. His video blog on TED.com is his story. He makes fun of his struggle with mental illness as a way to entertain and educate. Who has never laughed at an uncomfortable subject when presented in a humorous manner? Joshua embraces what he defines as “mental skillness”. Throughout history there have been stories of great writers, artists, government officials (i.e., Napoleon Bonaparte) who in this ‘modern’ age would have been diagnosed as mentally ill. Joshua mentions that during high school he slept through it all. His prescribed medications affected him this way. If the reader has never seen the movie “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest” with actor Jack Nicholson, I recommend it. Joshua stopped taking the medications and decided to turn to comedy to entertain and educate the world about manic depression. He mentions some books relevant to this subject: John Gartner’s, “The Hypomanic Edge” and “Touch With Fire” by Kay Jamison, a book about manic-depressive artists in history. He makes comments that entrepreneurs are specifically starting to embrace individuals who fall into the “be manic enough” spectrum due to their vitality, productivity and edgy creative aspects. His philosophy is that: “There is no such thing as crazy. They are individuals who “are more sensitive to what most people can’t see or feel”. I found this to be an inspiring blog because I know people who are extremely creative and sometimes have been labeled by their families as “crazy”.  Actors and actresses, due to the nature of their business, become other people, animals or whatever their roles demand. Some may truly be schizophrenic and “become” that role off of the film set with disastrous results. Such as the rumors that actor Heath Ledger engrossed himself so far into the Joker role in the Batman movie it supposedly affected his mental health. Personally, I enjoy Joshua’s outlook of “embracing mental skillness”. As an active participant in the entertainment industry myself I believe this is an interesting topic that deserves further research.

http://www.ted.com/speakers/joshua_walters.htmlhttp://www.ted.com/speakers/joshua_walters.html

        “THE HYPOMANIC EDGE --- John Gartner

“The answer lies in our genes, according to psychologist John Gartner. Hypomania, a genetically based form of mild mania, endows...”

Www.hypomanicedge.com ·

     BARNES & NOBLE | Touched with Fire: Manic-Depressive Illness and ... “The anguished, volatile we associate with the artistic temperament, often described as "a fine madness," has been thought of as a defining aspect of much artistic genius. Now, Kay Jamison's brilliant work, based on years of studies as a clinical psychologist....

Netflix to stream online content

The news today from Reuters, a global news agency, reports that Netflix and Dreamworks have teamed up. Netflix will be streaming content online rather than cable through a collaboration with Discovery Communications. (Discovery channel, Animal Planet and other multimedia platforms). According to Reuters, Netflix' (NFLX -Nasdaq symbol), stock went up 7% today when the news broke. Reuters reported high shares at $137.88. However, after I researched the Nasdaq site to validate the Reuters information, their official high was actually $134.99 with an official end of day closing price at $127.49. Rather than a 7% rise according to Reuters, Netflix stock officially dropped to 3.6%. Somebody didn't do their research. Dreamworks, (DWA-Nasdaq symbol) low today was $18.90 a share with an official close price of $19.90 up 3.02%. Discovery Communications Nasdaq-DISCA, low $41.53, high $42.77, close price $41.78. up 0.29%. My question was why did the Netflix stock price go down even after this announcement? Dreamworks and Discovery went up. After more research I found a site named "The Street" that cleared up my question. Apparently the streaming will not be available until 2013. With all the rapid changes in technology anything can happen by that time. Also in my opinion if they will be streaming older movies, will people watch them online? The article also mentions that Amazon.com and Fox have negotiated their own deals to do the same service. Today AMZN-(Nasdaq) low=$222.40, high:$234.75, close price $224.21 down 2.45%. Fox Television Networks also known as Fox Chase Bancorp, Inc. Nasdaq symbol=FXCB stock chart shows for today September 27, 2011, low $12.27 per share, high=$12.77, closing price=$12.57. Down 0.87%. I am not a financial expert or analyst but from reading the information and looking at the figures from today it may be apparent that consumers are not prepared for this change. I did one more google search titled "Wall street and Netflix" not really expecting a return but sure enough on Yahoo! Finance the article stated that "Netflix...features...bad reviews...market watchers say the split could cause more subscribers to drop the service".
Credits: http://www.yahoo.finance.com/,  http://www.reuters.com/,  http://thestreet.com/, http://www.nasdaq.com/

©Spotify launches in U.S.

Sunday, July 17, 2011
Roaring Sun Productions: © SPOTIFY 
© SPOTIFY U.S. Launch
Swedish music streaming service "SPOTIFY" arrived in the U.S. on Thursday July, 14, 2011. In my opinion one more way to rip-off Musicians. According to a report on http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/,
a $0.99 ©Amazon iTunes download nets the artist $0.09, record label gets $0.53. An ©iTunes $9.99 album download=$0.94 to the artist, $5.35 to the label. ©Rhapsody= $0.0022 to the Artist with $0.0091 to the Label.
©Spotify figures: the worst yet: Artist=$0.0016, Label=$0.00029. At http://paidcontent.org/ the news was that
Lady Gaga, with 1 million streams on Spotify only netted $167! As a future Talent Agent/Manager I will not consider managing a musician or a band unfortunately. With these types of figures, my salary would be practically non-existent if my Artist and I had to rely solely on these for income. With the rocketing cost of live Touring, I really feel for Musicians. As a matter of fact just recently I spoke with a young Musician about this issue and she as well was concerned for her future. Although Spotify claims their company has lowered Piracy figures in Europe, people will still share their playlists with others for free. Free music is still available through online radio. Spotify's claim to fame is that they stream non-buffered offline. Even so, it is easy to record your own playlists from radio, youtube, etc.= Piracy. In the U.K. the Digital Economy Act Law was passed on April 8, 2010. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/apr/08/digital-economy-bill-passes-third-reading This law basically is "Big Brother" suppressing the internet. They now have the authority to investigate a citizens use of the Internet, determine if they are infringing on copyrights, then
 impose fines according to the deed done. They also have the authority to deny any further access to the internet to the registered IP address.
My future as a Talent Agent/Manager will be a challenging one as Technology and Laws regarding Artists change with the times.

Non-Profit Organization

Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Non-Profit Organization

     Structuring and forming a Non-profit organization is a daunting task.
     In 2009, after 50 years of performances The Orlando Opera went bankrupt. Led by Judith Lee in late 2009, a group of renegade women saved Opera in Orlando. No small endeavor! Plagued by naysayers of the community these pioneering women placed their best spirits forward and proved the  © Grinch(es)©(1957 Ted Geisel) wrong. I have been to a "How to" seminar on Non-profits and the amount of legal paperwork, red tape and fees is a course unto itself. In order to accomplish all the goals necessary the biggest assets are: People. Especially people you can trust.
     Mrs. Lee is a soft spoken, calm, carry a big stick personality. Her passion for Opera and Singers inspired many individuals to support this cause. © Florida Opera Theatre, Inc. is now 2 years young and recently added several former Orlando Opera personnel. Notable FOT Staff members include: Robin Jensen, present Artistic Director of UCF's opera program. She is spearheading FOT's new Youth Company. Robin Stamper, Music Director and Frank McLain, FOT Artistic Director.
 Judith Lee, in a short 2 years has accomplished a major, pivotal scenario for Opera in Orlando.
     Her self-awareness, patience and passion led me to choose her as an example of an effective leader. As a "participative" Manager with excellent interpersonal skills Mrs. Lee delegated important tasks as well as asked for advice with her weak points.
    My role as a Director's Assistant (volunteer) for FOT's fundraiser ORLANDO IDOL 2011 brought many rewards for my personal, artistic and Professional outlook. Mrs. Lee does not receive monetary compensation nor do any of the Board members. Yet, under her wings this is a truly inspired TEAM. For more information on Florida Opera Theatre and/or Florida Opera Theatre Youth Company: FLOperaTheatre@gmail.com or website www.floperatheatre.com

Project and Team Management

Thursday, August 11, 2011
PROJECT AND TEAM MANAGEMENT
Project and team management can be a complicated.  Understanding a Team's dynamics is the primary objective for a project. Personality differences, lifestyles, psychological variables affect team members therefore the project, on a daily basis. Patience, understanding and organization by the team manager will lead to an increased successful project launch.

The Right To Be A Creative Content Writer

“THE RIGHT TO BE A CREATIVE CONTENT WRITER”

                               (And how to “writefully” protect your words)

Words are everywhere. Unspoken thoughts running around in your head when you go to bed. They’re still there when you get up. You don’t “hear “ them with your ears but you do, with whatever that sense is in your brain that makes you “think” you can hear them. Thoughts. Subjective. Can’t be legislated or controlled by others when they’re still unspoken or unwritten. But as soon as you open your mouth and speak, pick up a writing or drawing tool and place those hieroglyphics known as letters and symbols on whatever surface you choose, here come the critics. If they see them. Or hear them. Wait…those are my words and my letters and symbols. What right do you have to censor my subjectives? Or pay me less than what I’m worth because you didn’t like my story, even though I followed the criteria? Hey, you just plain out and out stole my ideas and words because you’re too stupid to come up with something original yourself. Well guess what.

I am a member of a Writer’s labor union in the United States so organized that in 2007- 

2008, we shut down television. (Image http://wgawest.com/). Some economists put the loss at $2.1 billion. The Writer’s Guild of America represents writers from television and film as well as other content-based media. On August 24, 2011, 6:17 pm, the Los Angeles Times reported the following news: “CBS Web writer-producers get first guild contract.” “The Writers Guild of America, West has signed its first contract covering news writing and promotions for the Internet. This week about 15 Web writer-producers working in television and radio news and promotions at CBS studios in the Los Angeles area ratified their first-ever contract with CBS, the guild said in a statement. The three-year agreement includes increases in minimum wages and establishes grievance procedures and paid vacations as well as health and pension benefits.” (http://www.latimes.com/). The political and legislative departments of the WGA (West and East branches) actively advocate government policy issues that affect writers who are members. Concerns such as Health and pension benefits, new media content and web rights, were in the forefront of the 2007-2008 strikes. As new avenues of expression open up on the worldwide web, the WGA has shown that a democratic support system (Guild Council members are voted in) can protect a writer and influence the government and established entertainment industry conglomerations. The WGA maintains a “strike list” of companies and entertainment corporations with unfair practices on their website. WGA offers a large range of member services .To get a full view of how to protect your writing and your career as a writer, visit the Writer’s Guild of America West or Writer’s Guild of America East websites. WGA also maintains The Writer’s Foundation East that offers fellowships and charitable grants to writers. (http://www.writersfoundationeast.com/).