One billion videw views.

Being interested in the entertainment industry I think is more than natural to want to learn about what is happening on that environment and what the trends are. I found an article on Lady Gaga and in it; the focus was how she has broken on record sales and video views. In fact, her first 2 hits reached 5 million sales. Hits such as Poker Face and Just Dance manage to break this record quite recently.

This fact to me is very interesting. I have mentioned in the past, on previous assignments, how the success of today’s artist depends a great deal on downloads. In fact, Lady Gaga has been referred to as the “queen of the downloads”. However, the article emphasizes how she is the first artist whose videos hit an outstanding 1 billion views.

Some of my views on the subject highlight technology and a formula Madonna used back in the 80’s to create her persona. To begin with, technology today has made it easier to view, download, buy, communicate, and more; faster than ever before. Think about a time when teenagers needed to buy records or tapes, or even listen to the radio to enjoy their favorite artist. This is definitely one of the reasons that billion views record was broken. Having said that, I do believe Lady Gaga has earned it hands down.

 This brings me to the formula I was talking about. When Madonna came out back in the 80s she was very outrageous. Her music, style, and clothes were so unconventional it became a sensation and has been ever since. Many artists tried to do the same but they failed. For example Cindy Lauper, she was equally outrageous but she failed to reinvent herself soon enough to keep her career going. Lady Gaga is following Madonna’s steps. She reinvents her self with every single, every appearance, and every video.

For someone like who is pursuing a career on entertainment management, it is important to know what is happening today and ask questions like: What sales today?, What do the public want?, How will your product reach the audience?, and such. To read more about the article go to http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1634663/20100325/lady_gaga.jhtml.

Central Casting

I chose to research Central Casting located in Burbank California. This organization also has a branch in New Your, NY.  This is organization I have consider joining. All you need to join is to fill out an application, the usual documents for employment in the U.S. and a $25 fee. I did some research and found out that the $25 fee is for a photograph that will go on their file, sort of a publicity still they will use to match your looks and features to different parts that may become available for actors. This organization does not require acting experience but it is a plus. 

This organization has been around since 1925 and according to their website they are today the largest provider or entertainment industry services and solutions in the U.S.  Their services go from complete background casting to payroll services. Their payroll services are provided by the Entertainment Partners, a sort of affiliate. Aside from providing Central Casting with payroll services they also have other products that include accounting systems, budgeting, virtual production office and more.

I found out that in order to become a member and get started if you will, you must download all the forms and fill them out in advance. Their doors are open to candidates only twice a week for 2 hours only. Needless to say you have to be there much earlier in order to be admitted that day.

To put in simple words central casting will match the candidates with the clients, whether is the casting directors, producers and such. Under the product tab in the website you will find casting, payroll and resources.

 On reading about their casting terms it appears to be the place for new actors to start their careers The websites emphasizes the need for thousands of background actors most likely for non-speaking part in some instances.  This means that the organization helps the actor get his or her foot in the door to start building a reputation on the industry. Thinking logically this would be the best way to start for someone who wants to become a character actor. In the industry being what it is today being a character actor can be a huge deal. This would mean landing parts on TV series, movies and plays. Being a character actor can sometimes immortalize him or her. 

A perfect example of a hard working character actor that went down in history is Margaret Hamilton who plays the witch in the Wizard of us. She had already made about 6 pictures for MGM when she landed the role.  The website below provides a lot of information about the organization’s goals, history, and more. http://www.centralcasting.org/LA/actors/index.html

Ted.com Video

In watching the Ted.com video on our student website the first thing that caught my attention was the fact that the speaker approach the audience with a sense of humor and charm couple with what appears to be a British accent. The visual material used for this presentation was fun and self-explanatory.

The visual material was just enough to make a point but was not distracting the audience to a point where the speaker would lose their attention.  Another factor that made the presentation a success was that the speaker knew the topic and it did not seem like a scripted speech like the famous “I Have a Dream” speech.   Don’t give me that look now. Have any of you see the footage of the actual speech. Mr. King hardly ever looked up as if he was reading from a book. Having said that, yes it was very powerful and made history.

Now going back to the visual portion on a speech, I believe that in order for the audience to understand the message an image is conveying it must be as simple as possible, almost as though one is teaching children.  Now I will give you the best example I can give. Remember the movie “An Inconvenient Truth”?

If memory serves me, when Al Gore was explaining the reason for global warming he had a sort of animated show where the little sunshine guy came to visit the Earth but the pollution bullies kept him from leaving by knocking him unconscious.  Yes this would seem like a video for kids you may say but I understood what he was trying to say.

On a different note, in some of my past classes back when I was pursuing my Bachelors I did get some insight on public speaking. It is amazing to me the amount of information you need to know before the actual event. I am not even talking about the material that you will cover. You see, when you are preparing a speech you need to ask yourself many questions. For instance, ask yourself who is the audience? What is the language that will get through to this audience? What can and can’t talk about when addressing this audience? The list goes on and on. 

I had to present many times in school using a PowerPoint presentation and overtime I learn that when speaking to a crowd you should pretend you are talking to an old friend. Be yourself, don’t apologize even if you make a mistake. Use it instead to your advantage and amuse the audience. They will definitely appreciate it.  

Along with this posting, and as per the assignment instructions I attached another link that shows what I believe to be a good example. Notice how the speaker begins with remarks about his childhood and delivers the material once the audience is engaged.

http://www.youtube.com/TED

Disney's World of Color.

For this assignment I chose to visit California Adventure to watch Disney’s newest show “A World of Color”. This show was like nothing I have ever seen before.  Having said that the basic concept of it all reminded me the water show at Bellagio in Vegas.

The first thing that I noticed about the show itself is that Disney can try something new but still stay true to itself. One can still see the Disney signature in all the beloved characters the show presents from beginning to end. I have to say, at first I was expecting a sort of sequel to Fantasmic, one of my favorite shows of all time, but this was a brand new concept.

Having enjoyed the show so much I decided to search some behind-the-scenes information about it. I found an article by Lisa Liddane, which provided some interesting information about some aspects of the show. For the purpose of this blog I will focus on planning, and customer satisfaction.

In an interview with Steven Davison, Linda (2010) inquired about how the ideas originate and the planning that went with it. This was the answer to that question:

Like our other theme parks, we wanted to create a nighttime  ‘E-ticket’ destination entertainment experience. The idea was to create a ‘kiss goodnight’ for our guests, a show that would wow and inspire them and leave them with a special feeling and a memory of a lifetime.  As w worked on the show over the years some of the show moments changed. After we began testing we realized what worked and what didn’t work. (Para. 3,5)

The article also provided some information on how the images where projected by using mist screens, which are very fine sheets of water created from a high-pressure fountain head (Liddane, 2010).  This effect is also used in Fantasmic during a few sequences of the show, which I have seen countless times.

In terms of customer service, I had to opportunity to speak with some of the crowd control people who kindly explained to me how the bay area was strategically built to enjoy the show even before they new the type of show they were creating. Crowd control in the park ensures that all guests who have waited to see the show remain on designated areas and those walking by, do not block exit-designated areas.  I paid special attention after I learned this and I stepped aside by the bridge as if waiting for a friend to observe the process after the show was over. Everything went just as clockwork.

I decided to see this show because as a project manager this is exactly the kind of job I would love to have. Working as a project manager supervising a show or a ride at an amusement park such as Disneyland, or even be part or the team creating a show would be just amazing for me. This is a show that I definitely recommend. I am lucky enough to work just a few exits away from these parks and for those who are not I definitely recommend the trip destination as a must-see in Southern California.

The importance of teamwork in my current industry.

In the industry that I currently work in teamwork is a must.  In the department that I must recently worked for I was a member of the escalation team. Each of us had specific skills that the average associate did not have. We also had the authority to make decisions on a customer’s account. The importance of teamwork came into place when handling a customer’s issue. For example, if the associate that escalated the call did not provide enough information this would cause a delay in the process and therefore a negative customer experience.

Along the same lines, in my current department, teamwork plays a crucial part. As a lead in the recovery department I must work closely with account managers to determine settlement amounts on delinquent accounts. Open communication between lead and account manager will help determine the best way to settle an account and at the same time assist a customer to start re building their credit.

The best way to put a team together is to match people with similar interests and skills. In my department I select the associates with the highest performance scores to put together the nesting coach team dedicated to train new hires. In this example the idea is to have your best performers teach new associates so they can learn and duplicate best practices.

Technology has provided us with new and easy ways to communicate. Team members have access to outlook for e-mails, team chat, and a lead walking the floor consistently throughout the day. Regular team meetings are setup to address hot topics and questions from the team members to ensure everyone is in the same page. The management team encourages associates to provide feedback on policies and procedures. The changes that take place at Bank of America stems from employee and customer feedback even though it may take a while to implement based on the challenges that change presents. 

My new career goal

I am currently taking a class that presented me with some challenges. The biggest challenge was to interview some individuals that have created a name for themselves in their field. By the way, thanks are in order to Max, Joel, and Jermaine.
The more I do the readings and complete the assignments the more interested I become in the entertainment industry. I truly believe I can accomplish something great with this degree. I have had the opportunity to work with some great teammates in previous classes and they're contribution to the team was outstanding.
I know I keep talking about wanting to work for Disney Inc. and I don't mean to be going on and on about it but I am truly excited. It's been a dream of mine for a long time. Although I actually wanted to be a performer but I guess priorities can change.
On the other hand, I do live in L.A., Hollywood is here, the entertainment capital of the world no less. I will have to keep my options open I suppose. A friend of mine just to work for Sony Studios and we also have Warner Bros. around here somewhere. Anyway is 10:00 P.M. and I am dead tire. Nutella and Peanut butter sandwich for dinner.

Interview with Joel

Joel Peisinger, is among other things a music teacher. I have been lucky enough to be his pupil and friend for a number of years. Joel's positive attitude and charisma made him the obvious choice for this interview. He has many students who seek his help when in need for a music, voice, and language lesson. That's right, Joel speaks a number of languages proficiently too. I sought Joel's help once when I was trying to join this choir that required me to learn how to read music. This is when I realized what a fine educator Joel really is. Below is the pleasant conversation I had with Joel.


1. In 3 of 4 sentences can you provide an overview of your teaching background (specially music teaching)?I have taught music for over 30 years, specializing in piano and music theory.  I teach both privately and in the school setting.  I also teach foreign languages and ESL.
 
2. What would you say prompt your students to continue with their lessons and/or recommend you to others (whether is teaching styles, a positive attitude, etc)?My students have told me that I have a passion for teaching and that I am particularly good at adapting lessons to the needs of the individual student.  My teaching style involves a lot of student participation in the learning process, having students resolve new challenges.
 

3. What do you think is your most valuable contribution to your students?I feel that I am more of a 'learning coach' than a 'teacher'.  I encourage the students to use their minds and skills and learn.  In music, practice outside of the lesson setting is more important than the lesson itself.
 

4. Would you consider yourself a leader and why?I prefer to lead by example and suggestion.  I excel at putting things in order and finding efficient ways to accomplish goals.