Sunday, July 28, 2013

Self-Censorship: What a Shame

In recent posts, I've discussed the stealing of intellectual property, the need to charge fairly for your work, and the reluctance to present fresh ideas in a group setting.  

While very different in scope and context, they all produce something that's detrimental to any creative:  Self-censorship. 

Let me explain...

Whether you create or promote content, ideas are your currency.   When you don't feel free to put them on the table, you lose your edge.  (This goes for writing, designing, editing, you name it. )

It's easy to see why this happens.  The first few times you get burned, you learn.  Eventually, you stay to the tried and true, or what's most marketable, or what won't get you fired. 

You end up presenting ideas that don't offend, but don't excite, either.  By using the internal (and often reality-based) concept of "just give them what they want," you stop your own creative process, but everybody's happy, right?

Uh... no.

Who doesn't like vanilla pudding?
Here are some all-too-painful identifiable examples:

- Your new series idea has everything.  A great treatment, a killer trailer, and it's registered everywhere but Crate & Barrel.  However, the last show idea had everything, too, and the bastards stole it.  Now you have a pitch meeting with a successful production company.  How much do you show this time? 

- Your department has a brainstorming meeting to come up with promo ideas for the launch of "a new hit series" (that's still an oxymoron to me).  You know the winning campaigns will be 1) premise ("In the future, we will all like broccoli...", 2) lineage ("From the creator of The Cauliflower Chronicles comes..."),  and 3) reviews ("USA Today gives the new hit series, Broccoli four stalks up!").  Now, do you fight for your anti-campaign idea, all :05 teasers - "You've hated it your whole life..."?

- Your new logo concept requires three times the amount of standard animation.  Rendering time alone will be outrageous.  Do you present the idea, knowing that it's so involved, you'll have to ask for more money?

In all three examples, fear of fighting a losing battle may be driving your decision.  As Seinfeld might say, "That's a shame."

You're a creative, it's your responsibility to be creative.  If you don't like the gig, there are plenty of other occupations. 

"But, Ed," you argue, "I know what works here - Blue.  I've seen dozens try and it always reverts back to Blue.  You're wasting your time with Red or even Purple."
We can learn a lot from Tripper.

To which I reply, haven't you ever seen Meatballs?  Bill Murray inspires the entire camp against the rival camp with the immortal mantra,  "It just doesn't matter!  It just doesn't matter!"  (This was the original, of course.  The sequels just got dumb.)

The solution here is to re-examine how you relate to those making the live-or-die decisions.  Part of your job is to get others to see your vision and explore possibilities you raise.  If rebuffed at first, fight for your idea, without being dogmatic.  Who knows?  A hybrid may rear its head and be the hero.  The bonus factor here is you will gain respect for your honesty and creativity.

Bottom line: feel free to present ideas.  But don't mistake that with controlling other people's reactions.  If the idea gets shot down, that reflects on the person doing the rejecting.  If the idea is dismissed out of ignorance, same deal.  If the idea is stolen, refer to my earlier post here

The more original the idea, the tougher the sell, and the higher the risk.
Now, these are light bulbs!

Let the juices flow.  Explore your ideas.  Even develop a plan to sell them.  And don't be rigid.  Just because the idea's original and sounds great at 3 in the morning doesn't mean it will work in real life.

Then again, maybe it will.  

- Ed Roth
edrothshow@gmail.com

Monday, July 22, 2013

Let's Plan and Put that Fire Out NOW!

Your main anchor has been caught by the cops in the back seat of a car, drunk as a skunk, and with a woman who is NOT his wife.  It could happen.  It did happen.  Now, what do you do?

I won't go into the ragged details about this particular case because the anchor is still working in the business, and I don't want to embarrass him by opening old wounds.

The fact is that knowing how to manage a crisis is a big part of working in the media, but due to that fact that most of us came up as writers, producers, directors and designers, there are very few of us who are primed and ready to be crisis managers.  The same goes for company managers, who are former bean counters, sales managers or news directors.  None of us is able to see a disaster coming--and that's the problem.

I got fired once.  I guess it had been coming for a while, as my GM and I continued to be at the opposite ends of so many policy issues.  After the dust settled, our business manager told me "I don't know what was worse--that you got fired or that you didn't see it coming."

Whether it's Paula Deen's inappropriate remarks toppling her sizable empire, Eliot Spitzer's love of hookers or an anchor having an affair or drug problem, it's going to happen, and you will NOT be equipped to deal with it.  Period.

Toss social media into the mix and the chances of one misstep, one poorly-chosen remark or one indiscretion by a valued employee can sink your ship fast.  The trick is to have your crisis plans in place NOW.

No department head "meeting of the minds" with corporate leaders at your home office will solve your problem.  Regardless of what it says on your business card, this is NOT YOUR JOB, but everyone in your company will bear the brunt of its effects if you don't put out the fire well and fast.

I'll bet your company has a plan in case of a terrorist attack or if someone has a heart attack in your building.  Being ready for a public relations crisis is not asking for trouble, but could help save your company.

Here are five things to do TODAY not to avoid a disaster, but to prevent one:

1.  Know that if can and will happen eventually.  Prepare a manual (or pamphlet) that is held by every department head and especially the HR Director.  Who speaks for the company and when?

2.  Have a PR expert hired, primed and ready to go.  This should be someone outside of the company who is experienced in crisis management and has a track record of helping a company react quickly and emerge out of the crisis (hopefully) unscathed.

3.  React quickly.   If your main anchor (and the number one talent in the market) is caught with a suitcase full of cocaine, take no more than 24 hours to gain all the facts and decide on a path.  When Paula Deen's comments were revealed, it seemed to take forever for her to appear on Today, and they she was unapologetic and seemed to say "what's the big deal?"  Done!  Anthony Weiner and Eliot Spitzer took days and weeks (after denying their own culpability) and it ended up biting them in the rear.  In Deen's case, her failure to be contrite and recognize her own racial insensitivity moved slower than her sponsors did to negate her contracts.

4. Admit you were wrong.  When someone apologizes, do you like them more or less?  Exactly.

5. Use Three Key Messages For Every Crisis. Crisis management guru Brian Ellis believes in the "power of the rule of three" key messages that will work in the first 48 hours of any crisis:

“We have a plan to deal with …”
You really do need to have a plan – that is why creating a crisis plan in Rule 1 is so important.

“Our hearts and prayers go out to those …” You need to show compassion for those that have been killed, hurt or simply inconvenienced.

“We immediately began our own investigation to make sure that we …” You need to commit to finding out what went wrong and taking the necessary steps to ensure that it doesn’t happen again.

Preparing for a crisis is like creating a will--you hope you won't have to use it for quite a while, but when you do, you are prepared and everyone breathes easier knowing what the next step will be.

Whether it's a verbal misstep by an anchor or department head or worse, it's going to happen.  Hire an outside consultant to help you with a problem that neither you nor your boss are able to even think about right now. 

Again, the great Brian Ellis says it best:   "They say it takes a lifetime to build a reputation and only a few hours to destroy it. You’re almost guaranteed the latter, if you fail to plan. Being unprepared is no excuse; it’s just a reflection of the importance you place on your reputation."

Oh, and that anchor I mentioned in the first paragraph?  Still working and now married to the woman in the back seat. Problem solved. 

--Rich Brase
redrich24@yahoo.com






Sunday, July 14, 2013

How Not to Lead a Brainstorming Session


Bagels AND donuts?  This meeting can't be that bad, right?
You've booked the local hotel meeting room for the big department brainstorming session.  You've given people the requisite two weeks lead time to come in with ideas.  And you've even made specific suggestions to stimulate their creativity buttons.

The big day arrives.  The platters with bagels, sweet rolls and fruit are out.  So are urns of coffee, bottles of water and pitchers of juice.

OK, we're away from the office.  No calls, emails or drop-ins to distract us.  Time to let loose and simply focus on upcoming campaigns.  We're gonna to let the ideas fly, and have fun, dammit!

How you see yourself.

As leader, you tape the butcher block paper to the wall (or approach the white board) and throw out the first pitch.

"Our new show launches in three months.  You've all read the brief.  We're going after Adults 18-49.  Any ideas?"

Crickets. 

But you persist and write the first one.  "How about... we shoot our host at famous places."  (Side note: That's original, huh?)

Somebody finally joins in.  "Yeah, like the Statue of Liberty.  Or the Hollywood sign."

Others join the fray.  "The Eiffel Tower.... Mount Rushmore.... The Alamo."

You excitedly write them all down, happy that there's so much participation and it's only 9:07am.  You look at your list of landmarks, step back and nod approvingly.  But the page is only half full and you have a whole pad to go.

"OK!" you continue, "What else?"

Crickets.  
How others see you.

Guess what?  Your long day is going to be longer than you can possibly imagine.  Even you start thinking that maybe checking your iPhone every 15 minutes wouldn't be such a terrible idea. 

So, what did you do wrong?  Glad you asked.

Leading a brainstorming session is one-third leadership, one-third creativity, one-third group dynamics and one-third luck.  (Hey, I didn't say it was easy.)  The Promo Code recommends the following guidelines to make your next session a successful one (or at least, less painful):

1. Be aware of your history.  If previous sessions have led to nothing once you return to the office, people remember that.  What's the point of coming up with great ideas if there's never any follow-through?

2. Be focused.  The agenda should be limited to what's realistic.  If the slate is too overwhelming, the result will be diluted.  Give people time to explore concepts.  What's more, you need to create an environment for the exchange of ideas that have (hopefully) been percolating the past few weeks.

3. Be a leader.  This is more involved than just saying, "OK, what else?" and writing down what people say.  Encourage your staff to look at the issue from fresh perspectives.  For example, if you're selling a show, pose questions like, "If this were a car, what kind of car would it be?"

4. Be inclusive.  It's your job to get the quiet ones to talk.  Typically, the same handful will monopolize the floor.  You need to make everybody as comfortable as possible.

5. Be yourself.  If you suddenly start channeling Gandhi, people see right through the act, and you lose credibility.  

Leading is one thing.  

Getting people to follow is another. 

But having them excited and looking forward to the next adventure is the mark of a great creative leader.

Oh, and feel free to bring home any left-over bagels.

-Ed Roth
edrothshow@gmail.com

Saturday, July 6, 2013

For God's Sake, Ask for More Money!

Anchors aren't the only ones sweating.  Creatives always agonize over their spots while we worry about what to charge for our talents, which we usually undervalue. 

Anxious anchors placed  in precarious positions
Recently, I was talking to my barber about charging too much and the fear of being overpaid.

"You get paid not for the work you do, but for what you know, she said."

No greater truth was ever spoken.  This is why we pay plumbers $100 for five minutes of work--because they can see things I can't see.  If you had worked for years to be a licensed electrician or plumber, you would get to charge this much for your skills only to do a few minutes of work.

But you HAVE done this.  Are you getting paid for what you know or what you do?

Perhaps neither, but that's another story and another column.

You've learned how to be a great writer, producer, director, lighting director, videographer or editor
but why do you have such a hard time asking for what's yours?  This is a problem faced by so many creatives.

You're asked to write a script, which you bang out in 20 minutes.  Easy-peasy lemon squeezy.
Bill the client for 30 minutes? Stop in the name of love!  Bill them by the page.  If it's so easy, let THEM do it.

My fellow Promo Codeian, Ed Roth, wrote a blog a while back condemning the idea of writing or producing against the clock, and I agree.  But even if you are not writing and charging by the hour, now might be the time to up the ante for what you know how to do.

With July 4th safely behind us and the sounds of low-rent neighbors shooting off illegal fireworks outside your window at 2 am, now is the time to declare your independence from being poor.

As I've written in the past, I have incredible faith in creatives and our unique talents, but really don't know why we lack faith in our own talents.

The economy is coming back and so should we.  Your competition is not necessarily other writers or producers, it's ourselves.    It's our inability to price ourselves to make a decent living, simply because the creative stream comes easy to us.

If you're working for a company as a writer, producer or director, remember that your boss will not want to lose you (and have to go through the hassle of replacing you) should you ask for some extra money on your next raise date.

Why are you so afraid of asking for more money?

Every supervisor or anyone hiring a free-lancer has a range.  Make sure you're at the top end of that, because it then sets the pace for any future negotiations.

Anyone hiring you or supervising you will ALWAYS pay you the bare minimum they can get away with.
I've been a copywriter and producer since the beginning of time, but have also been a supervisor of creatives for more than 30 years, and very few people I've managed or hired have asked for more money.  The fact is that I always had more to give, but was not giving it to you unless you ASKED.

If I offer you a salary of $50,000...chances are my range is $50-60.  You may not get the $60,000, but if you ask for $60, you might get $55.  Wow!  A $5,000 raise for just asking.

If I'm hiring you as a free-lancer and I tell you I'll pay you $250 a day, ask for $350.  We'll settle at $300 and you got $50 a day for doing...nothing but asking.

If you value your own worth, I like that.

I like to work with people who think they're worth more. 

A few years back, I hired a senior producer here in Portland away from a competitor.  I wanted him and he wanted to work for us, and after a week or so, I  finally made him an offer.  He said he wanted 24 hours to think about it, and I appreciated that.  This is what you should always do.

As much as he wanted to work for me, he asked for an additional $5K.  I didn't even hesitate and agreed.
He made $5K just for asking. 

I was NOT going to walk away from him because he asked.  I WAS going to respect him even more.
If I was already at the top of my scale, I would gently say "I'm sorry, but I can't do that," and the ball then is in the creative's court.  At this point, you know what you need and what your options are.

The final thing is that, as a manager, if I low-ball you and you come into the job with resentment that you're being underpaid, you become a real liability from the start, and you'll be using me as a stepping stone to someone who WILL pay you more.

Now, this may happen anyway, but why speed up the process?

I interviewed with a station in Chicago years ago for the position of assistant promotion director, and when I went silent over his offer, the manager asked if I wanted more money.  When I said "yes" he immediately gave me $5,000.  I was too timid.  I ended up turning the job down anyway, but for other reasons and eight years later, joined WMAQ as director of broadcasting--his job.

The point is to understand your value, ask for more and stand your ground.  Nobody will ever fire you because you ask for money.  They will respect you more.

If I can't afford you, I'll tell you.  I won't hate you.

--Rich Brase
rich@richideas.net