Author: Leslie Burns

Why do actors now get millions of dollars per film? And directors? Simple: they are the creative backbone to the product–the film–and they now realize their value to the industry. Sure, we want to hurl when we hear about a not-so-great actor getting $20 million for a film, but when you look at what money the studios make, suddenly that $20 million isn’t quite so much. In 2003, the studios had receipts over $42 billlion. And they are making money, even with high advertising costs, salaries, etc.

Way back in 1919, people like Charlie Chaplin realized that it was they, the creatives, who made the greatest contribution to the financial success of the film industry. To more fairly distribute the funds their creativity earned, they created United Artists–in other words, to keep more of the money their creativity, well, created.

Fast-forward 90 years, and creatives in Hollywood are again getting it–the financial realities of their industry. Rather than standing idly by and cursing the injustice, actors, directors, writers and others are demanding to be compensated appropriately for their contributions. As much as I don’t care for Tom Cruise, when Paramount said “Bend to our will” he said “No” and, instead, “bought” the barely extant United Artists.

I say we should look to Hollywood as examples of the strength of individual creatives. We can, each of us, stand up for our contributions to the advertising ($240 billion, 2005 according to one source, $104+ billion for the first 9 months of 2006 according to another, but it’s probably actually more, depending on how you run the numbers), editorial, and other industries–contributions which drive those numbers.

If one actor can get a percentage of a film’s total revenues for their creative fee, why is it unreasonable to expect similar numbers for equally vital creative contributions?

If we cannot unionize in the traditional sense, perhaps now is the time to consider new, alternative methods for banding together. The money is there. Creatives deserve their share.

There have been some minor changes made to the BAP website–a few links added, a tweak to the text here and there. You may find some info you missed before and there is a new Manual posted, for those of you who don’t get them delivered directly via the Free Manuals in Your Email service (details here, at the bottom) or who signed up fairly recently.

The most important bit of news on the site is the blurb about my upcoming speaking tour. In April and May of this year, I’ll be heading east. The final details are still being worked out, but if you are in any of these cities (or nearby) this will be a chance to learn some important things directly from me (and a chance to ask questions!):
Austin, TX
Charlotte, NC
Atlanta, GA
Richmond, VA
Washington, DC
Boston, MA

Each city will also have times available for one-on-one meetings. One note: I’ll also be in Philly, PA but only for a few one-on-one meetings (no speaking engagement).

Sign-ups and more information will be posted as soon as we get the details worked out, so keep checking in!

PDN has a list of several photo competitions with upcoming deadlines. Check ’em out. Also check out the American Photographer/American Illustrator ones too. And the Communication Arts competitions aren’t that far off either; Photo in March, Interactive in January, Illustration in March.

People often ask whether it’s worth submitting to these competitions and I have to say my answer is yes…and no. After having been a judge, I can tell you that getting in (winning) is essentially a crap-shoot–it’s all depends on what those particular judges like/dislike at that time. But, if you do get in, it can be the thing that really gets your business moving. In other words, it’s a gamble and everyone has her/his own tolerance for that kind of risk/reward equation.

I think if you can afford to “lose” the entrance fees, you should be entering.

Best of luck!

Seth Godin has another great post–this one is about being remarkable. In any creative business these days, this kind of thinking is incredibly important. The low-end is gone (thanks to incredibly cheap services from places like China and India) and the middle ground is falling. If you want to be successful today, you need to be remarkable.

You need to go after what you really want and to do that you have to commit to the doing. Get off your butt, stop whining about the lowballer across town and make the leap. Yes, you may fail and fail spectacularly but doing what you’ve been doing isn’t going to work anymore and will assuredly lead to eventual failure.

Which would you rather do:

1. Play it “safe” in the short term, continue doing what you have been doing, not scaring off potential clients and not being honest to the full creative you that is inside; keeping in the middle and having lots of people like you. Don’t call out lowballers in public and don’t say anything that might make you look “difficult.” Make some money today, less tomorrow, and hope that something happens to make things better eventually.
or

2. Let your passion out–create the work you’ve always wanted to create. If it offends or scares off some people, fine, they’re not the right people to work with. Find the people who share your passion and get your stuff in front of them. Ask for legitimately high fees and protect your rights to the hilt. Tell companies that send you lousy contracts that you will not sign them and send your own. Don’t budge. Don’t bend. Toot your own horn and love every minute of the process. Challenge the status quo. Do great work, knowing full well that you might not be successful, but at least you’re doing everything you can to be successful–not just waiting for “something to happen.”

Give me #2. Abso-friggin’-lutely.

At the beginning of the year quite often a businessperson’s thoughts turn to planning. And that’s a good thing. It’s a smart idea to think about what your goals are for the year and start plotting ways to achieve them. For example, if you want to make $X (a specific amount), how will you make that happen? What are the steps? Breaking goals down into small, schedule-able events will turn those goals into reality. Works for things you don’t like, too, or things you just have to get done (like paying your quarterly taxes–why not put those dates and reminders into your calendar today?).

Planning also helps you to see what direction your business is moving in. It gives you the opportunity to stop reacting and start being pro-active (though I loathe that buzzword, it is accurate here).

It’ll also help you to feel less overwhelmed and more in control. When you’re a small businessperson it’s easy to feel like there is just too damn much to do to do what you want to do. When you plan it out, you can see how to make both the stuff you “hafta” do and the stuff you “wanna” do fit. It also helps you to see the stuff you can dump because you don’t really “hafta” do it after all.

If you need help in this area, don’t forget about the Monthly Maintenance packages. A little coaching to get you on-track might be just the jump-start you need.

Here there’s no exception to the planning–a busy year awaits and I’m trying to make sure it all happens as best befits my business, my clients, and me.

In 2007 I’ll be doing a fair amount of traveling, most importantly for a series of speaking events in April and May. The details aren’t finalized yet (stay tuned) but if you’re in one of the cities I’ll be visiting, you’ll have the opportunity not only to meet me, but to ask me your burning marketing and business questions! I’ll also be offering one-on-one consultations. Don’t miss you chance to pick my brain in person!

Additionally, I’ll be keeping up with the podcasts and the manuals (have you signed up for Free Manuals in Your Email yet?) and working on my new book on marketing (no title as yet) as well as the audio version of my first book (which is taking much longer than originally projected–see, even we pros have things go amiss!).

And, of course, I’ll be working with my clients, without whom I wouldn’t be able to do any of this (THANKS!). If you’re interested in working with me one-on-one, why not contact me today?

2007 is not even a week old and already there is harsh news in the photo/creative world. Saddam Hussein was executed and the images of the execution were captured by cell phone and released by a non-photographer. PDN has the story and in it they lightly discuss how so-called “citizen (photo-) journalists” are changing how the media acquires its images.

Ironic that PDN should be discussing a treat to photographers when its parent company, VNU, has recently issued a rights-grabbing contract, at least according to a thread on the Editorial Photographers forum (membership required).

[By the way, if you shoot editorial, you need to be a member of EP. Join now.]

Photographer Sion Tourig (blog) has a very interesting article on the “citizen (photo) journalist” threat and reality. It’s on The Register (UK).  He’s pretty savvy on these issues and is willing to say some things that many American photographers have been nervous or unwilling to admit. Pleasant? No. But the points he brings up are vital to the creative industries and should be seriously examined.

I’m particularly in agreement with what he has to say about Creative Commons & Copyleft at the end of the piece. Bravo.

And then there’s a thread on the HOW design forum that ticked me off. A designer posted looking for free fonts and I posted that as a creative professionals we should not seek the free or cheap from other creatives. It lowers the bar for everyone. I, unfortunately, then got my ass handed to me.  The rationale of “everyone does it” was used, and that, frankly, just proves my point.

Sigh.

In all this bad news, we can choose to moan and wallow, or we can get up and make things better. This is our business, our financial life, we’re talking about here.  Can we change how the media giants are getting free images from people with cellphones? No. But photographers can work to make outstanding images that amateurs with cell phones can’t make and these photographers MUST license those images and for a fair price. We should also all eschew the Creative Commons and Copyleft good-intentioned paths to ruin. We should all try to buy/license the best creative products we can and pay fairly for them.

We have to walk the path.

Those of you who regularly read this blog know that I am a big believer in facing reality but keeping a positive attitude. This year looks already like it is going to try us, but together we can not only stop things from getting worse, we can make some things better. All? No, not all. I think journalism in all its forms is so significantly infiltrated by money, greed, and power that photo-journalism may indeed be a dying profession. But it’s definitely not to late in other realms. We can’t sit on our hands any longer, though. Get up and make a difference today.

Just before the holidays I bought myself a fancy, girlie, cosmetic-related thingy at Nordstrom. About a week after the purchase I got a call to see if I liked the product. Then, last Saturday, I got this in the mail:

Handwritten, polite, and including the salesperson’s business card–this thank you note is a great example of personalization in marketing. When you are going after a small(er) group of targets, this is the sort of thing that will leave a great impression.

What have you thought about doing to reach out to those special, A-List clients? The ones you really want to get and to keep? Make it personal and you’re much more likely to make that special connection that will lead to the sale.

One last post for 2006…yes, a bit early but that’s because our offices are closed for the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day.

It’s been a great year for me. I got to meet and work with all sorts of amazing creatives, to lecture to even more, and my business has grown. I’ve got this blog and I’m doing podcasts. My first book came out, and people found it helpful. I’m lucky. And deeply grateful to all of you for making this possible. Thank you.
At the end of the year it’s easy to look back, and that’s a good thing to do. Take some time to think about where you were in January, 2006, and go back to 2005, ’04, etc.  Look at where you are now through the lens of who you were then. You’re probably more successful than you realize.

Take a moment to pat yourself on the back. You’re making your living as a creative professional–that’s a rare and wonderful thing. Remember your gift, honor your talent, and have a successful and joyous 2007.

…according to some guy in England (Hugh MacLeod) at least. And while I don’t agree with him 100% on every item, I mostly do, and when I don’t he still has a lot of very interesting thoughts. Some of my favorites have to do with not hiding behind tools and doing it for yourself. # 11 is pretty darn perfect, too. And #21. And #22. And…well, you get the idea.

Lots of it sounds familiar to my clients, too.

Just in time for the holidays, this bit of news: a European website may have sold YOUR images, for too little money and without paying you, the creator, anything. The fabulous Dabitch of Adland tells the story.

Fair? Of course not. It’s not even legal, but it’s not stopping them from doing it. If you’re a pro (especially) and find your images being sold by these thieves, get your lawyers on it, please.