 | |
| Danny Saber (L) and Traci Guns (R) |
I had a chance to catch up with Danny recently and wanted to share our conversation and immensely valuable insight that grew from our discussion. You can see from the brief bio I included above that Saber is one of the most sought after and respected professionals in the entertainment industry. It is too rare that we get to learn from someone of his caliber, most of the people writing the industry books have not achieved his level of success, so please take these lessons to heart and apply them to your own career.
A motto that was passed down through the generations in Danny's family is "One man cannot cheat an honest man because an honest man isn't looking for something from nothing." The phrase tells you a lot about the soul of Saber. He is one of the gems in the entertainment business in terms of both skill and character. He tries to always create a win-win situation, provide the best possible results for all involved, work hard, be genuine, honest, and a friend to all. He'll quip that he "learned more about negotiation working in a tuxedo store then he did in the entertainment industry" before explaining that is was that experience at a young age that began his study of business and the lessons apply to every project he has been involved with since.
We discussed how the entertainment business seems to attract a few more of the types of people who desire the benefits from the industry but aren't willing to put in the work. These are the ones who "act to take advantage of you, while quality professionals are working hard to strike a fair deal". He stresses that it is vital to control negative emotions that may arise during a negotiation. His technique for this that comes so easily from his personality is to try to view the negotiation and the situation from the other side. I often see recurring patterns based on the personality types of those involved or the type of negotiation I am involved in. I often spend a small amount of time thinking through a negotiation before it happens but try to go into it as open minded as possible."
We both agreed that there are equal positive and negatives in creating deals with people you know vs. strangers and that it is probably easier to deal with people you do not know. When deciding to accept a job Danny has 3 questions he always asked himself during the planning stage:
1) How much do I like these people,
2) How much do I like their material or project (Movie/TV/Live Performance/Video Game etc.)?
3) How much does it pay?
He calls this his "Money to Grief Ratio". This is a fantastic lesson! If you take little else from this article remember to create your own "Money to Grief Ratio". To do this create 3-10 questions that apply to your career. This is a lesson I learned the hard way. I am a very helpful person by nature and want to see others succeed. I also have an intense work ethic and in the past had a very hard time turning down work even when I had more then enough of it at the time. For years I was constantly taking on work and having to put in 16-20 hour days to complete it all. I had less time for my fitness, family, loved ones, and for myself. It made me begin to resent the work and those offering it. Learning to filter out what work was most beneficial to me and what work I would enjoy doing the most enabled me to create a much better life for myself. Danny stated simply "If I like it I'll do it!" That is how you find yourself operating at peak levels of performance in your life and career. When you reach the point where you no longer need to do projects that you don't like for the money you will have achieved much. If you have bills to pay and you have work offered then accept the work as joyfully as you can and be grateful for it. At a certain point, you need to have enough faith in yourself to know that if you turn down a project that is not right for you one that is right for you will come along quickly. One of the best pieces of advise that I ever received is "to know that no matter what happens in your life or career you can handle it". When you take that message to heart by reflecting on your life and knowing that it is true, it provides you with a proper level of confidence, a sense that everything will work itself out if you do what you need to, and it creates a sense of calm inside you that does not go away with the latest headlines.
There is a Golden Rule between a producer and artist(s): "Never talk money in the creative environment". If possible those matters should be handled by competent representation to never muddy the relationship. "Mick Jagger is the greatest business man I've ever seen in the biz. He develops a clear vision of what he wants, calls the shots, and hires quality people to execute his plans. He runs it like a CEO would run his boardroom. He never relinguishes control and is detail orientated but he hires quality people and trust them to perform their duties". If you do just a little bit of research you'll find Danny is correct about Jagger. He's had success on the charts, on the stage, and in the bank but he learned from very expensive lessons. The key is he studied his situation, understood his own strengths and weaknesses, and consistently works his plan. Perhaps Maroon 5's new song "Moves like Jagger" is referring to his business moves and not his dance moves?
For artist and producers reading this he offered a few quick tips:
1) TV contracts are budgeted and fairly rigid in their compensation and structure. They are not overly complicated. There is some flexibility to increase compensation and other benefits but you better have leverage to get it.
2) Deals between producers and record companies are simple and easy. What will change it is the amount of cash that is paid to the producer in advance vs. points on the back end. The more cash at the start the less on the back-end. This makes it vital for the producer to properly access who he/she is agreeing to work with, what are their chances of success and is their record, distribution, and other backers committed to their success.
3) You must protect your rights to all of your work now and in perpetuety. If 20 years from now they release an album you did in a new format that no one ever thought of, you need to be compensated. Many artist contracts are so specific to their compensation (for Record, Tape, or CD) that when a new format like MP3's or DVD came out the artist earned no compensation for it other then increased exposure.
4) Choose wisely in who you decide to work with. Friction is often created by those who cannot understand the value of your work because they lack expertise. In the entertainment business people that know little-to-nothing start record or production companies because they can financially afford to do so and have ideas of what working in "the biz" will be like. "You have to overcome people who don't understand music. If you didn't know anything about plumbing you don't start a plumbing business but people do it all the time in music and film." This can create a less then ideal work environment when a producer or artist is creating a valuable work and someone who is tone-depth but in a position of power is telling them what it should sound like and how to do their jobs. No one enjoys being micro-managed but if you do not structure your entertainment deals properly understand that you will. I spoke with Michael Uslan who has been a producer on all of the Batman films made since the 80's. He explained how it took him so long to even have the first one made but not for any logical reason. He told the story of one meeting where a head of one of the major studios he was pitching it to explained "but Michael there just isn't a market for it right now. We just did Robin and Maryann and it didn't do so well." He left confused and the only explanation he's been able to come up with in the decades since is that the executive thought that Robin Hood was the same Robin as in Batman and Robin! Imagine trying to explain your vision to have someone believe in it so it can become reality and having to deal with people who don't understand creating unnecessary stress and roadblocks. Michael went on to talk about laughing his head off for 30 straight minutes on the phone when Director Tim Burton was explaining why Michael Keaton would be perfect to play Batman, seriously thinking Burton was joking around. He said the only thing he really got that he wanted from the first couple films was the set designer. Even when they started making Batman movies they were not making the ones he envisioned and worked so hard for. He told me that it was not until Christopher Nolan created Batman Begins and the Dark Knight that his goals for the Batman franchise were reached.
Danny told me that "the studios didn't want Godfather to be released because they said it was too dark, they didn't understand it, and no one would like the music." The creative forces behind Godfather knew what they were doing and the public has understood it for decades now but a few people at the studio had no clue. Luckily they made lots of money from it despite their ignorance but it highlights a potential pitfall of the entertainment industry.
Choose wisely who you partner with, set yourself up in the best possible position to win and try to surround yourself with good people who will build bridges for you rather then create roadblocks to success.
@ All Photos Copyright Danny Saber.
No comments:
Post a Comment