What the Producer Said...Sweet Sixteen.

In the movie business, there are two times during the year when “Big Movies” are released. Traditionally, the Fourth of July weekend is big for over the top action-packed blockbusters (which today seems to mean the latest awful version of a Super Hero movie).  Christmas, or rather, the Holiday Season is when the big family friendly movies come out.  In order to keep this post “evergreen,” I will let you determine which family movie took the top prize this weekend.

The other thing these two times of the year have in common, is they are your psychological career introspection peaks. (You can look this up if you don’t believe me).

Especially among those new, or a few years into the business, the summer and the end of the year represent big time decision periods.  Here is how it works.

In the summer, you start thinking raise and the timeline toward a promotion.  It’s not your fault.  In the summer, the prices go up on everything.  All the new Fall clothes come out, and you have just finished making your last payment on your share in (ugh) Hampton Bays. 

In a sense, this is your Action-Packed Blockbuster time of year. This is when you turn it on. All of a sudden you’re coming in (close to) on time. Knocking out the assignments like a Tyson blow.  And you want absolutely EVERYONE to see how spectacular you are.  In your mind, you are ready to blow up bigger than anyone has ever done it!  All that, and you want to make damn sure you are noticed by the people who dole out the Academy Awards.

Fast forward to the end of the year.  You’re probably 0 for 2.  You didn’t get the promotion and there is a “raise freeze.” (Code for “We only gave raises to those who can walk out the door with Clients.”)  The movie on the marquee has changed. 

Now you are in Holiday Season mode.  Instead of blowing people away, you’ve turned into the “feel good movie of the year.”  You’re displaying all the classic elements of the family movie.  You start thinking about how you are going to triumph over adversity. You fantasize about leaving the business to do that thing you really love.  And no matter what, you see a happy ending (Which usually has you signing an offer letter from another agency).  

So, here’s what. You are not unique when it comes to this.  Let me be more specific. I am writing this on December 27^th, so I want to let you know that you REALLY don’t want to open that bakery/bike shop/bed and breakfast/ that you think you do.  It’s the holidays talking.  And just like the movie biz, there will be another season coming along.  Stick with this business and I guarantee the golden statue will eventually come.  Feel free to thank me in your acceptance speech.   

 And…fade to black. 

What the Producer Said Catorce

One of my fondest memories from childhood is sitting in the bed with my mother and watching Andy Rooney on 60 Minutes.  This week, I would like to pay a little tribute in my own way. (This will be more fun for you if you read it thinking of his voice.)

I have this post-it on the lower right side of my laptop that has been sitting there for the last couple of weeks. It just says “Nice Guy.”  It’s a reminder to myself that I wanted to write about how it’s becoming more and more acceptable to be a nice guy in the advertising industry.

When I was a kid, all the successful businessmen in the movies (and most of them were men), all seemed to be mean.  Not the kind of mean where they’d call you names; the kind of mean where they kept the $8,000 dollars you need to save your bank; killed you and a bunch of other people during their kids christening; or bought all the stock in your dad’s company and then liquidated the company for profit.  That’s the kind of mean we all thought it took to be really rich.

When I started in the advertising business, there were mean people too. But they were a different kind of mean. Most of them weren’t rich. And maybe they were mad about that. So they were the kind of mean that yelled at their assistants; threw storyboards across the room; or sent you on a wild goose chase around Manhattan to find refrigerator magnets shaped liked little pizzas (If it’s still there the store is on 6^th Avenue and 57^th street). 

These days, with all this spiritual awakening; self help guru stuff and Dr. Oz cleaning out everyone’s colon…people just seem to be getting nicer.  Most bosses don’t yell. If an assistant starts crying everyone runs to their side.  And even people who get fired take the time to make a funny YouTube video thanking everyone at the company. Actually you can’t say fired anymore.  In the agency business getting fired means you went from being President of North America to CEO of Cleveland.

I, for one, don’t miss the mean people.  I hope we are truly getting to the point where “nice guys finish last” means they are the ones still standing. Because I know a lot of nice people in this business and they deserve to be successful. The last thing I want is for another generation to enter this industry thinking they need to be assholes to succeed.  Because I can tell you those days are over.

And incidentally, I’ve always thought of myself as a nice guy—even though I did once kill a bunch of people during a relative’s christening. Probably shouldn’t have brought my PSP to church that day.

Rest in peace Andy. We could have used a few more minutes.

And…fade to black.