The Brooklyn Boardroom with J. Christopher: Recent Episodes
J. Christopher Hamilton, Esq.
Brooklyn Boardroom: The Bootcamp to Build Your Business. As an attorney, professor and producer with over 20 years in the entertainment industry, J. Christopher created the Brooklyn Boardroom to share his ongoing dialogue with Hollywood insiders (studio/network execs, writers/producers, agents/lawyers and CEO's) about the hidden creative and business methods that produce the magic on-screen.
Corporate Finance and Private Equity Expert, Corey Martin, Esq., provides a primer on capital markets, investment strategies, and corporate transactions in the media, tech and entertainment industries. He sheds insight on how to make strategic investment decisions in a fluid business environment.
Corey Martin is Managing Partner of Granderson Des Rochers LLP (“GDR”), an entertainment and media focused law firm with offices in Beverly Hills, California, and New York, New York. Mr. Martin is also Chairman of the GDR Corporate Department, where he oversees all corporate transactional matters involving the firm’s clients. Mr. Martin's clients consist of companies and talent representing music, film & television, digital media, sports and technology. Mr. Martin’s practice areas of expertise include Mergers & Acquisitions, Private Equity, and Corporate Finance. In addition to corporate transactional legal services, the GDR Corporate Department also provides strategic consulting and advisory services. In connection with its consulting and advisory services, the GDR Corporate Department supports entertainers, athletes, and celebrities seeking to achieve their entrepreneurial ambitions by structuring the formation of their companies and aligning them with venture capital, family office, and private equity investors.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/corey-martin-a5402525/
TIMECODED DISCUSSION THEMES:
15:43 Mergers & Acquisitions Explained - What does "M&A" stand for?
17:11 Private & Public Equity Investments - The difference between the two
21:01 Raising Capital - Corporate finance involves raising capital (equity and debt)
24:35 Initial Steps Before Fundraising - Perform due diligence on you and the business
32:05 Joint Ventures - Agreement vs. entity approach
38:03 The Importance of Relationships - What sort of strategic value will you be able to extract from one investor vs another?
44:52 Crowdfunding for Capital - Pros & Cons
46:17 Strategic Investments = Growth - It takes a village and an accelerant to go the next level
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United Talent Agency agent, Dean Fluker, gives his perspective on the professional expectations of being a talent agent, the current television/film content market, and the challenge of packaging literary projects with talent in a Covid-19 environment.
Dean Fluker is a Talent Agent at the leading global talent and entertainment company, United Talent Agency (UTA). He represents a large cross-section of artists. He began his career in entertainment as a concert talent buyer for the Student Commission on Programming Entertainment at the University of Iowa. He was also a trainee at ICM Partners and an agent at Jeff Berg’s Resolution before joining UTA. Prior to entertainment, Fluker started his professional career in politics as a Field Organizer and Youth Vote Director on the 2008 presidential campaign for then-Senator Barack Obama. In 2009, he joined the Obama Administration as a political appointee, where he served for 3 years, working on President Obama’s healthcare bill and First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! Initiative against childhood obesity.
TIMECODED DISCUSSION THEMES
6:39 Developing Client Opportunities in TV - Actively casting projects & looking at material
9:24 The Talent Agency Structure - Talent & literary departments create the foundation
11:21 Talent Agent: Visionary & Entrepreneur - You have to have a short term POV and a long term POV
16:23 Remember: Respect. Empower. Include. - Don't do anything you wouldn't want to see on the cover of Time magazine
25:17 Core Principal: Passion - Passion about what you do and who you represent
34:03 The Economics of Covid-19 - Talent's value will not change
43:44 Staying Relentless, Humble & Hungry - Sometimes you need to slow down and "read the room"
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“Empire,” “Star” and “Brooklyn’s Finest” writer Michael C. Martin, provides insight on how to successfully navigate Hollywood and build a career as a writer/producer in TV and film.
Michael C. Martin is a screenwriter/TV writer/director from Brooklyn, New York. The Brooklyn College alumnus has worked in the industry for 15 years with various credits in feature films as well as broadcast and cable TV. Michael has worked alongside preeminent showrunners like Shawn Ryan and Lee Daniels, and trailblazing filmmakers like Antoine Fuqua and Sylvester Stallone. Currently, Michael is developing TV projects for pay cable and is working on a feature film hoping to shoot next year.
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2130654/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1
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Yahoo Partnerships Executive, Nikki Thompson, brings her expertise on digital platforms to the Brooklyn Boardroom. She walks us through the different kinds of monetization strategies that are available for digital platforms, and recommends that the key to success is finding a great engineer.
Nikki Thompson is the Director of Multicultural Content at Verizon Media. Her responsibilities include spearheading strategies to grow audiences, acquiring and retaining diverse audiences, and outputting more multicultural content.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikki-thompson-williams-aba42429/
TIMECODED DISCUSSION THEMES:
3:14 Data Collection & Conversions - Selling data makes you a big game player
5:35 Advertising Revenue Streams on Digital Platforms - Traditional display & Pre-roll
8:55 Finding the Perfect Balance Between Practicality & Monetization - Users will not dig for content
10:44 Which Monetization Strategy is Best for Your Platform? - Display, Pre-roll, Search
13:15 The Anatomy of Search Engine Advertising - Once a sponsored ad is clicked, monetization occurs
16:03 Creating Organic Audiences Through Native Advertising - Native ads have the lowest barrier to entry
19:41 How to Get Started in Native Advertising - Facebook vs. third-party site
21:58 Finding a Great Engineer - Take a chance on people who build apps
25:22 How Much Traffic is the Right Amount of Traffic? - At least a million monthly visitors will attract advertisers
28:13 Key Differentiators Between the Major Search Engine Players - Yahoo vs. Google vs. Bing vs. AOL
32:28 How to Advertise Your Company on a Major Search Engine - Small subsyndication companies
35:06 Programmatic Ad Networks - Liason between advertisers and publishers
39:14 Print Advertising - Luxury brands love print
41:48 Verticals - What is it and why do I want it?
42:58 When the Audience is Most Engaged - Seasonality, hotspots, and reputations in future partnerships
45:29 'Impressions' are Key Within the Event Space - Luxury vs. traditional partners
48:55 Buying & Selling Domains - The domain game
Netflix Talent Acquisition Executive, Erica Sewell, walks us through everything she's learned from her 20+ years in the business. Her advice on how to land (& keep) your dream gig comes at an ideal time as many struggle to find, and maintain, steady work in the COVID-19 era.
Erica Sewell is a creative talent leader with a diverse work history in the realms of entertainment, technology, higher education, foundation, arts, music, digital media, fashion, and retail. She has professional experience in Talent, Global Recruitment, Development, Creative Partnerships, Employer Branding, Inclusion & Diversity, and Program Management. Erica currently works in Talent Acquisition at Netflix.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericasewell1/
TIMECODED DISCUSSION THEMES
1:32 Background - How Erica found her place in Content Creative Talent Acquisition at Netflix
5:28 Work Culture – How the work environments in fashion, agencies, and Netflix compare
9:45 Voicing an Opinion - How much to say and when to say it
10:32 Unexpected Career Paths – How a job can be different than you might've expected
12:20 On Diversity & Inclusion – Inclusivity in the entertainment industry
15:25 Socioeconomics - Comparing the number of African Americans on screen vs. in the boardroom
16:25 On Privilege - The financial burden of attempting to be a successful black executive
19:13 Recruiting Skills – The importance of being well versed in the key areas
23:50 On Recruiting – The type of personality recruiters look for when hiring
26:00 The Right One – Common traits to look for when you found the right person for the job
31:00 The Work Competition - Pitfalls people fall into when working next to powerful and smart colleagues
33:11 On Mentoring - The importance of finding a mentor or a friend in the industry
34:48 On Geography – Industry relationships in NY vs. in LA
37:29 On Politics - How to survive a politically charged environment
38:58 Toxic Situations - How to properly deal with toxic situations
43:00 COVID-19 – Ways to adapt to the pandemic and build important relationships online
49:12 Workshop - Tips when reentering the workforce and resume workshops
WATCH THE FULL SERIES ON YOUTUBE:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhNstQZwmyw9s9RNr6Z2h5gmm_eL1gh9f
THE BATTLE BETWEEN THE MEDIA POWERHOUSES IS FULLY UNDERWAY AS THEY CLASH WITH THE TECH TITANS STREAMING SERVICES LIKE APPLE TV, NETFLIX AND AMAZON PRIME.
LEARN WHY THE ENTERTAINMENT CONTENT ECOSYSTEM IS FRAGMENTING AND WHERE TO LEVERAGE OPPORTUNITIES BY LISTENING TO A PRESENTATION I GAVE ON THE TOPIC EARLIER THIS YEAR.
Lionsgate Litigation Expert, Robert Mason, and UrbanflixTV General Counsel, Lawrence C. Hinkle II, on how to handle legal disputes, claims, and controversies in the entertainment industry.
Robert Mason is currently the SVP of Business & Legal Affairs at Lionsgate Entertainment with a background in IP litigation and enforcement. He also has extensive knowledge and experience with Copyright, Trademark, Right of Publicity, Defamation, and Breach of Contract.
Lawrence C. Hinkle II is UrbanflixTV's active COO and General Counsel. Prior to UrbanflixTV, Lawrence was the chair of Fox Rothschild LLP in the firm's Entertainment Litigation Practice Group where he counseled clients on various topics related to business disputes and litigation prevention.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-mason-584963139/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrence-c-hinkle-ii-56555713/
Former ABC Publicity Executive, Sharon Liggins, talks to us about how to launch (& manage) a successful publicity campaign. She gives us insight on what to look for when finding a publicist and shares tips for how to properly deal with crisis management.
Sharon Liggins has deep experience as an in-house PR executive at global media companies such as NBCUniversal and Disney/ABC. She is currently an enterprising consultant for emerging SVOD/OTT start-ups, dynamic content creators, and creative talent and organizations. Recent projects/clients include Aretha Franklin concert doc Amazing Grace, indie film Horror Noire and art exhibition Soul of a Nation at The Broad Museum. She also conceived the idea for the TV Academy’s Dynamic & Diverse Emmy nominee reception.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonliggins/
X-Google Executive, Nadine Shelton, breaks down blockchain and cryptocurrency for us. She explores the basics of both, and provides us with her predictions on how the technologies will be utilized in the future.
Nadine Shelton is an emerging tech specialist and X-Googler who approaches all projects with a diversity and inclusion lens. She is currently the owner of All for One as a Product Analyst, and she has prior experience at Youtube and DoubleClick. Nadine has applied her skills to Live Stream troubleshooting and Product Operations.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadineap
TIMECODED DISCUSSION THEMES:
3:37 The Basics - Understanding the basics of Blockchain and Cryptocurrency
5:35 What is Blockchain? - A secure verifiable tracking system
6:35 Historical Context - Understanding the history behind Blockchain and Cryptocurrency
7:59 Mechanics - How to use the technology
10:25 Key Players - Understanding the players in Blockchain
12:09 Beginner's Guide - How to get started in Cryptocurrency
15:34 Helpful Resources - Where to find more information about Cryptocurrency and Blockchain
17:27 Crypto vs. Stocks - Trading Cryptocurrency like stocks
18:18 Money Mining - Making money mining on Blockchain
21:21 Alternate Use - Blockchain as a self-policing tracking system
25:34 Crypto vs. Online Banking - Cryptocurrency is similar to online banking
30:28 Strategize - Cryptocurrency investment strategies
32:52 Everyday Uses - How to use Cryptocurrency in everyday life
34:53 Predictions - Nadine's thoughts on the future uses of this tech
Former BET/MTV Executive, Sean J. Johnson, walks us through how to make a profit when you're in the business of producing unscripted content. He shares how to get started in that world and how to stay in it by correctly, and successfully, leveraging your deal.
Sean J. Johnson is an entrepreneur and innovator at heart. He is an entertainment executive with extensive legal, production, and development experience in highly competitive markets. Sean currently works as the Head of Business and Legal Affairs at Fuse Media, and has an executive background at BET Networks, MTV Networks, and Viacom.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanjoelljohnson/
TIMECODED DISCUSSION THEMES:
00:37 Production Landscape - How the game for production companies has changed
3:41 Dissecting the Production Budget - Profit margins in the budget & how to make money as a production company
5:53 Keep 'Em Coming - The necessity of having multiple projects in development
6:43 Networks & Production Companies - How the network and production company relationship works
8:21 Production Company Basics - How to pitch and prepare to be a production company in this business
11:07 Deal Leverage - The right creative and production assets that will give you deal leverage
12:29 The Nuts and Bolts of the Deal - The steps and fees from development to production
15:55 Paper Development to Series Production - The process & time frames
17:34 Relevance of Producing Partners - Big names give you momentum
19:14 Maximizing Your Assets - Deal leverage points
21:18 Where’s the Money? - The hunt & hurdles of profit participation
27:00 Understanding Backend and Profit - What’s the money & meaning behind the math
34:31 Digital Distribution & Download Revenue - Who shares in that monetization?
37:29 Separate Pot Accounting - What is it? Why is it relevant?
38:28 Content Production Hierarchy - Projects with the biggest margins
Pepsi Marketing Executive, Javier Farfan, is a multicultural marketing expert discussing how you can best leverage your next marketing campaign and business venture. He sheds light on the institutional racism that stands at the core of many marketing campaigns and gives us insight into what a successful launch looks like.
Javier Farfan strives to always work towards the greater good. He is currently a strategic advisor to Anheuser-Bush, Miller Coors, and Tidal (Jay-Z's streaming service). His executive experience spans across many well-known companies including Microsoft, Verizon, Pepsi, MTV Tres, Nickelodeon, JP Morgan Chase, and Accenture. Javier has degrees from Binghamton University (BA), Columbia University (MA), and New York University (MBA).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/javierfarfan/
TIMECODED DISCUSSION THEMES:
3:16 First Comes First - Before you get started, you must have a solid understanding of your market, research, and consumer
8:30 Helpful Resources - Where to find the right tools to help run your campaign and examples of successful campaigns
11:50 Cultural Context - Understanding the importance of cultural context
13:50 Eye of the Beholder - People from other cultures do not see themselves as ethnic
19:00 Basics - How and when to launch a marketing strategy
23:33 Marketing Experts - How, when, and why to hire a Marketing Expert for your business and what to pay them
31:00 Institutional Racism - The institutional racism that leads to culturally offensive marketing campaigns
34:00 $$$ - Multicultural marketing dollars cultivating culture in Black & Latino programming
39:00 How to Push the Culture Forward - #BET #UNIVISION #REVOLT #TIDAL #UNIVISION
Berkeley Diversity Chief, Dr. David Porter, gives us insight on the harsh reality of unconscious bias in the workplace. He gives tips on how to best navigate this bias and how you can leverage your millennial advantage.
Dr. David Porter is the former Executive Director of the Walter Kaitz Foundation which is a non-profit organization founded in 1981 devoted to providing opportunities for people of color, women and the LGBT community, within the cable, media and entertainment landscapes. Dr. Porter’s early research has focused on the psychological and sociological underpinnings of unconscious bias and their impact on race and gender issues in the workplace. His research suggests that managers' perceptions of their subordinates are affected by the composition of the work group of which they are a part and by individual differences such as race and gender. Dr. David Porter holds five degrees, 2 from Harvard and 3 from Stanford.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidporterjr/
Google Executive, Constance Knight, explains how you can successfully take your digital media platform to the next level. She takes us step-by-step on how to begin, who to partner with, and how to measure success in the digital sphere.
Constance Knight's core strengths include, but are not limited to, content strategy, deal structure & negotiations, and revenue growth & monetization. She is currently the Head of Multicultural Content Partnerships for Google/Youtube where she is responsible for managing account strategy and content licensing negotiations for the distribution and monetization of digital content based on ad-supported and subscription revenue models.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/constanceknight/
TIMECODED DISCUSSION THEMES:
1:14 How to Evaluate and Measure a Business - Earnings Per Share; EBITDA; Market Capitalization
3:40 Key Performance Indicators for a Digital Business - Click-thru rates and social engagement metrics
4:53 Marketing & Promotion Tools for Digital Businesses - Digital media buys, sponsorships, and brand integrations
6:30 Brand Integrations & Sponsorships - What are they? And how can you effectively use them in your digital business?
9:40 Resources and Publications for Info on the Biz - Dun & Bradstreet, Tech Crunch and Google Trends
11:50 Growing Trends - Live-streaming, cord-cutting, and TV as the new content portal
14:22 Chromecast - Understanding it and navigating it
17:08 VR & AR - Growing trends of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR)
19:24 YouTube Spaces - Available for YouTube creators and #YoutubeBlack is the Black Community on Youtube
20:51 OTT Marketplace - Opportunity to reach niche markets
22:31 Growing Markets - People of Color and Multi-Cultural Audiences
26:00 Net Neutrality - Issues surrounding it
As an attorney, professor and producer with over 20 years in the entertainment industry, J. Christopher created the Brooklyn Boardroom to share his ongoing dialogue with Hollywood insiders (Studio/Network Execs, Writers/Producers, Agents/Lawyers, and CEO's) about the hidden creative and business methods that produce the magic on-screen.
Listen & Learn as real stakeholders and foot soldiers unlock your access to the industry.
PAST GUEST AFFILIATIONS: GOOGLE, APPLE, FACEBOOK, LIONSGATE, NETFLIX, TV-ONE, THE GRIO, YAHOO, FUSE MEDIA, MTV AND BET