Ford created more consumers for cars by doubling wages

Joining the debate whether private equity capitalists should create jobs

By Robin Rowe

HOLLYWOOD, CA (Gosh!TV) 9/12/2011 – In an op-ed piece at PEHub, editor Jonathan Marino argues that, “Private equity has a primary commitment to limited partners to generate returns.” Marino is advising private equity investors to steer clear of jobs creation. In fact, he recommends that capitalists slash more jobs through mergers and acquisitions, that the survivors will be better for it. This at a time when President Obama is asking Warren Buffett and Ford CEO Alan Mulally for help creating jobs. Who’s right?

Henry Ford doubled wages in 1914. He called it “one of the finest cost-cutting moves we ever made.” Most of Ford’s workers couldn’t afford to buy cars before that. The increase in wages created more buyers of Ford automobiles. Ford increased profits by increasing mass production. In two years the company’s profits doubled. More consumers is (more…)

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Web experts debate the business of Internet video at conference session on May 6th at 2:15pm

By Robin Rowe [Note: Robin Rowe is the organizer of the panel]

Hulu offers last 5 episodes of Glee free, more for paid subscription

HOLLYWOOD, CA (Gosh!TV) 5/5/2010 – The business of television content on the Internet. “Build it and they will come” is the new digital age web business model. The question is, is there any money in it?

“It’s interesting to see how many people will actually tune in more with video ads on content they want to see,” says Mingle Media TV executive producer Stephanie Piche. “In our case it’s live web TV broadcasts so the complaints we do hear are due to missing part of the show waiting for the ad to finish. We produce live video broadcasts with either a 15 or 30 second pre-roll before the live airing.”

“Finding that tipping point of retention is key,” says Slebisodes president Patrick Bardwell. “The pre-roll must retain its brevity or the viewer will click away. The lower thirds ads [that YouTube runs at the bottom of some popular videos] are annoying and take away from the video experience.”

“Advertising is going to have to (more…)

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Producers, social media experts and a distributor reveal secrets of using Facebook, Twitter and email for TV and film projects during session at Showbiz Expo on Sunday, April 25th

By Robin Rowe - Note: Rowe is one of the panel organizers

Heroes, Facebook and Twitter engage audience

HOLLYWOOD, CA (Gosh!TV) 4/24/2010 – “At Heroes we use social media sites to engage our audience,” says NBC-TV Heroes executive producer Adam Armus. “We give them details about characters and plots that they can only get if they log on.  It makes for a more interactive experience. Television plots and television characters are getting richer and deeper thanks to social media. We created a Twitter account for The Sullivan Brothers Carnival this past season on Heroes. It was great to see the audiences’ immediate feedback to a new element to our show. “

MTV-TV The Buried Life is being written into a textbook as a textbook example of how a show that starts as social media can become series television. Funny or Die is now a series on HBO. William Shatner will be starring as the dad in SH*T My Dad Says, a new series based on a hilarious Twitter feed.

“These young men took a two-week trip around British Columbia and came back to their email boxes filled with mail from fans,” says MTV-TV The Buried Life executive producer Jan Coleman. “We went into (more…)

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Looking for an unconventional work-from-home business? How about Dove chocolate?

By Gabrielle Pantera

Dove chocolate candy, a delicious home business

HOLLYWOOD, CA (Gosh!TV) 2/14/2010 – Mars, one of the largest candy companies in the world, has a secret. They can put you in the chocolate business with Dove Chocolate Discoveries, a venture that intends to make direct-selling a sweet experience. Hosts of the chocolate parties are “chocolatiers” who serve Dove chocolate or make it into special treats.

“The biggest financial advantage of becoming a chocolatier has been being able to pay a few of our monthly bills myself and having the ability to travel and see my friends and fellow chocolatiers,” says Dove chocolatier Ruth Miller. “Whether it’s a girls’ night out, a couples’ wine and chocolate evening, a moms’ play group breakfast or a child’s birthday, we have the entertaining idea to fit. No cooking experience necessary. But if you are able, you can experiment with new recipes until your heart is content.”

“With minimal startup costs, it’s the only direct-selling chocolate company and is perfect for stay-at-home moms or dads looking to make some extra money,” says Overcoming Underearning author Barbara Stanny. “In a time of such financial uncertainty (more…)

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LAVA start-up CEOs and VCs discuss improving economy at event on January 12th, 2010

by Robin Rowe

Greycroft Partners VC Dana Settle, anticipating more IPOs in 2010

HOLLYWOOD, CA (Gosh!TV) 1/11/2010 – “With a large number of companies in the IPO pipeline, if the market remains somewhat stable or improves there will probably be more IPOs than we’ve seen in quite a while,” says Dana Settle, the partner who oversees West Coast investments at early stage venture capital firm Greycroft Partners with its $75 million fund. Settle, along with Redpoint Ventures general partner Greg Martin, are moderating a breakfast panel of start-up CEOs at an event hosted by LAVA, the Los Angeles Venture Association.

“Capital will continue to be scarce in 2010 with a large number of venture funds raising their own funds,” says Settle. “But as always, there will be capital available to great new companies. Keeping focused with an eye toward profitability gives a CEO the greatest number of options.” For their investments, Greycroft looks toward ad technologies, online marketing, next generation e-commerce infrastructure and to a lesser extent cloud computing and wireless applications. One of Settle’s profitable start-ups with Greycroft investment is United Sample based in Encino.

“2009 was a strong year of growth for us,” says United Sample CEO Matthew Dusig, who’ll be speaking at LAVA.  Dusig says his company has experienced strong growth, despite the economy, with triple digit growth year after year. United Sample provides (more…)

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The year began with virtually every major studio in town telling small budget productions to go take a hike

By Dennis Toth R&R Consulting

HOLLYWOOD, CA (Gosh!TV) 12/22/2009 – The year 2009 is nearly over, and not a moment too soon. After exhaustive studies, scientists have firmly concluded that 2009 is the crappiest year in living memory. Undoubtedly it is the lousiest year of the 21st Century. It is barely equaled by 1914, 1918 and 1929 in the 20th Century. Heck, it’s almost tempting to say that 2009 is the worse year since 476 (that’s the rough date for the fall of the Western Roman Empire). (more…)

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Future of Film Summit looks for hope from Paula Wagner as Redbox slashes DVD prices

By Dennis Toth R&R Consulting

HOLLYWOOD, CA (Gosh!TV) 12/15/2009 - As far as Hollywood is concerned, the red menace is back. Last week, the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation released its report on the impact of low-rent DVDs through the Redbox system, and guess what – Redbox will result in the complete end of civilization. Like a biblical plague, the pesky little vending machines are in the process of (more…)

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Film budgets soar as Hollywood hopes for bigger box office

By Dennis Toth R&R Consulting

HOLLYWOOD, CA (Gosh!TV) 12/8/2009 - Like any sane person, I hate to keep beating a dead horse. So why does Pamela McClintock at Variety keep propping up the same smoldering corpse. OK, it seems to be her job to keep insisting that Hollywood is having a swell year despite all obvious signs to the contrary. But you would think (more…)

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Bankroll seminar and other Hollywood events for film and television professionals
By Robin Rowe

Bankroll by Tom Malloy, raised money to star in a film with Amy Smart

HOLLYWOOD, CA (Gosh!TV) 10/26/2009 – Bankroll book author Tom Malloy presented a seminar on how to bankroll your own film to a packed house at the 99-seat Lost Studio in Hollywood on October 24th.
Malloy described his experiences as an actor-producer financing his own films. Rather than wait for a casting director to cast him and the studio to greenlight the picture, he’s reached out to high net worth investors to back his films. His latest film, Love and Dancing, stars himself and Amy Smart.

Malloy says he likes to have film projects in the $250k to $6M range, that less than $250k would mean he’s working for free and that over $6M is unlikely to be profitable without studio backing. In pitching individual investors, Malloy says a key technique is to pitch to the vested interest. For example, a major investor in Love & Dancing is the owner of a chain of dance studios. And, Amy Smart loves to dance. Accepting the role meant she’d receive weeks of training from a top ballroom dancer.

http://bankrollthebook.com/

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