Jolt! by Phil Cooke (whitelam books .TXT) 📕

Hollywood has always been a mysterious place full of intrigue, deals at the trendy lunch spots, and glitzy stars and starlets, and it’s captured a place in the hearts of the public because it deals in fantasy and escape. In that respect, it’s very different from industries such as insurance, retail, service, or transportation, and therefore few people on the outside really understand how it works.

Why is Hollywood so successful?

Because it understands the power of a good jolt. Most people think movies echo the cultural changes in society, but the fact is, movies take so long to produce, they have to begin years before they actually hit the theaters. That means producers and studio executives must be thinking about how the culture will be changing three to five years from today—particularly for major “event” movies.

Hollywood can’t be caught living on last year’s success. That’s why so few sequels make as much money as the original. By the time the first movie is successful, the trends are changing once again.

» CHANGE IS THE ENGINE THAT DRIVES THE MOVIE AND TELEVISION BUSINESS, AND CHANGE IS THE ENGINE THAT SHOULD DRIVE YOUR LIFE.

The principles we’ve discussed in this book are your tools for achieving that change, and they can have a major impact on any person, organization, or business. They have been tested over time and have proven to be foundational principles for success—the kind of success that reaps billions at the box office and has the potential to create cultural changes as well. The kind of success that has made Hollywood famous on a global scale and can help you discover your purpose.

The key is understanding the real meaning of power.

THE INFLUENCE OF POWER

It takes tremendous discipline to control the influence, the power you have over other people’s lives.

—CLINT EASTWOOD, AWARD-WINING MOVIE ACTOR AND DIRECTOR

Most dictionaries refer to power as “the ability to act, the capability to produce an effect, or the capacity to influence, either for good or bad.” There’s no question that since the beginning of the modern entertainment industry, movies and television programs have had enormous power. In fact, many would argue that the mass media has become the most powerful influence on attitudes and behavior in our culture today.

Culture critic Robert Johnston has noted that, as early as 1934, in the movie It Happened One Night, popular star Clark Gable acted in the movie without an undershirt to better display his physique and, thereafter, undershirt sales dropped dramatically nationwide. In fact, it was not until World War II when the military retrained men to wear undershirts that the crippled industry finally recovered.

And in 1942, when Walt Disney’s animated feature Bambi premiered, deer hunting in America dropped from a $5.7 million business to barely $1 million. (What kid would let his dad shoot Bambi?)

Even off camera, Hollywood exerts influence, as more and more movie and television stars have become activists for a variety of causes—even testifying before Senate committees.

The power and influence movies and television exert on the public seems to grow with each passing year. Notice the frenzy at a local fast-food restaurant involved in a joint marketing campaign with a new movie release or the extensive research being done by respected organizations into the impact movie violence, sex, profanity, or even smoking has on viewers, especially children and teens.

In a recent marketing alliance, a major Hollywood studio made a deal with a soft drink company to have their movie title emblazoned on one billion soft drink cans. In an advertising world governed by impressions, that’s a powerful strategy since not only will the soft drink buyers see the logo, but everyone who passes by the soft drink display in stores will see it as well—not to mention its presence in TV commercials and print ads.

There is no question that Hollywood understands power and influence. Whether it’s the power a movie star exerts to get his or her way on a film set, or the power and influence a movie has on the public, many would agree that power is the currency of the entertainment business. By that standard, the entertainment industry is easily America’s number one export. While we might think of agriculture, military equipment, or computer technology topping the list, the fact is, the entertainment industry exerts more influence globally than anything else this country produces.

THE POWER OF INFLUENCE

But ultimately, I’m not interested in power, I’m interested in influence. The media business is all about influence and the ability to change people’s behavior. That’s why the most successful entertainment companies and executives understand that Hollywood is not in the business of entertainment—it’s in the business of influence. Even the most creative writers, directors, and producers who might disagree with such a financial perspective, acknowledge that while they might not necessarily want the viewers to purchase a product, they do want the viewers to be influenced by ideas. Liberal, conservative, religious, secular, environmental, feminist, gay—whatever—every producer has a personal worldview, and that worldview is usually expressed at some level through his or her work.

How does this relate to you and your future?

By understanding influence, you begin to understand how to impact people’s behavior. But there are some critical keys to understanding the role influence plays in our lives.

Real influence is not about manipulation.

We’re not trying to control people and force them to bend to our will. We want our audience, our business associates, our customers, or the greater culture to be influenced in a positive way—to make their lives better, more fulfilled, and more successful. As you learned in “Negotiating 101,” when you force your opponents to comply, you may get their bodies, but you don’t win their minds. And to be successful, your audience must want what you’re selling, and want it from the heart.

Real influence requires integrity.

When I started directing actors, the first rule I learned was a good actor must always honestly listen to the other actors. Bad actors don’t listen during a scene;