Hello beautiful people!
Let’s talk brand at the corporate level.
Just Apple products, and how the people who love them don’t even think of Apple as a brand (they just know they like what they like), those brands who do it best — and who have been doing it for decades — are so well-branded that the work of it all disappears into the background. That’s ninja.
This connects to the work you’ve already done in identifying leaders of your style (Day 2), leaning into your youness (Day 8), being aware that there are some people whom you never need to bother trying to target (Day 14), and getting clear on the stories you were born to tell (Days 7 and 24) of course, but here’s how you’re going to start noticing the “behind the curtain” choices showrunners, networks, production companies, and studios make to convey how we’re meant to feel when we consume their (and your) stories.
Colors. Music. Word choice. Fonts. Wardrobe style. Cadence of language. The very texture of the whole dang experience… they’re connected in sometimes very intricate ways.
Here, take a tour with me through some FYC goodies to see the overarching brand of the major corporation even in different shows while I share one of my very favorite “brand adjustment” stories about how creators took the pilot concept for a show called Burn Notice from network to network.
The FYC machine is a bit of a political juggernaut. (Read about ninja Kim Estes’ experience getting shortlisted for an Emmy nomination here.) It’s way less about the art than we may want to believe. (And of course, Kim Estes went on to win the Emmy in 2017. Loads more on my blog about this ninja, here!)
For another tour of FYC goodies, visit my Stories HIGHLIGHTS section from your Instagram app or right here.
There’s a lot of bribing going on in the form of fancy catered parties, Q&As with stars and showrunners, of course all the loot they send out which — like for the act of clipping coupons — is way less about causing someone to watch the actual DVD (or redeem the actual coupons) and is way more about creating brand loyalty, a feeling of owing something, and of course in the case of FYC materials… getting votes from those who actually bother to do any voting.
And if the big guys in this business put so much thought into this, why shouldn’t we, as a means of aligning with their worlds sooner? Knowledge like this separates us from the fans. It makes us insiders. It allows us to do things that make us FEEL “at home” in their worlds before we’ve even intersected.
An actor who was born to be on Portlandia doesn’t scare off the casting team with a headshot in which he’s wearing a T-shirt with a pot leaf on it, but that same headshot would likely be a “no thank you” for the buyers on a Freeform show. Am I taking all the fun out of this Hollywood magic? Or are you feeling more empowered than ever?
Today’s work: Start gathering data about what networks, studios, and production companies look and feel like. Visit their websites. Check out their Instagram feeds. What colors and words and vibes are present in their every promo? Are you an aspirational Y&B (young and beautiful) CW person? Maybe you’re a brightly-colored and buoyant Nickelodeon type? Or you’re dark and edgy, kickin’ it FX style? Even though there are variations in the assets they put out, there’s still an overarching feel to all things Disney. (For those of you in Expansive Capacity, you already know this is a function of their brand manifesto, of course.)
When you hear about certain distribution entities purchasing hit films at Sundance, you know they’re welcoming them into a fraternity that has a certain vibe. And it just makes sense. Why? Because the fit was already prepaved. Because the filmmakers were strategic in aligning TO the buyers before they ever even submitted the film to festivals. This is prepaving, y’all! Now we get to do some of that prepaving of our own.
Extra credit: If you can ever get your hands on catalogues passed around at buying markets like AFM or Cannes, you’ve struck gold. Not only are you learning which distribution entities go for which “names” (this is huge in my casting business, where I need to keep up with bankability and what will attract investors in low-budget indies based on the likelihood the project will sell at market or while doing rounds at festivals), you’re seeing those thruline colors across projects. You’re learning the common thread, and by extension, where you intersect with this world (or if you don’t).
Leaning toward the worlds with which you’re already brand-aligned is going to serve you very well, as buyers will begin to say, “Man, you were born to be on AMC!” to which you’ll react with that wonderful, “What a great idea you just had, you good-looking smart person!” type phrase (typically worded, “Ooh, I’d love that!”) because people like to discover stuff and we needn’t let them know how many breadcrumbs we’ve been dropping down the path to lead them there.
Feeling smarter already? 😉 Of course you are! Let’s DO this!
’til tomorrow… stay ninja!
