The Art of Positioning
Have you ever seen a billionaire cameraman?
They're the ones responsible for the blockbuster hits.
I mean without them, the movie would be nothing.
But why is that the actors and movie producers are the ones making the big bucks?
Why are the studios the ones who profit off the blockbusters?
Unfortunately for the camera men and women, they are just paid a salary :(
Salaries are fixed.
If you’re the camerman who filmed The Grinch (the greatest movie of all time), you were paid maybe $200,000 for your work.
Your work is arguably the most valuable and yet you were paid the least.
Why?
Negotiation Leverage.
Movie stars are very famous and have the strongest personal brands of all.
People LOVE movie stars.
SO they put asses in seats, which, in the movie business….is good for business
So the studios pay them outrageous amounts for them to be in their movie.
Movie stars have tremendous leverage.
Jim Carrey was probably the only person who could’ve turned The Grinch into the undisputed greatest movie of all time like it is.
As much as I love Bradley Cooper (and am often told I look just like him)
He wouldn’t have made as good of a Grinch as Jim would’ve right?
So, Jim Carrey can drive up the price for his work.
Can a cameraman?
No. They could easily find someone else to do it.
So they have no leverage.
Directors?
Directors are like actors. They have their own super powers which makes them the right fit for these jobs.
They know it & the Studios know it.
Negotiation leverage.
Equity.
The one who makes the most money in this situation is the studio.
They own the movie aka meaning the equity.
When you own equity, you own the profits to the business (or movie).
The PnL (Income Statement) for the movie looks like this
Revenue - costs = profits
Revenue: all sales
Costs: everything it takes to make the movie
Whatever is left after that is all profit.
If done correctly, that’s BIIIIG money.
In some ways, even the actors/directors get ripped off.
They maybe are only paid $50M when the studios makes $5Billion :((
The Art of Positioning
Positioning is everything in life.
I learned this from the Legend Felix Dennis.
He said:
When it comes to your career, you have two choices:
become really good at a skill, and sell that skill to a company in exchange for wages
Or, start the company and employ the people who are really good at the skills you need
Those who choose option 1 have capped upside.
They can be the BEST in the world at what they do, and even make millions of dollars (cameraman)
But, those who employ them are the one’s who have the *chance* to make billions because they own the equity (studios)
If you want to make money, go after the main man.
Get in the business of making money, not trading your time/skills for wages.
Plus, you belong on the big screen not behind the little one.
Steven Spielberg’s yacht:
Leo… iconique :
Just not the poor cameraman.
I suppose this is the Art of Positioning in a nutshell:
One small decision is responsible for whether you will be on the yacht than on the dock.
Trust me on this: much better to be on the yacht.
Reminder: the industry needs cameramen…sometimes you don’t have that choice of deciding your career…your career choses you…what will shift the balance in the future to allow cameramen to become millionaires is to fight for a fair and just salary like a “Bonus After Success” if the movie is a hit they redistribute the profits among all the people that contribute to it…
At the end of the day, there cannot be only entrepreneurs in the world, we need people of the trade too and a balanced society…