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Think Like a Producer:
A Strategy for Making It in the Media
By Cynthia Brian
As a media coach, I get a call almost every day asking for "just five
minutes" of my time so I can explain everything you need to do to be
successful on TV or radio. Of course, it's not that easy but since I've
been both a producer and a host for more than 25 years, I do understand
the challenges everyone faces.
Let me tell you one thing: It doesn't matter how great your product is;
the only way you will get yourself on a program is if you are able to"
give good show." That means you must not only have a great hook; you
must be able to pitch it with pizzaz and you must know your
demographics. Not everyone wants what you are selling, although you
might like to convince yourself that was true.
Think like a producer. Ask yourself what will grab the audience for
this particular show? What will bring in the ratings? What will provide
what I call edutainment--education combined with entertainment with
copious amounts of humor thrown in for good measure. Then
create your "hook." [subhead] Reeling Them In
A hook is not an issue. A hook is a statement that compels you to
listen to the speaker. Great hooks strategies do the following:
1.
Identify a problem (e.g., With both parents working, there is no one
at home to supervise the children, therefore teen drug abuse is rising.)
2. Point to an opportunity (e.g., You can land acting auditions if
you do just three things.....)
3. Explode a myth (e.g., Not everyone would cheat on their spouse
if they knew they wouldn't get caught.)
Your
hooks can and should change with the show you're approaching. [And they
should also grow and blend with the important events of the
moment.
Keep massaging your hook to compliment your message.
Show You Know Show Biz
Here are a few more tips for getting booked by the media:
•
Remember you are in show business. Everything is about "the
show."
• More than that-everything in the producer's mind is about this
particular show. So do your homework before approaching any TV or
radio producer. Actually watch and/or listen to that producer's
show and get familiar with the format.
• Get an easy to remember vanity phone number that will stick in
producers' minds and create a Web site that will give them valuable
information about you quickly.
• Brand yourself. Since my company is Starstyle® Productions,
everything showcases stars: my letterhead, my business cards,
my wardrobe, my phone number, my Website, my license plate. I am
known as "The
Star Lady--that's branding!
• Get media training with video feedback so that you know how you
look and sound. The video feedback is crucial. You'll be shocked
at first look!
• Make a list of 5-10 points you always want to get across on an
interview.
• Don't memorize your material...feel it from the heart.
• Put together a TV-friendly wardrobe-no red, white, black, large
prints, plaids or stripes. Wear colors that enhance your features
but don't dominate the lens. The best colors on camera are
blues, lavenders, pinks, greens, and yellows.
• Get a professional make-up artist and hair stylist to make you "
camera-ready" or teach you how to get ready for the cameras yourself.
• Make postcards. * Create a press kit in a glossy folder with your
business card on it. Make sure that your contact information is on
every single thing in the kit. Its contents should include:
• A professional black-and-white headshot of you
• a page about your book and possibly a related product and/or service
• a professional photo of your book and/or related product
• 8-10 questions that a TV or radio host could ask you
• a bio that qualifies you as an expert
• 3 or 4 pertinent news clippings.
• Be honest, fresh, and approachable. If you don't know the answer
to something, it's OK to say so.
• Be enthusiastic, energetic, passionate. Be fun
• Never, never, never give up.
Keep
in mind that no one was born a media star. It takes practice, patience,
and perseverance. Don't take your self too seriously, be able to laugh
at yourself and know that failure is just fertilizer, the compost for
your next garden.
And most of all remember that the media need you as much as you need
the media and that you have something to offer them that's valuable
and important to the people they're in business to please.
For more information on media coaching, contact Starstyle® Productions,
LLC at 925-377-STAR (7827).
© 2002 by Cynthia Brian
Cynthia Brian, President of Starstyle® Productions, LLC, is an acting and
media coach who has appeared in feature films, television shows, and over 500
radio programs. She hosts her own Starstyle® show
on cable TV and her books include the New York Times bestseller
Chicken Soup for the Gardener's Soul , The Business of Show Business (now in
its 13th printing) and Be the Star You Are! Web: www.star-style.com or www.starstyleproductions.com.
Email: cynthia@star-style.com |
