Wednesday, July 22, 2009

10 things I learned from watching Entourage.



The new season of Entourage is underway, and I'm a huge fan.

It's the only TV show that I watch, and it says a lot about Hollywood and it's culture albeit in an inflated, "fictional" reality way.

There are ten things I learned watching the show, which may or may not help me later in my career. These are:

1) The "arty" director always wins.

Billy Walsh stuck a finger to the establishment, and didn't care about money. Now that's not something I would follow, but his tactics to keep the suits away were formidable entries in a chess game of film making. Notes taken.

2) Listen to who can make you a deal.

Ari Gold was ALWAYS right. He's the man with the lifeline.

3) Don't listen to actors.

Vincent Chase don't know shit from Shynola. Evidenced in the Medellin storyline.

4) ALWAYS have another project set up.

In case the one you're working on bombs.

5) Spend wisely, but make the studio pay for the real things.

Like perks, trips, ect. Wanna hire me? fly me in. Wait, it's not like that anymore.

6) Make sure the posse has a job.

That way you're not the loyal breadwinner.

7) Studio execs are crazy.

And so are the description of the movies they make.

8) Don't trust what's not on paper.

Here today, gone tomorrow. It's not on the script? don't film it.

9) Keep family out the business.

Johnny Drama fucks things up routinely for Vince.

10) Lat but not least:

Play the eccentric, commanding, take no prisoners director well. It's your saving grace from the suits. But deliver no matter what capacity you're working on.

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