Talent Management - January 2009 - (Page 30)

How Hollywood Manages Talent and What You Can Learn Bill Perry Hollywood producers and directors need a few tricks of the trade to deal effectively with Tinseltown drama, but there are quite a few similarities between talent management for actors and that for any other employee. I n Hollywood, “talent” is shorthand for “performer,” as in, “Let’s get the talent on the set.” When an actor’s performance stirs our imaginations, it’s often because of the relationships forged between the talent and the people behind the camera. Hence, talent management is priority No.1 in Tinseltown. Like an HR executive lauded for ﬁnding an employee with senior-management potential, Hollywood executives earn their keep by discovering and developing talent. Getting a gut feeling about someone’s star power is critical to know when to make an investment. But to suggest that Hollywood executives rely simply on hunches would be selling their skills short. In Malcolm Gladwell’s best-selling book, Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, he writes about the power of split-second decision making based on ﬁrst encounters. Gladwell said experts know when to rely on their ﬁrst impressions and when to overrule them. In Hollywood, as in most industries in which the acquisition of top talent is a priority, that level of intuition or skill must be ﬁnely honed. Rick Siegel of Marathon Entertainment Inc. has been a personal manager for Craig Ferguson, host of “The Late Late Show,” and Leah Remini, co-star on “The King of Queens.” “When Craig Ferguson walked into a room, the room changed,” Siegel said. “The feeling was palpable. He had an incredible ability to talk to anyone and put them at ease. He wasn’t trying hard to be something or someone, but he projected an image.” Projecting an image is something Hollywood insider John Putch knows about, as well. As an actor and a director, Putch has seen both sides of the camera. He began acting as a child in an episode of “All in the Family.” Since then, he’s earned roles in more than 60 movies and television shows, including “Clear and Present Danger,” “Star Trek: Generations” and “Seinfeld.” He recently completed directing the movie “Route 30.” According to Putch, the director’s role on a ﬁlm set offers the best parallel to what HR executives face when recruiting talent. Among other things, the ﬁlm’s director ﬁnds and hires the actors. The director takes all the elements — such as actors, scenes, scripts and production departments — and 30 January 2009 talent management magazine www.talentmgt.com http://www.talentmgt.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Talent Management - January 2009

Talent Management - January 2009 Editor’s Letter Contents Human Performance Leading Edge Learning Connections Integrate Web 2.0 Into the On-Boarding Experience Show ’Em the Money: Compensation Trends 2009 Transition at the Top How Hollywood Manages Talent and What You Can Learn Get the Most Bang With Limited Training Bucks Life After Layoffs Attract Specific Talent Groups Performance Management: Its Time Is Now Helping the Helpers Advertisers’ Index Editorial Resources Full Potential

Talent Management - January 2009

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