Business Skills in the Creative Industry

In every industry, there are established employees and those who are trying to break onto the scene. In my last semester at Wheaton College, I am about to enter the emerging job market. I and countless other creatives are tasked with breaking into the industry. This can seem like a daunting task with many, including […]

How “Selling out” Led to Complete Creative Control

“I am so very lucky to do this for a living. I am allowed to participate in one of the most powerful art forms ever created. The communal experience of watching a film can bring tears to the heart of a Nazi. It can change points of view. That’s what someone’s talking about when they […]

Should Apple Music and Spotify Attempt to Become Vertically Integrated?

From reading Jennifer Holt’s Empires of Entertainment: Media Industries and the Politics of Deregulation, 1980-1996 it is clear to see that broadcast, cable, and film were clearly defined industries that competed with each other before they became interconnected with the rise of media conglomerates. As Holt puts it: “film studios combined with broadcast networks (Fox), […]

BasicLee’s Unique Balls

In 2016, Lee Chipman, a Massachusetts mother of six, opened up her Etsy shop, “It’s Basic Lee Designs”, after encouragement from friends and family. Lee was known in her town for her festive, homemade felt garlands and unique decorations, and eventually selling them to friends and neighbors by request. Lee has totaled 114 sales, most of […]

Fallen Titans: H3H3

The H3 Podcast was started by popular YouTube creators Ethan and Hila Klein as a companion piece to their main YouTube channel, H3H3 Productions. This podcast originally started off as a small yet high-production endeavor, with the two hosts able to make live commentary on subjects they found humorous while interacting with their fanbase. The […]

The Representation Needs Representation

Imagine looking for a job with no idea of a place to start? Growing up, your advisors will tell you that connections are everything. Who you know in the industry is what will get you that big interview or prime-time audition to show how great your talent is. However, connecting to the right people can […]

So, what is the “public interest,” anyway?

The 1927 Radio Act is the first place where the phrase “public interest” became tied to media regulation. Throughout Jennifer Holt’s Empires of Entertainment, it also becomes increasingly clear that the phrase has undergone a variety of shifts in meaning and can easily be applied to nearly every media context. Early broadcasters were encouraged by […]

Giants of Entertainment Vs. Netflix

Over the past decade or so, the entire media, film, and television industry itself has once again undergone vast and rapid changes. One of the largest and relatively unforeseen disruptors of the creative industry has been the popularization and success of the online streaming service, Netflix. The company’s rise to success was so quick and […]

A Cinematic Pioneer

Garth Drabinsky set the standard for what we consider to be a modern movie theatre experience. He is the pioneer that used the separation between theatre exhibitions and distributors to his advantage in making theatres into his own spectacular experience. Historically, theatres were considered to be palaces, beautifully decorated and a place for the kids […]

Conglomeration Rule

    The Conglomerate Rule The 1930s and ’80s have never been closer. Though your first thought was probably to deny any connection between the deeply distant decades, these eras parallel each other more than we would like to admit. Obsessions with underground clubs, flashing lights, and cocaine as well as the looming presence of […]