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Hollywood talent leery of stock-option deals, but agencies enthusiastic

Jackson West — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT

Cash money, not equity, is what powers the entertainment industry. Especially when it comes to talent. In a possibly apocryphal but illustrative anecdote, legendary bluesman Albert King reportedly refused to leave the stage until he had cash in hand from the concert promoter, presumably because he'd been cheated out of so many deals in the past. Studio accounting has an only slightly better reputation than that of the music industry when it comes to being, ahem, creative. Hence it's no surprise that when negotiating venture funding for Funny Or Die, Will Ferrell reportedly wanted to know what his upfront payout would be, according to Sequoia Capital's Mark Kvamme in comments to the New York Times. Which is one reason why private equity efforts to fund traditional film and television production have yet to pan out. Better to get your money upfront and walk away in case the project is a disaster. So how is Valley money changing Hollywood business models?

Primarily through new ventures that not only go around the studios, but around traditional distribution entirely. While the networks and studios all have subsidiaries producing content strictly for online distribution, the talent contracts are still typical pay-as-you-go deals (and meager at that). Agencies have been most enthusiastic about new busines models — probably because they're already realizing efficiencies in terms of talent discovery using the Internet, which allows them to get around scouts and managers and reach new faces easily and cheaply.

A number of agencies have begun embracing new models. 60frames, an online video startup, took $3.5 million in venture funding and was incubated by the United Talent Agency. Creative Artists Agency is assembling a $200 million venture fund with partner Draper Fisher Jurvetson. International Creative Management is reportedly talking to Qualcomm about raising their own cash. And William Morris has helped back a $500 million SPAC to fund M&A deals, with Ashton Kutcher serving on the board. The draw for the agencies is the ability to own a piece of the company that distributes work from their own talent stables.

The only problem is, that gives them a conflict of interest when negotiating with the studios. Why pitch deals to the studio for the standard 10 percent cut when in-house deals would result in agency fees and back-end profits? And no one knows how this will shake out for talent. As LivePlanet producer Sean Bailey pointed out to reporter Laura M. Holson, "People in Silicon Valley too want their pound of flesh."

(Photo by Getty/Sharon Dominick)

Possible '30 Rock' Role For Humorless Josh Hartnett Forces Us To Get Inside Tina Fey's Brain

Molly Friedman — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 14:54:46 EDT

We've never found much of what Josh Hartnett does particularly funny, with the possible exception of the scraggly 'stache that he's been sporting unironically for years. So how will the stiff-as-a-board actor fare when cast opposite the likes of Tina Fey and the rest of her comedically blessed cohorts on 30 Rock? OK! is reporting that Hartnett recently read for a part on the Emmy-winning laughfest as Fey's next love interest, a role that may last four to six episodes. And while this latest bit of stunt casting would be a major boost to Josh's embarrassing-of-late resume, the Emmy-winning show hardly needs a swarthy guest star to save it from sinking. So what does the much cleverer than us Tina Fey have up her sleeve?

While we don't have a winged woman sitting on our mantel, we do know one thing that Emmy winner Tina Fey knows: Hartnett is hot, no matter how humorous his facial hair. While SNL's Jason Sudeikis was suitably hunky in his guest starring spot as former Liz Lemon steady, he just can't compare in the looks department to our man Trip Fontaine. Which brings up something else we and Tina both know: the show's current cast features nary a bit of eye candy for the ladies. Katrina Bowden's short-skirted Cerie may help pull in the non-thinking male demo, but unless you've got a thing for walrus types, the pickings are slim for us girls. Which is why we applaud Tina Fey for looking out for the best interests of Liz Lemon and 30 Rock's female audience. Bonus points if he actually turns out to be good!

UPDATE: Nevermind!

A PIECE OF THE 'ROCK' FOR JOSH? [OK!]

Gary Busey Finds Jesus, Neither Survive

STV — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 16:25:25 EST

We don't believe for a second that Gary Busey's appearance on the recurring Funny or Die show Prayer Hour yields a fraction of the authenticity of his ferocious Oscar-night showstopping. Nevertheless, a part of us can't help but imagine Busey stalking heaven's red carpet, his vehement incisors nuzzling Jesus' neck and complimenting His wardrobe before agreeing to a contrite appearance on St. Peter's radio show the next morning.

Or maybe he's for real, in which case, seriously: Do not call the number.

'The Hills' Finally Gets An On-Screen Upgrade to Union Talent

Mark — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 16:20:21 EST

Bringing together the eye-catching combination of both recognizable, camera-friendly talent and TV-quality production values so sorely lacking in the curbside productions of most strike-related videos, Judd Apatow, Mike White and friends have put together this quick clip in which we're not only treated to another unpleasant vision of a scribeless Hollywood, but reminded of how talented the The Hills' nonunion writing staff is at crafting compelling, painfully lifelike dialogue.

The Hills with James Franco and Mila Kunis [Funny or Die]

Should this "Green Team" video, featuring...

Mark — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 19:29:15 EST

Should this "Green Team" video, featuring the environmentally friendly, rape-crazed antics of Will Ferrell, Adam McKay and John C. Reilly, achieve Landlordesque viral penetration, "I have a murder-boner!" will soon become the most-invoked catchphrase at our nation's finest fraternity parties. [Funny or Die]

Funny Or Die Taking No Chances On Upcoming Bill Murray Clip Going Viral

Mark — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 17:08:17 EDT

Back in the good old days of the web—say, circa April of 2007—when one's CAA-backed, Will Ferrell-supported comedy video-sharing site had an amusing clip starring an attention-grabbing A-list talent one wished would go "viral," one simply posted it and let the internets work their magic, confident that endlessly forwarded links would efficiently deliver their work to the eyeballs of bored employees across the globe. Now, however, we live in far more complicated times, when newly retained PR firms dare not leave anything to chance, as evidenced by this e-mail invitation enlisting the help of the "internet press" to turn Bill Murray into Funny or Die's next drunken, swearing baby:

FUNNY OR DIE INVITES YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN A SPECIAL INTERNET PRESS PREVIEW OF "FCU: FACT CHECKERS UNIT" AN UPCOMING FUNNYORDIE.COM EXCLUSIVE WEB SHORT STARRING BILL MURRAY, THURSDAY, SEPT. 6

We'll spare you the rest of the press release, but there's also a phone interview scheduled with the video's creators for the following day, during which they'll "discuss the web short and their experience working with Bill Murray." Welcome to the age of the inter-junket! Unfortunately, the virtual nature of the two-day event doesn't afford bloggers the opportunity to gorge themselves at a free buffet, bitch about the unfriendliness of the talent, and speculate about whether those clever Funny or Die folks staged Murray's recent drunken golf-cart arrest in Sweden as a masterful publicity stunt, though we suppose these traditional meatspace press tour activities can be simulated through instant messenger and a trip to the fridge. We're sure that by the clip's official debut on Monday, all this pre-release buzz will deliver opening day numbers not seen since the adorably crapulent Pearl first called deadbeat tenant Ferrell a bitch.

Previously: Bill Murray's Drunken Swedish Golf Cart Joyride Explained! [Defamer]