Now anyone can be an editor, composer … [fill in title here].
Let’s face it; this is true: The lower cost of entry into the creative talent business has everyone’s little brother trying to create a place for himself in advertising (or film, TV, etc.) But what is the effect? While there is certainly more opportunity for your little brother to create great work without investing $500K in equipment, has the flood of new talent stolen away significant work from anyone who is established?
Real estate professionals have been dealing with this low-cost-of-entry, anyone-can-do-this syndrome for a long time. So, whom do you list with? If it’s a cheap rental without much commission, I might consider a newbie. (Though even he would require a good reference.) But for anything larger, with even a small pot at the end of the rainbow, I want a proven track record, trusted references (the mayor would be good) and a few industry awards. And if he does all that I expect, I’m coming back.
Here’s some information that hits a little closer to home: in-house editing. For $30K or so, you’ve got a decent Avid system. Do you use it (and the in-house editor) to edit your Super Bowl spot? Probably not. More like steal-a-matics, pitches, storyboards and some low-budget projects. Of course, the same thing is true with audio: Most agencies have an in-house audio post suite. Ditto the above.
Here’s what falls out of all this: Yes, the solo gig has become a new path to the top of the mountain. So now my little brother decides he can write music as well as anybody. He decides to turn his hobby into a part-time gig. If he sticks with it long enough, most of the work he will be able to attract is local stuff, maybe regional. And if he’s actually good, quits his day job and hangs in there even longer (this alone puts him in the top 10 percent), eventually he will get a cherry.
But it’s far more likely that he’ll quit when he discovers the sales and marketing effort required, along with the tremendous rejection that goes with being a newbie. Just like the housewife realtor, he finds out that there’s much more to this than a keyboard and a computer: "Wow, man, this is really hard." Suddenly he feels thankful for his job refurbishing Port-a-Johns. Seems to me it still takes the same 99th-percentile person to make it to the top. And you’ve got to ask: Does established talent even do the kind of work my little brother is "stealing?"
All said, the so-called "easy entry" isn’t. What if many more wannabes are out there, making it harder to get someone to even listen to your reel? I know what I do when there are just too many people looking for my business—whether they be lawyers, realtors or dentists: "Who’s he worked with?" I ask. "What’s his experience?" And, of course, "How much can I afford?" In that order. Factor in the huge amount of perseverance needed to get going in this industry, and I see the cream still rising to (and staying at) the top.
