Becoming A Guru

My sabbatical from blogging is now over as I have grown enough to be able to impart readers with reasonable wisdom. Over the past few months, I have generated a business model and implemented it into a local publication, and while we're still getting things off the ground, it looks very promising.

I have become a marketing guru of sorts. If you're wondering what makes a guru, it's more or less just confidence with knowledge. One has to be confident that his or her ability to manipulate and discuss a topic is advanced. Fluent, even. A guru can give good advice. The job title for a guru is usually: Consultant. (Unless your Oprah, then you're a "doctor")

In my marketing endeavors, I have become aware of essential principles by which one ought to run by. These are, obviously, my opinion, however, I believe that they are fundamental to success.

Be Positive:
Think positively, and be positive that you will fulfill your every goal eventually. Recognize that there are hurdles, but that you will also overcome them. They are inevitable and the less you stress about them, the better you will deal with them. You will glide past them.

Be Grateful:
Feel lucky to be able to market. It's a really fun and creative way to earn a living. Also, be grateful to clients. Appreciate their business. You should WANT to help them make money. Strive to increase their business. If they see that you appreciate them and their business, they will be more likely to work with you.

Be Persistent:
This goes back to being positive, but accentuates the idea that one must continue to achieve. Write outlines. Re-write them. Practice sales pitches with friends and co-workers. Think of new ways to market and innovate your business as well as your clients business.

and lastly
BE CALM!
Admittedly, this is my most difficult area. I tend to get overly excited about my ideas when I am talking to co-workers and customers, and it can come off as condescending and irritating. Be succinct, and understandable, and CALM. Do deep breathing exercises daily or yoga. Something to keep you balanced and not too overzealous. Some of you, this might not apply, but heck, Yoga can do wonders for anyone.

The truth is, anyone can be successful. ANYONE. It's a matter of thinking positively and having a EXCELLENT work ethic. If you are reading this blog, you're already moving towards the right direction.

The Box Office Breakdown for March 28-30

21 (Sony/Columbia) PG-13 Opening Weekend $23.7m
Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! (Fox) G $17.4m-3 wk total $117.3m
Superhero Movie (MGM (Weinstein)) PG-13 Opening Weekend $9.5m
Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns (Lionsgate) PG-13 $7.8m-2 wk total $32.8m
Drillbit Taylor (Paramount) PG-13 $5.8m-2 wk total $20.6m
Shutter (Fox) PG-13 $5.3m-2 wk total $19.1m
10,000 B.C. (Warner Bros.) PG-13 $4.9m-4 wk total $84.9m
College Road Trip (Buena Vista) G $3.5m-4 wk total $38.4m
Never Back Down (Summit Entertainment) PG-13 $2.4m-3 wk total $21.3m
Vantage Point (Sony/Columbia) PG-13 $2.4m-6 wk total $69.3m
Source: Box Office Mojo

The Box Office Breakdown for March 28-30

21 (Sony/Columbia) PG-13 Opening Weekend $23.7m
Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! (Fox) G $17.4m-3 wk total $117.3m
Superhero Movie (MGM (Weinstein)) PG-13 Opening Weekend $9.5m
Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns (Lionsgate) PG-13 $7.8m-2 wk total $32.8m
Drillbit Taylor (Paramount) PG-13 $5.8m-2 wk total $20.6m
Shutter (Fox) PG-13 $5.3m-2 wk total $19.1m
10,000 B.C. (Warner Bros.) PG-13 $4.9m-4 wk total $84.9m
College Road Trip (Buena Vista) G $3.5m-4 wk total $38.4m
Never Back Down (Summit Entertainment) PG-13 $2.4m-3 wk total $21.3m
Vantage Point (Sony/Columbia) PG-13 $2.4m-6 wk total $69.3m
Source: Box Office Mojo

Get Ahead: Join A Student Organization

I'm in my fourth year of college, and I've just discovered something: Student Groups. I figure I may be well behind the curve on this discovery, but if your like me, and you haven't realized the potential benefits of joining a student organization on campus, keep reading.

I'm interested in developing a career in television one day. The majority of my accomplishments which would lead me toward this goal are the day dreams I have while in a class about Victorian Literature (I went the romantic route and decided on an English major). Recently, a friend invited me to a meeting for a group called Student Video Productions.

And boy, how it hit me, when I realized how much I'd been missing out.

The group was filled with my peers, all interested in developing programs and, well, video productions. They offered oppurtunities to create and produce shows that actually air on T.V. Not only that, but they offer an array of services. They have a vast amount of cameras available to rent, as well as people who are willing to teach you to utilize all of their capabilities.

Forgive me if I seem naive, but this was all too good to be true.

I came to realize all of the oppurtunities associated with joining a student group, as well as the potential resume builders. Student Video Productions boasts a budget of more than $50,000. The treasurer is sure going to have something to brag about.

In addition to all the practical aspects of joining such a group, it's also just a lot of fun. There are people there who share similar interests, and you get to immerse yourself in your own passions and potentially find new ones.

Box Office Blab

This past weekend the Dr. Seuss animated feature Horton Hears A Who topped the box office yet again, taking it's 2 week total to more than 86 million. If this says one thing, it's surely: Don't mess with the animated epics. Pixars slew of animated features (everything from the Toy Story's to last years academy award winning Ratatouille) have all proven to be box office gold. Though their budgets can border around the 100 million mark, they have each gone on to take in at least three times that amount. Dreamworks Animation, which produced the Shrek trilogy, has grossed nearly 4.5 billion dollars since 2000, with their budgets amounting to about 1 billion. That's a lot more than your average Bee Movie.

Also of interest Tyler Perry's new feature: Tyler Perry's: Meet The Browns. I think Perry's name carries clout. He's one of America's most successful playwrights, and his first feature, Diary of a Mad Black Woman, gross over 50 million on a budget of a little more than 5 million. His next movie, and the latter's sequel, Madea's Family Reunion, duplicated that success plus 10 million, bringing it's box office revenues to more than 60 million. All of Perry's movies have seen substantial profit, as well as more than modest opening weekends. It looks like Perry has a bright future (as well as present) ahead of him.

As for Drillbit Taylor, it's safe to say it's a dissapointing weekend for the Owen Wilson helmed project. It may go on to gross around 20 million, but with a $40 million budget, it seems that Taylor's a dud. The trailers weren't very appealing, with Owen Wilson being the only recognizable figure in the cast. It looked as though they were trying to reproduce the success of last years surprise hit Superbad. (Seth Rogen was a writer on both)

10,000 B.C.'s steam is dying down, as it brings its total tally to 76 million. Though it's budget is almost double that, worldwide it's surpassed 150 million. College Road Trip, starring Martin Lawrence and Rayven Symone seems to be a modest hit with $32 million up to date (I can't imagine the budget was more than half that).

Look forward to this as a new feature on It's A Generation Y Thing.

Sources: The-numbers.com, wikipedia.org

Past Weekend Box Office Results

Weekend Box Office Estimates: Mar 21-23, 2008
Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears A Who! (Fox) $25.1 million 2 wk total $86.5m
Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns (Lionsgate) $20.0 million opening weekend
Shutter (Fox) $10.7 million opening weekend
Drillbit Taylor (Paramount) $10.2 million opening weekend
10,000 B.C. (Warner Bros.) $8.7 million 3 wk total $76.1m
Never Back Down (Summit) $4.9 million 2 wk total $16.8m
College Road Trip (Buena Vista) $4.6 million 3 wk total $32.0m
The Bank Job (Lionsgate) $4.1 million 3 wk total $19.4m
Vantage Point (Sony) $3.8 million - 5 wk total $65.3m
Under the Same Moon (Weinstein Co.) $2.6 million opening weekend
Source: Box Office Mojo

Come back for an analysis.

Better Late Than Never: Last Weekend's Box Office

I forgot to post the last weekends box office figures, so I'll do it now. Expect me to post this weekend's on Monday 3/24

Weekend Box Office Estimates: Mar 14-16, 2008
Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears A Who! (Fox) $45.1 million - opening weekend
10,000 B.C. (Warner Bros.) $16.4 million - 2 wk total $61.2m
Never Back Down (Summit) $8.6 million - opening weekend
College Road Trip (Buena Vista) $7.9 million - 2 wk total $24.3m
Vantage Point (Sony) $5.4 million - 4 wk total $59.2m
The Bank Job (Lionsgate) $4.9 million - 2 wk total $13.1m
Doomsday (Universal) $4.7 million - opening weekend
Semi-Pro (NewLine) $3.0 million - 3 wk total $29.8m
The Other Boleyn Girl (Sony) $2.9 million - 3 wk total $19.2m
The Spiderwick Chronicles (Paramount) $2.4 million - 5 wk total $65.4m
Source: Box Office Mojo

Success: It's All In Your Head

Is the glass half empty or half full? I know it's an old cliche, and it's been duplicated on thousands, if not millions, of blogs regarding the same subject I'm about to talk about, but it just works so well.

Our lives are filled with struggles. Even the most successful people have troubles here and there (if not more than the less successful). The point isn't really about career success, though. It's about quality of life.

Being content with what you have is going to give you the clarity and type of energy that will help you make the assertions necessary to be successful. How many successful businesses are developed with the entire staff thinking how badly they are going to fail? In fact, why would you even go through with an idea if you thought it was destined to fail?

The thing is, when you actually try something, you have already increased your odds of attaining your goal (whereas the odds before you tried it were 0). And experience is always the valuable by product of any endeavor. Trial and error over time will hone your skills and show you what works.

After all: You gotta fight, for your right, to paaaaaaartay

Lives On Display

As I had mentioned, I applied for an internship with Fox Reality Channel. I got a response from them, and apparently, before they had even seen my e-mail, they had read my blog! They even sent me the link to my previous post!

Though an interview is pending, it's a poignant occurence. What goes on your blog is subject to be read by millions of people. And if you mention particulars, like I mentioned Fox Reality Channel, you are more likely to get visitors who are associated with them.

With this in mind, it is also important to take your blog seriously. Employers are using online personas (myspace, facebook, blogs, etc.) in addition to resumes and interviews, to find out more about potential employees. So it is important for all you job seekers to professionalize your online identity.

Ways to do that involve listing your job experiences on your facebook or myspace, and also any clubs or extra curriculars (the legal ones). Display your creativity and your charisma. Think of yourself as a candidate, and only put down what you want employers to see.

Though some of us like to publish our entire lives on the web, it's important to keep in mind who may be looking you up.

Advice From Me To You, For Me And You

As some of you may know, I'm in the market for an internship. So far, I've applied at MTV and Fox Reality Channel. While I would be stoked to have either, I think I'd be better suited for the latter. Frankly, because it's less well known, and it might be easier to make an impression there (though I can't even be sure of that). Also, I'm interested in developing reality TV. I have seen reality television take over such a large proportion of our television programming, and I project it will continue to dominate the TV guide.
As far as making an impression, I just read a list from internmemo.com about things you should and shouldn't do at an internship. I'll recap on the ones I think are most important:

1) Don't roll your eyes.
I hope this is a duh to most of you, but if it isn't, heed this advice. Respect your superiors and appreciate your role as an intern. You are there to learn and to help out.

2) Talk to your superiors
Being afraid to ask questions or to develop a relationship with your boss is only going to slow you down. Your boss might not have time to seek you out, so go to him or her and utilize their expertise; it's what got them there, and it's what could get you where they are some years down the road.

3) Show initiative and enthusiasm.
Work extra hours on your projects and show that you are willing to do whatever it takes to do the best job possible. Treat this like a job where you are looking for a promotion. Sometimes interns can be hired on a full time employees if they are impressive candidates.

Essentially, the best thing to do is to treat an internship like it's your first job. Work hard, do your best, and appreciate the opportunity you are being given. Stay humble and willing to learn, and get the most out of your time.