You're not Ari

A few months ago, I met with the manager who represents a number of high profile talents in Asia, particularly the Chinese market. His clients included Jolin Tsai and Stanley Huang, to name a few. The reason for this meeting was because I was planning to make a film in Asia and I needed Chinese talent to be specific. The artists he has are the most bankable now, but bankable in the music business only. They are singers first and actors in spare time. Therefore when we talked about potentially involving his clients in my film, he obviously thought he was Ari Gold.

Perhaps having the top client in the music industry in Asia gives him the bragging rights, but honestly none of the clients are talented or good actors. Nor are they bankable in the film industry. Usually, it makes sense to have the film industry as your priority in a career choice. But in Asia, less in Hong Kong, film takes a back seat. Hollywood films have overwhelm the market here. The real money making entertainment business here is music. So the next time you try to get an Asian talent, see what their main role is, singer or actor. Then you decide if the juice is worth the squeeze.

I am taking my project back to the US.