• July 20th, 2009illycutThe Word
    DA from Chester French; Program Lead from Music Unites ; Mitsue Artist

    DA from Chester French; Program Lead from Music Unites ; Mitsue Artist

    Although the concept may seem old, it works and its certainly not seen enough. Entertainment is one those industries that cashes more checks than Bill Gates.  So why not use that financial strength to do good.

    When you look at companies out there that are laying the ground work for artists and empowering individuals, Music Unites (MU) is one such organization. Music Unites (MU) is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting established and emerging musicians and genres, in addition to supporting music education by underwriting free concerts for the public in various cities. MU aims to break down barriers between music genres and introduce new audiences to unfamiliar artists.  Motown Ini will continue to track this organization and see how they shape the playing field for emerging talents.

    On a similiar note, just last week MU had a Chester French event at the Red Bull Space and it was a very engaging event. They highlighted the new popular artists Chester French (new group pub’d by Pharrell Williams) as well as emerging talent Mitsue (check previous blog entries to learn about our relationship with her efforts).   Although Chester French was the focal point of the event, when we walked in with Mitsue the crowd turned toa frenzy, there was a lot of curiosity about who she was.

    chesterfrench

    Chester French with Pharrell Williams

    Upon entrance someone immediately placed a TY KU bottle in her hand for some branding shots, and I don’t blame them one bit. If I had a product to sell, I’d want her face on it too. “I must admit, I was there to see Chester French perform. But the moment I saw this red hair girl enter and the press swarmed her by the step and repeat, I had to see what she was about and I completely forgot why I was there” claimed one guest. “I love her look, where can I find her music?”.  If Music Unites can attract and continue to support this level of professional emerging talent, then they’re really onto something.  Motown Ini will hope to do the same for emerging entertainment.  FOLLOW JUMP FOR IMAGES.

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  • June 24th, 2009illycutThe Word

    latemeetingAs the trip to New York get closer, there is a lot of planning needed to ensure that everything goes to plan.  We have meetings, events and much more to juggle so its a good thing I got my “get organized” wake up call. This week I was reminded of how key organization is to progress.

    Monday we had a conference call with Entitled Entertainment regarding an upcoming show with Krazy Bone.  The plan was to connect Entitled with the management of Mitsue and Boola (artists our production group works with).  Then we’d plan out their trip, video opportunities and support the party/performance.  I had everything scheduled, a conference call number setup through instant conference.com and the time/agency for the the call.  When the call came, I was no where to be found.  Moreover, my NY counterparts also weren’t on the call because I didn’t put a specific date in my invitation e-mail, I simply said “tomorrow”.  As we all know, the word tomorrow is subject to interpretation, especially when someone gets the e-mail the day after it’s written haha.

    Now this wasn’t a major slip, we pulled the call together 20mins late and got everything accomplishment in a concise timeframe.  However, it was a little bit of a wake up call, because as things continue to ramp up, the schedules will only become more complicated and time contingent.  So this weeks lesson?  Might be time for a blackberry or some sort of desktop based scheduling system that can txt my phone.  If I am able to find such a program for the team, I’ll let you guys know.

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  • June 19th, 2009illycutThe Word

    4dpI feel as if I’ve mentioned 4th Deck Productions (4DP) before, but allow me to give a proper introduction. Based in NY, 4DP represents the content and development arm of the Motown Initiative. From original programming, to lifestyle events and commercial productions, they do it all. In the upcoming weeks we’ll be working on the pre-production component of our first MotownIni video. There will be a series of brand videos that will use to help spread the good word about the Initiative. Currently, 4DP is focusing on their latest client Mitsue artist. I think 4DP is going to be able to derive some exciting content from their work with her.

    As a Friday treat I figured I’d post the latest video that was compiled from the first Mitsue photo shoot last week. I think the entire montage kinda highlights our group’s ability to create engaging content.Enjoy!  [note : you can watch this in HD on youTube Mitsue Photoshoot]
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