DAILY DOSE OF HOPE – BLOG – NAIMA LETT
MONDAY MORNING IN HOLLYWOOD

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Monday morning in Hollywood is a scramble… for numbers.
Studios, agents, actors all want to know one thing:
How much did our movie make?

That box office number can make or break a studio’s budget for the next year, an agent’s next pitching plans for his/her star client, and an actor’s entire career.

Everywhere else in the world, life goes on. People could care less that The Avengers made another $55 million in America or that Battleship (based on the video game) having made only $25 million, is considered a flop. Those outside of Hollywood might even ask, why is $25 million a flop? Why? Because Universal spent $209 million.

To be honest, even writing these numbers is bizarre to me.

I am very much apart of this industry, and I too care about its successes and failures, but the fact that a studio has $209 million to spend on making 1 film tells me that there are billions behind the scenes. The fact that The Avengers has made over $1 billion worldwide tells me that people are still going to the movies and supporting films that they really want to see.

NUMBERS DON’T LIE

So, it’s hard to understand when producers try to slash budgets and squeeze working actors out of residuals, health insurance, etc. I wear both hats as a producer and an actor, and I get both sides, but let’s stop trying to convince each other that the industry is not making money.

The numbers don’t lie.
Somebody’s making money.

OK, I hear the objections. According to the L.A. Times box office article by John Horn this morning, the three new releases in the Top 5 did “awful” this weekend. Universal’s Battleship drowned at $25 million, Liongate’s comedy What to Expect When You’re Expecting tanked at $10.5 million (having cost $40 million), and Paramount’s The Dictator only made $17.5 million back of its $65 million production budget.

I look at the same data and wonder if studios should simply take a hint.

Just because a video game sells well doesn’t mean we have to spend $200 million to turn it into a movie. Perhaps we should leave it as a video game. And just because we put Rihanna in an acting role doesn’t mean the film will be a blockbuster, nothing against Rihanna. I haven’t had the privilege to meet her yet, but I’m addressing the thoughts of producers to put singers, rappers and reality stars in films in lieu of actors in order to bring an audience.

Besides, the only reason $25 million is considered a flop is because the studio spent $209 million. Most Tyler Perry movies make $25 million or less opening weekend; they’ve never made blockbuster status of $100 million; yet people rave about how financially successful they are. Why?

Because Perry spends about $3-6 million or less to make the film and Lionsgate matches whatever he spends to distribute, then they split the profits. If together they spend $6 – $12 million and opening weekend makes $25 million, both Tyler and Lionsgate make their investment back + $12 – $19 million pure profit the first weekend. Everything after is more profit, and it doesn’t even matter how good the film is. People are looking at the numbers.

ALL ABOUT PERSPECTIVE

It’s all about perspective.
$25 million opening weekend can mean a huge success.
Or $25 million opening weekend can mean a dismal failure.
It’s all based on the initial amount that has been spent.

And people are rewarded or not, accordingly.
The president of Disney will undoubtedly see a huge bonus this year based on Disney’s distribution of The Avengers. At Universal, somebody might get fired based on Battleship.

It’s all about the numbers.

MATTERS OF FAITH

As people of faith, we are encouraged not to shy away from the numbers, but to understand what’s going on in our world and model our faith in the midst of it all.

Do you remember Jesus’ parable of the shrewd manager?

LUKE 16: 1-15

Please take the time to read or re-read it.

The cliff note version is that a rich master calls his manager into account when the manager has wasted and mismanaged the rich man’s possessions. In order to build relationships to use when he is fired, the manager wheels and deals to gain favor with the rich man’s clients.

Instead of criticizing the shrewd manager, Jesus says the following:

“The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. 9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. 10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12 And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own? 13 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” 14 The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. 15 He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.

FAITH & MONEY

Jesus does not shy away from talking about faith and finances. He talks about money candidly. He addresses numbers.

He reminds His observers that there is nothing wrong with knowing how to deal shrewdly with money. He commends the manager for knowing how to make the best of a bad situation. He even draws the conclusion that if people do not know how to handle worldly wealth, they will not know how to deal with the true riches, which are heavenly.

Can you believe that?

This flies in the face of all Christians who believe they are not supposed to concern themselves with how to handle money. Jesus says the opposite. He says if we do not know how to handle money, which is earthly, we will not know how to handle true riches, which are spiritual.

If we are dishonest with our worldly possessions, there is NO WAY we can be trusted with spiritual possessions. Does that make sense?

On the other hand, Jesus says we cannot love money and love God. We are to handle money, not love it. We are to love God. Don’t get things twisted.

FAITH, MONEY & HOLLYWOOD

Monday morning in Hollywood is all about the numbers.

As people of faith in Hollywood, we need to know what those numbers are. We need to be well versed on what is going on in our industry and understand what’s happening with what projects, which studios and how it impacts all of us.

If we can make a movie for $6 million and it makes $25 million, great!
If we make a movie for $200 million it it makes $25 million, let’s learn from it.

We do not shy away from the numbers.
But we also are not to fall in love with the numbers.
At the end of the day, they are just numbers.

How we handle them reflects what is truly in our hearts.
How we handle them reflects how we serve and honor God.
When it’s all said and done, we love God, who knows our hearts.
And we strive to handle well the true riches, which are not of this world.

It’s a new week.
Thanks for your prayers for the weekend.

The “Reveal Your Glory” event in Maryland was phenomenal. The Lord met us there. And my flight was not only on time, but early, back to LA Sunday to preach at our bible fellowship. God is faithful.

Shout out to all the ladies in Randallstown and B’More. You’re wonderful!
Shout out to my good friend filmmaker Avril Speaks for coming through. Great to see you.
Shout out to the HOPE fam, who endured the sounds of the parking lot power-washing while I was preaching yesterday. Who power washes on a Sunday? Only in LaLa Land folks. Only in the LaLa.

Today is my day off.
So, with that, I’m off!
I’ve got to find a way to write these Monday blogs on Friday or something… but then it wouldn’t truly be a Monday blog, would it? I don’t know. I’ll figure it out!

Thinking of ways to make our next project under-budget,
Naima

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