Having grasped a better understanding of
Entertainment Marketing over the first two days of the Chapman Master Class by
Professor Cory O’Connor, Wednesday beheld six jam-packed hours of listening,
learning and applying.
The ever-invigorated Professor Cory jumped
right into a colourful lecture on the brief history of the different
entertainment organisations, the myriad of subsidiary networks that each owns
and some interesting facts that built or broke the reputations of current and
previous executives. For someone who is a big fan of American television
dramas, movies and music, I realized that I possessed close to zero knowledge
on these entertainment conglomerates. For instance, I never knew that The Walt
Disney Company owns and operates the ABC broadcast television network along
with Marvel entertainment and its 6000 comic characters. It was also
fascinating to get the inside scoop on what works and does not work in the
entertainment industry such as the reason behind the lack of popularity towards
the women channel, Oxygen Network.
Professor
Cory explaining theories!
With our big pitch creeping closer, we
spent most of the afternoon solidifying our marketing plan for our assigned
films. My team had the pleasure bringing a storyboard, entitled “Broken”, to
life. Set in a rural village in ancient Korea, the movie revolved around a
spirited young woman who had to build a life for herself after surviving a
massacre. With a plot as exciting as this, we had great fun playing the role of
Hollywood filmmakers, racking our brains on which big movie star to cast for
each character. Our Photo Shop skills were also put to the test when were told
to submit a one-sheet poster as publicity material for the film. We then had to
put our minds together and conceptualise guerilla and stunting strategies on
how to market our films.
Mock-up
of “Broken” DVD cover!
Though exhausted from all the activities
and brainwork, everyone arose bright and early the next day to attend Day four
of Professor Cory’s increasingly eye-opening master class.
Understanding that many of us were
gradually becoming restless and that our mind needed some stimulating, the lot
of us tarried down to the Writer’s Room where everyone witnessed an almost immediate
transformation in ourselves. From head-drooping, heavy-lidded students, we were
all of sudden running, and sliding and roaring with laughter like rambunctious
seven-year-olds at a playground on sunny Saturday afternoon.
Getting
ready to slide!
Spying
for targets to throw pillows at!
On
the count of three…
Woohoo!!!
After a healthy amount of pillow-fighting
and photo-taking, we finally settled down to resume our marketing plan. It was
a long yet adrenaline-filled day of preparing for the pitch the very next day. Long after the sun made its graceful
descend, many of us remained at The Agency to finalise our plan and
presentation.
The
darkening sky had absolutely no effect on these motivated students!
The morning of Day five was a mad rush to
meet the deadline of what all twenty of us have been working long and hard for
over the previous four days. We were eager to show Professor Cory how much we
have learnt from him and it was no secret that we hoped to prove that
Singaporean students can be rather impressive, but not without effort and
tenacity of course.
The time came when each group pitched their
marketing plan. With the varying storylines of each film, every team was faced
with the challenge of selling it with the most relevant but engaging elements
and strategies. And yet, everyone delivered spectacularly-developed plans with
finesse and enthusiasm. There was a world of knowledge from each pitch that
everyone could learn from and it was no doubt rewarding to receive commendation
from Professor Cory and our lecturers Ms Pam and Ms Sherin.
The
big pitch!
Dressing
up for a skit!
Put
finely-honed presentation skilled to good use!
The five-day long Chapman Master Class by
Professor Cory O’Connor was not merely an assignment-filled crash course on
entertainment marketing. Instead, it was a journey. With the little time that
we had to plan and present a concept that was entirely new to us, we grew to
realize the capacity that each of us possess and the ease with which we can put
it to good use if only we had the hunger and drive to accomplish something. In
that sense, Professor Cory taught us more than just marketing elements and
obstacles, tactics and measurements. He taught us about ourselves, about using
the in-built creativity that we so often forget we own, and about how not to
shy away from novelty.
Group
photo with Professor Cory!
There were most definitely some teary-eyes
when it was time to say goodbye, but we look upon the memories of the past week
with much fondness. Many thanks to Ms Pam and Ms Sherin for the opportunity to
attend such a fruitful and surprisingly heart-warming master class. Thanks also
to our dear Professor Cory for your spirited teaching and ever-present candor.
We wish you nothing but the best in all your future endeavours!
An
enriching journey made complete with wonderful people indeed!
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