It seems to be something out of The Maury Povich show, with Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien the centerpiece of the discussion, titled, “My coworker stole my show,” and the crowd, ever so angry, jeering at Leno for what many perceive to be an injustice (his “taking” from Conan).

Yeah. You be angry, fans, bloggers, and B- celebs, because Jay Leno only carried late night for almost two decades, holding the number one spot for a significant portion of that time (As of 2006, reports indicate The Tonight Show led late night for 11 straight seasons).

Conan had seven months, the wrong demographic, and no excuse for losing viewers. He tried and it just did not work out.

What befuddles me is the backlash of everyone familiar with the situation. In a recent sit-down with Oprah Winfrey, Leno acknowledged many of the nuances in the past few weeks relating to him, Conan O’Brien, and NBC.

Why should Leno step aside if he is getting big named guests, leading the late night trio, and pleasing the ratings hounds?

I just cannot comprehend how in an industry where ratings are everything and keeping it ‘hot’ is the new norm, that a network would find a plausible reason to “change it up.” That being said, NBC will likely see long-term fallout from this, as Conan will likely sign with another network next fall (FOX?).

There is no doubt that the quality of a filmmaker’s script is a paramount consideration in order for an indie division to consider the script, as well as validation from a trusted professional, such as an attorney or another reputable talent agent.

It is also important for a film to already have at least one key attachment already committed to the film, such as a reputable director or actor. Filmmakers also have to have produced a short for their project.

How do indie filmmakers attract A-list talent to their film? A pay-or-play offer is definitely required. This is where private funding or a foreign sales agent is used to back financial offers to stars.

Lets start by saying that if you’re thought is to finance the film yourself, this is a darn near impossible task. There are not enough payday loans in the world to finance the distribution of a film, especially an indie film, never mind paying the actors, camera personnel, etc.

How much do agencies receive for packaging? They will usually charge a percentage on commissionable elements (writers, directors etc who are clients) – this is around the 10% mark, as well as charging a packaging fee if the film was financed with the assistance of the agency. Packaging fees are often in the vicinity of two percent of the budget of the project, with a floor.

Agencies will often distribute films domestically, as well as placing the films with foreign sales agents. The sales fee charge is a percentage of the sales price and is usually about 10 percent.

Naturally, indie divisions are also concerned with ancillaries flowing from the films, such as sequels, TV applications, stage adaptations, and game and mobile content.

A similar “packaging” system operates with TV.

Packaging fees can be much more lucrative for an agency than straight commissions from clients because fees include participation in the back-end. An agency will usually receive a percentage of the license fee of the show payable when an episode is produced, a percentage of the budget of the show, which is recoupable when the show is in a net profit position and a double figure percentage of the back-end, when the show is syndicated.

The great thing about this model is that studios pay the packaging fees – which are built into the cost of the show. Studios are often happy to pay these fees because agencies often put multiple elements together and act as a development executive.

Gene is a talent agent and lawyer. He has a law degree with honours, and a business degree. He is a member of the Beverly Hills Bar Association.

The one hour season finale of The Hills recently aired on MTV prior to the showing of the MTV Movie Awards. The movie awards are consistently marketed as MTV’s biggest event of the year. This has proved legitimate with the number of stars in attendance, as well as the quality of performers/presenters. MTV’s decision to place The Hills in the slot usually reserved for the always popular red carpet special is a testament to the level of popularity the hit “reality” show has attained to date. This popularity has and will continue to effect the entertainment industry in a number of significant ways:

Developing a Fan Base

The ’09 season finale saw the departure of the beloved Lauren Conrad (LC to Hills faithful). Conrad’s exit for bigger and better things was an inevitable consequence (whether bigger and better things actually exist is a question for an entirely separate article). The bottom line is that stars mature. As their celebrity materializes, they realize that there must be more substantial ways they can impact the world other than entertaining teenagers with producer created “drama.” Conrad is a prime example of this. She established a fan base with her age bracket during the running of “Laguna Beach.” This base followed her in captivation as she grew up right before their eyes. Her fans were interested in her development; they related to her because they were progressing through the same stages of their lives. She showed the world how the “alpha” teens lived and her lifestyle became the benchmark for millions of high schoolers across America.

With Conrad’s departure, MTV will experience the departure of all of these fans who have tagged along solely because of their attachment to LC. MTV must re-create this “LC Effect” with the younger generations today. They must establish an early relationship and attachment, and as a result, will be able to bank on this for years to come. The non-existence of this integral element of reality T.V. will end in failed projects and wasted income. Take The Hills spin-off “The City”: MTV attempted to benefit from the popularity of seldom seen “Hills” alum Whitney Port, and the show has been limping along despite lavish production. What is missing? The relationship between Port and the her fans. Her fan-base (if any) is rooted in shallow soil. If MTV wants “Hills” style shows to have a future, they must begin airing when the stars are still in their teens. Although the early shows might not have tremendous popularity, the groundwork that is established is integral to the success of the show in later years.

Residual Fame

The extreme popularity of ”The Hills” and similar shows has translated into direct fame for all the characters. With this fame, comes demand. Demand by the public to see more of all the featured stars. Whether it be a development to the big screen, commercials, or simply more t.v., the public just wants more. These up and coming “stars” will need representation to guide them through the initial chaos and overwhelming nature of new-found fame. We live in a world where more and more stars are famous for being famous. Pick up any US Weekly and browse the pages. As you see the socialites of today, ask yourself what they are famous for. Sad as it may be, this is the current state of the entertainment industry and the sooner we accept this, the sooner we can capitalize on it. Agents should begin targeting young reality stars who have yet to realize their potential fame. The fame will come, and when it does, the smart agents will be in a position to place their new stars in the forefront of young Hollywood.

The overall message is simply that reality style character development shows must develop a fan base before they can experience long term success. If the networks recognize this and take action, agents should start closely monitoring the progress of these new stars, because before long they will be in the position “LC” is in right now…banking on fame.