Hit Makers

Hit Makers
Author: Derek Thompson
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 354
Release: 2017
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 110198032X

"An Atlantic senior editor presents an investigation into the lucrative quality of popularity in the 21st century to share economic insights into what makes ideas, productions and products successful, "--NoveList.

Hit Makers

Hit Makers
Author: Derek Thompson
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 370
Release: 2017-02-07
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1101980346

“Enthralling - full of 'aha' moments about why some ideas soar and others never get off the ground. This book picks up where The Tipping Point left off." —Adam Grant Nothing “goes viral.” If you think a popular movie, song, or app came out of nowhere to become a word-of-mouth success in today’s crowded media environment, you’re missing the real story. Each blockbuster has a secret history—of power, influence, dark broadcasters, and passionate cults that turn some new products into cultural phenomena. Even the most brilliant ideas wither in obscurity if they fail to connect with the right network, and the consumers that matter most aren't the early adopters, but rather their friends, followers, and imitators -- the audience of your audience. In his groundbreaking investigation, Atlantic senior editor Derek Thompson uncovers the hidden psychology of why we like what we like and reveals the economics of cultural markets that invisibly shape our lives. Shattering the sentimental myths of hit-making that dominate pop culture and business, Thompson shows quality is insufficient for success, nobody has "good taste," and some of the most popular products in history were one bad break away from utter failure. It may be a new world, but there are some enduring truths to what audiences and consumers want. People love a familiar surprise: a product that is bold, yet sneakily recognizable. Every business, every artist, every person looking to promote themselves and their work wants to know what makes some works so successful while others disappear. Hit Makers is a magical mystery tour through the last century of pop culture blockbusters and the most valuable currency of the twenty-first century—people’s attention. From the dawn of impressionist art to the future of Facebook, from small Etsy designers to the origin of Star Wars, Derek Thompson leaves no pet rock unturned to tell the fascinating story of how culture happens and why things become popular. In Hit Makers, Derek Thompson investigates: * What Taylor Swift, the printing press, and the laugh track have in common * The secret link between ESPN's sticky programming and the The Weeknd's catchy choruses * How advertising critics predicted Donald Trump * The 5th grader who accidentally launched "Rock Around the Clock," the biggest hit in rock and roll history * How Barack Obama and his speechwriters think of themselves as songwriters * How Disney conquered the world—but the future of hits belongs to savvy amateurs and individuals * The French collector who accidentally created the Impressionist canon * Quantitative evidence that the biggest music hits aren’t always the best * Why almost all Hollywood blockbusters are sequels, reboots, and adaptations * Why one year--1991--is responsible for the way pop music sounds today * Why another year --1932--created the business model of film * How data scientists proved that “going viral” is a myth * How 19th century immigration patterns explain the most heard song in the Western Hemisphere

Dream Makers

Dream Makers
Author: Jim “The Rookie” Morris
Publisher: Savio Republic
Total Pages: 214
Release: 2020-06-23
Genre: Self-Help
ISBN: 1682617971

Jim Morris is no stranger to big dreams. Since he was five years old, he passionately yearned to play baseball in the major leagues. However, despite all his hard work and determination, a series of unfortunate events and injuries scuttled his career before he was twenty-five. Doctors told him he would never play again. Then at age thirty-five—after a string of highly implausible events and at an age when most players are retiring—Morris found himself on the mound as a relief pitcher for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. His return to the game was so incredible that Disney made his story into a heartwarming film—The Rookie—with a stellar performance by Dennis Quaid. It was released to popular acclaim and was a huge box office success. It won the ESPY for Best Sports Movie in 2002 and the CAMIE award for Character and Morality in Entertainment. Dream Makers picks up where The Rookie left off. This compelling memoir explores the untapped territory of Morris’s life, including his contentious relationship with his father, his incessant and grueling struggle with pain and addiction, the mentorship with his wise and loving grandfather who kept him grounded, and the resolve and faith that drove him to overcome every tribulation. Dream Makers explores the transformative power of surrounding yourself with the best, most accomplished people possible—inspiring you to overcome life’s obstacles and achieve your dreams. Life can come at you fast, but with God, all things are possible. “It’s not about me. It’s what God can do through me.”

The Song Machine: Inside the Hit Factory

The Song Machine: Inside the Hit Factory
Author: John Seabrook
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Total Pages: 292
Release: 2015-10-05
Genre: Music
ISBN: 0393241939

"An utterly satisfying examination of the business of popular music." —Nathaniel Rich, The Atlantic There’s a reason today’s ubiquitous pop hits are so hard to ignore—they’re designed that way. The Song Machine goes behind the scenes to offer an insider’s look at the global hit factories manufacturing the songs that have everyone hooked. Full of vivid, unexpected characters—alongside industry heavy-hitters like Katy Perry, Rihanna, Max Martin, and Ester Dean—this fascinating journey into the strange world of pop music reveals how a new approach to crafting smash hits is transforming marketing, technology, and even listeners’ brains. You’ll never think about music the same way again. A Wall Street Journal Best Business Book

Hit Men

Hit Men
Author: Fredric Dannen
Publisher: Vintage
Total Pages: 433
Release: 1991-07-02
Genre: Music
ISBN: 0679730613

Copiously researched and documented, Hit Men is the highly controversial portrait of the pop music industry in all its wild, ruthless glory: the insatiable greed and ambition; the enormous egos; the fierce struggles for profits and power; the vendettas, rivalries, shakedowns, and payoffs. Chronicling the evolution of America's largest music labels from the Tin Pan Alley days to the present day, Fredric Dannen examines in depth the often venal, sometimes illegal dealings among the assorted hustlers and kingpins who rule over this multi-billion-dollar business.

The South Korean Film Renaissance

The South Korean Film Renaissance
Author: Jinhee Choi
Publisher: Wesleyan University Press
Total Pages: 264
Release: 2011-07-21
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 0819569860

For the past decade, the Korean film industry has enjoyed a renaissance. With innovative storytelling and visceral effects, Korean films not only have been commercially viable in the domestic and regional markets but also have appealed to cinephiles everywhere on the international festival circuit. This book provides both an industrial and an aesthetic account of how the Korean film industry managed to turn an economic crisis—triggered in part by globalizing processes in the world film industry—into a fiscal and cultural boom. Jinhee Choi examines the ways in which Korean film production companies, backed by affluent corporations and venture capitalists, concocted a variety of winning production trends. Through close analyses of key films, Choi demonstrates how contemporary Korean cinema portrays issues immediate to its own Korean audiences while incorporating the transnational aesthetics of Hollywood and other national cinemas such as Hong Kong and Japan. Appendices include data on box office rankings, numbers of films produced and released, market shares, and film festival showings.

Singer-songwriters

Singer-songwriters
Author: Dave DiMartino
Publisher:
Total Pages: 334
Release: 1994
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN:

Explores the careers of over 200 singers and song-writers from the 1950's onwards.

Makers of the Microchip

Makers of the Microchip
Author: Christophe Lecuyer
Publisher: MIT Press
Total Pages: 327
Release: 2010-09-03
Genre: Computers
ISBN: 0262014246

The first years of the company that developed the microchip and created the model for a successful Silicon Valley start-up. In the first three and a half years of its existence, Fairchild Semiconductor developed, produced, and marketed the device that would become the fundamental building block of the digital world: the microchip. Founded in 1957 by eight former employees of the Schockley Semiconductor Laboratory, Fairchild created the model for a successful Silicon Valley start-up: intense activity with a common goal, close collaboration, and a quick path to the market (Fairchild's first device hit the market just ten months after the company's founding). Fairchild Semiconductor was one of the first companies financed by venture capital, and its success inspired the establishment of venture capital firms in the San Francisco Bay area. These firms would finance the explosive growth of Silicon Valley over the next several decades. This history of the early years of Fairchild Semiconductor examines the technological, business, and social dynamics behind its innovative products. The centerpiece of the book is a collection of documents, reproduced in facsimile, including the company's first prospectus; ideas, sketches, and plans for the company's products; and a notebook kept by cofounder Jay Last that records problems, schedules, and tasks discussed at weekly meetings. A historical overview, interpretive essays, and an introduction to semiconductor technology in the period accompany these primary documents.

Hitmaker

Hitmaker
Author: Tommy Mottola
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Total Pages: 315
Release: 2013-01-29
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1455505439

Much has been written about Tommy Mottola, one of the most powerful, visionary, and successful executives in the history of the music industry. He discovered, developed and launched the careers of many superstars, including Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Shakira, Jennifer Lopez and Gloria Estefan, and is credited with creating the "Latin Explosion." He has had the privilege of working alongside Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Bob Dylan, Beyonce, Michael Jackson, Barbara Streisand, the Dixie Chicks, Pearl Jam, Aerosmith, Tony Bennett, and Ozzy Osbourne, amongst other music giants. This is his story--a story of the modern music industry, from Elvis to the iPod--through the eyes of the man who made much of it happen. Hitmaker recounts how a kid from the Bronx--and a college dropout--became one of the music industry's most creative and controversial CEOs. For the first time, Tommy lays bare the facts behind the most sensational aspects of his life, such as being married to and developing the career of Mariah Carey, managing Michael Jackson's emotional ups and downs, and the power struggle with his onetime boss and mentor Walter Yetnikoff. Hitmaker will take you inside this world of power, money, and fame as he recounts the fascinating dealings with countless icons, and what it was like to be at the top when the business suddenly changed. Tommy's story is one that will never be duplicated--and here it is, in his own voice, for the first time.

Hit Makers

Hit Makers
Author: Derek Thompson
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 370
Release: 2018-02-06
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1101980338

NATIONAL BESTSELLER A Book of the Year Selection for Inc. and Library Journal “This book picks up where The Tipping Point left off." -- Adam Grant, Wharton professor and New York Times bestselling author of ORIGINALS and GIVE AND TAKE Nothing “goes viral.” If you think a popular movie, song, or app came out of nowhere to become a word-of-mouth success in today’s crowded media environment, you’re missing the real story. Each blockbuster has a secret history—of power, influence, dark broadcasters, and passionate cults that turn some new products into cultural phenomena. Even the most brilliant ideas wither in obscurity if they fail to connect with the right network, and the consumers that matter most aren't the early adopters, but rather their friends, followers, and imitators -- the audience of your audience. In his groundbreaking investigation, Atlantic senior editor Derek Thompson uncovers the hidden psychology of why we like what we like and reveals the economics of cultural markets that invisibly shape our lives. Shattering the sentimental myths of hit-making that dominate pop culture and business, Thompson shows quality is insufficient for success, nobody has "good taste," and some of the most popular products in history were one bad break away from utter failure. It may be a new world, but there are some enduring truths to what audiences and consumers want. People love a familiar surprise: a product that is bold, yet sneakily recognizable. Every business, every artist, every person looking to promote themselves and their work wants to know what makes some works so successful while others disappear. Hit Makers is a magical mystery tour through the last century of pop culture blockbusters and the most valuable currency of the twenty-first century—people’s attention. From the dawn of impressionist art to the future of Facebook, from small Etsy designers to the origin of Star Wars, Derek Thompson leaves no pet rock unturned to tell the fascinating story of how culture happens and why things become popular. In Hit Makers, Derek Thompson investigates: · The secret link between ESPN's sticky programming and the The Weeknd's catchy choruses · Why Facebook is today’s most important newspaper · How advertising critics predicted Donald Trump · The 5th grader who accidentally launched "Rock Around the Clock," the biggest hit in rock and roll history · How Barack Obama and his speechwriters think of themselves as songwriters · How Disney conquered the world—but the future of hits belongs to savvy amateurs and individuals · The French collector who accidentally created the Impressionist canon · Quantitative evidence that the biggest music hits aren’t always the best · Why almost all Hollywood blockbusters are sequels, reboots, and adaptations · Why one year--1991--is responsible for the way pop music sounds today · Why another year --1932--created the business model of film · How data scientists proved that “going viral” is a myth · How 19th century immigration patterns explain the most heard song in the Western Hemisphere