Sally Golan unites the New York film community with a special panel discussion

Sally Golan brings together NY's entertainment community

I hurried into the Thompson Hotel on the Lower East Side, running a few minutes late for the start of a panel discussion involving several prominent members of the independent film community. I had never met Sally Golan, the woman who put the event together, and was trying to recount exactly how I had been invited. I rode up the elevator expecting a conference room of some sort, with the panel already underway. “OK, if I just keep my head down as I walk in, hopefully no one will notice I was late,” I thought. The elevator doors opened, and much to my surprise, I found myself in a very hip lounge, with a beautiful view of the New York skyline. The panel had not yet started, and I breathed a sigh of relief as I stepped into the bar area, trying to look as if I belonged.

I was excited for the panel to begin, being that it featured several prominent members of the NY film community. Fittingly enough, the panel was moderated by Jerome Stoeffhaas of the New York Film State Department (www.nylovesfilm.com), which has helped cultivate the industry in New York through their tax credit incentives, and other advocacies. As a filmmaker in New York, you want to know someone in the NYS Film Department.

The panel was made up of Alex Merkin. Director of Across The Hall (2009); Tom Heller, Executive Producer of Precious (2009); Brian Devine, Producer/CEO of Gigantic Pictures; Jonathan Shukat, Executive Producer at Palmstar Entertainment; Christopher Horton, Head of Acquisitions at Cinetic Rights Management; and Jesse Scolaro, Producer of The Missing Person (2009).

The discussion quickly became very free flowing, with subjects ranging from finding financing to distribution, and much more. Once the panel broke up, there was an additional networking session, where the speakers stuck around to have one-on-one conversations with those who attended. This was where things really got interesting. I found myself talking with Brian Devine about what it takes for young up-and-comers to make it in the evolving market. I spoke with Jerry Stoeffhaas, discussing how he felt about “Fringe” moving their production out of NY. I spoke with Jesse Scolaro about how films are using tax credits to attract investors. I spoke with Alex Merkin, who ended up showing me a trailer for his student thesis film on his phone. Basically, I got around. This was just cool. I didn’t expect the panelists to be so open and ready to engage in conversations with those who approached them, but they were happy to do so.

I finally tracked down Sally and thanked her for my invite. Sally’s presence immediately made an impact on me. She exuded confidence and poise, garnering respect from everyone in the room. It was very easy to figure out who had thrown the event as soon as Sally walked in. I had just one question on my mind- how did she do this? I needed to know more about Sally and her company, Social Exposure, so I got her to sit down for a one-on-one interview. Here’s what she had to say.

JM: Let’s start with an easy one. Who is Sally Golan, and why should the NY entertainment community know her name?

SG: Haha I love this! OK, so I think people are really confused by me sometimes because it may seem like I do so many things… but really, I am a pretty focused individual. It’s simple. I am an actress/producer, trained in both film and theater and graduated from a private musical theater program called Randolph Academy in Toronto, Ontario. As soon as I graduated, I moved to New York City with $8,000 in my pocket and NOTHING lined up but a few friends in the city and my fed up attitude towards Toronto’s lack of support for young talent. I have spent the last two years really building, connecting and growing as a performer and producer and I think the NY community should know my name because of my “disgusting” (as someone once put) amount of drive and passion for this industry. I pride myself in the fact that I not only bring whatever talent I have to the table, but my ability to think outside the box. I don’t like rules…they never did me any good. I just think, “What do I want? What is the best way for me to get it?” So with this approach, I figured that no one cares about my success as much as I do and no one is going to feed me with a silver spoon, so I better create my own opportunities and learn every single aspect of this business instead of just going to a bunch of acting classes and hoping for the best. That is when I realized I had a passion for not only acting, but producing as well. The business side of this industry is equally as thrilling and creative. I think these days, acting and producing is a fantastic synergy.

From left to right: Brian Devine, Christopher Horton, Tom Heller,
Alex Merkin, Jesse Scolaro, and Jonathan Shukat

JM: Tell me a little bit about Social Exposure. How did the company come to be?

SG: It’s actually a pretty funny story and it never meant to become what it is. Settling in New York City was no easy feat. I struggled to find work, had absolutely no money and was moving from one friend’s place to another, like an abused and battered dog. Seventeen couches later I was up watching “Sex and the City” while crashing at a friend’s place (the eighteenth couch) in Queens and I thought to myself, “This show is such a lie!!” I thought about my personal dating, living, professional, and under the table experiences in Manhattan and how people would probably appreciate a television series that explored the unglamorous side to life in this concrete jungle. So I wrote my own TV series for months. I thought, “How the heck am I going to get this thing funded?” My producing partner at the time thought of having a one off fundraiser event to try raising some starting funds. We basically came up with the idea of featuring up and coming talent at the event, making it an evening of “exposure.” She then had to leave to work on something else and I took it on myself. I thought: I am exposing talent in a social situation, therefore… SOCIAL EXPOSURE. The event raised a little bit of money and attention for the show and myself. The next thing I knew, I was doing one Social Exposure event per month, and featuring talents from fashion to film to photography, art and music. People kept telling me how much they enjoyed the fact that everyone there was supportive and appreciative. No snobbery. I found my entire creative team through producing these networking events and eventually found my executive producer for the TV series. Social Exposure Media organically evolved into a production company that not only produces film work, but branded social networking events that brings up and coming talent PR and Exposure. While plugging in the NY community, I am constantly plugging in my work and myself too.

JM: The panel you assembled for this event was pretty impressive. How did you manage to bring all of these people together?

SG: Thank you! Assembling this panel was important to me because I wanted to choose passionate, unpretentious, yet successful talents that would give responsible and inspirational pieces of advice. I actually chose people I am personally passionate about. Pretty much everyone on that panel is a personal friend of mine or was referred to me through a trusted source, so luckily for me, I did not have to go too far. That’s what you get after film festival hopping for four years. The best part about it was that almost all of the panelists E-mailed me individually and told me they knew at least one or two other people on the panel… small world.

JM: What opportunities do you think have been created in the film industry because of the recession?

SG: I actually stated in my press release that people turn to entertainment and escapism the most during times like these. Entertainment is not just an extracurricular activity, but also a necessity. We need to feel voiced and represented- entertainment has always done that. Now, I think because people are spending so much time surfing the web for free content as opposed to a $12 movie ticket, producers are realizing that there is a huge, responsive and self-promoting audience on the net. What a fantastic way to test out what you created and gain massive viewers all over the globe. So now that people watch YouTube and Hulu more then actual television, advertisers are taking branded content to a whole new level, which gives producers an opportunity to source funding for their projects outside of Deutsche bank. Sure, advertising dollars have shrunk, but advertisers are far more open to new, innovative and collaborative approaches to marketing their brands, then ever before, BECAUSE they have to be smart about their spending. So why not brand a show that people LIKE instead of cheesy commercials? Fantastic! I recently saw a web series that was backed by Lexus, and now that over 1.2 M people subscribe to this show. Networks are considering picking it up for television.

JM: Means of production are becoming more and more accessible to individuals due to advances in technology and decreases in costs. While the quantity of product out there is increasing, the average viewer's time devoted to entertainment has remained the same. How long do you think the financial success of the film market has before the supply simply overpowers the demand?

SG: Right now, viewers are bombarded with an obscene amount of content readily available at their fingertips and I find that simply overwhelming. The more we throw at them, the less they absorb and the shorter their attention spans. I think that we have already reached that point. The supply is definitely greater then the demand and that is why so much content is getting lost in the airwaves. With cheaper technology comes a higher quantity of irresponsible, amateurish videos floating around the web, TV and even in theaters. I don’t care what anybody says; in the end, content is king. The audience does not care that you shot a feature film using the new canon 5D mark 2, they care that what they are watching is engaging and compelling. So go ahead and use all the cheap technology out there, just make sure your content isn’t as cheap as the camera package you got off Amazon. So to answer your question, not much time at all!

From left to right: Jerome Stoeffhaas, Alex Merkin, Christopher 
Horton, Jesse Scolaro, and Jonathan Shukat

JM: So with all of the content out there, free and otherwise, it strikes me that it is becoming harder to make money in the entertainment industry. I go back to the supply/demand theory- as the supply of a commodity (in this case, content), goes up, those demanding that content are willing to pay less and less for it. Taking that into consideration, it's reasonable to assume that the profitability of the industry on the whole is going to take a hit, and continue to decline as more content is produced. (As you said, if someone can watch something free on Hulu, why are they going to spend $12 on a movie ticket?) So, as that begins to happen more and more, what do you think the industry can/will/should do to keep generating a profit?

SG: Well that is a fantastic question and definitely a big concern for many producers. It's scary how easy it is to pirate films these days and stick them up on YouTube. I mean you can do that right off you phone! Or these brand new FLIP cameras that are coming out, that are tiny and take HD video (don’t get any ideas!). You are right, why should the average viewer pay $12 a ticket for a movie when they can sit on their computers and watch it for free? Now, that may be the case right now, but distributors, production companies, and theaters are really cracking down on making sure their content is not stolen. I just think that this is going to be a serious on going battle: Studio vs Cheap Viewer!

Now if producers and advertisers are smart, they would understand that if you can't beat em, join em! (This is already happening too.) Advertising dollars are now being spent more and more on the web and they should. Imagine if films were available online right after their theatrical release for cheaper then on demand or in video stores? The trick is figuring out if offering something for cheaper and hoping to attract more buyers, makes more money then offering the same thing for more, but with less customers. If you ask me, I think so. Studies show that more and more shoppers are using the web to purchase things like movies, music and other forms of entertainment. So… Hello??

I think there is a real opportunity to gain even more profit in the industry now then ever before BECAUSE of the great amount of availability and connectivity the tech world has to offer. Viral campaigns, web promos, trailers distributed and featured on all major sites like Hulu, YouTube, and Facebook, behind the scenes clips, interviews... I mean it's endless. So now, you can shoot your little indie film for 500K and have a real chance at becoming a sleeper hit if you use the web and all its glory correctly. I think producers really need to understand the power of advertising and marketing. The shift in the industry is not so much WHAT we are producing... but HOW we advertise and market the content.

Look at Cloverfield as a good example of a viral campaign. They used the web and its self-distributing method to reach out to an audience months before its release. Gaining a buzz and an excited audience far more intrigued for the release of that film then any other film that year. Smart.

JM: The entertainment industry has a reputation as being a bit cutthroat. One thing that struck me about your event was how nice and sincere those involved seemed to be. Panelists were eager to give advice to the younger up-and-comers, and everyone seemed genuinely interested in each other’s projects. Where do you think this sense of camaraderie comes from?

I chose the panelists because of the passion, dedication, and respect they have for their work. They are all naturally talented, yes, but none of them came into this industry with a silver spoon up their *ss. Humility comes with paying your dues. They all know what it is like to start out and they were all hardworking and talented enough to have others help them reach their goals, so why not give back to the community? Karma does exist. We all know that. Being cutthroat never does anybody good in this industry. When you share the set with 50 other people who hate you, how far can you possibly go? The entertainment industry is one of the most, if not THE most, collaborative industries in the world. It could take 200 people to make one movie. What good does it do to bring a nasty, negative energy to set? Everyone talks, and I believe that career longevity comes with a deep sense of camaraderie, respect and trust. If you want t be cutthroat, be a lawyer. 

JM: What is your definition of success?

SG: Wow…hmmm… When the question, “ Oh my god, what the hell am I going to do?” no longer frequents my brain, then I have become successful.

JM: What are you working on next?

SG: I created a comedic TV series about four, struggling New Yorkers from different walks of life, called “Shitty Advice For a Dollar.” It makes fun of all the things we take too seriously in this world. One of the filmmakers from the panel event, Alex Merkin, is directing and we are currently in pre-production with plans to shoot the pilot episode in January. I am also constantly developing the Social Exposure Media brand, thinking of ways to collaborate with other creative entrepreneurs and hoping to become one of New York’s top networking platforms for entertainers to come together. Kind of like Gen Art if you will, but every month, and far more personal.

JM: New Years Eve is just around the corner, which is always a great time for reflection and defining personal goals. Where do you want to be one year from now?

SG: I always play a game with myself where I stop and ask “ Where was I this day last year?” and if I progressed a tiny bit, I am on the right track. A year from now, I hope to be represented by a manager or agent that I vibe with socially and professionally because I really want to do more acting. I really want to go to the next level! That is my number one passion in the end, and I can’t do EVERYTHING by myself. So while I produce my TV series and brand Social Exposure media, it would be cool to have someone sending me out on casting calls and auditions that I cannot find myself. I also hope to have “Shitty Advice For A dollar” made into a popular NY web series if we don’t find a network. I can see it being a show that New Yorkers can turn to for relatable, edgy, content that makes them go “you have to see this” to all their friends!

A very special thanks to Sally Golan, and all of the panelists.  To learn more about Social Exposure and Sally, check out the following:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2641650/bio

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiLDaskA3Jw

http://www.vimeo.com/7615217