Business Success Requires more MFAs

That's not a typo. I believe a great way for all businesses, not just so-called creative ones -- to insure your business success is to hire more MFA's -- that's Master of Fine Arts. Why? Because MFAs can bring creativity to businesses of all sizes. The iphone, ipod, and mac computer were successful because of their tech -- and because of their design. Steve Jobs was a technical innovator, but one thing that set him apart from the other tech computer giants was his emphasis on design and the user experience. Where is this being taught in America today? In our design departments, art departments, theater and film departments. If businesses are looking for creative products that will capture their consumers, recruit MFAs. Master of Fine Arts programs don't just teach creativity -- they teach discipline. MFA students work long hours in pursuit of perfection, constantly testing and improving their designs and their content. Focus on their projects can be translated by businesses into focus on their company's most important project. MFAs must collaborate with other artists to realize their vision. You can't receive an MFA in film directing unless you've successfully created a film requiring you to collaborate with designers, technicians, writers and actors to realize your vision. Anyone who can do that can collaborate with his or her fellow workers in the next cubicle. For many years, top financial firms have hired newly minted MBAs (Master of Business Administration) and groomed them for the top spots in their companies. All those MBA's didn't prevent the financial crisis of 2008 and 2009 -- in fact the policies pushed by the MBAs at the top of our investment banks and mortgage companies caused the crash and the Great Recession. What good were those degrees, if they couldn't see where the economy was headed? When the economy and the stock market were roaring, the MBAs made a great deal of money. When it foundered, they didn't know how to right the ship. Americans' ability to create and innovate is our advantage in the world economy. Tasks that we never thought would be outsourced, like legal and medical advice, are now being sent to the cheapest bidders. But you can't outsource creative individuals. Creativity requires collaboration, which requires a critical mass of creative people at your company. Every year, Universities graduate thousands of MFAs. Hire them, business leaders! Go to Art Schools to recruit them. There's a treasure trove of creative and innovative ideas at your fingertips if you want it. Hire some MFAs.

The Americans, or Keep Your Audience in Mind

Last week I watched the great new FX show The Americans, starring Keri Russell. The show takes place during the 1980s, and is about two Russian sleeper agents in the Washington DC area who outwardly live as a normal American family with two kids. In fact, they spend most of their time in the first episode kidnapping defectors, beating people up, and avoiding the FBI. It's a basic cable series, so the sex and violence is greater than you'd find on broadcast, but not close to what you see on pay cable. The show received a lot of publicity, and achieved very respectable premiere ratings. Keri Russell is clearing trying to separate herself from her wholesome reputation. I almost didn't make it through the first episode because I had trouble understanding the story of the first two scenes. The producers used the technique of dropping us into the middle of the story without explaining who is doing what and why. The exposition comes in the middle of the episode rather than the beginning. That combined with the fact that the first two scenes took place in dark places where it was difficult to see what was happening even if you knew what was going on. Television shows are created in edit rooms. The room is kept dark to make it easier to see what's on screen, and the sound systems are state of the art. That's important, because the producers want to create the best quality work. However, they should not lose sight of the fact that most people are watching the show in their living rooms, with the lights on and inferior sound systems. Viewers can also be distracted by phone calls, internet searching, and of course, other members of their family. I wonder how they would have cut the show together had they edited it in a living room, as opposed to an edit room. I'm sure they would have made the show easier to follow. When you're creating your content, keep the audience in mind. How are they going to see your show, watch your movie, or read your book? After all, we're creating our content to reach the audience. Let's make it as easy as possible for them.