Jonathan Tiersten and the Art of Negotiating

JT and I at the 2015 Macabre Faire Film Festival.

I recently had the honor and privilege to interview a great friend of mine and industry veteran, Jonathan Tiersten. He is an actor and singer known for his role in the cult horror franchise Sleepaway Camp and is a staple here in Colorado on the indie music circuit. Jonathan has recently been expanding his film career as an actor and producer and was kind enough to answer several questions I had about negotiating within the entertainment industry.

How would you say deal making and negotiation is different in show business as opposed to other business dealings?

Well, firstly, I would say that it depends on the level of the project.  Indy projects can all types of deals from very casual to very much by the book.  The more money there is involved in a project, the more formal the negotiation tends to be.  One of the main changes I have seen is that in person auditions are becoming less frequent and people are hired on name recognition alone.

How do you separate the people from the problem when you are negotiating? What tips do you have for new negotiators who are trying to do this? 

It isn't easy.  I very recently had this experience. I think the key is to not take things personally.  Everybody is your friend until they have to write a check.  I think the more detailed you are before you even enter the process the better off you will be.  Preparation goes a long way.  Look for things that might be sticking points and figure out possible resolutions before you even start talking.

How do you handle positioning bargaining tactics?

That is something that, I think, can only come from repetition.  I think the most important thing you can have is your integrity.  That may sound easy on it's face.  I recently spoke with a CEO of  Fortune 100 company and he told me, "Everybody will take free shit, even if it hurts someone else".  I hope he is wrong, but I think it is important to have a good feel for the people you are working with.

Would you say there any dirty tricks a person aspiring to get into entertainment business should know?

I don't know that there are dirty tricks.  I would say that you have to take a leap of faith and be willing to fail.  Learning how to deal with failure is an enormous part of this business.  It never feels good but you have to learn how to use it constructively.  Flying off the handle and having a tantrum or going into a deep depression may seem like the thing to do at the time, but they don't get you anywhere.

What was the most challenging negotiation you've experienced? What was the outcome?

I had a different answer for this question up and until two days ago.  I have been working with a couple of producers in Hollywood who have a feature debuting at The Seattle International Film Festival.  We just met with the aforementioned CEO.  It took me several years to set up the meeting (not to mention build my own resume).  I spent a ridiculous amount of money to get to the meeting and equally as much on the dinner.  Anyway, the CEO went on a roughly three hour monologue about his amazing philanthropic exploits and spectacular business acumen until I finally interjected.  I could not believe the producers had remained silent.  They seemed to be very intimidated  They talked such a tough game when I had spoken with them previously.  At that point the CEO responded by saying, "Okay, tell me how much you need".  They low-balled it and quoted a number about 1/2 of what we had discussed.  He responded by offering less than a quarter of that because he said he does not want it to be his head on the chopping block.  Truth be known the amount of money we were discussing isn't a lot to him.  I am still reeling from the affects.  Answering this question, again, for you makes me want to take heed of my own advice.  I must learn from this.  Right now I cannot say what that lesson is.  I sent a very terse email to the CEO after the meeting and excused myself (permanently) from the negotiation.  He said he would continue to talk to them (the producers) independently which I made a condition of my exit.  I also called the producers and said I was out.  They said that if he indeed invested I was due a finder's fee.  I told them I don't want it.  The CEO also told me to send him the dinner bill so he could reimburse me.  I told him, "Not a chance".  In the end it may seem like I have nothing, but I am pretty sure my integrity is intact and at least they are still negotiating.  It made me realize that I am good at the negotiating part but not so good at the ethical compromise part.  Maybe in my next lifetime. 

To learn more about Jonathan Tiersten and his work, please visit his official site HERE.

~Evgueni Mlodik