COURSE SYLLABUS
Course Title:
Entertainment Industry Entrepreneurship (Entrepreneurship in the Music
Industry)
Class Location: MBC
200 a Meeting
Dates/Time(s): 1: pm-1:50 MWF
Final Exam:
Instructor: Dr. Wacholtz
Office:
224 B. Massey
Contacts: Phone: 460-5437 Email: wacholtzl@mail.belmont.edu
lwacholtz@bellsouth.net
COURSE
DESCRIPTION:
MBU 4800. Entrepreneurship in the Music
Industry (3). Prerequisite: MBU
1110. Entertainment entrepreneurship is based on the process of identifying
opportunities in the entertainment marketplace, exploring potential resources
to pursue those opportunities, and committing to action the resources necessary
to exploit the opportunities for long-term gain.
COURSE
OBJECTIVES:
To provide students with an opportunity to determine their
entertainment industry entrepreneurship career preferences, establish short,
career, long term goals and to develop
research methods and analysis to determine start-up funding and operations,
management skills; a business plan, and an exit strategy.
· To possess a well grounded understanding of entrepreneurial business principals.
· To develop an understanding of important business issues as they relate to new ventures.
· To identify, appreciate, and assess the knowledge, attitudes, and skills of an entrepreneur.
· To study and observe entrepreneurial settings and entrepreneurial role models through exposure to actual business settings and experiences.
· To have an expanded awareness of the resources available for creating a business plan.
· To establish a level of confidence in creating a business plan for your specific area of study as a tool to assess, create and communicate your business concept.
In addition the course will provide a better understanding of:
·
Entrepreneurship
·
Leadership
techniques and skills
·
The mega
entertainment conglomerates and their dependence on entrepreneurial artist
products and services
·
The value of
copyrights with respect to the entertainment industry
·
The process of
taking an idea to the business plan process to public for sale.
·
Different types
of deals for songwriters, publishers, recording artists and managers/artists
·
The effects and
industry uses of new technologies such as MP3.com, Napster, and Internet
marketing, digital file sharing and downloads
·
The principal job
responsibilities of attorneys, managers, talent agents, concert promoters,
musicians, publishers, recording artists, vocalists, producers, booking agents,
film industry contacts, and how they interface
·
Icons, message,
and consumer psychographics and demographics
·
A basic business
entrepreneurship industry vocabulary
·
Industry related
ethical responsibilities
·
Industry
marketing practices, promotion publicity and uses of mass media outlets
·
Distribution,
retail and Internet career opportunities
·
Artist management
and concert promotion processes and career opportunities
·
Basic business strategies
and non-profit organizations as related to the music and entertainment industry
·
Trends for
entrepreneurship and related industry strategies and career opportunities
·
Retail outlets
and types of distribution
·
Unique business
mergers and practices such as virtual corporations
·
Financial
information and industry breakeven points
·
Industry related
historical perspectives and future trends
GOALS OF
THE
The following objectives will be applied toward
course completion:
·
To provide a personalized, career-oriented and
practical education that emphasizes leadership, innovation, private enterprise,
and entrepreneurship.
·
To equip
students with the tools to think critically, communicate effectively, accept
responsibility, make successful decisions, and prosper in diverse work
environments.
·
To emphasize
quality classroom instruction within the parameters of ethical Christian
principles.
As
members of the
“I will not give or receive aid during examinations; I
will not give or receive false or impermissible aid in course work, in the
preparation of reports, or in any other type of work that is to be used by the
instructor as the basis of my grade; I will not engage in any form of academic
fraud. Furthermore, I will uphold my responsibility to see to it that others
abide by the spirit and letter of this Honor Pledge.”
COURSE
REQUIREMENTS:
1. Attendance:
2. Materials: Textbooks and software
Entrepreneurship in the
Music Industry
by McGraw-Hill/Irwin (Primus) ISBN 0-390-77672-6 packaged with Business Plan Writer Deluxe software.
3. Course Components
Internet
Access
The Internet has become an essential tool for entrepreneuring in the real
world. Students may be provided with articles on the Internet to read and
answer basic questions. The goal is to
enable the students to apply the information that we have discussed to
real-world situations and give us a basis to discuss the concepts and
principles further.
Business
Plan-Phase I, Phase II, and Phase III
The creation of a business plan will be a tool to assist you to put the
concepts we have addressed together. Resources will be provided to help you
with the plan, including software that can assist you through the process. You
will be able to select the type of business for the business plan and are
encourage design the plan based on your area of interest. The objective is to
make this a positive, obtainable, and useful experience. The final written business plan is worth 25%
(5% for phase 1 and 10% for phase 11 and 10% for phase 111).
Exams
A mid-term exam will be given and is worth 20% of the final grade
A final exam will be given and is worth 20% of the final grade
The elevator pitch is worth 10% of the final grade.
The business plan "pitch" in class is worth 25%.
The Written
Business Plan (hard copy) due May 1.
4. Basis of grade evaluation: Grading scale as per the current Undergraduate
Bulletin.
Exams may consist of a
variety of question types: multiple choices; true/false, short answer,
matching, or essay questions. Students
will be advised prior to the exam what type of questions to expect. In addition to the text, students are also
responsible for any information presented in class in the form of readings,
handouts, videos, exercises, cases, etc.
Your instructor will announce the exact date of examination. Please see policies stated in the current
A 93-100
A- 90-92
B+ 87-89
B 83-86
B- 80-82
C+ 77-79
C 73-76 Average or typical grade of class
C- 70-72
D+ 67-69
D 63-66 Inferior to the average.
D- 60-62
F 59-0 Failure
to receive credit for the course.
CHEATING
Students caught
cheating (during exams, through plagiarism or any other form) will result in a
grade of zero (0) for that exam or assignment. Please refer to the
Accommodation of
Disabilities:
In compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation
Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act,
*THIS SYLLABUS PROVIDES A GENERAL PLAN FOR THIS COURSE. DEVIATIONS MAY BE NECESSARY AND WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN CLASS.
TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE-MBU
4800
Date
|
01/10 |
Welcome/Introduction |
|
01/12 |
Defining Entrepreneurship in
the Music and Entertainment industry |
|
0/15-19 |
Martin L. King Holiday Reading Assignments: Voices of Innovation: Steve
Jobs Why Would a Rock Star Want
to Talk to Me (economic viewpoint) Entrepreneurs, Ideas, and
Plans-The Basic of Small Business |
|
01/22-26 |
Reading Assignments: Steve Job's magic Kingdom The Worlds' Most Innovative
Companies Commentary: Are the
Copyright Wars Chilling Innovation? Building and Idea Factory |
|
01/29-02/2 |
Reading Assignments: How it is The Internet and New Media
Today Small business
Entrepreneurs: Characteristics and Competencies |
|
02//05-9 |
Reading Assignments: Small Business Ideas:
Creativity, The Secret to Google's
Success Can MTV Stay Cool? |
|
02/12-16 |
Reading Assignments: Small Business Entry: Paths
to Part-Time Entrepreneurship Video Game Industry: Game
Wars Ticket Resellers Aim to be
Top Draws Selling Sound: Bose Knows The Wild World of
Open-Source Media |
|
02/19-23 |
Reading Assignments: Small Business Entry: Paths
to Part-Time Entrepreneurship Small business Strategies:
imitation with a Twist |
|
02/26 |
Review of Business Plan
software Reading Assignments: This Way to the Future E-Business Strikes Again The E-Biz Surprise |
|
03/3 |
Outside Project (Research
for business plans)-No formal class meeting |
|
03/05-03/9 |
Spring Break |
|
03/12-16 |
Reading Assignments: Business Plans-Seeing Your
Audience and Business Clearly Case Study: The Computer
Guru: A One-Man Show or an Empire Cash: Lifeblood of the
Business Bang! Racing Company: A Wild
Ride at NASCAR Note*Turn in Phase one of
the Business Plan |
|
03/19-23 |
Reading Assignments: Small Business Distribution
and Location Small Business Promotion:
Capturing the Eyes of Your Market |
|
03/26-30 |
Reading Assignments: Sales Successful
Handbook-the first ten lessons Case Studies: young &
Rubicam Act 11 Reprogramming Amazon |
|
04/01- |
Note*Turn in Phase Two of the
Business Plan Sales and Sales
Pitching/Contracts |
|
04/04-04/06 W-/F |
Easter Break |
|
04/09-13 |
Reading Assignments: Sales Successful
Handbook-the second ten lessons Marketing Plans-Saying How
You’ll Get Sales |
|
04/ 16- 20 |
Reading Assignments: E-Online Detailed business Plan
Software Elevator Pitches |
|
04/23-27 |
Review of Sales Pitch
information and processes Executive Summary |
|
04/30 |
Review for Final Exam Note*Turn in Final Phase of
the Business Plan |