ATHENS – A leading Hollywood agent and entertainment attorney spoke to a variety of University of Georgia students Thursday about the keys to making it big in the entertainment business.
Norman Aladjem, donning a suit that looks like it came straight out of Beverly Hills, said that the key to making it big in the entertainment business isn’t always about having the best degree, but more about determination and hard work.
“If you are willing to have a commitment to excellence, a hard work ethic, and follow your bliss wherever it takes you, most of the time you’re going to be successful,” Aladjem said.
Aladjem grew up in Cleveland, Ohio and decided to enroll in law school at UCLA. He moved out to Los Angeles and enrolled not knowing anyone in the LA area. However, there was good news for Aladjem.
“There is no one path to success (in the entertainment business),” Aladjem said.
Aladjem focused a large portion of his talk and question and answer period around this thought. Many members of the audience were aspiring actors, managers, and writers. When different onlookers asked him for tips about how to get into these different fields, his answer was similar to each one of them.
“Be a student of the industry you want to be in. Just keep pushing, no matter what,” Aladjem said.
Aladjem is a man of his own words. He worked his way through law school as a stand up comic at UCLA. Upon completion of law school, he worked at a talent agency, produced a movie, and really “hit it big” when he landed a spot on former President Bill Clinton’s ’92 campaign. After the campaign was finished, he did work for the 1994 FIFA World Cup event that was held in the United States.
After the 1994 World Cup, Aladjem decided to become an agent again. He started his own agency called Writers and Artists Agency, and they recently combined with Paradigm Agency. Paradigm Agency is one of the leading agencies in the entertainment world, packaging shows from “24” to “America’s Next Top Model” and featuring clients such as Coldplay and Andy Garcia.
Although Aladjem enjoys dealing with high stakes clients and shows, a question was raised about how that type of “on-the-go” lifestyle affects his family life.
“To be honest, it’s very hard to strike a balance between work and family,” he said.
For example, he is currently away from his wife and daughter for 8 months as his daughter is pursuing a part in a musical that Aladjem said is a “once in a lifetime opportunity.”
An audience of nearly 80 people was on hand to hear Aladjem speak, including many undergraduates who were thinking about pursuing careers the entertainment industry.
Sophomore Billy Dramis, a Finance major, said he could apply a lot of what Aladjem said to job searching in general and not just in the entertainment business. “There’s always something out there (job wise), but all it takes is hard work and determination, and not just credentials,” Dramis said.
Aladjem alluded throughout the talk that before it was over, he was going to answer the question he is asked nearly every time he speaks, which is “How do you get an agent?”
The answer was probably not what people were looking for, but when asked, Aladjem said,” Somehow. That’s the answer” and then pointed back to his philosophy of hard work and never taking no for an answer.
The speech was sponsored by the Sports and Entertainment Law Society and the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication and took place in the UGA Law School building.
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