Author Q&A: Producer Marvin V Acuna, The Business of Show Institute

Producer Marvin V Acuna is the co-founder of The Business of Show Institute and president of Rainmakers and AE, Inc. At the moment he is working on his new series, Hitmakers, for Bravo which he co-developed and serves as the executive producer. Other credits include The Great Buck Howard, starring John Malkovich, Emily Blunt, and Tom Hanks, released theatrically in 2009, which he produced with Tom Hanks.

When did you first know you wanted to work in film?
I’ve always known it. I LOVE film and television. Always have and always will. I begged the manager at the local video store to give me a job so often that on my 16th birthday he called me at home to offer me a job.

What do you consider your big break?
My parents embedded the belief in me that I could do anything, that I could be anybody, and that the only limitation was my own imagination. Therefore, I believe my “Big Break” was making the decision to leave my hometown and head to Los Angeles. Personally, I feel at that moment my imagination took over and the rest as they say is … History.

Why did you create The Business of Show Institute (BOSI)?
To empower screenwriters. Almost every film fan has considered writing a screenplay. I found that screenwriters had many options to learn the craft of writing, but no genuine, cost effective outlet to learn the business of screenwriting. And make no mistake … it’s a business. Thus, the BOSi was born.

What was the impetus for launching the newsletter?
To provide screenwriters with various perspectives on the business of screenwriting in a format that was familiar in the e-world in which we all exist AND to build brand awareness.

How does having such a comprehensive and well-known newsletter aid your marketing goals?
It was our intention to dominate the entertainment business education screenwriting market and we feel strongly that because the BOSI newsletter provides so much valuable content for FREE we gained the trust and respect of the screenwriting community. Thus, they made us the number one online hub for entertainment business education.

How do you juggle all the different aspects of your career?
Effective time management AND surrounding myself with people I trust to do what needs to get done. But, most importantly passion for all the things I do.

What is your favorite part of being in “the business?”
Making dreams come true.

The greatest challenge?
Making dreams come true.

I joke, but it’s true. I love walking on to the set of my film or TV show, but getting to that point often requires moving heaven and earth. It’s not easy, but it’s rewarding. I look around and know that everyone on that set is living their dream. In my mind, it’s the most certain evidence that a thought can become a thing.

Consider that my series, Hitmakers, was an idea, and now we are traveling all of the country auditioning. Not only did my dream come true, but it will afford the cast members the opportunity to see their dreams realized. However, this required sacrifice, persistence, AND hard work.

What are the top three things creative people need to know about “the business of show” in order to achieve success?
1. It’s a business.

2. You must become a student of the business. Otherwise, you truly are playing the lottery.

3. If you are not networking, you are not … working!

Advice for writers?
Develop your craft AND know your market.

I think Uber Screenwriter John August said it best, “The responsibility of a screenwriter has evolved from merely providing a script that serves as the blue print for a movie to delivering a script that serves as the marketing document for a movie … “

What do you know now that you wish you knew when you first started writing?
It’s funny, I had not thought of myself as a writer simply a guy that wrote articles designed to empower other writers. To your question: How addictive it can be.