If I were to make my own Korean Entertainment Company..

A little exercise for myself - a scenario and what I'd do with it. How will this help my writing? Well I think it's a way for me to apply my principles, thoughts and opinions in such a way that it fits into what the scenario is asking for.

Scenario: I have my own Korean talent agency/company.

These are the things I'd do and live by if I did have my own talent company. These follow the principles I have and this is how record company executives should act, in my opinion.

But first, this is the staff I want:

1. Songwriters for the artists who choose not to write their own songs. Mostly Koreans. They know their own pop music industry more than anyone and I don't want to destroy the nature of the industry - Koreans know themselves best.
2. Producers who know what the crap they're doing. Producers who will take what an artist gives them, gives them options to improve but doesn't intrude or try to change who the artist is. I want producers who don't just buy food and press the 'record' button then during mastering auto-tune the whole song but ones who take the lead in recording songs and have their own aesthetic.
3. Managers who answer to me and only me - if something goes wrong, I'm the one who scolds them. I want managers who know how to respect and take care of their acts because that's the main job of a manager. They must have deep ties within the industry and know how to get a slot in a TV show or concert in less than 2 hours - I want them to be damn good at what they do.
4. Choreographers. I don't dance - I need people who are the best in their field. Choreographers who can whip non-dancers into competent and consistent dancers in under a year.
5. Vocal coaches who know what real, unadulterated voices sound like - they don't think the only beautiful voices are those that sound decades older than they should be. They should know how to take a beautiful voice and mould it, improve it - not change it to suit marketability.
6. PA's who can run around doing errands and who have even more ties within the industry than the managers have.

1. I'd still follow the unspoken 'dance or rot and die' rule.

It's one of the things that make K-pop what it is, in my opinion. I can't dance myself and I can't tell what a good dancer has but I sure do like the twist it puts on a song. I kinda like how synchronized dancing looks like for a band. BUT, I don't force it on those who really don't want it.

2. There will still be auditions and trainees.

I don't get it but it seems to work for the industry - let's go with that. I've come to find it as a good way to one, filter the good and bad quickly and as real-y as possible and two, turn them into competent performers and creative people. If I see the artists as themselves and in their elements I'll be able to better judge how much potential they have, how hard they can push themselves and just how good they are. It's also easier for me to be able to teach them the basics and let them decide what lessons I've taught them to use in their actual career. Works both ways, really.

I think the 'training period' should last for two years max. During that time they get sessions with choreographers, vocal coaches and get assigned a songwriter or producer to mentor them. I sit in on sessions three times a month and watch all my artists' progress so I can see how to tweak their training scheme.

Then I do what the talent companies there do - form groups from existing trainees. It works and it doesn't have any disrespect for music in my opinion so why stop it?

3. I value an impeccable voice but follow the 'dance or rot and die' rule.

To pass an audition in front of me, you have to be able to sing well - no less. Dancing or rapping or any other 'special talents' are second to singing, this is after all the MUSIC industry. During the training stage I'll still put the most weight on vocals though because one, it's what I see as most important in an artist and two, if you can't sing what's the use of being a singer? If I took you in only because you could sing and you can't dance that well - I'll turn you into a competent dancer as well but I won't oust you from the company just because you aren't a drop-dead brilliant dancer. I won't make you the next Yunho DBSK, Taemin SHINee or Rain or whoever but I'll make sure you keep on singing well and you don't falter in the 'dance or rot and die' rule.

4. Artists choose if they want to be controlled or not.

Some like it, some don't - I make them choose after the trainee 'stage'. If they want their music and their career be based on and centered around my aesthetic - what I think is good and right then so be it. If they want me to be the one to choose which songs get recorded, released, performed, how their schedule works, how much pushing they need and where to go musically then I'll do it - I respect their decision. I won't discourage artists having complete or partial control over their careers and music though. They work how they want to at their own pace with little or no pressure from me - I will only put out something they feel is their best at the time and something they think is ready for the spotlight.

5. I encourage creativity in all fields.

I give my artists a voice. What do they want to sing? What's THEM? I let them create and discover their own musical and artistic identities because it's one of the most important and valuable things to have as a singer - something that makes your songs your own. If they don't know how to be creative they have no right to be called artists but then again, everyone is creative - some just don't know in which field they are. In that case, I'll help them discover where their creativity lies.

Also, if they want to go into other fields of the entertainment industry and they ask for my help, I will support them. As long as they feel they can be creative and do a damn good job in what they want to do, I'm fine with it. Heck, if they say they want to break the US - I'll do that for them. I'm not in it for the money, I'm in it because my artists want it.

I want meaningful artists that don't just bring in cash and have millions of fans screaming their names but earn the credibility from their critics and the creative respect of their peers, juniors and seniors.

6. No one I control in my company raps.

OK, maybe there will be instances - maybe once a year or something but I refuse to put songs with rap in every single effin' album/single/mini-album I release. It's a personal preference that they not rap - I'll only retract this opinion if I find the rap tasteful or fitting to the song.

7. I'm not a money-hungry, emotionless robot.

I don't order a complete image change if someone doesn't sell because it's wrong. I don't slave-drive my artists to the point of death just so they get more exposure and ultimately sell more because it's inhumane. I'm sensitive to their feelings and opinions because they're people, not slaves or robots and they deserve to be treated like it. I make sure they put in their hard work and do their job to the best of their abilities but give them a break when they need it.

8. ALL artists are treated equally.

Doesn't matter if you've made one album or five, if you've broken Korea or the US. Doesn't matter if you've sold 100,000 copies or one - I treat everyone the same. I may personally favor the music one artist is making over another but I treat them just the same because they deserve my respect and support. Everyone has flaws they need to work on and plus points they need to highlight but at the end of the day, they all need to be treated fairly and equally.

9. I am merely a vehicle for my artists' creativity.

I only take what they make, what they give me and give it to the public - that's all I'm here for. I encourage them to make music, be creative and be themselves because it's their brains, their bodies, their lives. I'm here to teach them the basics, make sure they're introduced to the public properly and get/teach them whatever keeps that creativity flowing - it's up to them where they take their careers because they're the stars and this is their career. I have no business in their personal lives and things not related to music because this is a job and everything is purely on the professional level. I offer and make them choose - I don't force.