(AN) – In this intedrview with Durk Dugan of AssociatedNews.US, Hollywood behind-the-scenes deal maker, Stan Medley, discusses (among other things) the recently announced acquisition of 50% of Celebrities In Action, Inc., a company he founded.
Durk: As the founder of Celebrities In Action Inc. what do you think of the recent acquisition of a 50% interest in Celebrities In Action by Diverse Media Group?
Stan: Well I thought it was beautiful fit. Diverse Media Group owns Diverse Talent Group, which is one of the top ten talent agencies in Hollywood. Diverse will be able to supply the quality of talent that we need to fulfill the purpose of Celebrities In Action.
Durk: What is the purpose of Celebrities In Action.?
Stan: Celebrities In Action, Inc. is a vertically integrated entertainment company that develops, produces and distributes proprietary and licensed entertainment content, with a particular focus on animated celebrities. We have a joint venture with POW! Entertainment for Stan Lee to create 20 some odd characters for us.
Durk: Now how did the deal with POW! Entertainment come about?
Stan: Well, Stan Lee and POW! Entertainment have been clients of mine for years. I had a lot of other celebrity clients and friends and of course Diverse Media Group, Inc. is another client of mine. The idea just sort of evolved out of knowing what Stan Lee wanted to create and knowing a lot of celebrities that would fit into that plan.
Durk: Now I hear you are also the founder of another one of Diverse Media Group’s projects, Talent Quest. What is that all about?
Stan: Well, Talent Quest America, Inc. is a subsidiary of Diverse that we created to identify new and rising talent representing the future of the Hollywood entertainment community. We will be launching it shortly with a major media campaign and internet based talent contest.
Durk: Sounds good can I try out?
Stan: Well, actually you might be able to. As we have it planned right now, Talent Quest
will not be limited to a certain age range like many of the other talent contest are, and will be open to people of all ages.
Durk: Do you plan a TV show like American Idol.
Stan: It is not actually a part of the plan right now as Talent Quest is something that can be viable just as an internet based contest. However, personally I feel like it will evolve quickly into a TV show like American Idol and I think we will be shooting footage of everything we do as we go along just to be prepared in the event it goes in that direction.
Durk: Great! Now you are into music too aren’t you? In fact, you write music for a band called “The Lords Of Easton” and you manage a very hot up and coming band called “Dead Sara.”
Stan: Yes, that’s true.
Durk: How did that come about?
Stan: Well Raven Kane, the female singer on the Lords of Easton tracks, (Sy Gorieb is the male Singer) was my music teacher and signing coach when I first moved to LA. Her husband is the world renown arranger, David Campbell. So I have known them for many years. The Lords Of Easton material are some songs we actually wrote in the 80s that seems to be getting some popularity lately. Raven and I wrote one of the songs. “In the Morning Light” and Raven, David and I wrote the other song “Arabian Nights”.
Durk: I noticed that they are doing well on a lot of the Internet sites. On Reverbnation.com for example, both the Lords Of Easton and Dead Sara are in the top 5 in the rock genre and both are in the top 10 across all genres.
Stan: Yeah, I noticed that too. Pretty exciting! Dead Sara is my favorite though. Emily and my daughter Siouxsie are amazing writers and musicians.
Durk: I heard Dead Sara has been the talk of the record community for some time now and that you turned down all kinds of record and publishing deals last year.
Stan: Well I don’t know about “all kinds” but we did turn down about four deals from record companies and a couple from publishers.
Durk: Why would you turn down record deals? Isn’t that what everyone wants as an opportunity.
Stan: Yes, it is probably what everyone wants but that doesn’t mean it is the right thing to do. The record industry is in turmoil the last several years. Record companies have lost power and don’t really know what they want to do or how to recover from the changes in the industry. We felt it was in our best interest to develop the band independently for awhile. We didn’t need the money, so there was no use selling our souls to the devil – so to speak.
Durk: So I hear you are about to put together your own label to launch “Dead Sara”?
Stan: How did you hear that. Very few people know.
Durk: We have some mutual friends.
Stan: (Laughs)… Or perhaps mutual enemies…. In any case, yes, we are about to launch a new label. I have obtained financing commitments and it will be a public company, and our first signed act will be Dead Sara.
Durk: How soon will this happen.
Stan: Timing is a little uncertain but I am hoping to get it done this year.
Durk: Well it sounds like you got quite a few things going on. Anything else in development?
Stan: Yes, I have a few treatments I wrote being sought after by a couple of production companies. But, not much I can say about those right now. Still in negotiations. A lot depends on financing, etc.
Durk: Thanks a lot, Stan. We wish you the best of luck on all your endeavors and please keep us updated .
Stan: Will do, Durk.