10 Questions With TEN2ONE Entertainment

10 Questions with Marcus Spence and Paul "Coy" Allen, of TEN2ONE Entertainment. 


 
TEN2ONE Entertainment is a hybrid entertainment production and talent management firm.  
1.  How did you get your start in the entertainment business and how many years have you been in the game?
Marcus Spence: I started in the entertainment business in 2001 straight out of college. I was lucky enough to be offered a job by music producer Timbaland, who happens to be family, to be a part of his new record label Beatclub Records which was a Joint Venture with Interscope. Through Beatclub, we launched the career of Bubba Sparxxx and with that success came hit after hit. I have now been in the music business for almost 9 years now.
Paul "Coy" Allen : I interned at a large production company called Tollin/Robbins Productions back in 1998 for a few months. My now good friend, Mason Gordo,n was the office manager at the time and officially hired me after my internship was over. Three months later I started working on “Kenan and Kel.” This year marks 11 years in the business.
2) What made you decide to be in this business?
MS - I always loved entertainment in general and I love the many ways entertainment touches people such as a TV show or movie being able to bring a family together. Also with music it touches everyone. We hear music everywhere we go and since I was young I have always been diverse and open mined in the types of music I listened to and enjoyed. Having musicians in my family and always being around music helped peak my interest in the business side of entertainment. When Timbaland asked me to be a part of his company I couldn’t think of a better way to mesh my love of music and film with what I learned in college. It was a golden opportunity to work with one of the most successful names in the business and really get my feet wet right out of the gates.
PA - Growing up I was always mesmerized by movies and television. At the age of 7, I started critiquing films and in my own head started breaking down how they were made. From that moment I knew what I wanted to do and just went after it. It is what I studied in college and what I have done my entire professional career.
3) What is your biggest success story as an entrepreneur in the entertainment business?
MS - My biggest personal success story would have to be when I managed the group OneRepublic early on in my career. I remember going from club to club and record label to record label showcasing and hustling to get them out there. Wow, that was a interesting experience but it taught me a lot. Being on the ground with those guys and working long hours, traveling and pushing hard I learned that if you believe in something and you stay positive you can achieve ANYTHING. Desire and persistence are the keys to any success.
PA - Completing Timbaland’s 19-minute world tour video from start to finish within 10 days. It was an incredible amount of work to shoot and edit within such a short time period but when it was done, the blood, sweat and tears were definitely worth it. With the success of the tour and the exposure it received, it marked a big milestone in my career.
4) How did you two meet and what incited you to start this new venture?
MS - Paul and I met in 2004 when he created a competition show involving Timbaland. From that point on we knew we would be working together. We were in constant contact and always kept up the dialog. Finally, late last year we spoke about finally forming a company that represented talent and created compelling content which meshed both of our skill sets nicely. It was shortly after that that we formalized to create Ten2One Entertainment.
5) How important is being an entrepreneur to you?
MS - I don't really know anything else but being an entrepreneur. In the entertainment business you have to be entrepreneurial. You always have to stay on your toes and maintain relevance. If not, there are thousands of people behind you ready to do just that.
Being an entrepreneur is very important to me because I love the process of building something from the ground up. It's really exciting to see how everything comes together.
PA - Having the ability to control a vision for a business while putting systems into place to support its success, is a dream come true. I believe anyone who has the ability, or thinks they’ve got what it takes to make a mark in any line of business should not hold back and move forward with bringing their concept to life. For me there is really no other way to go about developing my career path.
6) Both of you come from a production background, entering into the management side of the business do you see any barriers to entry as first time managers or do you see a benefit given your experience in the industry?
MS - Actually I look at us coming from a different background as a benefit because we are able to see two sides to every situation. We can see each situation from the executive/producer standpoint as well as from that of a manager and it makes the thinking way more objective. As well, the branding aspect of being a producer helps with being a good manager because as a producer you are looking for talent with marketability that you are able to make the face of a project.
PA – I feel as a director, I know how important good talent is to making a job a success. Good talent can made a mediocre project look solid but mediocre talent can make a good project look horrible.
7) For anyone wanting to get into the entertainment business, what advice can you suggest?
MS - My advice would you have go after what ever you want to do and don’t be scared to make mistakes. That is how you learn in this business. The entertainment business is something you jump into headfirst and you have to be able to always stay grounded and do any task big or small as you never know where things leave.
Also, keep and maintain a rolodex. It’s all about who you know in this game.
PA - Take full advantage of all the opportunities and resources that are presented to you. You never know what could be behind the next door. Any experience in the world of entertainment on all levels is fruitful to any individual wanting to get involved in the industry. Be willing to pay your dues and it eventually will pay off.
8) Do you have any concerns starting up a new company in this bleak economic environment?
MS - Entertainment is going to be here thru ups and downs, especially in a time where our economy is in the slump. The public needs something to grasp so music, films, Television, and now the Internet are outlet for people to seek solace from all the doom and gloom. I feel I this a great time to be starting a new company because things will turn around after awhile (as they always do) and you don’t want to be the one saying “I should have, could have or would have.”
PA – For me, I view the downturn as an opportunity for companies like Ten2One to actually succeed. As bigger companies, with larger economies of scale, face issues it will be the smaller upstarts that will be given a chance to shine. I think it is a great time to be entrepreneurial.
9) As entrepreneurs, what advice would you give people starting up any sort of business in this type of economic atmosphere? 
MS - My advice to anyone starting a new business is to make sure you research everything about the market you getting in. Also, make sure that you have positive people around you that are on the same page and willing to work their hearts out to achieve success. There is nothing that can’t be achieved, so surrounding yourself with smart and dedicated employees or partners will only make you want to work harder and achieve your goals.
PA – I would have to agree with Marcus, research is key. Learn as much as you can about your business before getting involved. In the early stages…the more hands on experience the better. Always take things seriously and always stay positive.
www.ten2oneentertainment.com
 
If you want to be interviewed please let me know. 

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Contributing

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  UCV Host

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  Robert Tauler

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  Tim O'Connor