Customer Reviews

Creative Industries: Contracts between Art and Commerce

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Dozens of books on entertainment industries come out every year, but only few survive the test of time. This is one of them, and not precisely for the encyclopedic amount of information and references it presents (you can actually get many more references by sending an email to the author), or for its practical value --which in my opinion is high. The value of this book boils down to its elegant treatment of the economic logic behind seemingly unrelated businesses like moviemaking or ballet. The chapter on contracts for creative products is truly illuminating.

The author provides upfront the seven basic economic principles that affect all creative industries:
1. Demand is uncertain
2. Creative workers care about their product
3. Some creative products require diverse skills
4. Differentiated products.
5, 6, 7: read them yourself.

While everybody in the entertainment world might have their own list, this one is written and carefully developed by Richard Caves.

The format might be intimidating to some (e.g., no pictures, no tables, no flashy stuff), so don't buy it if you are not willing to invest a little time and brains to profit from the author's reasoning.

Upon the suggestion of a very famous academic I purchased this text. This book is written by a famous Harvard economist, and I now know how much these highly esteemed professors can get away with. If you are looking for middle of the road quotes and want a new source for them, this book will easily do the trick. If you are seeking out a illuminating cover to cover text dealing with either Creative Industries or flat out Economics this book may leave you flat.

In all honesty, I did not complete this text and there is a strong likelihood that I never will. This is not to say it is without merits entirely (please note that I did give it 3 stars). It is just that the book very long and lacks an intimate feel of solidarity with either the artistic side or the commerce dealers. It covers a lot of ground, and I do believe that my wallet would have been better served if I had just spent an afternoon at the local University library thumbing the text and xeroxing what I deemed relevant.