A glimpse of Hollywood

It could be Tyra Banks. It could be Steven Spielberg. It could be just about anyone in the entertainment business. Every morning, the buzz of who would be coming in that day flew through the Hollywood office building. Every day is someone new, a different celebrity dropping by, perhaps to discuss another multi-million dollar contract for his or her next movie or television stunt. The agent, the behind-the-scenes negotiator of the large revenues that the entertainment industry brings in every year, is the important person these stars came to see. \nIU senior Ned Specktor has been right beside these agents. \nAs an intern at prestigious talent agencies, Specktor assisted agents and observed high-profile clients interacting with these powerhouses, whether it was discussing contracts or planning upcoming projects. \nSpecktor expected to be an average intern and ended up not only with valuable work experience but also with numerous celebrity run-ins at movie premiers and parties. Specktor spent his 2002 spring break in Hollywood, where he successfully interviewed with two top talent agencies for assistant agent jobs. His internship experience was key to obtaining final interviews with these agencies -- both of which are scheduled for April, he said.\nSpecktor scored his first internship at Creative Artists Agency the summer after his freshman year at IU. CAA deals strictly with contracts and clients of the likes of Tom Cruise. By his junior year, Specktor was ready for more, and he interviewed with Mandalay Entertain-ment, a production company. Mandalay had never accepted interns before but devised a hands-on intern program for Specktor in which he contributed his own ideas and assisted agents. Each company offered Specktor its own unique perspective of the entertainment industry. \n"Both experiences gave me the chance to see different sides of the business and are very valuable to me," he said. "It affirmed my enthusiasm for becoming an agent."\nBeing an agent is a role in which Specktor fits easily, for he has always been a negotiator. His sister Lindsey said he can talk his way into and out of any situation. \nSpecktor agrees that deal making is one of his strongest attributes.\n"If there's a way it can be done, Ned will figure it out," Lindsey said of her younger brother.\nShe remembers her brother always wanting to be in entertainment, recalling his early interest in movies and movie stars.\nBut while most people become star struck or intimidated by celebrity status, Specktor is not attracted to the glitz and glamour. Although he admits it's very cool to meet the stars and is proud of his numerous photographs with celebrities such as Julia Roberts, Justin Timberlake and Jennifer Lopez, he sees star power simply as a business opportunity.\n"You have to realize that these celebrities are just people," he said. "If you are going to represent them, you have to put them on the same level you are on."\nSpecktor's confidence is a skill that is essential in the agency business.\n"Once you show you're intimidated, they have the leverage," he said. "And everything in this business is leverage."\nSpecktor started out as an aspiring sports agent and partly came to IU from his hometown of Minneapolis, for the sports marketing and management major.\nHe stuck with the major but didn't stick with the plan, for entertainment held more opportunities for him. Specktor confides he did have a remote dream of becoming an actor but said it was a bit far-fetched for him.\n"If you can't be an actor, you might as well be the next best thing," he said, smiling. "Ultimately (being an agent) is what I'm passionate about."\nSpecktor's best friend, Jordan Ablon, an IU alumnus who lives in Los Angeles, is sure Specktor will be successful.\n"Ned is an extremely hardworking individual," Ablon said. "He's persistent, tenacious, and he won't stop until he gets what he wants. That's what it takes to be successful in this business."\nAblon has copies of all of Specktor's celebrity photographs and has a particular favorite: the one of Specktor and 'N Sync member Justin Timberlake. Both Specktor and Ablon confess a bit bashfully that they are 'N Sync fans, and the snapshot reminds Ablon of a very memorable moment. While at the 'N Sync Grammy party where the photo was taken, Specktor called Ablon on his cell phone to share his 'N Sync moments with his best friend, letting Ablon hear all of his conversations with the members of the group. \n"He wanted me to be there so badly that he found a way to include me," Ablon said. "I was there as much as I could be. That's the kind of friend he is." \nRemembering friends back at IU is just one thing Specktor did to prevent getting caught up in the fast-paced Hollywood lifestyle. He was offered a job assisting an agent last spring, and though he was flattered and tempted, he decided that finishing school was more important. He returned to Bloomington for his senior year, with plans to return to Hollywood after graduation.\nHere at IU, he is the manager of the women's tennis team and a very active member of Zeta Beta Tau fraternity. He likes to go out with friends, see movies, and he loves the music of Three Minute Mile.\nLiving in Hollywood is obviously much different than life in college-town Bloomington, and Specktor realized he had to separate himself from the ostentation.\n"It's very superficial," he said. "You can't let yourself get caught up in the fairy tale lifestyle."\nSpecktor said the road to becoming an agent is not as glamorous as it might seem. The journey is long, hard and usually low-paid. Typically, an aspiring agent will start in the mail room of an agency and work his or her way up to an assistant agent position, eventually becoming an agent after a few years. Despite the obstacles of a competitive career and a slumping economy, Specktor is confident about his future, especially with his internship experience and the contacts he has made. \n"Whatever he sets his mind to, he does it," Lindsay Specktor said. "He always says to me: If you don't imagine it, it won't happen"