On-Set with an Indie Film Junkie

In the Midst of Phases I and II

2010-08-17T12:27:00.000-07:00

See the Electric Tiger Productions YouTube channel here: http://www.youtube.com/user/ElecTigerProductions

Well, well, the maniacal plan is safely underway. I now have significant portfolios in 3 of 4 major stock footage companies. I've just completed a short set of "Dry Ice" effects element videos. These are designed to be a part of another design where smoke, mist, vapor, or fog elements are required. They are all fully HD. The first batch is located here at ClipCanvas. I like posting to this site first as their up-time is short, they accept videos in Apple's ProRes 422 quicktime format (most others require the more generic PhotoJPEG format), they let me set my own price and provide a 60% commission on sales(!!!).

Trials and Tribulations
As I have moved forward, I have definitely seen some favorites and some not-so-favorites. Pond5 has been great: they accept most of what I submit in a short time frame (about 2-3 days), they also let me set my own price, and they are one of the largest footage providers. On the other hand, their CSV system could use some work (it's listed as a test offering) and it would be nice to submit videos as ProRes (processing to PhotoJPEG just adds more work and time).

Shutterstock is good, but they have a detailed approval process. This seems to mirror iStockphoto.com (I'll get to them in a little bit) which has a seemingly endless approval process. I get the distinct impression that Pond5 and ClipCanvas aren't doing as much on the lines of approval whereas other sites like Shutterstock and iStock are doing so much, it takes forever to get footage approved. The strange part is that while these 2 are busy approving all my footage, the other 2 are busy offering it to the public for sale. Both of these sites rely on an approval process which can take upwards of 5-6 weeks! No joke, kids, 5-6 weeks. Many clips will be refused from each batch I send in. I expect it from these 2 now. ClipCanvas and Pond5 will be my favorites. ;)

iStock has been a veritable maverick in the world of royalty free stock photography. Now, Getty bought them a couple years ago. Getty is HUGE. iStock is a small-mid-size company that knows its market. They started offering video footage not too long ago. As it stands, they are literally 5-6 weeks out from submission to approval for what they call non-exclusive contributors. Oddly, iStock doesn't offer very much in the way of commission. They are around 20-30%, they set the pricing, their submission process is clunky to say the least: it's web only and one video at a time which means for a 20 second file at about 200MB, it takes 30 minutes or more to submit one video. Every other firm allows me to upload en masse to the site, then add tags, keywords, descriptions, etc. Needless to say, I'm not likely going to be submitting a whole lot to iStock as they add hours to my workflow.

Now, Getty is a Rights-Managed photo/image/footage firm and they own iStock now. This means they offer you some level of exclusivity on the image within a certain framework. In other words, you are licensing the image or footage from Getty and the artist for a specific time frame and for a specific purpose or ad campaign. RM (rights-managed) are generally a lot more expensive than RF (royalty free) and a lot higher quality, BUT breaking into an RM firm requires years of professional experience and a huge library that one will usually offer exclusively to a place like Getty for either a flat fee (they buy it all from you) or they license it for you (for a considerably higher rate than RF places). Read: you make more money with RM firms and you get your foot in the door with RF sites. After several years of professional photo/video work, you may qualify.

I am using RF sites - this means I need nothing more for credentials than just my work (if you don't like my work, you don't buy it is the philosophy). I like this, it allows an amateur to compete directly with professionals in the field. It means your work must be top notch to really make some $$$. RF also means I can offer my footage through any of the stock video places I want. Simultaneously. Now, I need to market this footage to 4 different places at once. If you have a look at my YouTube page, you can see how I do this: http://www.youtube.com/user/ElecTigerProductions

More
This is a notably tough business work in. I suppose that is true of any field. You need to get a couple lucky breaks ("...luck favors the prepared...") along the way and keep promoting yourself as if you were a market or brand. My next footage goals are to begin working with models. Moving forward, I will be offering actors and models copies of their footage (as a promotional video) in exchange for sitting with me for a couple hours and letting me shoot them in various situations. No, because everyone asks, these will not be adult in nature. I mean, really, do I need to make more porn? There are already countless hours of footage of an adult nature available to seemingly anyone with a web browser. Talk about a saturated market! Now, tasteful nudes? I can do those... (just kidding people, I won't be doing those either).

If you are an actor or actress looking for a good promotional video, I am willing to create one in exchange for your work as a model for stock video! Please send me an email if you are interested: mail me.

Photographer Jonathan Ziegler Promo 1

2010-07-20T12:03:00.000-07:00

$.29 and Counting!

2010-07-15T17:34:00.000-07:00

So I've made progress. Since I've started on this fantastical journey, I've made some money! $0.29 from iStockphoto. I've also been approved with a stock agency called dreamstime.com. I've made a single trek to the wild jungles of Tucson to shoot some stock footage for istock, Shutterstock, and a place called pond5. Progress is not quick. It's slow. It's noticeable when it's got it's legs and then everyone whoops and hollers. Right now, it's got a sort of slow, halting, grudging pace that gets better each day.

The Story So Far
On Tuesday, I took my friend to the airport. She was leaving for New York on vacation. I miss vacations. I digress. Anyhow, immediately after, I took my first big step, ran home, grabbed my camera and equipment and headed for Reddington Pass. Just before I arrived at the exit point for the Lower Tanque Verde Falls, I ran into construction. At this point, I made the call to NOT go to Reddington - the sun was too far into the sky for a mid-summer day (already hitting 90°F at 7:00 AM). I became a little distraught.

Now, I'm not really the type that gives up that easily. It's not in me. I will beat something to death, but I failed to plan correctly. I think I figured it would be right off the road and I wouldn't have to do any hiking or walking. Silly, silly, me. I didn't bring water or plan for a hike. Okay, so plan B? I didn't have a plan B. Luckily, I knew what I wanted to see - water cascading over rocks. In the desert. As I headed back, I came across the Agua Caliente Park. Just north of Tanque Verde and Houghton which is about where the beginning on Redding Road is. I took a right and followed the signs.

It had been a long time since I had been there. Maybe something like 15 years. I drove up and I got my perfect scenario: I get to hop right out of the truck, start shooting right away and I don't have to do a major hike in the desert heat. Later on, I'll hit Reddington and Tanque Verde Falls. I think there might be naked people there. Like some form of nudist thing or clothing optional area. I hope not. I really don't want to see sweaty strangers with their junk hanging out.

The Progress
So it's going slowly and certainly $.29 is not a major milestone. "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step..." or something along those lines. I'm not worried. I have a strong sense that this is definitely the right thing to do with my life. Many others will readily disagree. I take criticism with a grain of salt. Many are friends and family who are not merely offering advice, they are imposing their personal fears, failures, and anxieties upon me and I am mature enough now that I can sort through what is wheat and what is chaff. Perhaps I am wiser? I won't go that far, but I will say that I know I am doing the right thing.

So the actual progress is that I am now submitted for approval to iStock, Shutterstock, Clip Canvas (a European site, I think), and pond5.com. In addition, I am now live with Dreamstime, iStock, and I have been formally rejected from Shutterstock (they didn't like any of the pictures I sent).

Something interesting: stock video pays considerably better than stock photography. Stock video can pay hundreds versus the few dollars and cents I can garner from photos. What better? I find it easier to get stock video accepted. Oddly enough, I tend to photograph everything I shoot as a base function of the DSLR camera I use to shoot my video. Now, what makes a good photo doesn't necessarily make a good video and vice versa. I think I think in terms of motion more than stills. It sure stimulates me more.

Phase II Stuff
So, I'm planning on starting up with the promotional videos sometime very soon. These will be short videos designed to advertise me and my work. This is the self-promotional thing coming through. More later.

Thanks everyone for reading! Don't forget to click the links on this page - you don't have to buy anything, but I get paid when you click. Help a guy out! :)

My Maniacal Plan Phase I Notes II

2010-07-06T09:05:00.000-07:00

So, I've submitted work to Shutterstock. I didn't expect to fail as badly as I have, but I have nonetheless. Of the 10 submitted for approval, 10 were rejected. Yikes, that's rough! Now, I understand videos are easy uploads and they are easier to pass through the gatekeepers. Perhaps I need to adjust my focus? Perhaps I need to start by uploading videos instead of photos. My long-term focus is to shift from shooting photos to shooting videos. Moving images move me. That's just how I work. The best part? I can use my Canon Rebel XT camera to shoot things like timelapse (just a set of still photos). Maybe my focus needs to shift sooner than later.

I receive my camera today. I'll be waiting anxiously for its arrival.

Dreamstime
I've submitted photos to Dreamstime. I like them: they read from the EXIF data included in my images. Will they bite? Good question. That remains to be seen.

All is not lost
No, not in the least. In the arts and/or entertainment field, one must be able to handle rejection. This just means I need to spend more time being creative and less time lamenting my lack of finances or equipment. I've always said an expert photographer or videographer can do more with minimal equipment than someone with all the money and equipment in the world. Am I that expert? I would like to think so and I'll do what I must to make it happen. Look out bitches! Here I come. ;)

Some books for today (click the links, I make $$$):
A Whack on the Side of the Head: How You Can Be More Creative
The E-myth Revisited

Progress of Phase I Again

2010-07-05T15:52:00.000-07:00

So, I've got some notes. I've been submitting some existing photographs to my current stock photo place: iStockphoto. Along with that, I've submitted photos to 2 other microstock agencies: Shutterstock and Dreamstime. Each one has an associated approval process. That's what I'm getting through now.

iStockphoto
I like this place. It's the first one I've ever done. To get approved, you need to upload 3 samples of work. Then, you wait for them to be approved. These must be your best work. Often, they will give you a reason for their refusal, but not always. Often, you can correct whatever problems may exist and re-upload. There is one thing I dislike about iStock: you can only upload 15 images per week. When you already have a library to select from, this can be frustrating. Regardless, don't expect your approval rating to go sky-high right away. I'm doing okay there and I have an approval rating less than 50%. Would like them to read EXIF data from Photoshop, too.

Shutterstock
This seems to be be everyone's favorite and may well be the one to be on. You need to submit 10 images for approval and they have to approve at least 7. For safety's sake, I uploaded 8 images I have already had approved with iStock and 2 that are pending. Still waiting to hear. One nice thing is that they have an FTP area where you can use an FTP client to upload your images several at a time. Would like them to read EXIF data from Photoshop, too. Regardless, they have an easy-to-use interface for keywording and such.

Dreamstime
New one for me. Uploaded the same 10 images from Shutterstock. I'll have to wait about 48-72 hours to find out where I'm at. They read EXIF data from Photoshop! This makes things sooooo much easier.

Keywords
Each site allows you to add keywords. Keywords are now a natural part of my image generation process. After the image is made, I save as a high-quality JPEG, then Command-Option-Shift-I and voila, I can fill in all the information I need about my images. I can make tons of subsequent copy-and-paste additions to other sites this way, but it would be nice if the data were already read and implemented immediately.

Keywords are more art than science. That's the idea, anyway. You can put in basics like specific colors, general categories like "nature" or "landscape," or general topics like "business," but the hard part is the way an image feels. These are the more esoteric aspects like "depressing" or "happy." The rest is gravy, I guess.

More later!

Progress of Phase I

2010-07-04T11:24:00.000-07:00

So, first I need some pictures and then I need to access some stock places to begin selling. I already have an iStock account here. You'll notice when you look at my portfolio that there are a number of nature photos and only a few "staged" photos. I had been using iStock as a clearinghouse for my experiments to see what people are interested in. Also, I needed to get my chops up a bit to make myself a sellable photographer. Let's explore that a little bit. The photos peppering this post represent some of the latest photos I've uploaded to iStock in this phase of my Maniacal Plan - much smaller of course.

My most popular work and my most profitable

Just because something is popular, doesn't mean its profitable and vice versa. Now, I am not making massive amounts of cash from my iStock account, but I am on with one of the more profitable sites, though I'm not making oodles. This image is my most popular photo right now. Pretty cool, huh? I created the envelope by hand from, of all things, handmade paper! I was on a paper-making kick and created the envelope and card. That photo is all that remains of it, but it has made me small amounts of money. Now, my most profitable image is here. This was a photo I took while on assignment for another client (AZ Fish & Game). I have done a bit of photoshop work to make it better: the sky was hazy and white and the water needed some work. I have only one less download with that photo versus my most popular, but it's making almost twice what the most popular image is making. The difference? Larger files; you get more per download with larger images.

For a more detailed comparison, let's have a look at a mid-level photo. This photo comes third in popularity, but second in royalties. It's pretty plain, I know. It's a photo of flat, rough turquoise. Now, I uploaded this photo for one reason only: to see what would catch and what wouldn't. The envelope picture is very green - I think it capitalizes nicely on the current trend in business to make everything "green." Since the envelope is made from recycled paper and it's on wood, the entire setup screams green. I really like the palm trees photo. It took a minimum of work. It looks like it's on a tropical island near the ocean. Yet, it's only a couple palm trees at a public park in West Tucson. The turquoise photo captures plain turquoise and as long as southwestern art remains popular, I can use that as a draw. Now we get to something I've an interest: what works for the end-user.

Shooting for the end-user

Who is the end user? The average joe? Not likely. Instead, it's likely small-to-medium-sized companies with a single designer or a small team who need access to useable, inexpensive stock photos. They aren't spending oodles of time on finding these pictures. Instead, they have a short set of keywords and they use them to find pictures in several different stock photo sources. What are people downloading? How can I stack up?

The cheaper stock sources have been cropping up like mad and places like Getty Images, Corbis, and Jupiter are branching out with their own user-stock photo sites and snapping up these companies. They are profitable and they represent a different model of licensing: micro stock. It puts high-quality, inexpensive photos in the hands of smaller licensees. Now, there is also a distinct community developing around these sites - photographers help one another with their images, assist with photoshop work, compete for titles and prizes, give advice, etc. One great thing: iStock gives you a list of what's most popular for the last 3 months. For example, right now, the most popular images have to do with sunsets, green-ness, businesspeople, families and children. Let's do a little distillation: Nature, Business, and Family.

Where do I stack up?

Hmmm, I'm in the middle somewhat. Having no cash to pay models, I don't have a large cache of photos with people (or any for that matter). My nature photos are good, but not stellar. I've learned how to take good pictures and how to make them better in photoshop, but I'm still very much an amateur. So, here's my idea: let's get some models in a natural setting. The agreement will be they will get headshots and photos (of my choosing) to use for themselves. These will be high-quality images they can use for prints or what have you, BUT they also agree to let me have free reign with the rest. It's a decent trade-off and a win-win. I seem to remember reading someplace this was a standard for many new photographers. Once I have a better picture of what will and will not sell, then I can move ahead and maybe even pay models.

I have the nature thing pretty well down. I'm guessing this is fairly typical of new photographers. What is new, however, is my plan to do stock footage. Since the mid-nineties, several inexpensive digital SLRs and cameras have come out. They have placed quality photographic equipment in the hands of the average user for less money. With the latest crop of DSLRs that also shoot HD video, it puts super high quality video in the hands of the average user. Now, many people still are not using these cameras or, if they are, they don't know how to use them effectively. Now is a great time to capture this market. Once the camera comes in, it's time to start shooting. I'm very excited.

Sorta sum it all up

Okay, so I'm not making what is popular now, but I know what is popular so I can start shooting these things. I need to include models in my photos and I have a rough plan for doing that. My nature photos may need work to get them up to par with the big boys - just because you've been accepted, doesn't mean you will be successful.

Something else: plan for holidays 3-6 months in advance. The biggies are coming: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Valentine's. Your picture or design may be the trend everyone follows this coming year so be prepared.

All the best equipment won't guarantee your success. A good professional photographer will make the most from any equipment. Also, I am signed up with only a single micro stock photo dealer. I will spend this week refining images and getting them up to other stock places while I await the delivery of my new camera (arrives on Tuesday!). When the camera arrives, I'll run it through some paces and then begin shooting as much and as often as I can. Volume is key since I am getting about 2-5 good, usable photos for every 50-100 shot. If I can shoot 300+ per day, I can have at least 5 or 6 solid, usable photos and as many as 15-20 every single time I shoot. This simple numbers game may well be bankable.

Stay ahead of the curve everyone (even if you're starting behind).

My Maniacal Plan

2010-06-29T12:37:00.000-07:00

I'm fed up. I've been job-hunting for the last several months now. No dice. I can't even get a job at Burger King or Mickie Dees. I've even hunted for the occasional freelance gig. It's not going well. Worse, I don't have a camera so what good is all this video knowledge without a camera? As my wife would say, "here is my maniacal plan..."

Stage 1: Camera Acquisition

So the first part is fairly easy: I go buy a camera. With little cash, this is not a quick process. I discovered some extra credit on one of our cards and held on to it for months. As recommended by Robert Kiyosaki in Rich Dad Poor Dad, I'm going to use my available credit to my advantage, buy a camera, and move on to stage 2. I'll need to acquire additional batteries, hard drive storage and SDHC memory cards. My total investment for this endeavor will run about $1200. Per Rich Dad Poor Dad, this will be to create passive, recurring income.

Stage 2: Photo/Video Acquisition

Using a list of good photo sites in and around the Tucson area, I'm going to make morning and evening trips to various local sites to shoot. I'll be shooting video and photographs using the above camera. I'm quite familiar with the camera's capabilities so I'm not too concerned with technical issues or my ability to resolve them efficiently. Furthermore, I'll be able to use available lenses and supplies from my present Canon DSLR camera. I'll be hitting state parks, local sights, and other places where I can shoot. Models require payment, BUT I can likely trade out a set of good headshot photos for unlimited rights to said photos and sell them as below.

Stage 3: Sales

Within the last 2-3 years, numerous stock photo companies has sprung up all over the internet. To name a few: Shutterstock, iStockphoto, and Pond5. These are just a few of the sites online making active sales. What do they pay? Well, my research suggests I can generate an average of $.05-0.25 per image per day. I know, not much. On the other hand, if I can generate an average of only $0.05 per image per day with say 1000 images (I can shoot 300 usable pictures a week if I push it, reasonably about 100), I can make $50 a month. Videos are going to be the real money makers, generating $1.25-5.00 per video. Videos take longer, use up more drive space and take longer to upload, but 25 or so good videos a month can bring in as much as $125.

I forgot to mention these numbers are per site. I have 3 specific sites ready to go (including my existing iStock site). More will come. If I can start selling with places like Getty, I can literally increase my income by 2-5x or more. Some stock agencies give $250+ per image and videos can net $1000.

Is there a market? Yes. Is there competition? Most certainly (I'm not the only one doing this). Is there still money to be made? Most definitely. See anyone with a camera can get it right once in a while and still produce high-quality stock photography. I like the baseball analogy - you can hit the ball 30% of the time and still be considered a great ball player. Now, with experience and an artist's eye, you can hit the ball only 50% of the time and be an amazing photographer.

Stage 4: Sales and Promotion

Now, since I'll own the rights to all of the images, I can still use them to promote myself. I'm merely licensing my images through another agency and making a percentage. Sort of like sales commissions, but I produce the artwork and they provide a handy central clearinghouse for my work (and others). By actively promoting my work (creating photo galleries and short YouTube video clips featuring my work) on my websites, blogs, and social media sites, I'll be able to ensure traffic and better search engine hits going to my site. This will be used to create my secondary sales (Phase II which is in the planning stages) of commercials, corporate videos, product videos, etc. These will be used to create good income, but only on a once-per basis (the photos and videos will be used to create recurring bread-and-butter income).

Not being satisfied with just doing a few things, I can use the income generated from one-off gigs like company videos and commercials to boost the rest of the company and reinvest. Stock photo is a lot of work, so it would be nice to have a better business model to take it's place and continue licensing the entire collection or sell the collection to another company for a substantial single amount.

Stage 5: Financials

So, make the photos and videos, create neat little videos featuring my work with my company logo, promote, sell, rinse, repeat. This will continue until I have a solid monthly income of at least $500 a month and my estimates put it closer to $1500 a month in 1 year with a library of over 10,000 photos and 500 videos. Many small stock agencies don't have libraries that large and my earnings numbers are quite conservative. Truly, with a library that size, I should be getting $0.25 a photo and $1 a video a month for around $3000 a month, but its hard to say where the market will go.

Additional costs will consist of basic essentials like gasoline, consumables like hard drives, memory cards, and optical media, new equipment like lenses, cameras, new computer equipment, insurance, licensing, accounting, legal, taxes, debt resolution, etc. Unfortunately, with no cash coming in, I have to operate without the majority of these things. I will need to make the most of what I have now: TIME. If I'm really busy, I should be pulling in lots of money and may not have time for stock, but I'll be making that up by making more money in a shorter time frame. That will also take time and patience. Got to remember not to jump the gun or put the cart before the horse or any other cliche you can think of.

Stage 6: Make Big Movies

That's my ultimate goal: produce films for theatrical and/or personal consumption and substantial profit. This will also take time and money. This part of the plan is incomplete.

Stage 7: World Domination

I can dream.

Let me know what you think.

Shooting Notes and a Little Advice

2010-05-24T15:24:00.000-07:00

So we're now on to about our third week of production. We have had an aggressive schedule thus far - this is in comparison to many other indie film projects I've worked on. In all fairness, those productions were light - a few days/nights/weekends here or there, but nothing every single day. This production has taxed my personal will and limits to the max. I now know I can do a hectic large production with no problem. It would seem light in comparison based on what I've heard from others who work "in the field." That's fine by me. I'm seeing my ambitions rise.

My next project will be a Steampunk Spaghetti Western. I hope it will be anyway. I'm working on the story and concept right now and I'm reviewing a number of films: The Man with No Name Trilogy (A Fistful of Dollars, For A Few Dollars More, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly), Hang Em High (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) [Blu-ray], and even True Grit (Special Collector's Edition). These are links to the relevant stuff from Amazon - yeah, I try to make an extra buck or 2 here and there. Furthermore, I'm looking at Hong Kong flicks like Sukiyaki Western Django and the new The Good, the Bad, the Weird which has yet to come out on DVD, but I'm going to see it at The Loft soon. I think the market is just right for a good Steampunk film and a Steampunk Western would be even better. More details on this to follow as time moves on.

Some good advice for filmmakers (I hope):

1) Trust your people. I've said this far too many times to count, but it still holds. If you can't let your people do the job they want to do, you can't have a good production and people will leave you in droves or, worse, just give you a lackluster performance. Learn to let go and learn to let the creativity flow.

2) Protect your body. After 9 straight days of shooting, I was almost unable to walk. My dogs are beyond barking - they are HOWLING. Take every available opportunity to SIT DOWN. I've taken to shooting in chairs my feet hurt so bad. Worse: I have athlete's foot! So my dogs are barking, howling, and they're cracked and itchy. Same is true for your knees: don't fuck with them - when they are groaning from use, take some time to sit. For shots when I need to be low, I have a pair of knee pads I got for $5 at Home Depot and I use them a lot. As DP of the current production, I have declined to shoot some shots because I knew my knees couldn't do it. Since we are shooting the whole thing handheld, I have to.

3) Don't forget to eat and drink. On set, I get so focused, I forget to eat. This is probably why I lose 5-10 pounds on average during production. I just forget to eat. When I get really bad, I get way cranky. My body gets slow, my brain gets slow, I make dumb mistakes. Do yourself a favor, at least keep hydrated (way true in Arizona) and make sure you eat.

4) Don't overeat. Kind of the opposite to the last note, but if you overeat, you'll be in the same boat. I prefer to keep small amounts of snacky, healthy food with me - raisins, nuts, crackers, etc. I eat little bits at a time so I'm never hungry and my metabolism goes through the roof and I have tons of energy. Also probably why I lose weight during production. Stay away from high-sugar and high-starch foods - they will make you sluggish.

5) Get some exercise. You are worthless without energy. I have literally twice the energy on days I get even a short, continuous walk in versus days where I'm "just too tired." If I wake up and walk for 30 minutes, I'm fine the whole day with significant energy. If I wake up and work, I have minimal energy. It's healthy, good for you, and it doesn't take long. A walk is also better than all the coffee in the world.

6) Spend more time pre-planning. Every hour you spend planning will wipe out 2-3 hours of guesswork on set. For this production, for a variety of reasons, we had to shorten our pre-production time. This has proven to be the most costly decision we have made thus far both in terms of time and money. Had we started pre-production even a month earlier, we would have been fine (2 months would have been better). I read a great quote from JJ Abrams: "...So directing is sort of the reward for all the work you put in before..." Think about that. Directing is the reward for all the planning work you've already done. This is a man who manages numerous multi-million-dollar projects and feels rewarded by directing. I imagine him working for months and months (probably with a solid team that he trusts implicitly) on pre-production and then saying, "wow, neat, I get to direct this thing now!" I can't wait to see his next film, Super 8 - Spielberg and Abrams on the same project. Yummy! I may have to go see Cloverfield [Blu-ray]
now, too.

Already, we are having to plan shots the day of shooting or, worse, on set. This is aggravating the actors and crew and making things not only difficult, but tiresome. We look like we don't know what we are doing - sometimes I feel like we don't. Also, we have a production coordinator who can't coordinate because the schedule is completely fucked. Our actors don't know what scene they're on and the crew is just waiting around for us to figure it out. Unfortunately, the director doesn't always know and they look to me (the DP) for guidance which I can't give because I'm waiting on the director because we failed to plan it all out. We used to shoot a "run and gun" style, but for this production, we can't do it that way anymore without costing everyone tons of time.

7) Know your equipment. As director, I don't think you need to necessarily know the equipment thoroughly, but you need to understand what it can and can't do. If you are asking for a really low-light shot and the equipment isn't capable, it's not the equipment's fault. The equipment has always been the same, it's you who needs to be flexible. If you are doing a wide shot and need crystal-clear audio, don't expect the sound guy to be able to just walk in and boom the shot when there's nothing to hide behind. When we shot on a camcorder, the little on-camera mic handled everything, but now we are shooting DSLR with external sound. We have to rethink to solve a new set of problems and come up with creative solutions for the limitations. Complaining about the equipment only shows you are an amateur. A good filmmaker can make a great film with poor equipment than a beginner with the best equipment. Learn your limitations so you can go beyond them.

8) Don't talk trash about your cast or crew on set. Ever. In fact, don't give feedback until the production is totally wrapped. Why would anyone want to work with a production where the director talks smack or trash about everyone? On set, be professional and expect everyone else to be professional. Focus on getting the problem solved and the movie made not feeding your ego by telling people how much so-and-so sucks. I don't do it on set and I don't let others. Focus on your job and not everyone else's. If someone consistently fails to step up, then don't hire them again, but make sure you tell them why they're voted off the island.

I loathe people who pull me aside as if something were terribly important only to have them say so-and-so was doing XYZ. Often, the person telling me this useless information is seldom the cream of the crop. In fact, the best people I've ever worked with only offer that kind of feedback when they're asked for it and then it's more like advice. Word to the wise: if you spend any time talking smack or trash about anyone on set, you are probably the weakest link. On my set, the squeaky wheel gets replaced. I have zero tolerance or patience for people who can't seem to do their job, but have loads of time to tell everyone else what others are doing wrong.

More advice to follow, but this is some KEY advice for all of you: keep shooting and have FUN! If it's not fun, you're too damned serious!

Slowly but surely and my new DIY Camera Rig!

2010-05-10T17:08:00.000-07:00

We are slowly making progress on our film. I created a simple handheld camera rig last night that you can see here. It's a mod of the one Stu Maschwitz did in his book The DV Rebel's Guide: An All-Digital Approach to Making Killer Action Movies on the Cheap. His version used wood, but mine uses 3/4" PVC. Same basic principle: used a 2' section of PVC, cut 2 x 4" sections from the main part, put endcaps on all the parts, drill a hole on either end of the longer section, then through the center of the caps for the handles, then run a 6" x 5/16" bolt with wingnuts on the top for each side and tamp down - the endcaps sometimes don't go on all the way so I had to tap them down (I didn't use PVC glue for this either). When done, drill a 1/4" hole in the center of the long PVC piece. Here, you can just use a standard 1/4" x 1-1/4" bolt to attach to the camera. I thought I'd get jiggy and I attached a quick-release I picked up at B&H. The rest is just tape over the handles to make things easier to grab. I'm very possibly making a shoulder unit with a screen door shock absorber later, too, but this is still up in the air.

Don't forget to check out Finley Wade!

G'Mornin' Everyone!

2010-05-09T08:32:00.000-07:00

Yes. We have completed all of one single day of shooting. It's going well already. We shot photos for both young and old versions of our characters. These will be photos for use all over the production.

Getting ready - this is it!

2010-05-08T09:10:00.000-07:00

So we're all set this AM for our first big shoot - the photos for the rest of the film! I'll post pictures as soon as I can. If you haven't checked out the site go to http;//www.finleywade.tv and get your indie film on!

Love, Jonathan ;)

Getting close now

2010-05-06T20:11:00.000-07:00

We are strikingly close to production now. We have done more planning for this one production than we've done for all of our previous productions COMBINED. That's a whole lotta planning. We are all very excited and hopeful about this film. We have a solid script, an excellent crew and a great cast. Now, we just need to get it all together and edited before we implode!

I'll post the pic I took of the bottle of whiskey we invented - its called De Barra and its a sort of Irish whiskey aged 17 years. There's a joke there somewhere that I'm missing. I think its because its not quite legal. Now that I explain it, its not as funny. Damn.

The rest of the film will be more fun. Saturday is photo shoot day. We'll be setting up for a series of pictures which will be used throughout the film.

Our insurance guy, Taylor Davidson, told us that the best films he's seen and has had others work on have also been the most organized. I find this quite encouraging. Yes, I love guerrilla filmmaking, but I also like getting exactly what I want.

I'm thinking about putting up a video cast about indie filmmaking. If anyone actually reads this blog, let me know what you think. Eventually, I want to have information on getting financing and the more esoteric business side of things, but I'd like to have more info on that first. Would people be willing to pay for this information? I think so. Check out izzyvideo.com (I'll link this up later) if you want to see a great for-pay video blog. He also has his biz blog about how to make $$$ from a blog, too.

See you all later and remember to keep shooting!

Finley Wade Pre-Production Notebook I

2010-05-03T11:30:00.000-07:00

Greetings all! I had endeavored to make a new blog every couple days about my work on Finley Wade. That hasn't happened. Here's a quick rundown:

• I've making a series of props for the film. These include small bottles of liquor for use in the film (not real rum, just a brand of rum mentioned in the film).
• I'm making guns. Lots and lots of guns. There are 5 characters in the film who will need them.
• My wife, Kerrie, is now involved in the film. This is her first film, but she has expressed an interest so she will be working on wardrobe/costume and jewelry. Her first go-round should have been a smaller role, but she has stepped up and is feeling the pinch like the rest of us do when we do what we do. ;)
• I'm running camera,, too. We have done a series of tests so far with a Canon T2i DSLR and some really nice Nikon lenses we've borrowed from my friend Luke who is going to be using them on his upcoming feature, Holodad. They very much remind me of using my old 16mm film camera. Oh how I sometimes miss that camera! Sometimes.
• I have developed a makeshift Steadicam-like camera stabilizer I've nicknamed "The Clipper." Picture is shown above.
• Since I'm running camera, I'm insisting on using storyboards. They are helping a lot and Melissa and I are making some great headway. We had better: production formally starts on May 8th, 2010! Holy cow, that's coming up fast!
• Our production coordinator for this project is Rosie Zwaduk. I have worked with Rosie on a couple projects already, but this is the first time she is working with Fried Egg Films, LLC and doing more than just minor project roles. She is our Project Coordinator. I think that's her title anyway! Rosie is great to work with and she is almost a Nazi about organization so she may have to die... just kidding. ;)

I promise to TRY to put up regular updates including videos, photos, various notes, etc. If you are so inclined, we are actively seeking funds for our film. Any amount you feel you can contribute would be most appreciated and you're not just giving it away for free! No, no, we have a whole slew of levels from our failed Kickstarter project. Go to the Finley Wade site for more information.

It's Been Busy - Sorry I Haven't Written

2010-03-30T18:22:00.000-07:00

Well, things have been crazy as all get-out. That's how I am at times. We just finished up on our latest project: The Cordial Dead, a short film about a girl who must fight off zombie hordes and it's all about just being polite. If will be in Tucson on Friday, April 2 at 9:00 PM (21:00), you should really come out to The Loft on Speedway for First Friday Shorts. Yep, we're gonna put our three-minute video to the gong test.

Finley Wade, the latest project from Melissa at Fried-Egg Films, has been cast and primary promotions have started. We are also seeking some money to help with expenses via Kickstarter who have graciously accepted Melissa's proposal. When we have an updated link, I'll post it here and on my Facebook page.

Besides that, I am working on a new short film I am writing and directing, but who knows when I'm gonna get to make it. It's called The Waitress and it's an homage to La Femme Nikita. I'm hoping I'll be able to make it work for me with the success of my other productions thus far. It's been a slow road, but I'm feeling the natural flow of things much better now. I am quite confident I can make a few short films and I'll be ready for my feature which I won't talk about now. It's in the midst of a horrid rewrite. Neither party is happy. You understand.

Award winning Tucson filmmaker has big plans for the future

2010-03-06T09:31:00.000-08:00

Award-winning filmmaker Nickolas Duarte is not new to film. As owner/operator and and full time filmmaker at Crown Chimp Productions, Nick has seen his share of projects. As he comments on his Crown Chimp Productions website, "...at any given moment, we were working on five different projects. This went on for years. Soon enough though, our hard work paid off and those little films began earning awards and accolades..."

To be certain, Crown Chimp Productions just won 2 Gold Addy Awards for their Brute-Adidas ad entitled 6 Minutes and a Silver Addy Award for We Need To Talk for non-profit Project Dor Habah.

Duarte and Crown Chimp Productions have not been waiting for work to arrive, either. With a few short films and music videos under their belts, they began making commercials. "I just started cold calling businesses," comments Nick. From there, it was a matter of finding similarities in current work that would apply to new business and commercials.

For new or budding filmmakers, Duarte suggests "making as many movies as you can. You can learn from books, but you will learn more by just doing." For his latest projects, he has been using the Canon 5D MK II DSLR camera and a Zoom H4n audio recorder. These represent relatively new and inexpensive equipment for filmmakers in general. Duarte suggests "avoiding verticals, extending shutter speed," to avoid the "rolling shutter" issue seen with many DSLR cameras. DSLR cameras are SLR photo cameras with an electronic sensor instead of film. Manufacturers have recently added full HD video capabilities to these normally still camera models, opening them up to filmmakers and videographers who want to have a "film" look to their work.

Nickolas wouldn't be where he is today were it not for his team: Adam Ray and Matt King. "Adam is a great writer who doesn't hold back...," notes Duarte, "...and Matt is the crown in Crown Chimp." They've recently wrapped shooting on two music videos for The Country Boys and are prepping to do another music video, edit a recent commercial, shoot a new web series, and Nickolas is preparing to do a feature film entitled Cauliflower. The name refers to his experiences as a wrestler. "I'm shooting for a late 70's Neo-Realism," comments Nick, referring to the grittier style of independent films from the early 70s with a documentary, nonprofessional feel.

Among Duarte's influences are films like Aviator. In that film, Scorsese depicts Howard Hughes' attempts at film called Hell's Angels which cost millions of dollars to produce and 3 pilots died during the making of the elaborate dogfights. Hughes ability to make a film and have people "get it" are what attracts Nickolas to movies. He advises filmmakers to be certain of how you are going to capitalize on a film once you are finished with it - know what you plan to do with it once you're done.

Nickolas Duarte can be reached via his website at Crown Chimp Productions.

Long-time casting director enjoys her independence and working in film

2010-03-06T09:26:00.000-08:00

After working for years in the entertainment business, Helen McCready and her success have led her to be an independent casting director. McCready started as a wrangler and actress on 21 Jump Street, then "dug my heels into it in 2000 working as an assistant..." and in 2004, branched out as an independent casting director. She has much valuable advice for new actors and filmmakers to impart and has an upcoming casting director workshop in Phoenix with Peter Pappas in March.

Helen notes, "there is no such thing as a 'casting agency.' It's a made-up slang. You have casting directors and extra casting services...that's it." The Casting Society of America website notes, "Casting Directors are Studio or Production Company employees and their job is to find and hire talent -- in a sense, human resource departments for actors..." A talent agent is one who finds work for talent (ie: actors, authors, musicians, models, athletes, etc.). While casting directors may use talent agents, actors do not hire casting directors.

McCready has the following guidelines for beginning filmmakers who may not be familiar with the duties of a casting director: "They [filmmaker] provide us with a breakdown and we find the talent they want," noting filmmakers, "...can also ask us to do the breakdown and we let them know how many extras, roles, etc. are in the film..." Since the producer or director has the final say on who actually gets cast, "...It's never the casting director's decision." Helen comments, "...the casting director will file all of the proper paperwork for SAG or AFTRA when needed. That's the basics."

From her Helen Wheels Productions, LLC website, Helen has advice for actors, "To be a successful actor you really have to have a passion for the craft and the patience to wait for the big break. Although being an actor is extremely rewarding, finding work can be a challenge. The profession requires great commitment and fortitude." The site also has her 10-step Tips On How To Become A Successful Actor, an informative and insightful read for actors.

When looking for actors, Helen jokes filmmakers should be looking for "talent and a brain." She has this anecdote, "Don't let talent bring in props to an audition...that can get scary. I had a talent bring in a gun that shoots 'blanks' -- I made him put it on my desk before he auditioned...what was he thinking? It was for a mafia role. Point a finger...much less scary to a Casting Director," she laughs, "...and if you are auditioning as a cop, don't hold your 'finger' gun like a gangster; look the role!"

For actors, "Take a moment before the scene begins and take a moment when it ends so we know you're done. And just talk...most actors don't get the role because they are overacting. My guess would be 80% of the actors out there could bring the way they 'act' down several notches. Keep it real."

Before hiring a casting director, one needs to have a finished script, preferably broken-down, and some kind of financing. "Please don't call or email me saying you have a wonderful script and just know you can get money if I attach a list name to your project....Hollywood doesn't work that way unless you personally know the talent you want. Call me when you have seed money or are financed."

With the substantial work she has done, Helen likes new media, too. "I love webisodes! I think it is such a cool way for the independent film maker to get their work out there and be seen...I'm hoping it helps them get distribution deals." She also notes, "I prefer film; you have a little more time to cast roles than you do on television and you don't have 30 network executives that have to approve your choices before decisions are made."

Besides her casting work, Helen also works to provide education and training. Coming in March, Helen is bringing Peter Pappas, casting director for Two and a Half Men and Big Bang Theory, to Scottsdale, Arizona. "It's geared towards serious actors that would like to start networking the Hollywood casting directors," says McCready. Among the many features, actors will learn auditioning for co-starring roles, sides for guest starring roles, nailing co-star & guest star auditions (and the differences between them), how to stand out and book co-star roles, and the differences between those who book work and those who don't. "We still have a few slots available and we're always impressed with the professionalism here."

For more details on the casting director workshop (including details and payment information), visit Helen Wheels Productions, LLC. You can also visit Helen McCready's site for more information and get yourself added to the Helen Wheels Production database and watch the Agency Pro video.

Low- and no-budget filmmakers can get great talent for their production and actors can find work

2010-02-09T12:29:00.001-08:00

Don Livesay, Arizona and Utah Executive Director for the Screen Actors Guild, loves new opportunities for actors in Arizona. Don's job is to administer contracts for film, television, internet, new media, and a host of other venues for productions looking to utilize SAG actors. "We have the best talent in the world and the best in Arizona," says Livesay, who has been with SAG since 1981.

For independent filmmakers looking to make their low- and no-budget productions, it can seem out of reach to use SAG talent, but there are some great resources many independent filmmakers may not be aware of. Pointing to the SAGIndie site, Livesay notes the Short Film and Ultra-Low Budget Agreements are powerful resources for filmmakers. The Short Film Agreement covers films budgeted at less than $50,000 and less than 35 minutes in length and allows for deferred salaries as well as both professional and non-professional talent. The Ultra-Low Budget Agreement covers features with a budget of less than $200,000 and features a day rate for talent of $100 a day. Many first-time filmmakers may not be at that point, but after a few films, and a small amount of money coming in, one can be in a position to hire SAG actors. “The advantage of SAG actors is that you are getting someone who’s saving your time and money - not dozens of takes; staying on schedule and under budget.”

"It's best to involve SAG as early as possible in the production," comments Livesay. This allows Livesay to provide a contract that best suits the needs of the production. It gives you the advantage of professional talent without the costly dangers of numerous retakes and with the high-quality standards of professional actors. "With non-members, it's a gamble. The difference between professional and non-professional is quality," notes Livesay. Even if it’s outside of your budget, Livesay notes, it’s best to involve SAG “in the early stages of production so they can be a partner. SAG wants to make the project happen so performers will have work.”

For actors, the advantages of joining SAG are many. Among other things, a pension, insurance, safety, proper handling of credit and royalties (even across multiple property ownership), and, of course, performance eligibility for big-budget productions. Livesay encourages performers and actors or anyone doing a film to consider SAG.

Don Livesay encourages filmmakers and actors to contact him at the Arizona SAG office, (480) 264-7696 or toll-free at 800-724-0767. You can also contact Don via email at dlivesay@sag.org. For filmmakers, have a look at the SAGIndie site to see what advantages SAG can offer your production, download contracts, submit a casting breakdown, and find valuable filmmaker resources.

Independent film is a passion for Tucson insurance professional

2010-02-09T08:24:00.000-08:00

Long-time Tucson, Arizona resident Taylor Davidson left the banking world for insurance and hasn't looked back. He was approached by a friend, an independent filmmaker, who felt they weren't getting a good deal on their production insurance and asked Taylor for help. Davidson, who was already dealing in property and casualty insurance, researched the market and found a viable solution for his friend. Since then, he's provided his niche products to a variety of productions across the country and around the world.

When asked why he sells production insurance, Davidson says, "I love independent film... I see filmmakers with no-budget productions grow into bigger and bigger projects..." and his unique position as one of Tucson's only production insurance providers for the last 5 years lets him see this growth. He says independent filmmakers and enthusiasts are like hikers: "they will go through a long, painful journey just to find that one perfect peak." The experience is shared by viewers and filmmakers alike.

Not every filmmaker can afford production insurance, but Davidson doesn't mind. He encourages filmmakers working on a variety of projects to contact him. Even if he can't get them a policy, he enjoys watching them grow and grow until they can put his products to use. From his handout at a recent IFASA meeting, General Liability insurance is the most basic insurance you can get for your production. Third-Party Property Damage is also important especially if you plan to shoot on-location - in the event someone on your cast or crew causes damage to the location. "Insurance is about transferring risk not eliminating it... a good insurance agent will work with you to get you the right policy for your production and minimize your risk." Of course, insurance isn't perfect: "liability doesn't end where your insurance does and insurance has nothing to do with whether or not you get sued... confirm with your agent everything that goes on your policy."

Low-budget independent filmmakers should always factor insurance into their budgets. Production insurance may seem expensive when you have a limited budget, but it could be far worse without it. Unforeseen events like equipment damage, injury to talent, damage to third-party property, or even intellectual property (like copyright or trademark) issues can come up and ruin even the best-planned production. Needs like unmet SAG contract requirements, payroll, city and other special certificates, and insurance to cover a location are not uncommon, but can be handled easily. "In order to have coverage, productions need to be produced/owned in the name of the insured..." Taylor notes, pointing to low-budget independent projects where cast and crew take on liability by renting equipment or buying services that insurance can't cover because it wasn't in the production's name.

Remember: not all insurance policies are built the same. "Many policies will remove coverage in order to lower premiums," but the production will suffer if something happens and it's not covered. "Blanket coverage is often removed which can save on premium, but can cost the production more than the extra premium in the long run."

So, whether you have millions of dollars or only a few dollars, Davidson encourages filmmakers and producers to contact him. "If I can't help, I usually know someone who can," says Davidson with a smile.

Taylor Davidson says he likes working with independent filmmakers because he gets to watch them grow. His advice for filmmakers is to have a large number of scripts and/or projects in the works and to choose the projects you can do within a specific, realistic budget. "Start with small projects and work your way up to bigger and bigger projects. Remember your bottom line. Use what resources you have, not what you want your resources to be." Also, he says filmmakers need to remember that projects should entertain or, at least, engage the audience. He comments, "filmmakers in Tucson need to be more realistic when it comes to their films - films can be art, but if they don't engage the audience they won't be as successful."

Taylor Davidson is a licensed insurance agent working with The Ruboyianes Company, PPLC (pronounced RUBY-AHNESS) in Tucson, Arizona. You can contact him at his office at 520-577-1040 or via email at taylor@ruboyianes.com whether your production is in Arizona or anywhere.

Amazing Passion and Enthusiasm at Arizona Film and Media Expo

2010-01-24T10:25:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, January 23, 2010, actors, filmmakers, producers, directors, and businesses turned out not only to support their beloved local film industry, but connect with others in the community. The entry fee more than paid for the numerous free seminars held throughout the day on topics of interest to film and media in Arizona. Giveaways and raffles all day long were frequent and plentiful.

The Arizona Film and Media Expo (www.azfame.com) was created by Depleting Shadow Films (www.depletingshadowfilms.com) owners Richard Ryan and Dana Skvarek in conjunction with the Arizona Film and Media Coalition (www.azfilmandmedia.org) with 20% of profits from the event being donated to the Arizona Film and Media Coalition to promote film in Arizona.

Among the free seminars were local Steve Briscoe on the Art of Comedy Writing, Phoenix filmmaker Webb Pickersgill on Quality in Independent Film, Jeffery Weissman on acting, long-time screenwriting professional Lee Shargel on screenwriting, the Torch Theatre Improv on Principles of Longform Improvisation, and Mike McGinn and Gay Gilbert with the Arizona Film and Media Coalition on Filmmaking in Arizona and the future of Arizona’s Film Tax Incentive program - a vital program that can make millions of dollars for the state by bringing in filmmakers from California, New York, and the rest of the world.

Among the giveaways and raffles were a $250 gift certificate for plastic surgery, numerous t-shirts, DVDs, and numerous other exposition tchotchkes. Each of the seminar speakers were also available at their respective small booths and were happy to connect and speak with the local professionals. Richard Ryan commented that next year’s expo would be three times as large.

An Evening with Craig Huston: The Life of a Career Assistant Director

2009-12-09T09:35:00.000-08:00

Craig Huston is a name you might know and might not. He’s not an actor or director or producer, but he’s had a career spanning decades. He has worked on 25 feature films and several TV series. I had the incredible opportunity to listen to him on Monday (7 December, 2009) at the December IFASA meeting.

Visit Craig’s IMDB page. He is a long-time career AD. What an amazing career!

The purpose of Mr. Huston’s discussion was to enlighten the Tucson indie film community on what it is an AD does for a production. Many things I learned I did not know and many I kind of guessed, but he definitely filled in many of the details. His experiences seem to mirror that of another career AD, Peter D. Marshall.

Craig started with some of the basics of what an Assistant Director is and does: first of all, the AD is NOT the director’s assistant (that’s listed in the credits as “Assistant to the Director”). Many seem to think an AD is there for the Producer. This is closer to the truth, but it isn’t the whole truth. Craig drew a diagram on the whiteboard in the room we were in. The circles intersected so there was a small space shared by both circles. On the left, he wrote “director” and “creative” and on the right, “producer” and “money.” In between is where the AD lives.

Some of the duties an AD performs are detailed below:

Break down the script (using something like Movie Magic) - maintain overall cohesion with the script. The AD in this case needs to know the script better than anyone else on crew.
Do the location scouts; figure out where and when to shoot and, more importantly, figure out where you will NOT be shooting so the crew can determine where things like equipment will rest, cables can run, lights can stand, microphones can record sound, cameras can record visuals, effects can go, etc.
Manage extras - determine where, how many, and the overall look of the “crowd.”
Get the department heads (like costume, makeup, effects, grips, the producer, director, DP/Cinematographer, etc) and break down everything in a meeting.
Handle production reports to the producer who will want to ensure the production does not go over budget.
Act as Tech Scout - take the production heads to the various locations so they can see where they will be shooting to take care of any technical details before shooting begins.
Handle pre-production rehearsals if possible.
Manage the hair, makeup, and hair tests so the cameraman can determine which lenses, f-stops, and film stock(s) to use.
Manage photo sessions
Handle any pre- or post-production second unit footage (B-Roll).
Handle all the scheduling for cast and crew. This is a ridiculously important part of the AD’s duties. A good AD shines like mad here. A good AD can get the schedule to within 30 minutes of real time. The AD may also have to speak with the director to ensure the production continues on time (and on-budget). There is a massive amount of work involved here - juggling crew, cast, sets, locations, and budget to fit within a pre-designated schedule (ie: you have xyz number of days to shoot for the budget…).
Talk with the producer. Something interesting Craig mentioned: in film, the director usually picks the AD; in TV, the producer picks the AD. Talking to the producer could mean having a schedule to keep and the AD will need to report.
Fun info I didn’t know: The final shot is called the Martini Shot. The second-to-last shot is called the “Abbey Singer” because this famous AD would always report to producers phoning in to the production (then largely done on soundstages) that they had just this shot to do and one more to prevent the producers coming to the set. Craig related a cool story of shooting in Russia where the crew spoke no english, but still knew what an “Abbey Singer” was.
The AD is responsible for safety and security on-set.
The AD is generally the most visible and vocal person on-set.
The more communication the AD has with the director, producer, and other persons on set and involved with the production, the better the AD will be at their job (important for those who have never really worked with an AD in the past).
Some important notes: take care of your cast and crew. Show them you value their time by not taking outrageous breaks, have a schedule and keep to it. Don’t think that you can keep beating a cast and crew to do their thing when you aren’t paying them. If you can’t afford to pay cast and crew, treat them as if you were, anyway.
The AD can be a whip-bearer here; telling everyone what to do and when. Also, the AD can develop a schedule that works for everyone so they don’t have to.

Finally, I know I am good on-set, but I am not this good. Craig has shown me I don’t really want to be an AD, I really want to direct. I’m better at it. I like being able to trust the people on my crew to do their job(s) without concern.

Thanks for your time and effort, Craig, it is greatly appreciated! Later I hope to do a more formal interview here.

Are you and AD? Would you like to share your experiences? Let me know here!

Anticipation

2009-10-13T09:55:00.000-07:00

Well, that's it. I'm getting ready for yet another production. This time, it's a web series about an alien and some interviews. That's all I have right now. No script (even though I usually request to see a finished script prior to starting any new project), no money (that, I'm used to), but some great talent. I feel that usual trepidation over the new project. Will it be fun, will it be work, will it be a waste of time? Gads I hope not.

Keep yourself in line with yourself and you will be good to go. Dig this article: Ten Commandments of Filmmaking by Peter D. Marshall. If you don't already subscribe to his blog or site, make a point of doing so. You can also follow him on Facebook and he makes some great links for you to check out. He's an industry insider and has been for decades.

So on to the anticipation and using it to your advantage. I like to imagine what the shoot will be like long before the shoot actually begins. I imagine the set, how it will look on the script, how it will shoot out, how we can get it done on time, under budget, and with extreme professionalism. There are so many factors involved, it can make your head spin.

First, make a list of everything you think can and/or will happen. Since they're all running about in your head, write it down and elaborate wherever you can. Next, you should be having meetings of some kind with your producer, director, DP, costume, makeup, lights, grips, etc., etc. to nail down the details for the shoot. Now, you're getting prepared. Turn that nervous "I don't know" energy into something that will help you rather than harm you.

Next, let's do some blocking: you have the script, let's get it all blocked out so it looks good. Lean on the director for that one. Figure out what they have in mind. Now, take charge: Get the direction from the director and make it all happen. Don't be afraid to yell or make mistakes - it's gonna happen. Just go with it.

Now, get the crew ready once the blocking is done. Let the actors get ready and rehearse. Let them run lines and prepare. Now, you get the crew ready to light it, record it, shoot it, etc. Ready? Good. Ask the director if they're ready. When they are, make your calls: quiet on set, roll camera (get confirmation), roll audio (get confirmation), places, cue any other pre-action things ready (like effects or crowds), slate (if you are using external audio) - call scene, take, audio track, and wait for the director to call action. Watch and listen to everything.

I usually wind up doing script supervision, too (when I'm AD) so I'll end up doing that as well. Sometimes you get your own script sup/continuity supervisor, too. That's like disco, baby.

My ramble is nearly done. All that nervous energy can translate into real results for your production. Make it all happen the best way humanly possible. Imagine everyone saying they couldn't have done it without you. It happens. I know. It feels good and I thank everyone profusely for their kind words and assistance. Remember you are a team no matter what happens.

Be a team.

Just F%¢#!*@ Shoot It!

2009-09-23T10:37:00.000-07:00

Today is Pet Peeve day. Not like any kind of official holiday or anything, but today I'll be covering one of my pet peeves: timid, pontificating, micromanaging, pretentious, and/or incapable directors. I've worked with a few directors in my time and most are decent folks who trust their people to do their job without a lot of interference or micromanagement. Then there are the "art" directors. You know the ones: they talk endlessly about the look and feel of their films (they say "film" and not "video"); they make art not commercial garbage; they tell stories with deep meaning; they make shit.

Whoa! They make shit? Hell yes, they make shit. These are the guys and gals who have some vague dream of being a "Broadway" filmmaker smoking cigarettes on long holders a la Hunter S. Thompson, wearing 1920's styled hats, talking endlessly about their life's drama, saying snarky little things about famous people (as if they were qualified to speak about them), and being generally jealous of everyone who has actually made a name for themselves while they remain obscure. Nobody knows them (though they expect people to know their name) and nobody really cares, but working with them is a nightmare.

Imagine a set. Indoor or outdoor is immaterial. You have actors ready to go, crew ready to work, and a director holding everything up. The director is screaming at everyone to get everything straight. The actors have done the lines 50 different ways (some good, some average, but passable) and the director is saying the same things over and over: "I want more feeling...more depth...make me feel what you are saying..." Yeah, this guy is a douche bag.

I was on set for a film about 3 or 4 months ago and we had the lighting guy like this. He was not a native English speaker (he was from a Spanish-speaking South American country I forgot the name of) so I initially cut him some slack, but when his inability to set up a simple 3-light configuration halted the set for 2 hours, I cut him no slack whatsoever. We were in a house with some odd lighting requirements and we had a director who was completely inexperienced. On the other hand, this guy was claiming to have some kind of degree in lighting. He would explain his actions endlessly, forcing people to sit and wait while he explained it again and again. How strange the lights never got set up. He would move it an inch, wander off, come back, move it another inch...rinse, repeat, you get the idea.

So what's my point? Other than that I hate time wasters, I would say: learn to make mistakes. What? That just goes in the face of all that is holy and American! Whoa there, dude. Breathe. Relax. Have a Valium, Zanex or some heroin. How do you learn? If you are like most Americans, we learn in school by rote memorization and regurgitation until you hit the real world and discover nobody gives a shit what your grades were in high school (unless you want to work with a university or college) and nobody cares what you CAN do unless you've DONE it. So what happened? We got out of school, hit the real world and found out there is a dual standard - one we've been told to expect from our schools and the real one we hit after school is out.

I suppose if you hit some big professional studio right out of film school, you would be great - that's pretty much how they set you up. Me? I didn't go to film school. I read about filmmaking in books from people like Lenny Lipton and Stu Maschwitz and then tried it out on my own with a cheap Super-8 camera and, later, video. I have failed far more times than I have succeeded. I am proud of that fact. Each time I failed, I learned something. Each time I did it right, I only learned one way to do it right whereas my failures yielded piles of educational material and a number of ways of doing things "the right way."

So, to our wanna-be director, I say, "Just fucking shoot it!" This is video! It's not like were wasting a buck a minute here, tapes run less than $5 - just get it wrong and edit out the parts you don't like. You'd be surprised how many films I've worked on where nothing went right on set, but the final version looked amazing. Conversely, I've worked on a lot of sets where everything went just the way it was supposed to, but the final version is flat, drab, and boring. Your lack of vision disturbs me!

New YouTube Video - A Quick Trip Through Sedona

2009-09-17T10:47:00.000-07:00

I made this video to experiement with Motion and Final Cut Pro. I've been self-teaching myself both of these applications and I've been experimenting with After Effects, though this video is done with Motion and FCP. Please have a look and tell me what you think. More videos on the way!

Here's the link: A Quick Trip Through Sedona.

Giving a Talk

2009-09-02T15:26:00.000-07:00

So we, meaning myself and Melissa, were invited to speak on Thursday (August 27, 2009) for a small group of media students at the Art Institute here in Tucson. My experience with students is a bit jaded, having been one myself several times, and the desire to show as much as humanly possible is there. We had typical students and somewhat atypical students so it all seemed to play out nicely. So now what?

Well, the class didn't turn out to be media students per se, but, rather, art and culinary students taking a sort of introductory media or some kind of media overview class. Not sure if this was revealed to anyone - I didn't know until the day of the class. Regardless, a web series is pretty much the newest of the new medias out there, so we're pretty well covered.

The class was initially a little rude; interruptions, chatter, texting. All pretty much what I would expect from a modern student. I remember we got yelled at and occasionally "tapped" on the head for such behavior, but now we don't get that luxury. It's all strong words and idle threats. So much for capital punishment.

Melissa started the game out by talking about the set up, writing, and pre-production aspect of the show, then led into formal production. Jonathan Northover was there to discuss things from an actor's perspective. Then, that's where I came into play. I talked about audio. I talked about our little Zoom device, boom mics, a good set of headphones, and the importance of getting everything together in one sort of package. I talked about tape-hiss and pointing the boom and other things. The students seemed to glaze over at this.

Back to Melissa to talk about post-production and marketing. We screwed the pooch on marketing didn't we. yes we did.

I remember a bit at the end where I gave an impassioned plea to just get out there and shoot. Get the practice, learn as much as you can, and then dive straight in again and again. I enjoyed it, it was fun. :)

Finding Good People

2009-08-25T14:59:00.000-07:00

Finding good people is an incredible task. You have to be part producer and you have to know the job at hand. In other words, who knows the job, who thinks they know the job, and who can do the job. I've met professionals that couldn't do the job unless they had XYZ equipment. Is that really being able to do the job? I generally do either sound or work the camera (or do grip work). I'm good doing any of them, really, though I prefer something that lets me be mobile - working a boom pole is not so mobile with all the equipment you have on you (headphones and cables at the least and often some kind of sound recording device - a Zoom H4 in the case of my most recent project) and doing grip work is often completely thankless (who remembers the grip who saved the day? Nobody, that's who) and the camera is a touchy, unforgiving mistress of pain. I'm complaining, but I'm also just being melodramatic. I guess I didn't get enough drama in high school.

I look for dedication to the art. You know, the person that can do anything with any equipment and manage to squeeze the absolute most out of every possible square inch of the thing (whatever it might be). Figure out the specific limitations of the equipment for your circumstances and figure out how to tweak it.

Then I like the people who are always ready at the drop of a hat to do anything for me at any time. They aren't always great at what they do, but they make up for it with constant repetition - that ability to do it over and over until they get it right and smile and remain enthusiastic. It's not perfect, but they do learn and by the end of the production, they are fast and efficient. I like people who learn fast. It warms my heart.

The Camera: I like a camera person who sets up the camera with minimal direction from the director, asks a few key questions and says, "ready!" This, of course, depends on a director with enough sack to rely on his/her people versus the director who has to micromanage every tiny little detail of the production (move the camera an inch - there, it's perfect - c'mon, I'm certain that inch had NOTHING to do with the quality, it's just your need to micromanage). You have to have confidence in your people or why else are you there? It's not the director's show, it's a team effort and you need to never forget that. The director will still take all the credit for everything so they needn't worry about their team if they trust them.

The Sound Guy: Sound is usually a pretty basic setup: get your equipment ready, stand around and wait for everyone else to get their shit together, heft up the boom and hope it's a quick shot not some 12 minute monologue where you'll have to heft the damn boom-pole around for 50 positions while trying to keep it just outside the camera's view and keep the mic pointed at the actor's noise hole. Your arms get tired, your legs start to shake and you hear the magic words: "CUT!" Followed by, "boom in the shot..." Depression sets in and you wonder if you should just polish off your resume again and try for something other than boom-pole operator. Is that mixing position still open?