So what is it in some messages that makes people help, where others, they just bin?

Here is a my take on how to get people to help you.

Don’t expect YOUR preferred comms channel to be the best way to get in touch.
I don’t often read Facebook messages. I do read some Twitter messages, but infrequently. I don’t always check the answerphone either. But I always read emails. So for me at least, the best way to get in touch is via email. However, other people will respond to Twitter or Facebook where emails will go unread. The key is to understand that they may not like (or even use) YOUR preferred communication method. Research and try all communications avenues if needed. The usual mistake is to send a Tweet, get nothing, and give up. Don’t give up, try another route.

Omit words
More than anything, over verbose, knowingly clever or lazily edited messages drive me nuts. I would share some of the howlers I have received in the past, but that would be unkind. More than anything, respect the time of your reader. They do NOT owe you their time. Be clear and get to the point. One line to introduce yourself and your relationship to the reader, two or three lines with your offer / proposal / question, and a final line offering contact information and thanks.

Ask just one thing
Make it easy for your reader to say yes. Ask just one thing and then offer them a way to fulfill that request. For instance if you wanted a specific actor to do a narration on your film you might say, ‘I would be honored if you would perform the narration for our film (insert project and WHY they might be interested)… We have secured a top studio and we can make this happen any time that suits you. I can even arrange to get you collected and dropped off’. Of course, you will need context around this request, but the point is you are asking for ONE thing and making it very easy to say yes.

Ask for advice
People help people they know, so build a relationship first. If you ask for simple, professional and targeted advice, you will probably get a meeting. If you ask for a million dollars, you will get deleted. Again, be specific. I get emails from people saying ‘I need help making my film, can you call me back?’ I really do get those messages on my answerphone! DELETE!

Flatter but don’t kiss ass
Everyone likes to feel important and appreciated. They key is to not go over the top and into sycophancy. Tell the person you have seen their work, you are a fan, it has influenced you enormously (and be specific and honest). You want to chime in with them and their work, not to gush like a star struck nerd so that the reader considers you a fanboy/consumer instead of a serious film maker with questions.

Your film is not extraordinary
I don’t care what your mum says. I don’t care what your actors say. Your film is not extraordinary, so don’t tell me it is. Everyone thinks their film is special, which by definition makes it average! Now it might be extraordinary IF Michael Caine loves it, or a Sales Agent has backed it. That kind of professional ‘proof’ acts as a convincer that you are not a crazy person who is in love with their own work. And even IF you get a powerful person to rubber stamp your project, be humble about it and don’t go on about it.

Don’t apologise
I can’t tell you how many emails I get that say ‘I am sorry for the intrusion’ or ‘It’s probably not important enough for you’. Jeez! Grow a pair! If you don’t believe your project is the most important thing in the world, why would anyone else?

Give me a reason to click through
If you are sending a link, offer some context and a reason to click through. I get lots of mails saying ‘here is my horror movie trailer, it was made for no money over weekends, what do you think of it?’ Why on earth would anyone click on that? As an alternative example you could say ‘this is our horror feature promo (2 mins) which has already had 6,000 views on YouTube – I would love your advice about which sales agents to approach with this feature film’. Specific, qualified and clear. Remember, getting anyone to click on a link is VERY hard, so help people make that choice.

Assume I WON’T click through to your site
Distill EVERYTHING down to a line or two. Never say ‘it’s all on my website, click here…’ Tell the reader what they need to know concisely and offer the link as a way of getting more information (if they are interested).

Ask via a blog
Ask me a question via my blog and you are more likely to get a response. Why? Well first it shows you have done some research and have landed on a relevant page. Second, my answer is public, therefore it adds to my online digital footprint. Google will pick up on the answer and catalogue it for future searches. Then someone else my chime in with a further response of their own (again this adds to my Google footprint). This conversation also creates a relationship, and mentioned earlier, we know that people are more likely to help people they know. A good example of this is what happened on my last blog entry on Editing Software.

Write a letter or send a fax
I can delete your email in a nanosecond, but it’s harder to throw a hand written letter into the bin. I would say less than one percent of my communications are via the postal service. Always strive to be different, it gets results.

Make a call
Phone the person. You probably won’t get through, but if you do, you will get much further much faster. You will also have demonstrated chutzpah and of course created a relationship, even if it is with a PA who asks you to write an email! Of course you should still call back after a few days. Then call again. Just don’t call me

Make sure you include ALL contact information
This drives me NUTS! Please include your FULL name, title (if needed), email, phone, twitter, FB, blog , website. Need I explain why?

Do you have any tips to add yourself?

Onwards and upwards!

Chris Jones, Film Maker and Author

www.livingspiritgroup.com 
www.ProductionOffice.org
e: mail@livingspirit.com

PS – Remember tickets for the Guerilla Film Makers Masterclass are still on sale for Feb 18th / 19th – get £50 off with discount code CHRISJONES – get your pass here… http://www.guerillamasterclass.com

One question that always comes up at the Guerilla Film Makers Masterclass is which editing tool should I use? There is no straight answer to this, and we get into the detail in the masterclass, but this video above gives a great and indepth view into both Avid and FCPX systems.

What should you consider when setting up your system?

1. For feature length narrative and documentary, you may go through several editors, so make sure you own the editing system and software.

2. If you are not techy, make sure your editor is. You MUST have a technologist in your team. They don’t need to be a genius, but they do need to ‘get it’.

3. Once you commit to one system, it will be near impossible to move your film to another, so be sure BEFORE you start. And don’t just go with what your editor suggests, it’s YOUR baby and YOU will live with the impact of this choice.

4. However long you think it will take to edit your film, multiply it by three. It just will take much longer than you think. This is one reason why you may work with more than one editor.

5. You will also run out of drive space, so buy the biggest drives you can afford. I am now using USB 3 drives for added speed too.

6. Consider Lightworks, it’s free. Avid also offer a student package that is very competitive. Adobe Premiere and After Effects is also a good choice, but less practical for feature length projects.

7. Don’t upgrade your computer OS, or editing software mid edit, unless you really need to do so.

8. Don’t use your editing system for anything other than editing. Unplug it from the internet too. Think of your editing system as a standalone machine and not a computer running software. You cannot risk catastrophe because of some web malware.

9. Backup your media and project regularly. This will be a challenge as media files and MASSIVE. On the other hand, the project files are small and could easily be saved to your Dropbox which would backup continually.

10. Try and get a big monitor and speakers attached to your system so you can see and hear clearly what you are editing. This is especially important in the latter stages of the edit.

Do you have any tips to add?

PS – Remember tickets for the Guerilla Film Makers Masterclass are still on sale for Feb 18th / 19th – get £50 off with discount code CHRISJONES – get your pass here… http://www.guerillamasterclass.com

Onwards and upwards

Chris Jones, Film Maker and Author

www.livingspiritgroup.com 
www.ProductionOffice.org
e: mail@livingspirit.com

Today is a big day for online distribution pioneers Distrify – film legend Terry Gilliam has made a short and he is releasing on their platform. By now, it should be live and selling.

You can rent and watch it right her, right now…

That’s one of the GREAT things about Distrify. You can put the player (aka YOUR shop window) anywhere on the web – blog, homepage, Facebook, fansite. It’s not just your site, but through affiliate marketing, you can attract people who have websites with large audiences. There is a reason why this film is on the Guardian website – they get an automatic cut of every penny generated via the affiliate marketing deal on offer.  I used it for my own film ‘Gone Fishing’ - blog post here.

I have been a long time fan of the Distrify team and have been an adviser from the very early days and I am looking forward to seeing how the marquee name of Terry Gilliam impacts on purchases and downloads.

If you do watch the film, please leave a comment below.

There is also a short behind the scenes interview with Terry here…

I just got this email from David, General Manager, Entertainment Imaging, Kodak UK, and I thought I would share it with you as it seems that for now at least, Kodak UK is business as usual…

‘As you may have heard, Kodak and its U.S. subsidiaries voluntarily filed for U.S. Chapter 11 reorganisation yesterday. Most importantly, let me emphasise that only Kodak and its U.S. subsidiaries are part of the reorganisation process; subsidiaries outside of the U.S. including Kodak Ltd are not included in the filing, and we expect to continue to serve all our customers during this process.

Kodak has established a public website, www.kodaktransforms.com  to serve as a centralised source of information & below are a couple of the key points from the press release put out yesterday.

‘The business reorganisation is intended to bolster liquidity in the U.S. and abroad, monetise non-strategic intellectual property, fairly resolve legacy liabilities, and enable the Company to focus on its most valuable business lines. The Company has made pioneering investments in digital and materials deposition technologies in recent years, generating approximately 75% of its revenue from digital businesses in 2011.’

‘Kodak has obtained a fully-committed, $950 million debtor-in-possession credit facility with an 18-month maturity from Citigroup to enhance liquidity and working capital. The credit facility is subject to Court approval and other conditions precedent. The Company believes that it has sufficient liquidity to operate its business during chapter 11, and to continue the flow of goods and services to its customers in the ordinary course.’

For all our operations, it is very much business as usual for our customers. We will continue to be there to support you and work with you during this process.

Again given that Chapter 11 does not impact non-U.S. subsidiaries and allows us to continue normal business operations, I look forward to us continuing to enjoy our strong and mutually beneficial relationship. Please also do not hesitate to call me or the Kodak team with any additional questions or concerns.

Thank you for your support, loyalty, and continued business.

David Webb
General Manager
Entertainment Imaging,UK, Ireland, Middle East, Africa, Central & Eastern Europe
Kodak Limited (UK),
Hemel One, Boundary Way, Hemel Hempstead, Herts, UK. HP2 7YU.’

Onwards and upwards

Chris Jones, Film Maker and Author

www.livingspiritgroup.com 
www.ProductionOffice.org
e: mail@livingspirit.com

So I thought I would create a short project to come up with the ideal kit for £1,000.

I have taken the plunge with the assumption of a 550D for the body, and of course a spare battery and some memory cards. But what else would you suggest? What lens or lenses? Filters? Camera support? What EXACTLY should a Guerilla Film Maker spend £1,000 on?

Please tweet me at @livingspiritpix or post this blog and I will update the list throughout the day. At the end I will analyse the results and produce a master list to share.

Finally, if you have any further advice to offer on kit, or ideas on upgrade paths for the future (if you had an extra grand, what lens would you buy for instance) please feel free to comment on the blog.

Current List

• Camera Body – Canon 550D
• Spare battery (don’t get cheap clones as they don’t hold power, about £30 on Amazon)
• 3 x 8GB memory cards (SD cards around a tenner each on Amazon)
• Zoom H1 audio recorder (£80 on Amazon) (suggested by @dd_opco)
• Canon EF 50 mm f/1.8 II Lens (£80 on Amazon) (suggested by @JonMillsWriter)
• Magic Lantern firmware (FREE!) (suggested by @nomoneyforbeer) LINK HERE
• Large fold up 5 in 1 reflector, cheap, quick lighting problem solver and no batteries required £40 on eBay (suggested by @rhubarbfilms)
• LCDVF viewfinder. Essential for a stable handheld shots (Suggested by Chris Wickett) (link here – £80)
• Timer Remote Control RS-60E3 For Canon £15 on Amazon from @tomfranz
• 560b monopod is a good budget guerilla option (£85 on Amazon) (from @endeavouruk)
• Manfrotto 701HDV Fluid Head via @KirkGaydon, £95 on Amazon
• Monfrotto 055xProB Tripod via @KirkGaydon, £109 on Amazon
• Lots of poeple also recomending the Panasonic GH2 camera too.

@The MissingReel also added ’1000 is too skinny of a budget so Id shoot HDV and do a Dogme95 film. Invest in story’. Great thought.

@FederalTV also added ‘I also highly rate the Nikon D7000 as an alternative to the over hyped Canon 5d mk2′

@Veronicalbarra added ‘The Canon 600D is better than the 550D for filmmakers because the it has an articulated LCD screen’

Looking forward to more of your expert advice.

Onwards and upwards

Chris Jones, Film Maker and Author

www.livingspiritgroup.com 
www.ProductionOffice.org
e: mail@livingspirit.com

PS – Remember tickets for the Guerilla Film Makers Masterclass are still on sale for Feb 18th / 19th – get £50 off with discount code CHRISJONES – get your pass here… http://www.guerillamasterclass.com

I came across this footage a few days ago, a sample of some of the earliest color motion picture film you will see, while researching Kodak and their current dire financial situation (which may force them into ‘Chapter 11’ in the USA) for my blog entry on chages in 2012 for filmmaker. It’s odd to look at these images and know that all those people are long dead. There is a message in that.

Reading some of the viewer comments on the accompanying Kodak site also revealed how so many people are resistant to change. They hold on doggedly to the notion that film stock is better than digital formats.

It reminds me of those arguments about vinyl being a better medium for music than CD. And then how CD was better than MP3. All of these arguments may be correct (the film one too), but it’s not about which is better, it’s about how people use it.

You can’t fit a record turntable in your pocket like you can with an iPod.

So it’s really about ‘fit for purpose’. And digital film making for the most of us is ‘fit for purpose’ where film is looking progressively unsuitable.

And the way people watch films is changing too, not just how we make them.

As a film maker I may not like the idea of someone watching my film on a phone (click here for a hilarious David Lynch clip on the subject here suitably illustrates how I feel about watching movies on a phone).

But like King Canute, as much as I try, I cannot hold back the waves of change.

While I cannot stop change, I CAN embrace PROGRESS.

Progress is an activity. It’s something you do. It’s not passive.

Shooting, editing and distributing digital is CHANGE. It’s happening and we can’t stop that, just like Canute’s waves.

However, what we choose to make with these new tools is something we can embrace. And that is PROGRESS.

There are no barriers to entry now, just a great idea, tenacity, adaptability, courage…

Isn’t that REALLY exciting?

Personally, I try to spot change on the horizon, then adapt and adopt as quickly as possible. For me it keeps things fresh and exciting, a place I relish. I urge you to join me in this dynamic new club.

And unlike other clubs in the film business, the only entrance requirement is a desire to roll your sleeves up and have a go.

Watching the early Kodak test film above really does highlight how massive progress was made in motion picture film stock in the 20th century. It also illustrates how everything has a natural life span, and the writing is on the wall… film stock is headed for retirement.

The big takeaway for me though are the people in the film above. They really illustrate the transient nature of life, how short it is. I am sure when they shot this film, they looked forward to long and exciting lives. And yet here we are, and they are long gone, just this short and anonymous record of their existence.

So the question for me and for you is this…

How do we best take advantage of the time we have?

Decide on what you want. Not what you say you want, not what occupies you day today, not the habits you have developed… but that thing you REALLY REALLY want. That thing you want like a child. Singular, obsessive and outrageously out of your reach (or so it may appear).

And then take massive action to achieve that goal.

For one day, like the Kodak test actors, you will also be gone. Time is ticking.

Do it now… No-one else will do it for you.

Onwards and upwards

Chris Jones, Film Maker and Author

www.livingspiritgroup.com 
www.ProductionOffice.org
e: mail@livingspirit.com

PS – Remember tickets for the Guerilla Film Makers Masterclass are still on sale for Feb 18th / 19th – get £50 off with discount code CHRISJONES – get your pass here… http://www.guerillamasterclass.com

UPDATE – Just seconds after posting this, I see Kodak HAS filed for bankruptcy protection. This is a day for film makers to really consider the future and their role in it.

Tonight, BBC 1 at 11.15 is the Network premiere of low budget Brit drama ‘SUS’, written by Barrie Keeffe and produced by my good pal Mark Sutherland. You may recall Mark from the Production Office last year when he shared his experience and philosophy for film making with us all – it was pretty inspirational. You can catch that show here… http://www.productionoffice.org/season-one-episodes/s1-episode-4/

‘Sus’ is a classic guerrilla film – cast of three, one main location and a central story idea that is compelling enough to sustain a ninety minute drama…

‘1979: Election Night for Margaret Thatcher – a police interview room. Delroy’s pregnant wife has been found dead in a pool of blood and he is brought in as the chief suspect. He is interrogated by D.S. Karn, a witty, psychotic racist and his violent sidekick D.C. Wilby. Both high on the prospect of a Conservative landslide victory they try to lure him into a quick confession, with devastating consequences…’

‘Sus’ was written by Barrie Keeffe, who also wrote ‘The Long Good Friday’, and was penned for the stage. Again, this is a classic Guerilla filmmaker tactic – find an existing stage play that is terrific and adapt it for the big screen.

Barrie was also a guest at the 2010 London Screenwriters Festival, and so I have included a podcast with him below, where he discuses ‘The Long Good Friday’, ‘Writing’ and ‘Sus’.

Download the MP3 file here for your iPod

OK set your alarms now – 11.15pm, BBC1 Jan 17th 2012.

PS – Remember tickets for the Guerilla Film Makers Masterclass are still on sale for Feb 18th / 19th – get £50 off with discount code CHRISJONES – get your pass here… http://www.guerillamasterclass.com/

Onwards and upwards

Chris Jones, Film Maker and Author

www.livingspiritgroup.com 
www.ProductionOffice.org
e: mail@livingspirit.com

In the past few weeks there have been two stories of extraordinary success that should resonate with you as a filmmaker. In both cases, the creators earned in excess of a million dollars using the web as their shopfront.

Earn A Million With Kindle Success
Amanda Hocking had been writing novels for years, but had always met with the same negative response from publishers. To support her passion for writing, she held down a job working with disabled people and earning around £12k pa.

In 2010, enough was enough and Amanda self published ‘My Blood Approves’ treading familiar teen heartache and paranormal ground. Within six months she was selling enough to quit her job. In January 2011 alone she sold 450,000 copies! Amanda was not printing books, but selling them on the Amazon Kindle. No warehousing, no stock, no upfront investment aside from her time.

Amanda made the first book in the series available for just $0.99, with the sequels coming in at $2.99, cunningly hooking her readers.

So why did she succeed where others failed? Amanda clearly LOVES the genre and she is as much a fan as her readers. She also engages enthusiastically via her blog and social media.

Last year, it’s estimated that she earned around $2m from Amazon Kindle sales alone. Her success now proven, she has of course secured traditional publishing deals as well as a film deal.

You can publish to Kindle right now. It’s not rocket science. The door is WIDE open.

Shoot Your Comedy Set and sell it for $1m
Last year, comedian Louis C.K. filmed a performance and sold it online for $5. And in his words there was ‘no DRM, no regional restrictions, no crap. You can download this file, play it as much as you like, burn it to a DVD, whatever.’ In just over one week, he had made over $1m and it’s still selling now.

While his name may not be known to UK audiences, he is know in the USA and already had an established fanbase. In his words he considered it “a $5 impulse that 225,000 people had.” Still, no-one thought his fanbase would be SO engaged.

He also asked people not to pirate it by saying…

‘I made this video extremely easy to use against well-informed advice. I was told that it would be easier to torrent the way I made it, but I chose to do it this way anyway, because I want it to be easy for people to watch and enjoy this video in any way they want without ‘corporate’ restrictions. Please bear in mind that I am not a company or a corporation. I’m just some guy. I paid for the production and posting of this video with my own money. I can’t stop you from torrenting; all I can do is politely ask you to pay your five little dollars, enjoy the video, and let other people find it in the same way.’

Piracy is unavoidable and there are some torrents our there for sure, but not as many as you might expect. The real question is, did it significantly harm sales? At over $1m in just over one week, does it really mater?

Louis has subsequently promised to ‘pay-bonus’ his staff for working so hard, as well as give a huge chunk to charity (around 25%).

You can see the official site here… https://buy.louisck.net

So why were both these people successful?

1.    They know their audience and they care about them.
2.    They have both invested time in order to get good at what they do. Neither of these guys are overnight successes, even if they look like they are.
3.    Their product is cheap, so cheap in fact that most people won’t think too long about it, they will just buy or not buy.
4.    Their stuff is easy to buy. If you have a kindle, it’s very easy to buy a book. The site for Lois C.K. is VERY simple and clear.
5.    Both are cheap allowing for impulse purchases.
6.    Both embraced new platforms and new models for distribution.
7.    Neither have a middle man / distributor.
8.    I suspect neither went into it with the clear goal to make $millions.

Not all of these lessons and strategies would work as well for film makers, but it does prove that if you somehow capture the zeitgeist, you can become an ‘overnight’ success.

Onwards and upwards

Chris Jones, Film Maker and Author

www.livingspiritgroup.com 
www.ProductionOffice.org
e: mail@livingspirit.com

Last year film maker Anil Rao attended the Guerilla Film Makers Masterclass. Then he entered the London Screenwriters’ Festival short film competition about the London riots with a film he put together in just one day… and he ended up winning (film above – official page about the competition here).

He recently posted his thoughts about the Guerilla Film Makers Masterclass on Facebook, and I thought I would share them with you here…

‘This course is an absolute must for a real world understanding of film making and not some film school fairy world. The film industry is the hardest club to get into, and only the strongest wills, will find the tenacity in life to stay that journey to get there. It’s not a visible world, and the only area that is in the public domain is the only area the media can talk about without it being boring, the post work part, the parties, the festivals etc, the superficial part at the end of the day, the mask!

However there is so much more!!! All the important stuff to let your creativity shine and for you to succeed, for example, the business of film! This is what you need to get firmly fixed first into your head before you put idea to paper, and all the personal barriers that will befall you, is what Chris Jones takes you through with great wit and charm and with such a down to earth friendliness, you will be both in tears and laughter.

There is very little out there, that I would go out on a limb and state, you will not regret it, especially when it comes to filmmaking, yet this jamboree is essential no matter what level you are at and no matter what role you are in, all you need is an genuine interest in film, one thing’s for sure, at the end of it, your eyes will be open in more ways than one, and because it’s so personal, you’ll empathise and understand the pain of it, which you cannot find in film school, books and other self-help products. I sincerely hope you go on and conquer because, after 23 years of doing this professionally, very few do.

Oh and for this price, you really are taking him for a ride, so get your business cards printed up, and get on board now, and when you get there, make sure you dance with everyone like no ones watching, as this is about connections. Chris just plays the sweet music for you to dance to. ‘
Anil Rao, Film Maker

You can sign up for the Guerilla Film Makers Masterclass below… use the code CHRISJONES to get it discounted from £135 to £85 (that’s £50 off)

http://www.guerillamasterclass.com/feedback/

My good friend and film maker Ed Dark has just launched the ‘Biggest Short Ever Made’ on Distrify. It’s called ‘Chasing Cotards’ and was shot on VistaVision and premiered last year on the MASSIVE Imax screen in Waterloo. I introduced the film at the premiere, and so I am privileged once more to announce the film, only this time online and on Distrify.

So why now? The lead actor, Andrew Scott, now plays Moriarty from the BBC hit series Sherlock, and apparently this weekend is a big deal for him – so to capitalise on the free PR this will generate, the Cotards team have made the film available online for the first time.

Ed has also been good enough to allow me to share his sales stats so that we can really see how many plays are sold and how much money is generated. It should be fascinating.

Remember you can embed the film and report this story on your blog too. That’s one of the benefits of Distrify.

You can watch the film above for £1.49, or on their official site here…

And remember to play it full screen.

Check back in a couple of weeks for the full breakdown and stats.

Onwards and upwards

Chris Jones, Film Maker and Author

www.livingspiritgroup.com 
www.ProductionOffice.org
e: mail@livingspirit.com