Sat, Jan 13, 2018
"What do you want to do?" It sounds like an innocent enough question, but it is a loaded one. It's intertwined with the paying of dues we have to go through throughout our professional careers, as well as part of a trap many fall into on their first job, all too many have a really hard time breaking out of. It's also part of the "not putting in my 'LA time' yet", perception that many hold against you when you're looking for a break. It's also a question weighed against you further along you're your career with the misconceptions of affordability or misconceptions of an unwillingness to be in a subordinate position.
Fri, Jan 19, 2018
I'm going to talk about why a morning routine, and the discipline to walking away is important for filmmaking? We all come to a point where we have to continuously find motivation to create something on a daily basis. Relying on bursts of sudden inspiration, followed other bursts of sudden inspiration, can only go so far for so long. You know, those moments of brilliance some of us become so reliant on. Having a daily personal routine, time allocation for your personal life, as well as your professional life, is all as part of getting past this reliance and moving your project further. Included in that is scheduling time to just walk away.
Mon, Jan 22, 2018
Although a lot of fitness research for many years has focused on the physical and health benefits of exercise, there is a growing body of work establishing exercise promotes overall wellness and mental health. I've gone to gyms in many cities across the country. What I've noticed whenever the conversation of weight training comes up, some of the dialogue is about losing weight, fighting heart disease, working chest on "chest-day Mondays," while in some cities completely ignoring leg day altogether. Then moving to Los Angeles, some of the dialogue gravitated more to aesthetics, especially at the bigger gym chains where there's always the guys posing on the machines or busy looking at their arms in the mirror, waiting to get noticed. For them, the gym is a place to go shopping, while they can stroke their own ego. The gym for me has helped me gain some mobility. Three years ago, I could barely move. For years, it was a struggle to just walk form my front door to my car, relying on my cane to help with balance. Although I still have chronic pain and a limp and do need the cane at times, all of which will be life-long issues for me, at least I can move around somewhat now and not feel like I should be ringing bells in a tower somewhere - "I am not an animal!" I'm not here to judge. Whatever the motivations are for some, at least they are at the gym where they can work on improving their own health and well-being. Good for them. I mean that. But the psychological benefits seem to be left out of much of the conversation.
Mon, Jan 29, 2018
Some of you may think, why is dating in Hollywood a filmmaking essential? Well, for those of you wanting to break into the entertainment business, many will pack their car and drive west to the City of Angels. And unless you plan on living like a monk somewhere, you're going to have human connections with others. Dating in Hollywood can be enjoyable but also a very bizarre thing. It can be fun if you're single and just want to play. There seems to be an endless sea of possibilities as long as you are young or rich and in good shape. I've been out many times with young ladies that were more interested in seeing who would walk in the door of the bar or restaurant next -- to see if anyone better had arrived -- than in being with me. Keeping your eye open for the "next better thing" evidently is a thing here. One-sided conversations about starring in straight to video movies or other substance lacking topics like how much they spent on their shoes still ring in my ears. Eventually, the conversation may turn into a prying one. Often my company for the evening begins asking me the basics about what I do, and then the subject moves to whom I know that can help them and how much I'm worth. The conversation is taken over by important stuff like what kind of car I drive, home ownership, and the state of my investment portfolio?
Sun, Feb 4, 2018
For most filmmakers when looking to distribute their project, their films are often developed and produced away from the studio that distributes them in the end. These independently produced films are usually financed by the presale of distribution rights and may also have private investors. The film enters the acquisition agreement phase. At this point, the producer and film distributor agree on the details of the distribution rights. This is called a negative pick-up deal. In most cases, the studio that is distributing your film will pay for your marketing and advertising costs in a negative pick-up deal. The studio and producer will share the profits. There can be a 50/50 split between the studio and producer without a distribution fee for the studio. Also, as part of a negative pick-up deal, the distributor in many cases will offer to give the producer an advance. This is based on what is estimated the profits may be. Producers will want to get as large of an advance they possibly can acquire, knowing they may never see any payment on the back end. That's based on the film doing poorly and there are no profits to share. On the other hand, the distributor will want to pay as little as possible as an advance of his share of the projected profits. I've seen many first time filmmakers brag about how inexpensive it cost for them to produce the film, before their distribution deal is secure. This is a HUGE mistake. It's common for the distributor to not want to offer more than the cost of production. One thing to always keep in your mind: the distributor has no right to look at your books.
Sun, Feb 11, 2018
No matter how much I hate to admit it, name-dropping does seem to help one get ahead at times. "Why?" you may ask. Simple. You'll learn rather quickly in this business that people will help you if there is something in it for them. A large majority of this business is based on someone else's payoff. There are exceptions, but there aren't a lot of free rides. For instance, let's say you are a young filmmaker and wish to work with Actor A, the agreement that may come together to get Actor A's involvement in your project means he will be paying several people down the road. That's a given. The different representatives involved in the deal making will want to maximize their advantage and earnings in the transaction as well. The actor's agent may suggest that you use a different actor that the agent has a deal with in order to provide him with more income. It may also mean that you have to pay several of his people down the road. This is not uncommon.
Sun, Feb 18, 2018
When I started The New Hollywood Generation, right from the beginning, I believed to succeed in entertainment you need to build a family-like environment established on trust and loyalty. Whether there are hundreds of artisans or only two, working together as a team for a common goal builds a bond. But sometimes, someone you've known a long time may not be the person you thought you knew.
A friend I have known for a few years called me for help with a project. It was a television show that was still in development, and they were looking for a full, animated graphic design package once they were in pre-production. I asked what else was needed and was told the show pretty much needed everything.
I pitched the idea to some close friends in production that I have worked with for years. All the key players were award winners in television, film, music, and the literary world. Introductions were made, and agreements were drawn up and signed. The show was in the pre-production phase in a short amount of time with budgets finalized, scripts written, and crews and a sound stage scheduled; everything was ready to go.
Problems arose on the very first day of production. A slew of avoidable headaches, ranging from booking un-needed additional studio and location time, without our knowledge, to blasting press releases and creating pubic relations items that were not in our budget or timeline, forced us to move our production schedule ahead by several months. This was money misspent with a lower turnout for auditions.
There was at least one major problem daily during production, usually caused by this friend who wore shoes that would echo throughout the soundstage disrupting production whenever she walked around.
The friend would stand behind the director and give "directions" to the talent while we were rolling, which was not only a breach of set protocol it stopped production altogether. Arguments on the set began, and from that point on everything ran at a slow crawl. And this was only day one.
By lunchtime of the third day of shooting, she instigated the dismissal of our makeup person only to bring in her crew of makeup artists, whom she told would be paid through her. Our makeup person was someone who is well respected in the industry and came into the project as a favor to me. Needless to say, she won't be doing me any more favors.
The friend opposed our use of family members within the fashion industry for the free use of clothing not yet released to the public by going down to the fashion district herself and buying gaudy, cheaply made clothing, taking the money from our budget and, unknown to us at that time, keeping the remaining funds for herself. The clothing was so poorly made that it was coming apart while cameras were rolling. In between takes, more and more safety pins were added to hold everything together.
She constantly had people showing up on set looking over everyone's shoulder, taking notes and asking technical questions about our equipment, production costs, techniques, and workflow only to have them break out their iPhones to capture as much of the shoot as they possibly could before production was disrupted. She even had the audacity to reach out to connections we knew personally and professionally, while we were shooting, in order to get our "family and friends" discounts for her side projects. Fucking balls!
A friend I have known for a few years called me for help with a project. It was a television show that was still in development, and they were looking for a full, animated graphic design package once they were in pre-production. I asked what else was needed and was told the show pretty much needed everything.
I pitched the idea to some close friends in production that I have worked with for years. All the key players were award winners in television, film, music, and the literary world. Introductions were made, and agreements were drawn up and signed. The show was in the pre-production phase in a short amount of time with budgets finalized, scripts written, and crews and a sound stage scheduled; everything was ready to go.
Problems arose on the very first day of production. A slew of avoidable headaches, ranging from booking un-needed additional studio and location time, without our knowledge, to blasting press releases and creating pubic relations items that were not in our budget or timeline, forced us to move our production schedule ahead by several months. This was money misspent with a lower turnout for auditions.
There was at least one major problem daily during production, usually caused by this friend who wore shoes that would echo throughout the soundstage disrupting production whenever she walked around.
The friend would stand behind the director and give "directions" to the talent while we were rolling, which was not only a breach of set protocol it stopped production altogether. Arguments on the set began, and from that point on everything ran at a slow crawl. And this was only day one.
By lunchtime of the third day of shooting, she instigated the dismissal of our makeup person only to bring in her crew of makeup artists, whom she told would be paid through her. Our makeup person was someone who is well respected in the industry and came into the project as a favor to me. Needless to say, she won't be doing me any more favors.
The friend opposed our use of family members within the fashion industry for the free use of clothing not yet released to the public by going down to the fashion district herself and buying gaudy, cheaply made clothing, taking the money from our budget and, unknown to us at that time, keeping the remaining funds for herself. The clothing was so poorly made that it was coming apart while cameras were rolling. In between takes, more and more safety pins were added to hold everything together.
She constantly had people showing up on set looking over everyone's shoulder, taking notes and asking technical questions about our equipment, production costs, techniques, and workflow only to have them break out their iPhones to capture as much of the shoot as they possibly could before production was disrupted. She even had the audacity to reach out to connections we knew personally and professionally, while we were shooting, in order to get our "family and friends" discounts for her side projects. Fucking balls!
Sun, Feb 25, 2018
One of the things I had a hard time understanding after moving to Los Angeles, was people's inability to be direct, or more accurately, the unwillingness to be direct. I can't tell you the countless times I'd walk out of meanings scratching my head in bewilderment because I couldn't get a direct answer from anyone.
It just doesn't make any sense. So much time and money squandered because very few want to do anything more than hear themselves speak, but not really say anything useful. This is relative because so much of this industry is built on relationships one makes while they are in the trenches. Building solid relationships with the people you work with and do business with is a necessity. This may sound like something obvious and it should be, but in actual practice it is easier said than done, but to do that, you have to have a back and forth of useful communication.
And for any kind of relationship to flourish, there must be communication. Loyalty and the desire to play well with others is a rare and precious commodity in this business. Selfish agendas are very costly in many ways and will eventually blow up. And many people are content with doing as little as possible to skate by. Ultimately, there will be some blowback.
Once you begin interacting with anyone who has been in "the business" for some time, especially in Los Angeles, you may notice many people don't like to tell you "no". Or let me put it a better way. If you ask someone a question, the default answer usually is not saying "yes". This is often true when asking someone to join you for lunch, having a follow-up meeting, and just about anything else that requires some kind of future interaction with one another.
This may seem odd, and to me it is. But it has to do with many people not wanting to be accountable for their actions, inactions or their words. Many Angelinos take directness as being rude or confrontational, and oftentimes reflect directness or just never answer back to you at all. For many, it is easier to just not respond in any way and that is their simplest, "no" response.
It just doesn't make any sense. So much time and money squandered because very few want to do anything more than hear themselves speak, but not really say anything useful. This is relative because so much of this industry is built on relationships one makes while they are in the trenches. Building solid relationships with the people you work with and do business with is a necessity. This may sound like something obvious and it should be, but in actual practice it is easier said than done, but to do that, you have to have a back and forth of useful communication.
And for any kind of relationship to flourish, there must be communication. Loyalty and the desire to play well with others is a rare and precious commodity in this business. Selfish agendas are very costly in many ways and will eventually blow up. And many people are content with doing as little as possible to skate by. Ultimately, there will be some blowback.
Once you begin interacting with anyone who has been in "the business" for some time, especially in Los Angeles, you may notice many people don't like to tell you "no". Or let me put it a better way. If you ask someone a question, the default answer usually is not saying "yes". This is often true when asking someone to join you for lunch, having a follow-up meeting, and just about anything else that requires some kind of future interaction with one another.
This may seem odd, and to me it is. But it has to do with many people not wanting to be accountable for their actions, inactions or their words. Many Angelinos take directness as being rude or confrontational, and oftentimes reflect directness or just never answer back to you at all. For many, it is easier to just not respond in any way and that is their simplest, "no" response.
Mon, Mar 12, 2018
One thing I noticed when building professional relationships is that they can either start off as a friendship, or evolve into a friendship. This of course is just what should develop organically.
Many times however, there will be talk of a breakthrough "idea" for a film or television program. You'll also notice that when interacting with even those you just meet, they too will also have their own projects in the works. The common element between the two is that they emphasize the potential to make good money, later. Many times it's just a big jerk off.
One of the warning signs to look for is that they have several "great" projects in the works. Everything is in the future. They talk and talk and pull information from you a little at a time. This can go on for several months and even much longer. Then they simply vanish into thin air, or they move on with their projects without you. It was just a ruse to see what information they can get, including a list of contacts from you. This is followed by when you call them, and they are suddenly stricken with amnesia.
This last point just reminded me of someone I met and began building a relationship with. He was a music video director from Philadelphia new to Los Angeles and was putting together a pitch for a well-established R&B artist. We discussed things he was needing including special effects shots I could have helped him with that he wanted to include in his storyboards as part of his pitch package.
Time went on and we became friends. We began hanging out with some regularity over the course of several months. He hosted a big pay-per-view party for a heavyweight-boxing match with easily 100 people at his apartment. A couple of weeks after the fight we went out to a club off of Hollywood Boulevard to hang out for my birthday. A few weeks later I called him to wish his daughter a happy birthday and he had no idea who I was. He was rude, short, and acted like we didn't know one another. I wished him and his family the very best and he hung up on me in the middle of it.
From my experience in this town, I would guess he didn't get to direct the music video he was pitching and saw no purpose in any further relations. I found his behavior to be rather rude, but it wasn't the first time this has happened to me, just one of the most recent. It's wasteful and simply lacks class. I find it childish. Aside from the effort put into it, my time has been lost. Time is a precious commodity and in business time does mean money.
Many times however, there will be talk of a breakthrough "idea" for a film or television program. You'll also notice that when interacting with even those you just meet, they too will also have their own projects in the works. The common element between the two is that they emphasize the potential to make good money, later. Many times it's just a big jerk off.
One of the warning signs to look for is that they have several "great" projects in the works. Everything is in the future. They talk and talk and pull information from you a little at a time. This can go on for several months and even much longer. Then they simply vanish into thin air, or they move on with their projects without you. It was just a ruse to see what information they can get, including a list of contacts from you. This is followed by when you call them, and they are suddenly stricken with amnesia.
This last point just reminded me of someone I met and began building a relationship with. He was a music video director from Philadelphia new to Los Angeles and was putting together a pitch for a well-established R&B artist. We discussed things he was needing including special effects shots I could have helped him with that he wanted to include in his storyboards as part of his pitch package.
Time went on and we became friends. We began hanging out with some regularity over the course of several months. He hosted a big pay-per-view party for a heavyweight-boxing match with easily 100 people at his apartment. A couple of weeks after the fight we went out to a club off of Hollywood Boulevard to hang out for my birthday. A few weeks later I called him to wish his daughter a happy birthday and he had no idea who I was. He was rude, short, and acted like we didn't know one another. I wished him and his family the very best and he hung up on me in the middle of it.
From my experience in this town, I would guess he didn't get to direct the music video he was pitching and saw no purpose in any further relations. I found his behavior to be rather rude, but it wasn't the first time this has happened to me, just one of the most recent. It's wasteful and simply lacks class. I find it childish. Aside from the effort put into it, my time has been lost. Time is a precious commodity and in business time does mean money.
Mon, Mar 19, 2018
One of the things I've seen so many times from inexperienced film directors, and even more so from camera operators shooting on location for television, the lack of coverage and thought given to how it's going to be edited.
One of the things I talk about in this whole video series and have written books about is the need for preparation. Without any doubt, there are a lot of moving parts to any production, big or small. But the only way to really put together something of value and see it through completion is planning as much as you possibly can, way before a single frame is captured.
Part of that planning is laying out your shots on cards to see how the story flows from one scene to the next during the development stage, through storyboards, and shot descriptions in your shooting script, all to help put together your budget, shot list, and shooting schedule.
What happens all too often, either through inexperience, and in some cases, a director's hubris distorts his ability to make constructive decisions, can all get in the way of knowing what every shot is going to be. Running through the scenes one by one on paper and envisioning each camera movement, blocking of the actors, even setting up of your lights has to be thought about and considered. This by far is the second most important part of this whole process. And the first being of course, having a good story, your story is everything.
I mention this because I've heard thousands of times over the decades of my being in this business, "we'll just fix it in post." You know what, that not only is a sign of a shitty or lazy director not doing his damn job all of the way through, but it is also a sign that your post-production expenditure will be higher and more time consuming too. And for many projects, most of the budget goes directly into post-production.
The last feature I worked on is a good example of this. A friend of mine was a picture cutter on the film and saw problems right at the beginning of post. Arguments began when the director would ask for shots that never existed to be cut into certain scenes, but they were never shot. Even in the edit bay, he would get angry with the edit staff because the coverage needed was never captured. He would blame the editors for non-existing shots and sometimes-missing scenes altogether.
Some of the bigger shots needed were given to a boutique special effects house to complete. When the producers learned how expensive the "fix it in post" approach was going to be, I was asked to do some special effects shots as well.
One of the things I talk about in this whole video series and have written books about is the need for preparation. Without any doubt, there are a lot of moving parts to any production, big or small. But the only way to really put together something of value and see it through completion is planning as much as you possibly can, way before a single frame is captured.
Part of that planning is laying out your shots on cards to see how the story flows from one scene to the next during the development stage, through storyboards, and shot descriptions in your shooting script, all to help put together your budget, shot list, and shooting schedule.
What happens all too often, either through inexperience, and in some cases, a director's hubris distorts his ability to make constructive decisions, can all get in the way of knowing what every shot is going to be. Running through the scenes one by one on paper and envisioning each camera movement, blocking of the actors, even setting up of your lights has to be thought about and considered. This by far is the second most important part of this whole process. And the first being of course, having a good story, your story is everything.
I mention this because I've heard thousands of times over the decades of my being in this business, "we'll just fix it in post." You know what, that not only is a sign of a shitty or lazy director not doing his damn job all of the way through, but it is also a sign that your post-production expenditure will be higher and more time consuming too. And for many projects, most of the budget goes directly into post-production.
The last feature I worked on is a good example of this. A friend of mine was a picture cutter on the film and saw problems right at the beginning of post. Arguments began when the director would ask for shots that never existed to be cut into certain scenes, but they were never shot. Even in the edit bay, he would get angry with the edit staff because the coverage needed was never captured. He would blame the editors for non-existing shots and sometimes-missing scenes altogether.
Some of the bigger shots needed were given to a boutique special effects house to complete. When the producers learned how expensive the "fix it in post" approach was going to be, I was asked to do some special effects shots as well.
Mon, Mar 26, 2018
In an earlier episode, we got into distribution for film and television. One of the things we discussed was how television distribution is it's own animal, different than distribution for film. And before going to AFM or one of the other film markets to pitch your television series, there's a little something you should know.
There is a misconception that mainstream television is dying. And that misconception is driven in part by the high number of low-budgeted reality programming running on the airways now. And there sure are many. Some can argue that competing technology is growing too quickly for Hollywood to keep up, and the studios and networks are falling behind.
This can be talked about all day and night. But the reality is that everything in Hollywood is about making money, big money. Knowing that going into this business is important. Believe me. And Hollywood has and will always invest in lobbying, regulation, litigation, and enforcement of the law to protect their properties. One of the key factors most people don't know about is that a lot of the business decisions in television are based around affiliate fees - $32 billion a year in fees.
Over the last 30 years, affiliate fees have become the lifeblood and the primary revenue stream of how the content for television is produced, financed, and packaged. You pay a fee to your cable or satellite provider, and a "share" of your subscription fee is shared back to the content owner and distributor. This is usually on a subscriber-by-subscriber basis.
But what is interesting is to see how this really works. Cable providers began offering their programming for free, as long as you can prove you are a cable subscriber. This allowed viewers to watch their content for free on mobile devices usually 24 hours after they originally aired.
As a content producer, this is good to know, especially when shopping for online distribution outlets. I've seen deals offered by some that offered a very low return for the content producers. And those same online distributors just can't compete with television's affiliate fees. To put this in perspective, Google's annual global revenues of its advertising network is about 33% less per year than television's affiliate fees.
I mention affiliate fees because few outside the entertainment industry know anything about it. Even many content creators in the Hollywood trenches are not fully aware of it either. It's all part of the "whys" of how our business works few outside the industry know about. But knowing this is essential when shopping your television series. This is all part of what to be mindful of as you make your plan and to build your timeline to see you project come into fruition.
Use this information as a tool, so that you can better serve and help protect your project's integrity, your crew, and yourself better. And don't forget to have fun with it. Making a television series takes a lot of effort to see it all of the way through, but definitely can be worth it. Your experiences stay with you for the rest of your life. The lessons learned as a content creator can also help build leadership qualities and an entrepreneurial approach to life.
There is a misconception that mainstream television is dying. And that misconception is driven in part by the high number of low-budgeted reality programming running on the airways now. And there sure are many. Some can argue that competing technology is growing too quickly for Hollywood to keep up, and the studios and networks are falling behind.
This can be talked about all day and night. But the reality is that everything in Hollywood is about making money, big money. Knowing that going into this business is important. Believe me. And Hollywood has and will always invest in lobbying, regulation, litigation, and enforcement of the law to protect their properties. One of the key factors most people don't know about is that a lot of the business decisions in television are based around affiliate fees - $32 billion a year in fees.
Over the last 30 years, affiliate fees have become the lifeblood and the primary revenue stream of how the content for television is produced, financed, and packaged. You pay a fee to your cable or satellite provider, and a "share" of your subscription fee is shared back to the content owner and distributor. This is usually on a subscriber-by-subscriber basis.
But what is interesting is to see how this really works. Cable providers began offering their programming for free, as long as you can prove you are a cable subscriber. This allowed viewers to watch their content for free on mobile devices usually 24 hours after they originally aired.
As a content producer, this is good to know, especially when shopping for online distribution outlets. I've seen deals offered by some that offered a very low return for the content producers. And those same online distributors just can't compete with television's affiliate fees. To put this in perspective, Google's annual global revenues of its advertising network is about 33% less per year than television's affiliate fees.
I mention affiliate fees because few outside the entertainment industry know anything about it. Even many content creators in the Hollywood trenches are not fully aware of it either. It's all part of the "whys" of how our business works few outside the industry know about. But knowing this is essential when shopping your television series. This is all part of what to be mindful of as you make your plan and to build your timeline to see you project come into fruition.
Use this information as a tool, so that you can better serve and help protect your project's integrity, your crew, and yourself better. And don't forget to have fun with it. Making a television series takes a lot of effort to see it all of the way through, but definitely can be worth it. Your experiences stay with you for the rest of your life. The lessons learned as a content creator can also help build leadership qualities and an entrepreneurial approach to life.
Mon, Apr 9, 2018
Do you want to be a filmmaker? Do you want to be a director? Do you want to be a producer?
For most of you watching this, the answer to any and all of these questions is "yes!" If you watched other episodes in the series, in particular the ones on the five stages of production, you know the first stage is the development stage. But there is a huge stage which should be in place well before the development stage that so many young content creators totally overlook, which all too often leads to double work, frustration, and ultimately failed projects and just giving up.
Sure, most of you want to be a filmmaker. I get that. But what is your definition of being a filmmaker? The question is designed for you to honestly look at your overall goals, and to create multiple plans to better prepare you for success.
"I want to direct shorts. I want to produce documentaries to showcase at film festivals. I want to write dramas for television. I want to compose music for feature films. I want to edit trailers. I want to animate 3-dimensional quadrupeds running through the Serengeti."
Filmmaking is far more involved than just picking up a camera and pointing it at something. Knowing the answer at the very beginning is important because your answer will help you determine not only your best way to move forward towards achieving your dreams, but also creating multiple plans to get there. Remember, your road to success is never a straight line. Plus, when speaking to distributors, you will be asked that question again. Your answer can make or break your project and your career's success.
Knowing the answer is also vital because the next thing you should prepare is a business plan. I know. Many of you are turned off to the idea. I have spoken with thousands of aspiring filmmakers over the years, and a large majority of them were resistant to creating one. And guess what, all of them had a hard time seeing their project all of the way through. And the few that did produce their projects got burned when dealing with distributors.
To be a successful filmmaker, you have to be organized. You'll hear me speak about with some frequency the importance of creating a business plan. This is your first tool to building a structured and organized business. Think of it as a written roadmap that evaluates all of your goals, and the economic viability of those goals. It will define and focus your objective. And once it's together, it is a huge step towards getting you financing.
It is also a huge part of the research you'll need to do to see what your competitive landscape is going to be. You want to be different and stand out from those whom you are competing against for clients, as well as having a unique voice when you set your dream project in motion later on. This information will help you put together everything you need during the development stage.
There are many other advantages to having a business plan, and I'll get more in depth in another episode. I don't want to lose focus of today's main theme.
Many aspiring filmmakers would come to me and ask me, "What is a good distribution deal?" The only way to answer that honestly and constructively is by knowing what the goals were at the very beginning, which would have made up your business plan. There were no exceptions.
"Well, shit. I don't want to make a business plan."
Guess what, if the answer to "what you want to do" is to create films for a living, you are in the business of you. If you decide you want to freelance as one of the hundreds of roles needed to produce any feature film? You're in the business of you. If you decide you want to pack up your car, and get a job in the mailroom at one of the studios in L.A. hoping to get a break? You are in the business of you.
For most of you watching this, the answer to any and all of these questions is "yes!" If you watched other episodes in the series, in particular the ones on the five stages of production, you know the first stage is the development stage. But there is a huge stage which should be in place well before the development stage that so many young content creators totally overlook, which all too often leads to double work, frustration, and ultimately failed projects and just giving up.
Sure, most of you want to be a filmmaker. I get that. But what is your definition of being a filmmaker? The question is designed for you to honestly look at your overall goals, and to create multiple plans to better prepare you for success.
"I want to direct shorts. I want to produce documentaries to showcase at film festivals. I want to write dramas for television. I want to compose music for feature films. I want to edit trailers. I want to animate 3-dimensional quadrupeds running through the Serengeti."
Filmmaking is far more involved than just picking up a camera and pointing it at something. Knowing the answer at the very beginning is important because your answer will help you determine not only your best way to move forward towards achieving your dreams, but also creating multiple plans to get there. Remember, your road to success is never a straight line. Plus, when speaking to distributors, you will be asked that question again. Your answer can make or break your project and your career's success.
Knowing the answer is also vital because the next thing you should prepare is a business plan. I know. Many of you are turned off to the idea. I have spoken with thousands of aspiring filmmakers over the years, and a large majority of them were resistant to creating one. And guess what, all of them had a hard time seeing their project all of the way through. And the few that did produce their projects got burned when dealing with distributors.
To be a successful filmmaker, you have to be organized. You'll hear me speak about with some frequency the importance of creating a business plan. This is your first tool to building a structured and organized business. Think of it as a written roadmap that evaluates all of your goals, and the economic viability of those goals. It will define and focus your objective. And once it's together, it is a huge step towards getting you financing.
It is also a huge part of the research you'll need to do to see what your competitive landscape is going to be. You want to be different and stand out from those whom you are competing against for clients, as well as having a unique voice when you set your dream project in motion later on. This information will help you put together everything you need during the development stage.
There are many other advantages to having a business plan, and I'll get more in depth in another episode. I don't want to lose focus of today's main theme.
Many aspiring filmmakers would come to me and ask me, "What is a good distribution deal?" The only way to answer that honestly and constructively is by knowing what the goals were at the very beginning, which would have made up your business plan. There were no exceptions.
"Well, shit. I don't want to make a business plan."
Guess what, if the answer to "what you want to do" is to create films for a living, you are in the business of you. If you decide you want to freelance as one of the hundreds of roles needed to produce any feature film? You're in the business of you. If you decide you want to pack up your car, and get a job in the mailroom at one of the studios in L.A. hoping to get a break? You are in the business of you.