Daytime TV: Who is in and who is out?

Nate Berkus can say good bye to his short stint of a television show this spring. Berkus will not return for a third season with Harpo and Sony due to his failure of capturing an audience as well as the show just being to vague. During the shows run this past November, Berkus averaged a 1.1 rating which is 1.4 million viewers. These ratings have placed the show among the lowest established talk shows. On the other hand, two other Oprah spin offs are doing just fine. Dr. Phil and Dr. Oz have captured a solid audience and will return for another season thanks to their spotlight on psychological topics and medicine. "Berkus" is the first production that has come from Oprah's Harpo Studios to be a flop.

Coming off the island and into the studio this fall will be Survivor's host Jeff Probst. He will be apart of the several new daytime talk shows rolling out next year that will change the landscape of talk show television. To me this seems like a show that may take a similar path to that of Nate Berkus. I mean at least Berkus is a designer and can base a program off just that, but Probst what the heck does he do besides Survivor and why is anyone going to want to spend an hour of their day listening to him?!  Good luck with that one CBS.

Ricki Lake is back! After much success on Dancing with the Stars, based on the votes she received you can tell that she does have quite a following that potentially could flow over into a new talk show. This time around Lake's show will target 25 to 54 year old women and cover topics like relationships and diets. In regards to her show Lake said "I want to spark ideas and conversations and inspire people to take active roles in their communities, relationships, and their well being." Sounds like something that had been done a million times but with her existing fan base and ability to capture a new generation of women, Twentieth Television defiantly will have something to offer in this coming year of television.

Comedy is exactly what we need more of in television and Steve Harvey may just be the perfect person to tune into on a daily basis to get a laugh in every day. Harvey is said to be developing "a comedy show with talk show elements." Harvey says that the show will have an emphasis on "everyday people" rather than celebrities. Ding ding ding!!! That right there is exactly what daytime television needs. There are hours and hours of programming taking about this and that and she wore this and he did that, when it comes down to it, who the %$#^ cares! He also says that the show is like "Oprah, with a sense of humor." Audiences around the world already love Oprah, add a little laugh to that and a touch of Steve Harvey, the show will have no problem capturing a vast audience that will keep the show on for several seasons.

Queen Latifah is teaming up with Will Smith and his production company to bring an all new syndicated talk show to life hosted by Latifah. Many people say that Latifah will be the next Oprah but she says "No. Oprah is still Oprah, I'll be the next me. I feel like there's always a lane for me as long as I'm true to myself." As long as she stays true to herself and narrows in on a solid theme or topic to talk about day to day she to can begin to follow in the paths of the oh mighty one Oprah.

Nielsen Ratings Measurement to Online Video

Nielsen ratings are used to measure the audience size and composition of a specific television program. Nielsen Media Research announced that they plan to apply this same system to videos streaming online. Ratings collected from a specific online video can provide the following information:

• How many people saw a specific ad across platforms.
• How well it performed with demos.
• The impact the ad had on the brand.

Demo Snapshot: Holiday Specials

Nielsen ratings from the airing of the holiday classic "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" on CBS show that the holiday flick still remains a favorite of both children and their parents. 

A total of 12.64 million viewers tuned in to kick of the Christmas season with Rudolph and his gang, giving it its largest overall audience in the past four years. Check out the demo breakdown below:

Women 50+ = 2.85 mil (22.5%)

Women 18-49 = 3.04 mil (24.0%)

Kids 2-7 = 2.94 mil (23.3%)

Men 50+ = 1.68 mil (13.3%)

Men 18-49 = 2.13 mil (16.9%)

ABC aired "A Charlie Brown Christmas" on December 5th and captured an overall audience of 9.1 million viewers and averaged a 2.8/8 in 18-49 - up 8% in this demo and about 1 million total viewers from last year.

Viewers who tuned into The Charlie Brown Christmas special may have noticed that it was missing some key scenes. The show runs just under 25.5 minutes long and was scheduled for a 30 minute block. Due to 8.5 minutes of commercials that must be added the holiday classic was cut down to 21.5 minutes of content.

Not to worry ABC will make your christmas wish come true on December 15th will the complete movie within an hour block special dedicated to Charlie Brown.

Angry Birds: Can it succeed outside the mobile market?

Rovio is the company responsible for sparking the global addiction to its mobile game app Angry Birds. Since its release in December 2009 it has been downloaded by 400 million mobile users, and counting generating around $100 million in revenue. Rovio VP Ville Heijari has plans to attempt at making the game of Angry Birds a global franchise across multiple markets.

Rovio has teamed up with the former chair of Marvel Studios, David Maisel who they hope to collaborate with and bring Angry Birds the game to life via movies, television, short films, and comic strips. The goal they are after here is to create a global franchise with the game that will last for a long period of time. 

The big question that Rovio faces really is can their plan of expanding its franchise beyond the mobile market be successful? There is a lot involved in creating a major franchise that can be as successful as those we have seen during our time like Harry Potter, Star Wars, Toy Story, and Pirates of the Caribbean.  First off the movie needs be able to take in a pretty penny at the box office to be even considered a success. The franchise must have mass appeal, an obsessive fan following, big Hollywood’s names, and of course some movie magic with lots of special effects. Lastly it absolutely MUST leave its mark on the movie industry and modern pop culture. 


Now lets see where Angry Birds may meet or fall short of these franchise requirements. Based off the major success and profits the game has already made, I feel that it defiantly has the potential to rake in big at the box office. The game already has its mass appeal and obsessive fan following. This can be seen on the subway, in class, on the bus, and at work by the wide age range and ethnicity of the angry birds addicts who cant stop pulling back the slingshot. 

Rovio has its franchise off to an excellent start as they have already jumped on selling a variety of Angry Birds products from plush toys, t-shirts, and cookbooks. You are even going to start to see promotions for the game when you pick up your Venti Caramel Macchiato at Starbucks every morning. All that is left for the Rovio team is to attach some big names to voice their animated characters, create a solid story line, and add some glitz and glam and they will be set up for a blockbuster hit.

To really capitalize in each movie market outside of the United States, Rovio should attach a well-known celebrity or icon from each country personalizing the film for the audiences of each location. Other than that I think Angry Birds truly has the potential to create a multi-million dollar movie franchise on its already overly successful mobile game. 

iTunes: Dominating the digital marketplace

In today’s digital age a great portion of all our media content is delivered to the end user via digital downloads. Apple’s iTunes store is currently the kingpin in the digital distribution marketplace, iTunes currently distributes music, movies, and television shows. There are several movie companies who find this domination of the marketplace a hindrance to their potential audiences.

Miramax CEO Mike Lang sees iTunes domination as a major issue for his company. For Miramax this domination is limiting the audience that they could potentially distribute their films to. Lang said “it is really important as an industry that we try to allow multiple players in markets around the world.”

Following his beliefs about more competition Lang has made deals with more media distributors than just iTunes. Miramax has signed streaming deals with both Netflix and Hulu. Teaming up with these companies allows multiple players a chance at success within the distribution marketplace.

Apple already completely dominated the music industry holding the largest online song catalog with up to 20 million tracks.  While music companies were battling piracy in court, Apple slowly built up its presence during this time accumulating its massive music catalog. Miramax CEO’s main concern is that the industry cannot allow this domination that has happened with the music industry to also happen with the film industry.

Mike Lang believes that “more competition is healthy for both creators and the end consumer, as it drives prices down and allows for more content to be available in more places”. I agree completely with Mike’s thoughts on this topic. Having more than one outlet for distribution of films will allow movie companies to distribute their movie catalogs to a much wider audience. A wider audience allows for a greater return to be made, allowing the industry to continue to thrive.

Business Plan Followup

The professionals that I have researched while developing my business plan have all shared many great tips that are only going to make my plan that much better. Tim Berry shared that having a background and experience within the industry your plan falls in is very important. This is the number one this I am currently working on while developing my plan. Although it does not have to do with physically writing the plan it will help my management section become much stronger. Having a lengthy list of experience within the industry in my description in this section will help to prove to investors that I am qualified and knowledgeable regarding everything my business wishes to do.

Also shared by Tim is how important realistic financial projections are. This is a section of the plan that I am going to improve over the next month. With deeper research and speaking with companies similar to mine, I will be able to develop more accurate financial projections. This will in turn prove to investors that there is a opportunity to make a return on their investment and then some.

When it comes down to it I really think there are three sections that an investor really cares the most about. My bases for this comes from these questions: Who are you? What do you do? How much will it cost? Will I make money? I think as an investor reviewing a plan these are the main questions that I would be looking to answer while reading threw a business plan. So with these being the major points, I believe the key sections would be the executive summary, management section, and the finances. 

The executive summary is a great run down of what is included in the plan, and allows readers to really get an understanding about the company and what it is all about, which covers our what do you do question. Next the management section helps to show that they can trust you with their money and you have the skills needed to make it all happen, answering the question who are you. And lastly finances and projections answer the most important thing investors what to know is how much of my money do you want anyway? 

Experts Views on the Value of Business Plans

Tim Berry is the founder of bplans.com and author of the book ‘The Plan as You Go Business Plan.” With credentials like this Tim is more than qualified to give advice on the topic of putting together a business plan.

There are a few key things that investors will focus on when reviewing a business plan. First off investors are in you background and experience within your desired industry. This is important because you will be managing a business, so you must have a strong understanding and knowledge of whatever it is your business deals with.

Proving that the product of service that your offering has a large enough need in your market is vital to making a deal with any investor. This is because investors do not want to invest in something that is not going to go anywhere. They are looking for long-term investments with high profits. It is your job when planning your business to make it seem unique and really appeal to potential investors.

It is crucial that your business plan present in black in white that you have taken into account your competition and how you plan to compete. The use of realistic financial projections is another key element that investors will focus on. Investors are in it to see a return on their investment. With this being the case, you must clearly lay out how long until the business will break even and then show a profit. 

Scriptwriting

Without a script there is no movie. So if you want to make your first film, the most important thing that you will need is a script! Now where you get this script is completely up to you, whether you write it yourself, hire a writer to write for you, or find a spec script all of these will work just fine.

It is so important that the script you choose to go with has a story that is interesting and keeps your audiences attention. To see if your script is truly a great script, measure it using the screenwriting formula. The screenwriting formula is the idea that every GREAT script has 5 uh-ohs, 5 oh-shits, and 1 oh my gosh! If your story can be told in 90 pages fulfilling the screenwriting formulas requirements you have a great script on your hands!

If you are going to buy a script there are many points that you should be sure to mention in your deal memo. First you should clearly state your purchase price. If you are going to option the script note the time period the option is in effect (never option a script for less than twelve months) along with the option price. Lastly be sure to include the terms for renewal and any necessary payment schedule.

If you think you have the creative juices to write a feature length script go for it! It is important to remember from the second you dream up your movies concept that ideas aren’t protectable, treatments are protectable. What this means is that you should take your movies concept and compose a treatment and get that registered with the Writers Guild so your idea is now protected.

Writing your own script’s first draft can easily be done in three weeks. The first week you begin scriptwriting; focus on creating the title of your story. This is so important as this is really what will set the tone for the story.  Next write the heart or major theme of the movie. In other words what do you want your audience to leave the theater with? Now you can dream up the perfect logline for your film. This usually hits the major key points: the good guy, bad guy, settling, situation and continues to say “and complications arise when…” With your idea all organized begin to compose the treatment you need to protect your idea. This includes the beginning, who, what, when, where, and why, and the ending. Be sure to stick to the formula and know how the rollercoaster ride will play out through the film. Lastly outline the structure of the entire story. Using 4x5 index cards, one fore each scene, create 40 to 60 scene descriptions and place them on your wall in the form of the rollercoaster.

After your week of really ironing out the idea, the following weeks can be used to create subplots and the actual dialogue for the film. As for your dialogue writing remember to write like people talk!! Once you have your first draft, work it over a few more times to finalize it, then grab some friends and make a movie!

Looking for a Distribution Deal?

When searching for the right deal to go with to distribute your film there are many things that you should keep in mind and complete before making a final decision! When researching distribution companies it is important to look into the company and learn about them. Checking their references will help to prevent you from being taken advantage of.

When working on your film you may be worried about the distribution phase from the start of the project and think you should start looking for deals then. This is not a good idea, you should have a completed film when you begin searching for deals! Why would you want to send someone your unfinished film anyway? Doing this makes you and your production company seem very unprofessional.

When shopping your film around the thing to keep in mind is that you want to find the appropriate distribution company that fits your film. So it really would not be a great idea just to contact every company in town and hopping you get a call back from one. Do a little research into the companies and narrow it down to the ones that fit what you have and go from there.

Although filmmaking is fun it is crucial to remember that it is a business! This is what we are doing to make money. So just like any business you NEED a plan. Create a business plan for your film that will take it through the funding process all the way to finding that distribution deal. Failing to plan out what actions you will take for your film will result in a flop!

Internet Film Distribution

Making a film is can be one of the most exciting processes to be apart of. As a producer one of your major concerns is getting the film done on time and on budget. Most importantly you need to figure out what the best methods of distribution would be so your film can make its money back and then some.

As an independent filmmaker it is highly unlikely that my first movie would be hitting the big screen. With this being the case, I must utilize other means of distribution to make money. Web streaming and the internet to an independent filmmaker, I think is the best method to distribute the film. Your potential audience the internet can bring is so large, with proper marketing techniques you can reach the goal of making a profit.

If I were to distribute only over the internet, I would work to do it all by myself with no outside parties involved. Doing this will increase my potential revenue. Take a look at my breakdown for how I plan on charging viewers to view my first film, when I make that dream come true one day.

One time Streaming View = $0.42
Web Archiving (3 viewings) = $0.67
DVD/ Download = $7.95

Now looking at these prices you might think thats cheap. But with it being my first film, I think going this route will to guarantee that I make money.

200,000 hits x $0.42 = $84,000
100,000 hits x $0.67 = $67,000
50,000 units x $7.95 = $400,000
GROSS PROFIT = $551,000

Film Budget = $250,000
NET PROFIT = $301,000

The numbers shown are just for example, but if my production team were to properly market and get good exposure these numbers could be realistic. Looking at the profit that could be made by distributing the film on my own at such a bargain price, I really think that this plan could work and help launch my career as a filmmaker.

TV: Talent/Music Clearance

Speaking with the legal department at Great American Country TV has opened my eyes to how important getting the clearance to use content and music for productions is. At Great American Country content that is produced usually includes country music stars. When shows are shot with these artists it is very important that release forms are signed so the company knows what rights it has to the footage. At times artists will sign the form provided by GAC but some artists prefer to create their own release form. These forms prohibit GAC from distributing the content certain places, like the internet. Keeping these forms on file is important so future productions can reference the release forms and see in what ways they can or cannot use the content. Failure to abide by the signed release form can result in legal issues for Scripps Networks.

With GAC Being a music television station a lot of what is played over the network is music videos. When music videos are used in a show or video block we must be sure to keep track of how long the video is played, and report that information to music publishers so the proper parties can be compensated. This is all done by composing music cue sheets. These cue sheets hold basic information about the song or video, the writers, composers, publishers, the total time used, and how it was used. Once the cue sheet is completed for each episode it is then turned into companies like SESAC and BMI and the writers are compensated for their work that was used.

It will be important for my company, RJM Productions to conduct business just like GAC. Filing all the correct paperwork for using music and art will help to prevent legal issues further down the road. As stated in our text it will be crucial to get started on this early in the production process so its not to late to change something that clearances are not received for.

Intellectual Property

TYSON'S TATTOOIST SUES OVER 'EXPLOITATION OF HIS ARTWORK' IN FILM

Ed Helms in the sequel to The Hangover

The man who designed Mike Tysons's facial tattoo recently filed a lawsuit against the studio behind the highly anticipated upcoming sequel to The Hangover.

The artists claims that "the filmmakers have illegally re appropriated his artwork." Artist S. Victor Whitmill considers what the film has done to be "unauthorized exploitation." He is asking the Missouri federal court to prevent the production company behind the film from releasing the movie.

When the artist originally created the tattoo he took out a copyright on it. The use of the same piece of art being used on the actor in the film constitutes copyright infringement is the point the artist is trying to make.

I do feel that using such an iconic tattoo pattern that many people will recognize was a risky move by the filmmakers. The pattern is just like a piece art on the wall, in the case of artwork proper clearance would definitely be sought out. I think that they filmmakers are in the wrong for copying the pattern without approval. Though I think that the artist asking that the film should not be distributed is a little much. If the tattoo was was featured heavily in the plot of the film I think then yes he could ask for such a thing. But currently how it is used I think they should just settle for some sort of compensation and call it a day so all parties are happy.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/tysons-tattooist-sues-over-exploitation-of-his-artwork-in-film-2278076.html

DISNEY ENTERPRISES INC. V. DISH NETWORK LLC, 11-CV-2973, U.S. DISTRICT COURT, SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK (MANHATTAN)

Disney has stated that "Dish's unlawful distribution, transmission, copying and public display and/or performance of the Starz programming, including Disney Enterprises' copyrighted movies, has already resulted in the repeated and continuing infringement of plaintiffs' copy rights." From reading the overview of this case it seems that there is a few issues. Although Dish states that they pay large sums of money for the right to distribute Starz and Disney programming the fact that they do not have access to the contract between Starz and Disney can cause confusion between the companies. Without Dish having insight to what Starz has agreed to, I think it may make it difficult for them to have a complete grasp on all the rules and regulations of the contract. In turn causing legal issues like this to arise.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-05-04/disney-directv-royal-orchid-sony-intellectual-property.html

CANADIAN MOVIE PIRATE ARREST WAS "PERSONAL FAVOR" FOR STUDIO EXEC

Geremi Adam is a cammer for the "maVen" movie release group who was recently arrested. Over the past years he has been convicted of distributing copies of several Hollywood films. I feel that these are the type of people that need to be gone after and prosecuted to the fullest extent. I find it very interesting that the RCMP said that they do not view illegal camcording as "a major issue." With piracy being one of the biggest things that is hurting the film industry, it surprises me that they feel this way about the topic. If we could go straight to the source and cut them out there will be no media to post for download on the internet, in turn cracking down on the illegal downloads in distribution of movies.

http://www.zeropaid.com/news/93332/canadian-movie-pirate-arrest-was-personal-favor-for-studio-exec/

Motion: A Cameras Best Friend

In this post I am going to review my recent purchase: the Kessler Pocket Dolly. When shooting any project adding movement to your shots is so important as it takes the standard locked down shot and makes it much more interesting to the eye. Having that slight motion adds so much production value to the project you would be crazy not to have your camera moving in some way or another.

The Kessler Pocket Dolly works great for DSLR filmmaking, as it is a small travel size dolly system that can be used to add great movement to your shots. I have just begun to test it out and have been getting great results. Using this dolly system is going to add so much to all my upcoming projects. One of the greatest things about this system is the size. It comes in a three-foot track that can be carried in a shoulder bag. Great for traveling on planes or going wherever your destination may be.

The setup time is very quick which is another thing that makes this product so great. Once your camera is attached there are several ways you can get your movement. The system comes with a hand crank that allows you to slowly crank it and the camera will travel down the track. If you are worried about a constant speed you are able to use a piece of string and wind it up around the crank and slowly pull it back. Also they sell the optional elektradrive motor, which can be attached and gives the slider a nice slow even movement. For even more control of the movement you can place your hands on the slider and slowly glide down the track with the camera.

The options are endless with this system. You are able to dolly in and out, right to left, and even up and down! Overall this is a great product at a reasonable price that limits the amount of equipment needed to add the desired movement to any project.

GAC: Talent Management

Currently I work in the programming and production department at Great American Country Television. In order to keep up to date with the country music genre and what is going on it is crucial that we have the faces of country coming in our door weekly to shoot content for the network. While there are many people working hard to prepare for these productions the person that probably has the most important job would be our Talent Manager.

Our Talent Manager is responsible for being in contact with the Artists Managers and scheduling them to appear on our shows. Without having a person primarily working on this week to week there would be no content to shoot. The Talent Manager may also be known as the booking person and as I have already said they are so important to the production process.

Working at GAC has made me aware that as a Talent Manager your relationships with the Artists Managers are very important. Having a good relationship with these folks helps GAC by gaining access to the artists whenever we may need them. When you think about it though GAC needs the artists just as much as the artists need GAC. 

At GAC we shoot two weekly shows where we have guests come on for an interview segment. On The Streets is a weekly news type show that brings you up to speed on the latest country music albums, videos, and even movies. The show actually airs on Tuesdays, which is the day that albums are released. This works great for artists who wish to promote their newest album or music video. Our Talent Manager keeps a record of album release dates and then works to book these artists the week or so prior to their album release so we can have the episode complete and ready to air on their album or video release day.

The Top 20 Country Countdown is a weekly viewer voted countdown of the week’s best music videos. Here again we give artists a great opportunity to promote themselves and their music with a more in depth interview segment then that of On The Streets.  In the case of this show we tend to book artists who have been doing well on the countdown and have been on it for a while. The interview segment is done in a few parts, usually done around whatever number on the countdown they fall on. So we have the artist talk about the song and the video then they introduce the video. After that we give them more airtime to discuss whatever else they may have going on in their world.

Being around superstars like Kenny Chensey, Taylor Swift, Emmylou Harris, Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, and many more has opened my eyes to how important their management team is. Whenever these artists come into the studio they are always followed by what we call their “people.” These “people” are there to make sure that everything runs smoothly for the artist.  They pay attention to the topics that are being discussed making sure key points are hit as well as make sure they are looking great for the camera. The help of their managers is crucial to their success because in a way they direct their career and image. After all they are professionals who are working to create a successful career for their client, which is why a positive artist/manager relationship is the key to any successful artists career.

Overall GAC provides country music artists, new and old, an excellent opportunity to gain new fans and even let their loyal fans know everything they are doing. As an Artist Manager opportunities like this are things that should definitely be sought after as they only help gain exposure. 

Producing and Negotiating

            Speaking with Matt G. a producer in today’s film industry I learned that, as a producer negotiating is something that applies to almost every task of the producer. There are so many things that go into a completing a production that many of these things require some sort of negotiation. Whether it be negotiating the deals for the talent and crews, vendor costs, or negotiating the budget with the investors. All these things are so important to the production and without having good negotiating skills can result in a production falling before it is completed.

            As a producer you may be juggling more than one project like Matt is. If this is the case you will end up negotiating several times a day for each particular project, depending on what the project calls for. In order to be successful from project to project Matt shared that building relationships and having appreciation for the people you are negotiating with is so important. The reason for this is because the industry is not as big as you think it is and you will need to call out to these people again for future projects. Creating these positive relationships with crew, vendors, and investors will help your future negotiations in many ways. One good thing about having these relationships is that these are people you have worked with before and they know how you work, so when negotiating you can often cut to point and get down to work.

            With all the work that goes into a production Matt shared that production assistants are crucial to the overall success of the production. Having appreciation for these individuals and respecting their role in the production helps for an overall smooth shoot. Matt shared that although these PA’s are working for free usually there is great mutual benefit from this situation. Not only are they helping get production work done but they are also learning a great deal about how a production operates. “It’s a win win situation as the PA’s learn we are getting tasks completed as well as building a base for future employees ourselves.” The situation provides mutual benefit for the production company because production.

            Matt stated to “always remember that filmmaking is a business and negotiating can be compared to a form of art.” Hearing this from a professional in the industry has inspired me to really perfect my negotiating skills as clearly it will be something I will be doing more than once on a daily basis. By mastering the skill of negotiating hopefully it will help me climb the ladder and reach my goal of becoming a producer.

Financing Your Project: Kickstarter

The Internet to a filmmaker is one of the greatest places one can go to promote their film. With the popularity of social media sites like Twitter and Facebook as well as YouTube it is no surprise that these resources are among the best to help spread the word about your production. Now, filmmakers can focus their attention to the Internet for more then just film promotion;  the opportunity to finance your film over the web is now becoming very popular for independent filmmakers. Thanks to a website called Kickstarter (www.kickstarter.com) filmmakers can set up a page for their production and accept donations for the film all through there project page. 

How easy could it get? Financing a film is supposed to be one of the greatest challenges of filmmaking, but thanks to kickstarter they are making this daunting task seem much more doable.  Since 2009, Kickstarter has funded a near 1,500 productions and has dished out over $10 million. What gets even better than that is that this year at Sundance a total of 5 of the films in the festival were all funded through kickstarter.

Taking the search for funding to the internet provides many opportunities to the independent filmmaker. Producer Kim Jackson said that “As a producer, any platform that provides new opportunities for funding resources is a good thing, especially when you retain 100% ownership.” If all goes as plan and your project gets funded a major bonus to the production is that is shows distributors that people have an interest in the film and it can potentially be a success.

Why fund a project? I think this is something that the team starting up the fund needs to really keep in mind when establishing their fundraising page. As people review their page they are going to be asking themselves why should I give them my money? I think to really hook potential investors you need to introduce them to the topic in a way that really sparks their interest. I feel that an effective approach to this may be by having the films producer, director, and other above the line crew come together to create a sort of pre-production documentary.  Having these keys introduce the project and explain what they will bring to it from their department, I feel is an extremely effective way to show that the production has potential and it should be funded.

When people have donated there hard earned money to your fund, I think it is very important to thank each and every person no matter how small of a donation. Keeping ties to the video concept, I see it being appropriate to send a thank you video from the crew to all those who donated. As the production continues on sending these people video updates showing what there money is being put to use to is something that can make your many investors feel more involved in the process. To those who donate a pretty penny to the fund, I see it being important to credit these individuals in the film with some sort of producer credit. Also I think getting these investors involved directly with the production and inviting them on set will really make them feel they put their money into something good.

Kickstarter is defiantly the new way of funding films in today’s Internet age. With the ease that this service provides there is no need to look anywhere else for financing for your project. Whether it be film, theater, photography, dance, or music kickstarter is the place to get your project up and running!   

TV: Roles of an Associate Producer

Over the past month I have begun to break away from films and into the world of television. The reason behind this is because I think in order for me to make the right decision as to what I really want to do with my career, I need to experience as much of the industry as possible to find my niche.  Currently I am taking part in one of the most exciting opportunities I have had come my way yet, being a production intern at Great American Country.  The work that I am taking part in at GAC has opened my eyes to the many differences television production has to that of film production.  My mentor for the time I have here is one of the Associate Producers for the station, Jenny Dew.  Recently I had the opportunity to sit down with Jenny and ask her a little bit about her job and the role she takes in getting a show on television.

Just like any production, Jenny shared with me that there are three pieces to getting a show on television: pre production, production, and post-production. During each phase of the process Jenny has a series of tasks that need to be completed in order to have a successful production.

One of the shows here at GAC that Jenny is the Associate Producer of is called On the Streets.  This is a weekly show that brings viewers up to date on what is new and hot in country music. The pre production aspect of this show Jenny compared to “renovating a house, all the work goes in during the planning process.” In order to map out the plan for this show some of the first questions Jenny addresses are: What is the project? How will it be executed? How much time do we have to execute it?  Once these questions have answers a timeline of tasks starts to come together. With a show of this nature it is no surprise that it is research heavy. Jenny conducts research to figure out what the show will be based on (i.e. new country songs or music videos being released).  From here all facts are double checked for accuracy and the show is planned out from A to Z in the form of what is called a rundown.

When it comes time to produce the content that Jenny planned, one of her main goals is to manage the plan to the best of her ability and as the shoot goes on adjust things as needed so production can stay on track.  As the production rolls on Jenny serves as a floor manager in the studio, wrangling talent and crew as well as managing the needs of everyone from the directors, talent, and producers.  Through communication over headsets messages can be relayed easily from the control room to the studio; allowing for needed adjustments to be made and production to continue on.

When production is all wrapped, you can catch Jenny spending some time with the editors.  Post- production is where the video and audio is laid out and put together to complete the puzzle. Jenny serves as a supervisor during this phase, making sure that the edit is following the rundown previously created. In the case a specific piece of album artwork is needed, Jenny collects that and provides the needed items to the editors. Once final touches are made it is laid to tape, shipped out, and aired on national television.

When it comes down to comparing a producer of films to those of television, speaking will Jenny helped me to understand how they really are drastically different. In the film world producing involves lots of logistics, negotiating, and production coordinating. Television Producers have a much more creative role in television then in film. A television producer is more the brains behind the show. The show being produced is their vision and they work with the crew around them to make it happen and sign off on a final product.

“To be successful in this field you need to soak in as much as possible and find a balance between being observant, networking, and asking questions.” Through hearing this from Jenny I am going to be sure to work on finding that balance, as well as using this concept to get the most of my internship.  When it comes to other important producer qualities, Jenny shared that you must be outgoing, creative, take risks, don’t be afraid of sharing your ideas, accept rejection, and be organized as you will have a much easier time.

When it comes down to it all productions come down to the dollar. In the case of music television music costs money! Whether it a song, music video, or just a line referenced from a song, it all costs something. This being the case it is important to have this factored into the budget of a show. Another aspect of the budget is the cost of the crew. Through Jenny enforcing her plan for the shoot and managing those in the studio the efficiency of the crew can be much greater.

Speaking with Jenny and getting the opportunity to learn from her on a daily basis is helping me greatly with deciding where I want to take my career from here. I could not agree with Jenny more when she shared that after working in this industry for years its still cool to see the footage you produced come together to tell a story.  This is something that I for sure want to be a part of doing for years to come. Thanks again Jenny for sharing your knowledge with me and being my “mentor” throughout this internship.  I am looking forward to learning more over the next few months! 

Motion Picture Association of America

The Motion Picture Association of America is the source of where movie ratings come from. These ratings are given to a movie after its screening based on the opinions of those analyzing it. Today the MPAA rates movies in the following categories: G (general), PG (parental guidance suggested), PG-13 (parental guidance suggested under the age of 13), R (not suitable for children under 17), and NC-17 (children under 17 are not admitted). The ratings given to a movie clearly impact whom the movie will now be marketable to.  As a filmmaker if I submitted a movie that I was hoping to get a PG-13 rating and it comes back being R, I would now have to face the decision of whether or not to cut material out to make that lower rating, or except the R rating. This may be upsetting news to filmmakers as the market they expected to be able to distribute the film to is now cut in half. In many cases the MPAA ratings system can be a friend or enemy of a filmmaker.

A very interesting fact about the MPAA is that it seems to be very secretive, meaning the officials who rate the movies, their identities are not revealed.  This makes me question how accurate and opinionated the ratings that are placed on films actually are.  The MPAA says that they have guidelines that their voting members must fall into but a documentary called “This Film Is Not Yet Rated” uncovered that they don’t seem like the live up to their standards. What I mean here is that ratings members are supposedly required to have children between the ages of 5 and 17, but through some investigating the documentary found out that this is not entirely true. To me this seems extremely unfair and unprofessional.  How is their supposed to be a rating given accurately if you have older folks on your board that obviously aren’t thinking about it as a parent of a youngster.

Although there seems like there is some flaws in the MPAA’s rating system, they do have a program that I think shows a better side of the MPAA. This program is their Red Carpet Ratings Service. This service is a weekly email that parents can sign up for where they receive the ratings of films that have recently been released. This to me seems like a service that is a great idea. Though again the issue of how accurate the ratings they are sending out is something that I will continue to question.

I do feel that some revisions need to be made to better the ratings that the MPAA is giving films. My biggest concern with the association is why they have to be so secretive. I see no reason for them to act in that manner, as there really is nothing to hide. Something that I can see being beneficial to the ratings system is allowing filmmakers to sit in on the screening. By doing this a rating maybe can be understood better so they can make revisions to meet what they are looking for.

Movies that Matter

Looking through TED.com for a speaker who was related to my industry of interest, I came across a speech given by Jeff Skoll titled “Jeff Skoll Makes Movies that Matter.” Being an aspiring film producer, Jeff shared a lot of knowledge that I can incorporate into my own practice.

As a filmmaker one of the things that should take priority is the content you are producing, and why does it even matter. In the case of Jeff Stoll this seems to be his main objective; producing movies that matter and can help make a difference. Jeff shares in his speech that two of the major calamities in the world today are the opportunity and hope gaps that are present amongst us. The opportunity gap is what he considers the evils around us such as poverty, illiteracy, and illness.  The hope gap is based around the idea that an ordinary individual could not make a difference in the world.

A great concept that I plan to use when establishing my business and in all my endeavors I take on is what Jeff calls the philosophy of change. This incorporates three main concepts: invest, connect, and celebrate. If you see good people doing good things, invest in them, or their business or organization. Connect with these people and organizations through places like TED or other events where you gather. And lastly celebrate, tell the stories of these people to inspire others and help close the gaps.

Jeff uses all these tactics described in his production company Participant Productions. Participant Productions is a pro social media company that focuses on producing entertainment that creates social change. Films they have produced include: An Inconvenient Truth, Muderball, Charlie Wilsons War, The Kite Runner, and Good Night and Good Luck. All these productions focus on both political and social issues with a main goal of producing real change.  It no surprise that with their marketing techniques of creating websites related to these films that tens of thousands of people have visited them and joined advocacy groups related to the films.

With companies like Participant Productions focusing on change the hope gap idea that an ordinary individual cannot make a difference in the word can be closed. These films that Jeff produces open the eyes of many to realize that we all really have the opportunity to make change in one-way or another. Jeff closes his speech by sharing with the audience that our vision of the future is peace, prosperity, and sustainability.  With there not being only one way to make change, we all can be apart of closing the opportunity and hope gaps. If this can be done Jeff shares that future news headlines can include the following: “New AIDS cases in Africa fall to zero, U.S. Imports its last barrel of Oil, and Israelis and Palestinians celebrate 10 Years of peaceful coexistence.”

I plan on using all Jeff’s techniques that made his company successful in my own; as well as making sure the movies and content that I produce really matter. The knowledge that he shared will certainly be useful throughout my career. Jeff Skoll’s speech inspired me to be apart of creating change. I now know that I truly have an opportunity to make change in my own way after listening to Jeff’s story, and it is my goal to make it a point in my career to be apart of closing the gaps of opportunity and hope so that vision of a future full of peace, prosperity, and sustainability can be a reality. 


Link to speech by Jeff Skoll:
http://www.ted.com/talks/jeff_skoll_makes_movies_that_make_change.html