Business

Ok, my dumb advertisement of the week.  I'm seeing an ad for FinallyFast.com show up again and again on cable channels.  They promise to get your computer running fast again by removing spyware and all those nasty little things that can slow down a computer on the internet.

A disclaimer on screen points out this only works on PC Computers.  (this is funny too, but more on that in a moment).  So why is this ad so dumb?  They prominently feature an iMac an an iBook.  Yes, an iBook.   In fact, the computer shown more than any other is the iMac.   

These Macs are not the newer Intel versions so you could make the argument, "Well you can run Windows on those machines." Nope, these are classic PowerPC computers that are relegated to the Mac OS only.  Sorry, this is just a dumb, bonehead, lazy move by the production company and the client to show two computers that can't even be used by the product that is being advertised.

There have been numerous posts on the Business and Marketing forum about working with clients, especially those that demand a lot of attention.

So let's create a fictional video project. Company X wants a video touting their latest product, the Amazing Doohickie 5000. You agree upon a price and a timetable and present a statement of work, like the following:

Statement of Work

XYZ PDQ Productions will create a 10 minute video depicting the Amazing Doohickie 5000 (AD5K) in use and describing the features and benefits.

Milestones

Script - Due Jan 5

Video Shoot at client's headquarters - Jan 15

Video shoot at Bob's Doohickie Emporium - Jan 16

First edit - Feb 1 (up to 20 hours editing time)

Revisions from client - Feb 15

Final edit - March 1 (up to 20 hours editing time)

Additional hours of editing beyond estimate will be billed at $150/hour.

Upon approval of edit, client will receive DVD master, Betacam master and quote for duplication.

Signature__________ Date________

Ok so first you have to win some festival awards or at least be an official selection. Then you have to be on Windows. That said here's a very cool application that will make the creation of festival laurels for your movie's poster, DVD box, etc very simple.

EZLeaves is a FREE application that allows to quickly and easily generate custom festival laurel leave images. Features include:

• Choose from four different laurel leave styles
• Use any system-defined font
• Export to JPG or BMP
• Define up to 10 lines of custom text
• Full control over the height and font settings of each
  line, or you can use one font and color for all lines

EZLeaves runs on Windows and requires at least 1024x768 desktop resolution. For more information, visit this site:

This question comes up a lot- how does one label a DVD-R? I would never use a print on inkjet disc- because they smear with just a droplet of moisture nor stick on labels because they peel and jam. Instead- I'd go for one of three technologies- depending on budget and how professional the labels need to look:

1. Sharpie. This is cheap as dirt and works like a charm for sending to replication houses and for internal backups. But not so much given to clients- looks decidely ghetto for that...
2. LightScribe- this is a type of DVD burner than works with special media and lets you burn a monochrome image directly onto the disc surface. Looks a lot more pro than Sharpie for clients and has no issues with peeling off.

 Press release for my new site. It's going quite well. Be warned, the comedy on this site has some adult content. If you are offended by Southpark, you won't want to go there...

FunnyNotSlutty.com Gives New Home for Funny on the Internet 
Southern Jewish Princess Media Launches Alternative Comedy Site for the Fairer Sex 

5/30/2008

SUGAR HILL, GA

Biscardi Creative Media is proud to announce the completion of "Jayne's Café" featuring Jayne Olderman, owner of Red Warrior Records. Looking for a unique way to present her songs to a wide audience, Jayne created the concept of an unplugged 'café.'

"Jayne and I have been working together for a long time and when she mentioned this project, I immediately jumped in and said we'd like to produce it at BCM," notes Walter Biscardi, Jr., Principal Biscardi Creative Media. "Our challenge was to be able to shoot it well in a very small studio space. There's very little room for lighting and the ceilings are only 9 feet tall and we had up to 6 people for each song and 2 camera operators, so it definitely made for some tight quarters."

DP Clay Walker setting up the lighting

I wrote two articles for the Final Cut Pro Supermeet at NAB this year. Here's part one of the first article looking at an Apple SAN network system that is being used at the Beijing Olympics this summer in China:

Last NAB, we visited Simplemente, a production/post-production house and Apple Authorized Training Center/Dealer based in Mexico City. They’ve been working hard alongside one of their biggest clients, Televisa, the world’s largest Latin American broadcaster. This year Simplemente embarked on its most ambitious project yet, a complete post-production solution for Televisa’s coverage of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.

This past week we attended one of two major surgical conventions, the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons, this year held in Philadelphia.

As usual, we setup our booth on the show floor, to advertise and sell our videos and books.

The most satisfying events during these 3 days are when our customers and business partners say hello, offer praise and extend invitations to explore new business endeavours.

Here are a few example:

Doctor A - wearing Naval uniform: I take your penetrating trauma textbook with me whenever I am deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan. It and the video CD are invaluable.

This is great to hear, that videos I shot and a book I helped to create are used to help save the lives of our brave soldiers and presumably the local citizens in war zones. Regardless of one's opinion about the war itself, soldiers who are volunteers do their assigned jobs and deserve the very best medical care.

Last December I was asked to edit a trailer for a documentary.  This trailer would be used to solicit finishing funds.  And while they couldn't pay much, they could pay.  Since I wasn't doing anything in January and halfway thru Febuary, I took the job.  

The client asked how they should deal with the payment  I said that I would like half up front, and half when I deliver the final.  That sounded fine to them, so I received half the payment and the tapes to begin editing.

I worked on the project for about 3 weeks, and delivered a rough cut.  Then I waited...and waited...and waited.  Finally two weeks ago I received word from the director (the guy who hired me).  The producers partnership had split due to philosophical differences in the way they wanted to approach the documentary.  So not only was it on hold, but it might be shut down altogether.  At least the one that I was asked to edit.  The producers might end up with separate docs...but for me, the project was done.

So I have set my sites on jobs when I graduate. It's pretty clear I'm not going to be inducted to the orphanage as their newest lead compositor straight out of college, not that it hurts to dream mind you, but it certainly hurts to expect such things. So I've been focusing on a much more realistic vacancy: Roto Artist.

Someone sent me a link to a blog written by a writer named Karen who has her own blog at wordsforhire.blogspot.com. In it, she uses my article "Clients or Grinders: The Choice Is Yours" as the jumping-off point to show how some businesses suffer what she calls "welfare mindedness." Her article is quite insightful and I am honored and flattered that my piece inspired her to write her own ideas, found in the article you can read here.

In the article, she says:

MACWORLD Yup...I'm going. And I will be working for the same company I have been all year...CalDigit. And they will have new and exciting products they will be announcing. Pretty cool ones. I'll talk more about them after the show, or during the show AFTER the announcement. So I'll be at the booth. Not in my NEON ORANGE shirt they made me wear last year. Ugh. Nope...Navy Blue. Whew. Much better. And I'll be giving two demos while working the booth. The P2 workflow with FCP 6 and a field package...and utilizing an I/O HD in a remote workflow. Pretty exciting...considering that I just got the I/O HD on Thursday to test. Before that, the most I had done with it is pick it up at IBC to see how much it weighed.

For in case you are ever in Hollywood and need to know the industry lingo, here is the Hollywood Dictionary.

 VERBS:

to schmooze = befriend scum
to pitch = grovel shamelessly
to brainstorm = feign preparedness
to research = procrastinate indefinitely
to network = spread disinformation
to collaborate = argue incessantly
to freelance = collect unemployment

NOUNS:

agent = frustrated lawyer
lawyer = frustrated producer
producer = frustrated writer
writer = frustrated director
director = frustrated actor
actor = frustrated human

COMPOUND WORDS:

high-concept = low brow
production value = gore
entry-level = pays nothing

In business you're all about your name. Keep a good name and business flows to your door. Get a bad name and you're looking for a new career. Get a really REALLY good name and from my own personal experience, some people will try and use your name for their own gain.

Now if you're reading this blog, then you're already aware of the Creative COW forums and the really REALLY good thing we have going here. During a recent thread in the Apple Color forum, a user pointed out that a production facility in Los Angeles changed their name to Blue Cow Creative.

In Part 2 of this series, I gave you some thoughts on setting up your shop. If you missed that part or Part 1, links are at the bottom of this article. Now that the doors are open, the furniture and equipment is in, we need to get the word out so you can really get your company running and building. Just because you’re open, doesn’t mean people are just going to find you.

Congratulations! Hopefully by now you’ve finished off that bottle of champagne, grape juice, coffee, or whatever it was you used to toast your new company. The doors are open, the business cards are lined up and you are officially In Business! Nothing to do now but just let the folks in and get to work.

Yep, the coffee’s ready, the cups are out……

Just a minute, they’ll be here in just a minute…..

I’m sure they just missed that left turn, they probably turned right……

Anytime now, they’ll just come strolling right into the office……

This is Part 1 of a 4 Part series on Starting and Running your own business in the creative industry. We start out this week by asking, Are You Ready? Are you really ready to step out on your own and become your own boss? Before you say yes, consider these thoughts.

Hi everyone - I've been pretty silent for the last few months because I've been hard at work on a new Creative Cow Master Series DVD - "Internet Killed the Video Star: A guide to Creating Video for the Web." The 4.5 hour DVD will be available very shortly. Feel free to spread the word.

Here's the basic description of the DVD:

Talking to a fellow media professional recently, and they commented that the type of art they prefer to do now is simply for artistic expression rather than for communication. And that got me thinking about what the role of art in our (often) very utilitarian profession is and should be. I guess I default towards art only being a worthwhile investment when it clearly communicates. And yet I'm beginning to feel that there may be value to self-expression that doesn't have as its primary goal communication.

I have been thinking about this for a couple of years.

My background is over ten years of still photography experience and only a couple in video/multimedia.

Thank you for stopping by my blog!

This is the first post so I guess an introduction is in order...

Since the issues surrounding rights and fair use come up at The COW all the dang time, from various perspectives, here are some of my very favorite web resources.

The Stanford Copyright and Fair Use Center has a heavily scholarly orientation, maybe moreso than you'll find useful. But the coverage here is certainly exhaustive.

Before I begin my foray into the world of blogging I wanted to take a moment to say thank you to Ron & Tim for their efforts in getting me situated with the Cow. I look forward to the many blogs ahead and hope that some of you may find the information at least useful, and at best challenging.

I always thought IMDB was nothing more than a huge listing of people and movies, cross-referenced ad infinitum. Imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon +Ask a Filmmaker+. Very cool feature.

Wow. I just got done listening to music at Stock20.com, and was quite impressed with the quality/price ratio. Only seven bucks for these songs?

Like I said earlier, your demo reel has a very short period of time in which to grab a prospective client's attention and convince them that you have what it takes to deliver the goods. So how can you maximize on that short span?