Never Stop Learning

Never Stop Learning,

For info, visit: "The Movie Business Book" on Facebook

I'm excited to the point of absurdity. While I await for the shaky exuberance to subside, I've found a clear line of action to move me, which is suggesting this book. The reason for my excitement comes from the marriage of information to purpose - that is, I want to find a meaningful way to engage in marketing & distribution that will aid my emerging community of fimmakers (who don't have a strong grasp of much beyond physical production). What this book (2nd Edition) has done is demystify the ways in which money is procured, leveraged, risked and invested; by each sections of the industry and by every motive. While there are certain reflections that are dated, the basic math is extremely useful and has allowed me to undergo calculations and operational brainstorming yielding ways in which my original purpose might be manifested.

It is a technical and laborious read. But for anyone that is passionately interested in creating opportunity for themselves and their peers, for anyone that doesn't want to suffer beneath the whims of chance and is looking for practices and strategies they can utilize today in how they will maneuver into their career, read this book. If you're heart and mind are in the right place and focused, the information will thrill you and enable you to speak with confidence and passion when gathering support to your brand and your business.

Often creative artists are paralyzed by a world of commerce that they criticize out of stubborn fear. There is more to filmmaking than the art. It has survived because the people want it. But if we are going to be responsible for something we all want, then those of us assuming the mantle of filmmaker must be sustained. It's only fair. In order to be sustained we must first understand all the working parts and then make these definitions relative to our place in the game, so that we can actually sit down and play it. Never stop learning.

Let's get what we came for,
C.M. Sanchez III

On Cast Directing

On Cast Directing,

For more information, visit: 'CASTING BY' Homepage

My fellow filmies, if you are an emerging creative artist, please watch this documentary on HBO (go or on demand). It's really an eye-opener and beautifully done. I'm looking at casting in whole new light.

Let's get what we came for,
C.M. Sanchez III

On Investor Psychology

On Investor Psychology,

For more information, visit: Landing The Next Big Thing

I love that I was born with eyes and can read, and read English, and have fingers to power the internet and I exist in the time of the internet and once had the insight to invest in a laptop and have the odd arrangement to read for an afternoon about film with a brain that can react and so on and so on.

While I set myself to produce a short film in the fall as well as my own string of short film ideas, I'm also highly interested in the approach to investors since that will be a large part of the future gambits.

Being trusted means a lot of things, including learning how to write your ass off when it comes to a film proposal. But understanding what's been going on outside of our industry is important too. This blog [SLATED] provides meaningful insight on the investment perspective and how to understand the issues guarding the money flow (among other things of course)

What I've pulled from this entry is that the systems in which investor money enters the equation for filmmaking is different than most other gambles. Often the packages are made (and usually the film is shot) before distribution enters the arena and provides avenues to repay investors and make profit. This isn't true elsewhere where there are venture capitalists and angel investors. When the success rate between the odd indie film hitting a home run is similar to that of the new web startup, the question for indie producers comes from knowing there's a larger pool out there of people willing to take a risk if only they knew the game.

Read and follow the blog and as a producer remember that it's up to you to explain the value of your film in about a million different ways. All that practice will make perfect however and making a career out of it should be just a matter of time.

Let's get what we came for,
C.M. Sanchez III

On the SEC Jobs Act and You

On the SEC Jobs Act and You,

For more information visit: After SEC JOBS Act Ruling, How Can You Approach Film Investors?

...wha?

What is this mumbo jumbo?! I need to adopt an MBA.

From what I can tell, there was something preventing investors from becoming legally involved with a production via public option. You had to have a personal relationship developed. The easiest way I can think about this is they way people currently invest in stocks, via their broker for example. Now that rule is changing, and while the oversight and background checks the S.E.C. demands over trade may become initially burdensome as this becomes publicized and pursued by producers, my question is how will this change the way producers fundraise?

There is already a lean in the discussion to implicate a heavy involvement of crowdsourcing mechanics. And I'm betting on an emergence of new business specialties and careers bridging the gap for what's lost in translation between non-film and film industry investments. As an example, read my next post regarding the Filmonomics blog entry on discussing Silicon Valley vs. Hollywood.

Let's get what we came for,
C.M. Sanchez III

On Spike Lee doin it wrong

On Spike Lee doin' it wrong,

For more information, visit: Spike Lee Does the Right Thing: The Seven Ways He Revamped His Kickstarter Campaign

Even veterans need to reassess their approach on occasion. If your fundraising campaign is falling short, remember it's meant to be organic. The world is wide enough that there's no final word on how and where the money will arrive. Dust off, recollect, figure out what to do better and move forward.

Let's get what we came for,
C.M.Sanchez III

Pinterest Leads

Visit: 10 Pinterest Boards Filmmakers Should Be Following

Indie producers keep your head right and your info coming in. Always have something to read and learn from. IW has a nice list of online trade sources to pour over and build your strategy with. Not being a vet is no excuse to remain ignorant about the parameters of success.

Note: I hate lists.

Let's get what we came for anyway,
C.M. Sanchez III

On the pitch

On the pitch,

For more information, visit: Here's How Screenwriters Can Learn to Talk to Movie Moguls and Agents

In this IW post, a chapter from this new book on Screenwriting by Max Adams was referenced detailing some common sense items for concept creators a little further up the path to success.

1: Know that the suit is looking at how to explain your idea in terms of cash potential, e.g. box office. They want movies that have done well to represent certain elements or decisions in the story you've created. They want Actor's who are recently trending to be suggested for the lead roles. So as you read trades, start to look closer at trending names of actors and directors who are having success. Perhaps profile their style or sensibilities. Or if that's too much work to do it as a hobby, make sure the research is part of your pre-pitch planning.

2. When you explain the film, they want you to explain the plot because they are thinking of how the trailer will be crafted. Intangible and internal/emotional qualities of the script are for you alone, unless they ask you to explain the subtext, specifically. What they want is a compelling film atop a marketable foundation. You were thinking a marketable film built atop a thematic foundation, but no. But you can find the middle ground by going to the heart of the plot and demonstrating a need for the principal character to move forward. Really good story is based around really compelling motives that allow a character to drive scenes forward. In that way you can suggest a deeper need that will pull at the audience and hopefully your producer. But it's gotta be in present tense and it has to be in film-able terms and you have to have the appropriate references that speak success to them so they can forward your concept with gusto.

3. We are sometimes told to yell "Action!" or perhaps say it in the emotional tone of the scene. You want to get everyone focused and in the proper mood in the instance that it affects their professional demeanor and helps provide the right environment for the actors.

What this article suggests is something in line with this idea, you dress to your pitch appointment in a manner somehow supporting your script's pitchable qualities. Don't take this to an extreme and show up in an alien costume for a sci-fi. As stated in the read, if the script might be defined as edgy, dress a little sharper yourself. If you just wrote a stoner-comdey, come relaxed as opposed to conservative. If you are pitching a $200 million dollar eye gouger, perhaps put a suit on. Consider reasonable fashion choices that will help the interviewer believe that you have the personality suited to command the responsibility your interviewing for. Couldn't hurt.

Let's get what we came for,
C.M. Sanchez III