I used to think that I had no skills outside the entertainment industry and, if I wanted to switch careers, I would have nothing going for me since I’ve worked in Hollywood my whole life, including going to film school and getting a BFA.

However, I have recently realized that I do have skills that are unique, different and ones that not every Wharton or Harvard MBA has.

These skills are:

• Thinking outside of the box:  Being in Hollywood, you quickly learn that you have to think outside the box to get anything done in this town.
• Leaving no stone unturned:  Literally. Trying to set up a tv or movie or any project makes you reach out to every single person you know and those you don’t in an effort to get a project set up.
• Not taking no for an answer:  To me, a no is just the start of a negotiation.
• Being creative: If you are stumped on something, get creative and work around it.
• Not giving up:  It just takes one person to say yes.
• Practicing the art of delegating: This is very important, and many big and small companies fail because their CEOs micromanage too much.
• Bringing the experts in: It’s okay to ask for help because there is no way you can know everything. Part of succeeding in this town is not being afraid to say, hey, can I get some advice?
• Having an opinion: This can not be overstated. I don’t care what your opinion is, having one is a HUGE asset and most people are too scared to have one.
• Being decisive: The best leaders are the ones who are unafraid to make a decision.  I have seen companies fold because their leader couldn’t make a decision.

So if you think you don’t have any portable skills portable, think again, and be thankful for all the skills that Hollywood taught you!

Tags: Movie, Movie, Actor, Hollywood, Television

The cast of Invaders from Mars included Karen Black, Timothy Bottoms, Hunter Carson, and Lorraine Newman, and they all sat outside in the front garden in their canvas chairs talking and laughing and generally being famous, which impressed me to no end. Summer was just beginning and entire place was …

Tags: Film Blog, Filmmaking, Movie, Movie Blog, Television

So here we are, end of the summer and editing away. My favorite part of the documentary process. I am pleased to announce that Laura Zellmer and I are finishing up a project that we started over ten years ago!! Yeah us! We decided that the best way to tackle this, both being Mom’s, was by moving in together for two weeks and hiring a nanny to watch after our three children. Fun and never a dull moment. Are we crazy?

This is an interesting film, which is why we are excited to be blogging about it.  It is a true passion project of ours, BUT in this instance, passion does not mean unfunded! As you may know, we are not about working for free on any film. As we have gotten older,  time and energy is much better spent with compensation. SO, from the beginning of this film we have gone after financing.

Ten years ago our good friend came in with a donation that allowed us to buy a camera and computer,  and we were off to the races.  Thank you Pat! Throughout the years, Laura has been collecting footage of herself as her life progresses.This is the time to tell you that our film BREATHE is a documentary about Laura’s life living with Cystic Fibrosis.  She has been a model of what it takes to truly thrive in life, even though she faces daily challenges that directly effect her health. Our goal is to distribute this film for free to all the CF Clinics in North America… over 500.

The model of financing that is proving incredibly successful is that of fiscal sponsorship. We are sponsored by the IDA and applied to two grants (both of which we received!) to finish the film. We are then going to have a party to raise money for the distribution. (Stay tuned as we hope to see you there!)

The past week we have been plugging away at digitizing over 20 hours of mini DV tape. Yep mini DV. But we have also included some interview footage that we shot on the D7. Really pretty stuff, but boy, what a learning curve.

Some things we have learned in the past week that we would like to share with you…

1. Don’t attempt to fix a drive by yourself. Most important… DO NOT put a plug in it that was not specifically made for the drive, even if it fits.  OOPS… Solution: Buy new drive and start digitizing again.

2. Always shoot in the highest resolution a camera will allow. Don’t try to be tricky… Obvious reasons. Solution: Suck it up and learn.

3. Get sleep. 24 hours in front of a computer does no one any good. Solution: Go to sleep.

4.  Nannies are a God send! Thank you Kate!As our journey progresses, you can find out more about what we are doing here. So for now, sit back, relax and just BREATHE.

Laura - age 4

Tags: Director, Film Blog, Television, Film Industry, Movie Blog

Tags: Filmmaker, Movie Theatre, Director, , Film Industry

Last night I was having dinner with some friends, one of whom is an actor. He is very good looking and has always worn color contacts, so his eyes kind of pop out at you. He is looking for a new manager and I got him a meeting with someone who I really like. I think they will be a good fit. Anyway, as the drinks were flowing and I was being asked all kinds of questions, I looked at my friend and said, “Look, before you go into meet the manager, I have to ask you about your eyes.” He looked at me inquisitively, “Are they contacts?” “Yes” was the answer and I proceeded to tell him that I thought it would be a good idea to go to his meeting “au natural.” He was confused, concerned and perplexed. The color contacts make us look at his eyes, but I get the feeling that the reason he is not booking as much work as he could be booking is that the eye color is so intense that it is distracting to his acting and his auditioning. If the Casting Director is distracted, that is not a good thing. I should be focusing on the acting not the eye color.

At another audition this week, an actor came in and did a very good job at his audition for the Director. After he left the audition room, I asked the Director what he thought. The Director thought he was good, but something was wrong. “It’s his hair,” I said, nonchalantly. When he was auditioning, he kept looking down at the page and on the top of his head was a shiny bald spot. His hairstyle was also not enhancing his acting; it was kind of covering up the imperfections. The actor is in his 20’s so, when auditioning for a leading action hero, the bald spot and bad hair style got in the way, it will subliminally make the Director (or me) feel like something is just not right.

Now, I kind of hate telling you all of this, because it make what I do seem sort of petty, but in reality, I deal in what looks right for a role on a giant screen in a movie theater. Actors have to be aware of how they look, it’s part of the deal: You get to be famous and successful and we get to scrutinize every ounce of your body. Of course there are a lot of exceptions, and what I am writing about has more to do with younger actors, but we all judge people every day for the way they look, and if someone is making you feel differently about them and or their performance because their look isn’t matching up to the characteristics and needs of the character, then this can sometime, more often then not be a problem for the actor in getting hired.

Distractions like colored contact lenses, bad hair, iffy skin issues, these can all affect the outcome of an audition.

Tags: Film Blog, Movie, Director, Filmmaker, Movie

If you read the trades, you will notice that a lot of agents are becoming managers these days.  While sometimes this works, an agent and manager are not interchangeable.  Often I have seen agents who became managers quickly going back to being an agent.

Why is this?

Managing is hard work. It’s a lot more hands-on than most agents are use to. It’s also a lot more creative than most agents are use to.

As a manager, I am constantly looking for new ideas for my clients. I am also always looking for the right people with whom to pair them up.   In fact, my job is to be as proactive as possible and not wait for someone to call me about my client, which is what most agents are use to.

Agents can sit and wait for the incoming calls while managers are always making outgoing calls.

Also, there is a lot of development that managers do that agents don’t. Often we will do notes on 8-10 drafts of a client’s project before it even goes to an agent.  Many agents haven’t developed their notes skills and don’t know how to do detailed notes.

It’s a very different job skill set for managers and most agents don’t realize this when they make the switch.  They simply think of it as a different job title for representing clients.  

Best of luck to all the agents out there becoming managers.  But a piece of advice — it’s not as easy as it looks.

Tags: Movie Theatre, Director, Film, Hollywood,

Tags: Film Industry, Filmmaking, Filmmaker, Actor, Hollywood

When one is working at a production office for a feature films are commercials, I don’t worry about getting paid.

Yes, there can be a snafu here and there, but you know that a bonded company has accountants set up and a payroll system. You will get paid with a week if you are on a film (studio film, indies can be dicey) or a few weeks on a commercial.

The two things that you enter on your own risk are music videos and when someone pays you out of their own pocket.

On a video (better to work with a large company that does commercials as well) the director often gets paid off the top of a job, particularly if they are an owner in the company. This has backfired on me many a time. I have waited a month to get paid on smaller companies as the check from the record company went to the director to get their bite and THEN the rest went to the crew.

If a director is paying out of their pocket, you might want to write out a simple contract, showing what each of you must bring to the table and what the penalties are for NOT doing this.

I recommended a friend to do boards for a director friend. The director gave my friend the assignment at the last minute. Then, he was told that as he was trying to get a studio gig, ten great boards would look better than thirty rushed boards.

The storyboard artist did the job (ten frames) and the director had the big meeting. What happened though, was that the director was pissed that he was charged a full day for ten frames, great or not.

What should have happened is this. The director messed up by NOT locking down the price as something he was cool with. The artist was charging for his TIME (days work) not how many frames he was doing. He was still working a full day in his yes.

The director also thought that he should get a discount as it was coming out of his pocket. Again, he needed to establish that early. If Steven Spielberg is paying me, I am charging my full rate. It is not the artist’s job to know what the director has in his/her bank account.

What has also happened is that the director said he would pay right away, but by now, almost a month has passed.  If you work with a contract, you have it signed that you must be paid by a certain pre-described amount of time after completion of the job.

If a director won’t sign, then you take your chances.

Talk things out completely before you work with an individual or a company you don’t know. Get that contract, baby!

Tags: Filmmaker, Director, Actor, Hollywood, Movie

Tags: Movie, Film Blog, , Filmmaking, Director

Tags: Filmmaker, , Filmmaking, Film Industry, Movie Bloggers