Frame Rate

In an earlier post I discussed the importance of conducting research before entering into development on any marketing/advertising effort. When dealing with a client, it’s important to set aside time for an initial creative interview. I have a graphic designer I work with who will never start any project without first sitting down with the client to discuss the needs of the business.

But how are these initial meetings conducted? What do you talk about? How do you know if you’re asking the right questions?

Ultimately, being able to conduct an effective initial interview will come with practice. And the questions you ask will depend on your particular discipline. I might not ask the same questions as a graphic designer would, because I deal with video production.

As you work with more clients, you will be able to refine your interview skills and quickly mine those nuggets of information that will aid you in your creative development. Here are some questions that I usually like to cover in my initial creative meeting:

1. How do you plan on using the video?
2. What’s the size and scope of the project, as you see it?
3. What’s your time frame for completion?
4. What are the objectives for this video?
5. Who is your audience, as you see it?
6. What do you feel are the main selling points of your business?
7. Does your business have a mission statement? What is it?
8. What objections might people have to buying from you, or using your service?
9. What are your short-term and long-term goals?
10. How do you want the public to perceive your business?

From this initial interview, you need to find the core PROBLEM that your efforts will SOLVE. These questions are by no means set in stone, and you don’t need to limit yourself to asking only 10 questions. Sometimes the client has thought about these things, but often they need you to prompt them into evaluating themselves and their brand. Be sure to take a lot of notes throughout the meeting and feel free to jot down a few ideas during the meeting as they come to you.

Currently we’re in pre-production on a short film entitled “If Only,” and we’re in need of some good locations. The premise of the film is a young woman who is trying to move on after being in an abusive relationship. So the tone of the film is going to be muted and somber. Here are some descriptions few locations I’m looking for. We’ll be shooting here in Birmingham.

- THERAPIST’S OFFICE - Our main character is attending sessions with a hypnotherapist and I’d like the look of this space to be like a loft - open and free-spirited, comfortable, relaxing, with shelving areas where we could display books, credentials, etc. Perhaps a large window allowing a lot of daylight to come in.

- STREET SIDEWALK - In the film our main character leaves a restaurant and walks down the sidewalk toward her car, parked along the curb. This location should look urban, but not run-down. Perhaps light posts are situated along the street. Curbside parking. It should look as though there are restaurants, bars, etc. along the street, but it doesn’t need to be such a hot spot where people are spilling into the street. Our character should still look somewhat isolated. There should be just a hint of danger.

- HOUSE - Our main character lived with her boyfriend in a modest house. We’re looking for one with a separate dining room. Although the house is modest, it shouldn’t be falling apart. These characters have jobs and can pay their bills. We never see the exterior of the house - just the interior.

If you have any ideas/suggestions on these locations, please send your ideas (along with a few snapshots) to clint@ParcEntertainment.com.

I came across this site today, thanks to the FreshDV blog. It’s called FilmmakerIQ and it has an exhaustive list of tutorials, reviews, insights, etc. on everything pertaining to films and filmmaking. There’s a great DIY section on how to achieve certain effects while keeping production costs low. The site has resources available for any filmmaker, regardless of the stage of production you’re in. I will definitely add this to my Delicious bookmarks.

Parc Entertainment will be holding auditions for the short film “If Only” on Friday, February 6 from 6-8pm and Saturday, February 7 from 1-4pm. Auditions will be held at the Parc Entertainment office, located at 2309 2nd Avenue South. Please bring a headshot and resume when you come. If you have any questions, you can contact Clint at 205-588-4185, or clint@ParcEntertainment.com.

Here’s what we’re looking for:

Cast:

VANESSA - Mid 30s. A classy woman who dresses smart. She’s not snobby or uptight. She suffers from emotional issues following a turbulent relationship. She has a close group of friends she relies on, and won’t really let anyone else in to her life. She’s guarded and introverted.

MATTHEW - Late 30s. Ex-boyfriend of Vanessa. Charming, but manipulative. Moderately successful. Moody. Insincere — will always tell you what you want to hear.

VANESSA’S FRIENDS - Three Women mid 30s-early 40s. Fun, sincere, trustworthy, just an all-around good group.

THERAPIST - Male or Female - Late 40s to mid 50s. Intelligent, academic. Soothing voice, calming effect on others.

We will also have some supporting roles including:

WAITER
POLICE OFFICER
MAITRE DE
RESTAURANT HOSTESS

And we will also be in need of extras to fill out a restaurant scene.

I’m currently in development on a docu-drama Christian TV series and am in need of compelling salvation stories for a pilot episode. If you have a testimony that you feel should be featured in this series, please let me know about it. Email your story to clint@ParcEntertainment.com. In your email please provide your contact information, along with a synopsis of your story and the reasons why you feel it should be featured in the series. The subject line of the email should read “Salvation Story.”

I’m excited to announce that we’re moving into pre-production for our next short film, tentatively titled “If Only.” We’re looking for talented actors who would be willing to donate their time and effort to help with this project. We will be holding auditions for the film around the first or second week in February. Please keep an eye out for the exact dates, times, and locations.

We did want to take an opportunity to make this initial announcement so you could be thinking about whether you would like to help.
Here’s what we’re looking for:

Cast:

VANESSA - Mid 30s. A classy woman who dresses smart. She’s not snobby or uptight. She suffers from emotional issues following a turbulent relationship. She has a close group of friends she relies on, and won’t really let anyone else in to her life. She’s guarded and introverted.

MATTHEW - Late 30s. Ex-boyfriend of Vanessa. Charming, but manipulative. Moderately successful. Moody. Insincere — will always tell you what you want to hear.

VANESSA’S FRIENDS - Three Women mid 30s-early 40s. Fun, sincere, trustworthy, just an all-around good group. Don’t think “Desperate Housewives” or “Sex in the City.”

THERAPIST - Male or Female - Late 40s to mid 50s. Intelligent, academic. Soothing voice, calming effect on others.

We will also have some supporting roles including:

WAITER
POLICE OFFICER
MAITRE DE
RESTAURANT HOSTESS

And we will also be in need of extras to fill out a restaurant scene.

Again, we will post the exact dates and times for the auditions at a later date. If you would like to go ahead and send a resume and headshot, please feel free to do so.
You can send it to clint@ParcEntertainment.com.

Back in the day when I was first starting out, friends asked me to produce their wedding videos. I was happy to do it. After all, I went to high school with these people. They were good friends. I didn’t worry about contracts in those days. Life was carefree and full of gumdrops, and flowery meadows, and unicorns… and then, reality hit. I was filming a wedding for a good high school friend. She was getting married in Georgia, and my biggest mistake was forgetting to account for the time difference. Georgia is one hour ahead of Birmingham. Compund that problem with the fact that the directions we received were bad and we show up just as the wedding is starting. After I delivered the final video my friend called and asked for an additional discount because she expected more professionalism. I honestly was hurt, because she and I had been great friends in high school. By the time the situation had been resolved her attitude toward me was different.

We don’t live in a perfect world where a handshake seals the deal. Long gone are the days of “A man’s word is his bond.” Today, contracts have to be air-tight so that your backside is covered. And if you are a freelancer, or the owner of a small business, it’s especially important, because there are a lot of unethical people out there who don’t care that you’re trying to make a living. They’ll try to cut you down regardless.

I’ve learned through tough experience not to move a muscle until a contract is in place - not even if you’re doing production work for “good ‘ole Uncle Bob.” Here are a few simple, but important rules.

1. Clearly define ALL expectations up front. Make sure you understand what your client wants and make sure the client understands what they will be receiving. And make sure ALL decision-makers are in on the discussion. Otherwise you could be facing a LOT of changes in post-production; changes that you didn’t budget for.
2. Put EVERYTHING into a contract. Give your client time to review.
3. Have both parties sign the contract. Make sure you and your client initial next to important revisions.
4. Get your deposit.
5. Then, get to work.

Don’t ever start any job with the promise of a contract. Five years ago, when I first started Parc Entertainment, I did some work for a non-profit group. A couple of years later the CEO started hinting at the fact that they would like to re-do the video to update some important information in the script. Fast-forward to last fall and I finally sent them a contract to review. Fast forward to last Friday. The CEO emails me and asks if I could schedule an interview with a particular individual for the following day. I responded and said that I could, but unfortunately did not have a contract in hand.

Now I trust this particular client. They have been good to me and I appreciate that relationship. I also know they are serious about proceeding with the video. Some of you may have clients with whom you feel comfortable and in whom you have the utmost confidence. But you and your clients must understand that this is business. The contract with my client (which I’m still waiting on) has a very specific clause about the number of shooting days I am alotting them. I am giving them one shooting day to capture any additional interviews and/or b-roll they might need. This is because I am primarily re-editing existing footage. I simply want them to use that day wisely. I didn’t want to proceed with the interview, then have them return and ask me to shoot more footage on an additional day, when I didn’t budget for it. That’s why it’s important to have a contract in hand before proceeding, regardless of the client, regardless of the job. It may seem harsh when you’re forcing dear-ole-dad to put his John Hancock on paper, but it will help protect you and your business.

Time. It’s one thing we all wish we had more of. I’ve already discussed the importance of a solid shooting schedule when working with a production company, but just as important as the daily schedule is setting aside ample time for the entire project. If you are faced with the task of producing a video for your company and you have an important deadline staring you in the face, it’s vital that you don’t wait. There are many items on the action list that must be checked off before cameras roll, and those items can take time - especially if every decision has to be approved by the higher ups. Remember, a quality video cannot be slapped together from pre-production to post in only a week. Be sure to follow this timeline and you will have a stress-free experience.

12 Weeks Out -

• Search online for production companies. Take a look at their online demos. See who they’ve worked for. Take note of any awards they may have received. Read the staff bios.
• Start soliciting production companies. Give them a call. Tell them what you’re looking for.
• Ask for a demo reel. Many times a production company can’t put every sample on their website. Their reel will usually be a little more extensive.
• Schedule meetings with those companies you were most impressed with

10 Weeks Out

• Make your final decision on which company you would like to hire.
• Sign the contract.
• Send in your deposit. Most companies request a deposit as a retainer. The deposit helps defray the pre-production costs of script writing, initial creative meetings, etc.
• Start working on all the creative concepts
• Write the script

8 Weeks Out

• At this point the script and creative concepts should be approved
• Secure locations
• Secure talent (including voice-over)
• Schedule the shooting dates
• Finalize all other pre-production requirements

7 Weeks Out

• Shoot It. Make sure a company rep is on location to ensure that everything is running the way you would like.

6 Weeks Out

• Get any logos, graphics, etc. to the production company for the edit
• Provide the produciton company with any stills you would like to include.

4 Weeks Out

• The voice-over should be recorded during this time.
• Look at the rough cuts. Approve what you like. Change/Alter anything that isn’t working for you.
• For the next two weeks, let the editor do his thing. Sit in on the edit if that’s your style, or pop in occasionally for updates.

2 Weeks Out

• Make final changes/approvals
• Again, let the editor do his thing.

And then after those two weeks are up you should have a video that reflects the standard of excellence that your company strives for. Here are a couple of other things to keep in mind:

• Is your subject matter seasonal? For example, are there certain things that need to be shot for your video that only happen certain times of the year? Schools are only in session for nine months out of the year, so a delay in the production timeline could mean having to wait until the fall before production can start.
• How often does your daily/weekly schedule change? For example, a manufacturing company might receive raw materials certain times of the month. So, if they plan to shoot a training/safety video it’s important to know when those materials arrive so the production company can film the process.

The above timeline is a good reference point, but of course we don’t always have the luxury of time. However, always remember not to delay. Keep everyone informed. Respond to the production company in a timely manner so nothing gets behind. Do that and I guarantee everyone walks away with a positive impression.

Birmingham filmmaker Chance Shirley of Crewless Productions is currently in production on his follow-up feature to Hide and Creep called Interplanetary. He maintains a blog that gives regular updates on the film’s progress, as well as valuable insights into movie making. One of his latest articles I found particularly informative. In it he discusses how he went about developing and writing the screenplay for Hide and Creep. It’s worth a read for all aspiring screenwriters.

Let’s say that you work in marketing and development for a large corporation with several satellite offices spread out all over the state. You need to produce a promotional video, highlighting your company and its satellite offices. You know this will require several shooting days, and you know that if you aren’t careful, the budget can quickly spiral out of control. How can you keep costs down while making sure you get all the coverage you need? The answer is in pre-production. The more time you invest in this stage of production, the more efficient your shoot will run.

I’ve had a lot of experience in putting together shoots for clients. Some clients have only one location, making things a little easier. Dealing with health care clients, however, is a different story. When I’m shooting in a large hospital, there’s a lot of ground to cover in a brief amount of time. It’s important to have a precise shooting schedule so things stay on track. Here are a few tips:

1. Make sure everyone stays in the loop. I’ve arrived on location before, only to learn that the staff had no idea my crew and I were coming. If you are put in charge of producing a video for your marketing department, make sure everyone is always in the know. Otherwise, shoots can be canceled, or you have to waste a lot of time waiting for someone to go find someone else who can grant approval.

2. Double-up your locations. I discussed production scheduling in a previous post, but this point can’t be overemphasized. If your company has several satellite locations, you don’t have to invest the time and spend the money in driving the production crew all over the state. After all, will the viewer really know that shot “A” wasn’t ACTUALLY taken in location “X?” Most of the time one location can double for several different locations. This ensures that your production team is constantly shooting, rather than wasting the day traveling to all parts of the state.

3. Have a specific shot list. If you are going to take the time to travel five hours to a remote part of the state, you better have a prepared shot list of footage you need. I’ve been on shoots before where my crew and I drove several hours to a location, only to film one sit-down interview. Then we had to drive all the way back. An entire day was spent just for one interview. Working like that can cause your budget to inflate tremendously. So, make sure you have a specific set of shots to capture before trekking off. If things start to fall through and people start canceling, don’t make the trip. Wait until every party is lined up and every shot on your list is confirmed. That way you won’t have to keep going back and forth to the same location.

Producing isn’t easy, and sometimes it isn’t fun, but your boss will certainly be pleased when he/she sees that you have delivered a top-notch video that ’s under budget. If you take the time in pre-production you won’t waste time while on the shoot. And it can save your company money too.