When we think up movie ideas, we tend to go the way of the Hollywood blockbusters; on location shooting, special effects, etc. But helming these kinds of productions can be practically impossible for the inexperienced. You don’t know what to expect or what to do if and when something goes wrong. Not to mention the immense pressure you will have to withstand from financial backers. Think about when you first start a new job, you have the background information, but the experience you will pick up as you physically perform your duties. Instead, we should have our minds set on the opposite; shooting a film that takes place in one location. This will allow you to more effectively run things and, be able to handle any mishaps.

A number of films exist that follow this formula. Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs, I believe takes place in a restaurant for the most part. Kevin Smith’s Clerks and Clerks 2 take place in a convenience store and a burger joint respectively. The best example of all however is Phone Booth, which takes place in…you guessed it, a phone booth.

These types of movies tend to be very character driven and rely on character development to carry the story. This also happens a lot in sitcoms. In fact, on a interview with the executive producers of Friends, I once saw, they mentioned that a great way to keep costs low was to write episodes that are set in one place and rely more on dialogue and characters than on fancy theatrics. So, keep in mind that the first time you embark on the production of a film, not only is the shooting in one location production method good for your sanity, but it will keep expenses in check and your investors content.

Technorati Tags: production of a film, problems with budget and schedule, think up movie ideas, shooting a film that takes place in one location, Hollywood blockbusters, on location shooting, special effects, productions, financial backers, shooting a film, films, Quentin Tarantino, Reservoir Dogs, Kevin Smith, Clerks, Clerks 2, Phone Booth, character driven, character development, sitcoms, executive producers, Friends, keep costs low, write episodes, dialogue and characters, fancy theatrics, shooting in one location, investors

Related posts:

1. Paranormal Activity
2. I Have Had Two More Law & Order Related Experiences.
3. “24″ Feature Film

Content and substance aside, what truly interests me about the film are the technical aspects behind it, or rather, its production. As an, dare I say, up and coming filmmaker, these aspects of such films are what I focus on in order to broaden my possibilities.

First off, director Oren Peli has no formal film training. He was previously a video game designer and worked as a day trader during the 90s. This is very exciting because suddenly, I’m only a video camera and a few credit cards away from having a film I can call my own. When I read about Steven Spielberg, Peter Jackson and the like, I become discouraged because their endeavors are too massive for me to even think I can accomplish something like that. It is too long a road. I know they too started at the bottom, but all that is out there is information about their next big budget blockbuster.

The film was directed on the directors own personal computer. This is great news for everybody, especially for computer enthusiasts, which I also happen to be. Since computers get faster by the day, so to speak, I foresee more and more people ditching editing services, their subsequent cost and instead, preparing a system that can not only edit one’s current production, but many more in the future. I, myself have stacks of computer hardware I can put to good use.

Filming was done in the director’s home. The first thing that comes to mind is the money you don’t have to spend and the hassles you don’t have to go through when you use your own property as a production location, especially when the entire film takes place within the confines of that property. (Note: Oren Peli spent a year prepping his home for shooting. The costs of these preparations were not part of the film’s production budget, however, if you settle for a place in decent enough shape or are willing to use any given location in whatever condition it maybe, then the savings would be substantial.)

There was no need for a camera crew. As can be seen on the film, the actors themselves also served as the camera crew. This was due to the film’s format and I’m sure it wasn’t done this way just to eliminate a film crew. I like the notion of no camera crew because being in charge of a large group of people makes me nervous and for that reason I welcome anything that might get the crew size reduced. Or maybe, I should just get over it and do what has to be done. What do you think?

One thing they couldn’t escape however, was the grueling hours of work. Even though production took only one week, they were working 18 hours per day.

These production notes are great and useful tips for those of us looking to make films. I will be back with more of these tips from other low budgets features, so that together we can broaden our possibilities.

Technorati Tags: Paranormal Activity, low budget, huge box office returns, most profitable film ever, film, production, up and coming filmmaker, film training, Steven Spielberg, Peter Jackson, computer enthusiasts, editing services, current production, computer hardware, film direction, film budget, camera crew, film’s format, eliminate a film crew, no camera crew, grueling hours of work, production took only one week, working 18 hours per day, production notes, useful tips, make films

Related posts:

1. I Have Had Two More Law & Order Related Experiences.
2. The First Time You Embark on the Production of a Film
3. “24″ Feature Film

I was crossing eighth avenue at the forty-fifth and eighth intersection in New York City, and as I was about half way across, I noticed Mr. Goldblum. He was coming in the opposite direction, and walked right by me. He was accompanied by another gentleman, whom I didn’t take the time to focus on. At first, I saw him and had some sort of block, I couldn’t put my finger on who this guy was, but it all clicked when I heard his voice –he had said something to the other guy. We both continued on our ways and well, that was that.

Seeing him was a very pleasant surprise, I guess you could say that I was star struck. After all, I do like the guy, just not In L&O:CI. That whole experience came as a rude awakening for me because television—and by that I mean, the kind of television that indulges in celebrities’ personal rather than professional lives—has always depicted celebrities being harassed by the media and followed everywhere they go; and that is something I have gotten used to. So seeing Jeff Goldblum calmly walking the streets of New York City, came as a bit of a shock. Sometimes we forget that these are regular people like the rest of us.

I came to find out about the shooting of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, by way of a notice that the show’s location scouting department (or something along those lines) brought to where I work. It was on a Friday I believe, and the notice said that the following Tuesday SVU’s crew was going to be around from 5:30AM to 10:00PM. So it was no surprise to me to see, as I arrived at work, a group of people redirecting pedestrians and setting up cameras on rails and talking on head sets. What did come as a surprise, however, was the way production took place. I confess, this aspect of a TV show I had never thought about. But in the back of my mind, I guess I saw it as a major film production; lots of famous faces, trailers for the stars, catering tables and maybe extras waiting to be directed. This was not the case. It all turned out to be very targeted and specific; they closed off the number of yards of sidewalk they needed and extended that out toward the street, about a quarter of the way across. Then they put cones out to alert the oncoming traffic, and had pedestrians walk around the sealed area. It was crowded, since it was a sizable crew and there were a number of bystanders watching them work .

It all had a cozy and comfortable feeling to me because it turned out to be just about the opposite of how I think a feature film production is. It wasn’t a media spectacle or something that wanted attention, in any way.

I know, some of you out there are probably saying that there is no need for trailers and catering tables, since this was a quick “on location” shooting that probably did not involve the major stars and that since this isn’t the show’s lot, the crew must make as little a racket as possible. And while that, I agree with, I guess I just wanted to convey that I was excited to see it happen, before my eyes, for the first time.

Technorati Tags: Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Jeff Goldblum, show’s location, production, TV show, famous faces, trailers for the stars, “on location” shooting, extras

Related posts:

1. Paranormal Activity
2. The First Time You Embark on the Production of a Film
3. Major Casting Changes On Law & Order: Criminal Intent

One of my stronger allies in the quest for knowledge has been literature written by experts in the field. These books, I have come to find, are immensely helpful as they are pure background and foundation, the basics….Indulge me for a bit as I will attempt to put this in metaphorical terms.

We have all gone swimming at public pools, and before jumping in one must shower down. Let’s assume that the reason for showering is not to wash away anything foreign we might bring in the pool, but rather to cool the body down and to get it used to the water for when it finds itself inside the large body of water that is the pool. These books have that exact effect; they get you used to the trade for when you are up to your chin in it. A theatrical example is Adam Sandler’s character in Big Daddy; he studies up before he heads to court.

The downside these have is that they attempt to make a science out of an art, they are very procedural so to speak, and while the end result is an effective one, it is important to understand the art form in every way so that you can effectively implement innovation. An example of this is my current situation at work. I am currently employed at a Wendy’s and I run the grill. The training videos state that I must always have sixteen patties on the grill and as long as I don’t go below sixteen, I will always be able to provide cooked meat as needed. However, the video does take into account that come noon time and everybody breaks for lunch, procedure goes out the window and I am forced to improvise. During lunch hour, there are so many single, double and triple cheeseburgers being ordered that in order to keep up I have to turn up the heat and increase the number of patties on duty, neither of which is “allowed.” The fact that I know about lunchtime, its challenges and how to tackle them despite procedure shows that grilling is an art form upon which I must implement innovation. Furthermore, while the videos do teach how to grill beef parties, it is the practice that makes good. To quote Indiana Jones: “[If you want to be an Archaeologist, you have to get out of the library].” Apply that to the books.

Technorati Tags: film making, theatrical, Adam Sandler, Big Daddy, procedural, Wendy’s, Indiana Jones, Archaeologist

No related posts.

Rather, you should look within yourself to find the story, the one story, the world has yet to see, you should write the story that will convince and inspire and one that others will in turn, consider an influence and want to replicate. James Cameron is especially good at this.

Technorati Tags: screenwriter, Eagle Eye, Mission: Impossible, Bourne, James Bond franchises, Wargames, James Cameron

Related posts:

1. The First Time You Embark on the Production of a Film

In New York City, the NYFA is located at:
100 East 17th St. New York, NY 10003
TEL: 212-674-4300
FAX: 212-477-1414
EMAIL: film@nyfa.com

At Universal Studios:
3801 Barham Blvd.,
Lakeside Plaza
Los Angeles, CA 91608
TEL: 818-733-2600
FAX: 818-733-4074
EMAIL: studios@nyfa.com

For further Information, call 1-800-611-FILM or visit www.NYFA.com.

Technorati Tags: New York Film Academy, New York City, Universal Studios, Fine Arts Degree, Filmmaking, Acting for film, Producing, Screenwriting, 3d Animation, Music Video, Documentary and Broadcast Journalism

Related posts:

1. I Have Had Two More Law & Order Related Experiences.

Technorati Tags: Brett Ratner, film directors, tuition grants, New York Film Academy, Master of Fine Arts, financial assistance, NYFA, MFA, Financial Aid, free tuition, Tuition Grants

No related posts.

I wish I had paid attention to this marvel sooner because it offers valuable knowledge at a very reasonable cost. I was always focused on college and the big leagues, and while that is the ultimate goal, this is here now and I can start tomorrow if I am so inclined. Anything high profile I can only dream about at the moment. So those of you, who have a local public access station, take advantage of what it has to offer.

Technorati Tags: Worcester Massachusetts, community media center, public access television, media center, programming, training programs, TV production, directing, producing, make your own show

Related posts:

1. I Have Had Two More Law & Order Related Experiences.
2. Paranormal Activity

This also is a judgment call, and one that is to be made based on your situation. I was looking at some websites that rent video equipment and the prices were not all that excessive. Depending on what you need, prices range from a few hundred dollars per day to a few thousand. What did not look good was the fact that those prices are for the bare equipment, if you need any accessories at all, those would have to be rented at a range of up to a few hundred dollars per day. If you have the budget to and are looking to set up a complete production house that includes a large locale and hired help, and you are looking to go straight into big projects, then renting the equipment is not an unreasonable way to start. But considering that shoots can last weeks, it is probable if not definite, that the total cost would rise to levels high enough to make you decide that buying your own equipment is the best way to go. The good thing is that this is something you can figure out before hand, you do not have to actually go through the trouble of renting and pay massive amounts of money. You can estimate you total cost by calculating the types of projects you are looking to take on and the cost of the equipment; and this is a huge advantage because you can include these findings in your business plan and look for all the needed financing at once.

If you are one to work on your own from home, then leasing equipment is not feasible in any way, I think, because there is only so much you can do on your own. And actually, most of those who choose to start alone do not have any immediate plans that would require the rental of equipment. Any equipment used is usually for personal development within the trade and those can be anything really, there is not exactly a need for specific hardware. But when the time for expansion arrives, then the case I mentioned above would have to be implemented, with the slight variation that instead of figuring the potential expense before hand and including it in the business plan, you would have to do it when the time comes and then go out requisition additional funding.

As you probably have figured out, my method of preference here is the last one I mentioned. I have no immediate plans to take on anything major, because as I have mentioned before, this is a learning experience for me and personal development is my number one priority. But there will come a time (hopefully) when I will make the transition from the small scale to the big time, and then, I will take the appropriate measures to not waste money when it is time to get hardware.

Technorati Tags: leasing space, set up your business, leasing equipment, rent video equipment, Video Production, financing, time for expansion, potential expense, business plan, requisition additional funding, personal development

Related posts:

1. The First Time You Embark on the Production of a Film
2. Paranormal Activity
3. I Have Had Two More Law & Order Related Experiences.

I think that this decision is a judgment call because every business is started differently. While there are certain things that must be done and must be done in a specific way, there are also other things that have flexibility, you can do them however you need to or want to, in order to accommodate your situation.

The two situations I mentioned in earlier posts were; starting at home by yourself, with rented (If you so wish) equipment, juggling all the work on your own. The other was; renting space, buying equipment and hiring help to delegate all the work to. Ultimately it will all be based on the vision you have, but also it is important to keep in mind that you are not going to have all the time in the world to dedicate to your venture nor are you going to find all the funding you are going to need to splurge, therefore you will probably have to make sacrifices.

On the one hand, starting all by yourself, does come at a cost reduction but we all have responsibilities that more likely than not, will not allow us to commit to the venture the time it will need. I know we are not all the same; some of us could make arrangements to be able to work hard on our businesses, others might just have enough spare time. Also, you might discover that giving some things up comes cheaper than the cost to rent, buy and hire. On the other hand, going all out, means that the business can, in a way, go on like clockwork without you having to jeopardize or sacrifice anything. The downside of course is that you are going to need more funding and since some of that money you will have to be responsible for, ultimately you might be forced sacrifice things anyway in order to provide the rest of the funds.

I personally like the notion of starting by myself. I see it as doing as much as I can on my own so that the funding I get from the outside can cover all the expenditures. Now, all I mentioned so far was sort of influenced by my current situation and how I plan to start my video production house, which I will talk about in a later post. Everyone out there has their own plans and opinions that I am interested in hearing, especially from experienced business owners. I’m interested in hearing whether taking a big jump (sacrificing, risking) now, will yield good results later. Big risk, big reward is the saying but nevertheless, it is still a risk.

Technorati Tags: production house, finding space to set up your business, set up your business, rent equipment, buying equipment, find all the funding, cost reduction, video production

Related posts:

1. The First Time You Embark on the Production of a Film
2. Paranormal Activity
3. I Have Had Two More Law & Order Related Experiences.

The two common types of legal entities that are usually used by independent filmmakers are: Limited Liability Company (LLC) and Individual/Sole Proprietor. I ran across a third one, and thought I should include it; it is the Doing business as (DBA).

An LLC is a type of legal entity that provides protection to its owners, by being a separate entity altogether. If for any reason, the company finds itself in legal trouble like a lawsuit, and has to pay out a large sum of money, then the company itself takes the hit because only company assets would be bare. Since the personal property of the company’s owners is not part of the company, then those would run no risk. There are times when there are personal guarantees and sometimes personal property is used as collateral, in which case, those would be considered part of the company and could be seized if needed, in order to pay out.

However, an LLC does have its share of disadvantages. It takes great unavoidable expense to maintain, and there are very strict rules as to how money can be moved around. Also, as I understood it, an LLC has to have, among many other things, shareholders and directors. Finally, LLCs have to submit accountant prepared reports to the proper authorities.

An Individual/Sole Proprietorship is the opposite of a Limited Liability Company, I would say. Because instead of the company being a separate legal entity, it’s legal and financial aspects are the same as those of its owner. Therefore, if the company gets in trouble, both company assets as well as the personal property of its owner would be on the line. Also, company income and personal income would be the same, and that eliminates pretty much every tax advantage. However, the cost to maintain an Individual/Sole Proprietorship is very reasonable the, requirements for accountant prepared reports are minimal and sometimes it is not even required to register a name for your business.

“Doing business as” means that the business is running with a name different than that of its owner. It is usually used to keep the owner’s identity private. I think this is used very frequently, a number of businesses could have one parent company and the general public is not aware. But since business owners have legal responsibilities, in order to “[Do] business as,” they must file a DBA statement, which I believe can be done at the town hall. Parent companies can be a sole proprietorship or a Limited Liability Company, for which the appropriate rules and requirements, as I mentioned above, must be followed.

I still do not know which way is best for me. The first one that comes to mind is the LLC, for the protection it offers, and as long as business is conducted honestly and honorably, filing and reporting should be no problem. However, the fees that must be paid could become a hardship for me as well as for those just beginning and, lest I forget, the need of lawyers and accountants, will only increase the financial requirement.

I, yet again, want to reiterate that this is a learning experience for me; I need all the help I can get. If anyone out there sees any inconsistencies or can offer information that I failed to mention, by all means step in, it will do nothing but help. I have started a thread about this in the forum, feel free to comment and offer your insights there, as well as on the comments section of this post. And next time on Bloddard.com, “Find a Locale to Set Up.”

Technorati Tags: financing, register your production house, starting filmmakers, independent filmmakers, production companies, Limited Liability Company, Individual/Sole Proprietor, Doing business as, LLC, DBA, shareholders, Video Production House, lawyers, accountants

Related posts:

1. The First Time You Embark on the Production of a Film
2. I Have Had Two More Law & Order Related Experiences.
3. Paranormal Activity

I found that there are countless ways for someone to get funds to start their business venture. Based on what I learned, there are three general categories: Lenders, Investors and plain old Self-Financing (or Bootstrapping). It is important to keep in mind that in a lot, if not all cases you will be partly responsible for funding the venture. In other words, you are not going to get every cent you need from lenders and investors; you will have to cover the rest of what you need.

I would like to start with Self-Financing or Bootstrapping. By the way, the term Bootstrapping is new to me and I learned it means; doing as much as you can with what you have got. In order to finance your business yourself, you can:

• Tap in your 401(K): if you have one from a previous employer, but watch out for tax penalties.
• Sell Assets: have you got things you can sell?
• Home Equity: if you are well on your way with your home mortgage, you can borrow against the equity.
• Insurance Policies: if you have life insurance, you can requisition a policy loan since they usually garner cash value after some years.
• Investments: you can borrow from the 401(K) your current employer provides. There is usually a specified repayment schedule and a limit to how much you can borrow, and if you lose your job, you have to repay the loan very quickly.
• Use Credit Cards: nothing new here, just make sure you can keep with the monthly payments to prevent a catastrophe.
• Use Your Savings: if you are like most people are not or cannot be; you spend less than you make and put money in the bank, then there is a chance you have some good savings you can use to fund your venture. After having considered that you have kids to feed, monthly responsibilities and any emergency that might come up, that is.
• Use Your Certificates of Deposit: if you have a CD, you can (depending on the bank) use it as collateral for a loan and as long as the terms of the loan are met, the balance of the CD remains intact. If the loan cannot be paid, then cash from the CD will be used to service it and early withdrawal penalties will be incurred as well.
• Use Your Individual Retirement Account: as I understand it, you can use the money from your IRA, but you must pay it all back within 60 days or there will be penalties. Usually, the risk with these types of assets is that if you withdraw funds to invest elsewhere and that investment yields no returns, you must still pay back what you borrowed.
• Borrow from Friends and Family: this is as convenient as it is problematic, in my opinion. Because while it does not have all the requirements that a bank has, it does have all the hassles, which can lead to trouble. The norm is to get everything, everything, everything in writing to eliminate any misunderstandings and any: “When are you going to pay me back?”

You can also take out loans. All banks offer loans, but I think (and correct me if I’m wrong) that one should bypass your everyday banks and go straight for the Small Business Administration. They offer a number of programs that are of great benefit to small businesses, and beats having to deal with banks directly.

• 7(a) Loan Guarantee Program: the Small Business Administration guarantees you a loan from a lender. Usually the guarantee is for about 75% of the loan amount.
• The LowDoc Program: is a low documentation loan that relies on your own personal credit rating and the cash flow of your business.
• The Fastrak Program: similar to the LowDoc program, but with speedier results.
• Caplines: is a revolving line of credit that works like a credit card.
• Women and Minority Loans: usually up to $250,000, “middlemen” help you shop around for the best loan, help with the paper work and send it to the SBA.
• The Microloan Program: handled by non-profit intermediaries that help you with the application process. These loans are usually short-term, are no more than $25,000 and have variable interest rates and maturity dates.
• 504 CDC Loan Program: long term loans with fixed rates, for fixed assets.
• SBICs and SSBICs: these are privately owned small business investors.
• Disaster Assistance Loans: these are loans provided directly by the Small Business administration and is typically used by businesses in trouble.

Finally, you can opt for investors. There are different kinds of investors and, in a nutshell, they invest in your business for financial gain. You can find them through your broker or financial advisor.

• Individual Investors: these are lone wolves that use their personal wealth to fund ventures.
• Angel Investors: these are individuals or firms that offer financing in exchange for equity.
• Venture Capital: this is funding provided to new companies with potential for rapid growth and expansion. It is usually provided in exchange for company shares (partial ownership).
• Businesses: some businesses, I believe Google does this, offer cash to businesses in exchange for partial ownership.

I myself like the idea of the bootstrapping and self-financing. But that is just a sentiment, because I know what I have and I know what I’m willing to risk or sacrifice. That however, does not mean that it is the best option or the option that makes more sense and, it all depends on how complete a business you are looking to start. By this I mean, starting at home by yourself; or renting space, equipment and hiring help. Ultimately this is a call for the individual entrepreneur to make, based on his or her needs and wants.

In the next post in this series, I will focus on “Individual/ Sole Proprietor, LLC or DBA.” And once again, I want to reiterate that this is a learning experience for me; I need all the help I can get. If anyone out there sees any inconsistencies or can offer information that I failed to mention, by all means step in, it will do nothing but help. I have started a thread about this in the forum, feel free to comment and offer your insights there, as well as on the comments section of this post.

Technorati Tags: Video Production, business plan, finance your business, get funds to start, business venture, Lenders, Investors, Self-Financing, Bootstrapping, finance your business, 401(K), Home Equity, Insurance Policies, life insurance, policy loan, Certificates of Deposit, Individual Retirement Account, IRA, Borrow from Friends and Family, small business, Venture Capital, Angel Investors, Individual Investors, Disaster Assistance Loans

Related posts:

1. The First Time You Embark on the Production of a Film

A business plan is nothing more than a written description of the future of one’s business; whether it is a start up or an established business. It includes business goals and how they will be accomplished; possible problems to be faced and how to solve them; and a description of business structure ranging from what goes where, to who does what. Also how much funding it will require to take off and keep going, until it breaks even and subsequently makes a profit. And, why it will succeed in its industry and under current market conditions.

A business plan has many uses that will allow you to run your business, or plan for a new business in an organized and efficient manner. It is very useful when looking for financing, whether from investors or lenders because it expresses your visions and intentions; to determine whether or not you can afford to rent space, hire help and buy equipment; or start slow in your home, with rented equipment, juggling all the work yourself. Also, when in the quest for partners, new hires or management teams because it highlights your business objectives and future projections as well as information about compensation and advancement. To develop relationships and alliances in the future based on where the business is projected to go; to valuate the business for tax, inheritance or divorce purposes and to expand by branching out into other markets or even industries.

Originally I thought that as long as all the objectives where covered, it did not matter how a plan could be written; professionalism notwithstanding. However there seems to be a standard or format when it comes to writing a one. There are three primary parts that a business plan must contain; Business Concept, in which you discuss your product or service, talk about the industry and market, your business outlook and plan to succeed. Marketplace Section, in which you point out your target audience or potential customers, explain who they are and why them, in particular. Also, discuss the competition and how you plan to raise above it. Finally, the Financial Section, where income, cash flow, profit projections and when, approximately, the business will break even, take center stage. These three parts can be broken down into seven key components, which will help to further organize the facts. These are:

• Executive Summary: a half page to full page statement that details your hopes and desires. It explains: Business Concept, which describes the product or service, its target market as well as point out who the competition is and how to be and remain competitive. Financial Features, points out the numbers; sales, revenues, profit, cash flow, etc… Financial Requirements, details the funds needed to start the business as well as how those funds will be used. Current Business Position, gives background information about the company. Explains about those involved; from heads to employees, as well as the company’s day to day operations. Major Achievements, explain achievements that are crucial to the success of the business. These include contracts, operation facilities, prototype, patents, etc… Do not beat around the bush, get right to the point. It is important that you come off as secure and decisive.
• Business Description: describes the industry, markets within that industry and anything significant that affect the business. Use current reliable data and cite your sources. In order for investors to risk their money, they will need to know that the information they are reading comes from reliable sources. Describe whether the business will offer products (Wholesale? Retail? Manufacturing?) Or services. Mention whether it is an established business or a new business and whether it is a partnership, corporation, LLC, etc… Mention who the personnel at its core are, and how they will be of benefit to the company. Then mention who your target audience is and how you plan to distribute to them. Finally, get specific about the product or service and explain how you will do things differently than your competitors and why it will work.
• Market Strategies: based on market conditions, the business has to be strategically positioned within that market so that it can garner as many sales as possible. This requires deep understanding of the target market, which, is obtained by conducting a market analysis. This analysis will provide all the needed information (Pricing, Growth Potential, etc…) to introduce the business to the market and allow it to be successful within all the competition.
• Competitive Analysis: analyze the competition to determine their strengths and weaknesses and based on that information, develop a plan of attack.
• Design and Development Plan: describes the product, its design, its development and its production as well as the budget that will be needed.
• Operations and Management Plan: explains how the business works day in and day out. Outlines the delegated responsibilities and the required capital and expense in order to keep things running like clockwork.
• Financial Factors: provide financial statements that show the company is afloat, can remain that way in the mean time and prosper as time passes. The statements are: Cash flow statement, Income statement and Balance sheet.

Also, a well prepared business plan must have a cover page and a table of contents.

A typical business plan is about fifteen to twenty pages in length, but it depends on the complexity of the business or whether a new kind of business or industry is planned. Also, the nature of the business and what kind of plan is being written determines its length. I myself do not have a preference, sometimes short and sweet can serve the same purpose as a drag out detailed plan. As long as all the information is included, then all is good. But there are four types of business plans that can be written; to me, they do not seem to be part of any specific rule that must be followed, although you would have to focus on a particular type depending on the circumstances.

• The Mini Plan: up to ten pages with the key basics such as business concept, financing needs, marketing plan, cash flow information and income projections. This type of plan serves as practice for a full length plan in the future, and works just fine for small scale proposals like bringing a partner on board or dealing with a small investor.
• The Working Plan: usually and regularly used as a reference guide to run a business. It must be well detailed but can be lacking in presentation. It does not include information and details an outside party, like a financial institution, might require; such as, illustrations and business terms.
• The Presentation Plan: a “Working Plan” with high class looks, for when dealing with third parties. Has standard business vocabulary, charts, graphs, illustrations and none of the slang or shorthand that is common at the workplace. Outside investors and potential business partners are not familiar with the operation you have got happening, so it has to be clear and detailed. It also has to include information required by that, whom you’re looking to be in business with as well as information about potential risks and the competition. It should be printed on high quality, maybe even glossy paper, in color and bound into an easy to handle booklet. Finally, the information presented must be exact; any error could be misinterpreted by one not directly involved in the business. This also goes for all other kinds of business plans.
• The Electronic Plan: all plans are made on computers, and then printed. An electronic plan remains in digital form; I would say, it is a “Presentation Plan” without the printing and binding. Since in digital form, The Electronic Plan can be used for presentations and to send to those who prefer to carry a digital file rather than a large booklet.

Since a business plan is part of a business from its conception to its implementation to its daily workings, it is important to keep it up to date. Updates to the plan, and in certain occasion changes, can be brought on by unexpected changes in the industry and/ or market, if the business reaches a major milestone, if there is new and innovative competition, changes in regulation or new management. You learn more and more every day, and after gaining some experience you may decide that you are able to write a better plan. Also, if looking for further financing, the figures have to be updated; although that is also necessary in order run the business day in and day out.

You may have to emphasize specific parts of the plan, depending on what you are looking to accomplish. If you want to requisition funding, then the financial aspects ranging from funds requested to projected growth rate, to ability to generate cash to service loans in the mean time, to how the business is going to make money, have to be addressed in great detail. If it is being used for hiring purposes, then among other things, compensation and opportunities for advancement have to take center stage. And so on; basically be really elaborate on the sections that relate directly to whom you are looking to do business with.

Before writing the plan, think about what you would like your business to be and what you want it to eventually become. As you think about those things, note the hurdles to be jumped and obstacles to be faced when it comes to accomplishing those goals. Nothing is insignificant enough to ignore or even set aside for later. Think of everything from starting out in your basement to expanding nationally or even globally. From the amount of work you’ll have to juggle on your own to the amount of employees you’ll need to delegate to. It is important to anticipate the size of your monetary needs, because the more financing you need, the more control or power you will have to relinquish. Some investors may want equal control or may want to have some input by placing someone on the board of directors. On the other hand, entities like banks keep away, as long as payments are made on a timely manner. Finally, never forget that obstacles are disguised opportunities.

In the next post in this series, I will focus on “Find & Secure Funding”. And I reiterate that this is a learning experience for me; I need all the help I can get. If anyone out there sees any inconsistencies or can offer information that I failed to mention, by all means step in, it will do nothing but help. I have started a thread about this in the forum, feel free to comment and offer your insights there, as well as on the comments section of this post.

Technorati Tags: video production, business plan, market conditions, run your business, plan for a new business, looking for financing, investors or lenders, rent space, hire help, buy equipment, rented equipment, partners, new hires, management teams, your business objectives, compensation, advancement, develop relationships and alliances, valuate the business, tax, inheritance, divorce, professionalism, Business Concept, discuss your product or service, talk about the industry and market, business outlook, Marketplace Section, target audience, potential customers, discuss the competition, Financial Section, income, cash flow, profit projections

Related posts:

1. The First Time You Embark on the Production of a Film

To the best of my abilities, I organized what I learned and broke it up into stages, or phases.

• Writing a Business Plan: A write-up that explains, among many other things, what the business is, what it does, how it does it and how it will generate money. As I see it, it is a lot like storyboards to a film; a guide that shows what is to be done and how, for the sake of comprehension and organization.
• Find & Secure Funding: This is nothing more than finding money sources to help fund the project. At the very least, to cover start up costs.
• Individual/ Sole Proprietor, LLC or DBA: These are the different types of entities, if you will that the production house can be registered as. There advantages and disadvantages to all of them so it is a matter of what, in particular, one is looking for. There are also other legal requirements that must be met and understood.
• Find a Locale to Set Up: This is finding space to set up your business and where equipment can be kept; a place where there is space for a secretary, writers, editors and so forth, as well as space to sit and discuss ideas and deals with clients and prospective clients.
• Buy or Rent Equipment: This one is deciding on whether to buy or rent the needed equipment. It is a judgment call that you would have to make based on your needs, wants and financial standing.
• Hire Personnel: Well you can’t do everything yourself, you need a team that the tasks can be delegated to.
• Market the Business: This, we all know about. You have to put your business out there, let the public know what it is, what is does and among other things, why it is the better choice. The ways to accomplish this range from handing out fliers, to having a TV station air a commercial, to buying ad space on the web, to having the public transit authority put your ad on one of their buses.
• Get to Work!!! : This is simply doing what you love doing, which is why the foundation mention above was laid.

In future posts I will explain each of these points with greater detail, as I still am not clear about the specifics of them. Think of this a series. Also, this is a learning experience for me; I need all the help I can get. If anyone out there sees any inconsistencies or can offer information that I failed to mention, by all means step in, it will do nothing but help. I have started a thread about this in the forum, feel free to comment and offer your insights there, as well as on the comments section of this post.

Technorati Tags: production company,  make films,  television shows, World Wide Web, starting a video production company, Writing a Business Plan, generate money, Secure Funding, finding money sources, start up costs, Individual/ Sole Proprietor, LLC or DBA, Market the Business, put your business out there, handing out fliers, air a commercial, buying ad space

Related posts:

1. The First Time You Embark on the Production of a Film
2. Paranormal Activity

Water: Like mentioned on the TV show Home Improvement, putting a quarter gallon container filled with water in the toilet bowl, reduces the amount of water used every time one flushes. Also, low-flow shower heads reduces the use of water while still providing enough pressure for a nice and thorough shower.

Electricity: Replacing incandescent light bulbs with fluorescent bulbs reduces power consumption. A 20-watt fluorescent light bulb provides as much light as a 100-watt incandescent bulb, while reducing the electricity usage to 20%. Fluorescent lighting is more expensive, but the savings it will yield over a year’s time, will make up for the expense many times. Also, it is important to power off any unused appliances and shut off the lights when one leaves the room. Putting up storm windows or (like I do) using large trash bags with tape, to cover up the windows is an excellent way to keep the cold winter air from sneaking into your home; add in a programmable thermostat and your electric costs will go way down. For those who use oil, well that’s yet another bill reduced.

Cable TV: In today’s decaying economy people spend more time working than at home. Therefore, it is not really necessary to pay for hundreds of channels. I myself, have basic cable and a subscription to Netflix, reducing cable costs to about $33, well below 50% of what I used to pay. Some people eliminate cable completely and watch Over-The-Air programming with an antenna (keep in mind the change to digital in’09), others rely only on Netflix and Blockbuster subscriptions.

Phone: It always sounds nice when you pay one relatively low price for multiple features, like long distance and call waiting; but most if not all of these feature are not used everyday so I can’t help thinking that I’m over paying for my phone service. I have basic service that only includes local calling and I use phone cards to make international and out of state calls. This reduced my bill from about $43 to just under $20 plus the cost of the card.

Discount Purchases: Every time I go to the pharmacy I receive a coupon with my receipt; this usually offers a savings of a few dollars, and when you or a loved one uses prescriptions drugs (therefore frequent the pharmacy) the coupons can be very beneficial as those savings over a year’s time can add up. Many supermarkets offer discount cards, newspapers come with coupons and there are countless websites that offer electronic coupons. Special occasions like Christmas and other holidays bring a number of sales and (my favorite) free or reduced shipping costs. Buying wholesale products and commercial brands can be a big money saver too. Stores like Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club sale no-name-brand products, in bulk, at half the price of name brand products.

Car Pooling: This is a great way to help the environment and save cash. One significantly reduces pollution and in times like these, when the cost of living is sky high one can reduce visits to the gas station. I ran across a website that, by imputing you zip code, shows the station with the lowest gas price.

Cutting costs does not have to turn your life upside down. If done correctly, it can be a terrific experience that will provide you with the ability to learn and do other things.

Technorati Tags: going back to school, cutting costs, full time employment, TV show, Home Improvement, toilet bowl, low-flow shower head, reduce the use of water, incandescent light bulbs, fluorescent bulbs, reduce power consumption, storm windows, programmable thermostat, basic cable, Netflix, Over-The-Air programming, Blockbuster, long distance, call waiting, phone service, local calling, phone cards, international and out of state calls, prescriptions drugs, coupons, discount cards, free or reduced shipping costs, buying wholesale, commercial brands, Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, no-name-brand products, help the environment, save cash, reduce pollution

Related posts:

1. Paranormal Activity
2. “24″ Feature Film
3. The First Time You Embark on the Production of a Film

I plan on getting a degree/training/making a career out of filmmaking and one day hopefully have my name on a Hollywood blockbuster. I feel that filmmaking is where it is for me, where I can leave the mark we all wish to be known for. It is also one of the few things (aside from a special girl) that makes me smile every time it crosses my mind. In the coming days I will write posts about how I cut costs at home and my steps toward getting grants and scholarships.

Technorati Tags: college, money, Financial Aid, registering for classes, government aid, financial problems in the home, education, go back to school, reductions of the monthly expenses, employment, scholarships and grants, get a degree, training, making a career, filmmaking, Hollywood blockbuster, cut costs at home, getting grants and scholarships

Related posts:

1. The First Time You Embark on the Production of a Film
2. Paranormal Activity

This new way to learn, is extremely exciting because it opens many doors for many people. I myself know people that because of varying reasons, are not able to attend the the top schools. With this material, they can expand and better comprehend that which they are studying. For me, this is like striking oil because I am always curious about things and I’m open to learning more. In Indonesia, the cost of text books is higher than some can afford, so students and educators utilize open courseware, instead. The same is done by others, who would like to change careers, but don’t exactly know what to focus on. Some question how effective this method of learning is by pondering how much a person can learn without having others to argue with and bounce ideas off of. Others, downright criticize it by saying that one on one interaction is a must.

You can visit: ocwconsortium.org, oercommons.org and uocwa.org in order to find “open courseware”

Source

Technorati Tags: open courseware, MIT, Yale University, new way to learn, text books, change careers, ocwconsortium.org, oercommons.org, uocwa.org

No related posts.

This is a glimpse at what Metallica’s ninth album, tentatively due in the spring of 2008, might sound like. Personally I think this is an excellent song. They nicknamed it “The New Song” and debuted it in Berlin, Germany, on June 6, 2006. Sadly, according to Robert Trujillo, the song will not make it to the album. When asked whether the song would make it to the album he answered:

“I don’t think so…We can’t be sure, not until we sit down and listen to all the songs completed, to make sure that each and every one of them sounds perfect. But I can tell you that…[song] that you’ve heard won’t make it, at least not in that form.”

After having listened to St. Anger, it is refreshing to hear a great solo from Kirk Hammet.

Technorati Tags: Metallica, Robert Trujillo, Kirk Hammet

Related posts:

1. The First Time You Embark on the Production of a Film