1. “Write out your idea, or better yet, draw it out.”  Think visually, make drawings with character’s lines as captions (Storyboards). Keep your first project simple, because you want to see it through to the end. You will know much more about film making once you do the whole thing.

2. Cast it with family and friends, film them with a video camera or a phone following your drawings. Try to tell a story visually, ideally it should work even with the sound off. You can use simple special effect tricks as he used in the movie, where he put peanut butter in the dog’s mouth to make it seem as though it was talking and then had someone off camera do the voice.

3. Edit it all together. Take out whatever does not work. If you took multiple shots, pick the best of all. Use simple editing tools found in your PC or Mac. These allow you to very simply put together your movie and add sound effects.

He finishes by saying that practice is very important. When you finish your film, watch it,  critique it and try again. Gradually you will improve. (Watch the video after the jump)

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1. One Minute Movies

I thought this was a cool exercise because is was interactive and would allow people’s talents to be displayed in a major website. However now that they are no longer accepting film submissions, I think that it is a good way to practice and stay sharp.

They were not looking for “epic films with sweeping stories,” brilliant photography, quality actors or a big budget; and basic consumer equipment such as a home video camera, a still picture digital camera capable of recording video or Flash to create animation, were enough to realize the film. For the post-production stage, one needed nothing more than the basic video editor bundled with our personal computer’s operating system.

They offered four “How to…” stages to help us throughout our adventure. Along with tips from industry experts and tips submitted by the public. (Details after the jump)

How to…Story:

1.“Don’t try and cram to much into your 60 seconds!”

• “…don’t overstretch yourself. We’re not looking for heavily plotted scenes.”

• Keep it simple.

2.“Be careful of making a genre film.”

• Think about what your film will look like. Genre films like science fiction are great but have you got the needed props and effects to make it happen. Also, sixty seconds is a very short time to really showcase fancy visuals.

3.“Three-act Structure. Sounds scary. It isn’t. What this means is give your story a beginning, middle and end. Easy.”

• Beginning | Middle | End.

• “For example, imagine a One-Minute Movie called Man’s Best Friend. The first 20 seconds might be images of a poster about a lost dog. The next 20 seconds could be images of people looking for a dog. The last 20 seconds would be the boy and his dog reunited. Hey presto! You’ve made a film!”

4.“Use what’s around you. Work in an office? Set your story in the office (but ask the boss first!).”

• The world is you canvas! Everything around you has the potential of being the setting of your film.

5.“You don’t have to tell a story. A well constructed sequence of images can make for a fascinating film.”

• “You may…find that a story, however simple, emerges from your images.”

“I don’t want to cram in sex or guns or car chases or characters learning profound life lessons or growing or coming to like each other or overcome obstacles to succeed in the end.”- “Charlie Kaufman” in Adaptation.

Some of the tips and tricks submitted my the public include:

• Create storyboards to have a preconceived idea of the type of shot you are going to film.

• Make sure everything is original.

• Ideas will start to pour in once you get started.

• Don’t worry about what has been done before. “Tell your own story. People will connect to it in different ways.”

• Plan in advance, rather that doing things on the spot.

• “Write the plot out in bullet-points. Then start writing it from these points.”

• Simply filming things around you and things you think are cool, can lead to ideas or to the film itself by no more than editing them all together.

How to…Direct:

1.“Use a tripod. Keeping your camera steady will improve your film…”

• The slightest camera movement can ruin the shot.

2.“Don’t zoom in and out too much. It may be tempting to film with the features on your camera but unless you know your stuff, it’ll look awful.”

• Do not get carried away and if in doubt, skip it altogether.

3.“Make sure the light is good. Hollywood became the film making capital of the world because the abundance of natural sunlight was all filmmakers had, as high-powered lights were yet to be invented.”

• Your film must be easy to see, therefore good lighting is important. Steer clear of places that are too dark or too bright.

4.“Storyboard your film. It will be much easier to direct and edit your film if you storyboard it in advance.”

• Storyboards help you stay organized.

• They need not be perfect, simple drawings will suffice.

5.“Change your perspective. Experiment with shooting the same scene from different angles and distances.”

• Keep subjects in frame.

• Changing angles and distances offers different moods and feels, a change in perspective.

“You can be stuck for weeks on a problem and then you get a couple of people in a room and you get a great answer.”- Lee Unkrich – director of Finding Nemo.

The people said….:

• Think about what interests, excites, scares, worries, etc…you and tell the world about them through your film.

• Shooting hand-held takes more technique and brings more life to the film. Tripod shots can sometimes be dull.

• Shoot continuously, you do not want miss anything magical.

• Be honest, tell a story you care about.

How to…Edit:

1.“Check your computer – it may already have video editing software installed, such as Movie Maker with Windows or iMovie with a Mac. if not, you can download trial software for free, or buy one of the many packages available.”

• These basic editing tools are very user friendly.

2.“Be organized. Keep a record of your shot while directing or work from a storyboard. It will help you put your film together more easily.”

• Make note of every shot, specially if you take multiple shots of the same scene. If you made use of story boards, label the video file in you computer with the same name of the corresponding board.

3.“You’re not making an MTV video so don’t cut from scene to scene every other second – it looks awful.”

• Take time to showcase your shots, after all, it has taken considerable effort to film them.

4.“Experiment when editing to see what type of cuts work best with your film.”

• Dissolves, fade-in and fade-out are the more common cuts. But feel free to experiment.

5.“Remember continuity when editing. Things like light can change between scenes and when you put two scenes together, they’ll look different.”

• Props and their positions as well as clothing need to remain the same throughout the sequence of the shot.

“I don’t like when it’s so quick you don’t see what’s happening. What’s the point in having the shot?”- Anne V. Coates – Oscar-winning editor of Lawrence of Arabia.

From the people…:

• Use cutaways to “greatly enhance a scene or mood.”

• Use a variety of shots during the edit, it will leave the viewer feeling more involved and make the film feel more exciting.

• The edit is half the life of the film. Poor editing will leave the film “…[looking] feeble.”

• If possible, de-interlace your footage.

• Shoot the same scene from different angles and during the edit, combine different angles from different shots.

How to…Sound:

1.“Don’t shoot anywhere with lots of natural noise if you plan to have actors speaking. Your microphone will only pick-up background noise.”

• Shooting in noisy locations forces your actor to have to shout.

• If you cannot avoid noise, you can overdub the dialog in post-production.

2.“If you can, use a separate microphone.”

• The camera’s microphone might be enough, but adding a decent microphone will only help.

3.“Make your own soundtrack. Some mobile phones let you create your own music or record sounds. Some computers have built-in sound effects or recorders.”

• If you know how to play an instrument, or know someone who does, have them compose and record some music for you.

• Some mobile phones come with music creation software and there are a number of computer software that serve the same purpose.

• Purchase right-free music from big computer stores.

4.“Add sound effects while editing your film. You can download free sounds on the internet.”

• Sound effects enhance your film.

• There are a number of free sound effects websites.

• You can also make them yourself.

5.“Remember copyright! You can’t use songs or music that don’t belong to you…”

“When you see your picture you start building sounds that amplify a mood that has already started, and then when all the elements are together the thing jumps and it becomes kind of magical.” - David Lynch – Director.

The public says:

• If you cannot afford a top of the line microphone, adding a pre-amp to you existing, or an otherwise low cost microphone, can help improve sound quality.

• Re-record the dialog and overdub.

• Don’t expect your audio to sound like a Hollywood film.

• If dealing with audio is too much or out of your reach, consider making a silent film.

• Make your own soundtrack for the film. Eliminate all natural sound from the video and create one from scratch.

These were the top ten most watched films of the One-Minute Movies event:

1. A Love Story

2. Insex

3.Tickling

4.Messy Monkey

5.A Stalker!

6. Real Hogwarts…

7. Chocolate

8. ₤5

9. Metre High Club

10.  The Duel

These were the latest films added:

1. Glass Of Water

2. Donkey’s Day Out

3. Cut

4. Countdown

5. Gluttony…

6. Self-Emptying Bin

7. The Charge

8. Ring Ring Ring

9. The Waiting Room

10. Chuck McGee…

Well, there you have it. I hope this will be of at least a little help to you all. Be sure to let me know if you happen to make any one minute films.

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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.

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Poor Man’s Copyright is based on the notion that a credible organization, like the Post Office, will time stamp the work effectively establishing a date of possession on your part. Traditionally, this is done by mailing a copy of the completed work to yourself and keeping the delivered package unopened, in safe storage in case a third party tries to claim ownership. The Post Office shipping date is the proof that the work was originally yours.

While this method is long in its history and has served many well, it has become frail in recent times. Thieves looking to steal your work can mail themselves an empty envelope and on a later date, place the stolen work. This is arguably one of the reasons this method might not hold up in court.

Luckily, its transition into the digital age has allowed the Poor Man’s Copyright concept to remain alive and well. In the digital realm, one could garner multiple timestamps, which will more relevantly protect your property. You could create a cryptographic hash function, which among other things creates digital signatures; you can then use the hash code as a reference when contacting any needed and highly trusted organizations and any replies will include both the date and hash code. Additionally, you can print out the code and mail it to yourself, putting yet another lock on the door, so to speak.

Usually the reason to use the Poor Man’s Copyright, is because the cost will be no more that a few stamps. But considering how much heavier a registration is in comparison, I think it is well worth the $35 fee. The Library of Congress registration can now be done online, allowing for electronic payments, faster processing times and among other things, online status tracking.

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Writer’s Guild of America East:
555 West 57th St. #1230
New York, NY 10019
212-767-7800
http://www.wgaeast.org

Writer’s Guild of America West:
7000 West 3rd St.
Los Angeles, CA 90048
323-951-4000
http://www.wga.org

In order to join, one must have a writing history of twenty four credits or writing units, in the three years prior to applying. In Television, thirty minute scripts such as those for sitcoms account for six writing units, sixty minute scripts, the norm for dramas, account for nine writing units and ninety minute scripts account for twelve writing units; these are usually television films and specials. Theatrical features account for twenty four units.

The Writer’s Guild of America East charges a $1500 initiation fee, 1.5% of quarterly gross, $25 annual dues and for Associate members $100-$1000. The WGA West charges a $2500 initiation fee, 1.5% of quarterly gross, $25 annual dues and $75 for Associate members. Please visits the Guilds’ respective websites for further details.

For those interested in other writer’s guilds consider:
The Writer’s Guild of Great Britain
http://www.writersguild.org.uk
Australian Writer’s Guild
http://www.awg.com.au
Writer’s Guild of Canada
http://www.writersguildofcanada.com

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Reynolda Film Festival: April 1st – 5th , Winston Salem – North Carolina

Sonoma International Film Festival: April 1st – 5th, Sonoma – California

Gen Art Film Festival: April 1st – 7th, New York City – New York

Vail Film Festival: April 2nd – 5th, Vail – Colorado

Wisconsin Film Festival: April 2nd – 5th, Madison – Wisconsin

Southeast New England Film, Music and Arts Festival: April 2nd -5th, Providence – Rhode Island                                                                                            Ashland Independent Film Festival: April 2nd – 6th, Ashland – Oregon

Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival: April 3rd – 4th, Cedar Rapids – Iowa

Fairhope Film Festival: April 3rd – 5th, Fairhope – Alabama

Faux Film Festival: April 3rd – 5th, Portland Oregon

First Take Film Festival: April 8th – 12th, Augusta – Georgia

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.”

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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