STARTING YOUR NEW MEDIA COMPANY WITH A FRIEND

Starting up a business with a close friend seemed like a fool-proof plan. It's hard to imagine, "What could possibly go wrong?"

You’ll get along (obviously), and you’ll get to share the exciting, fantastic, scary experience of starting up when someone you care about. It’s not a bad idea, but there are a few caveats that you should be aware of before you proceed1.

When I started my first company with one of my closest friends, I expected things would go very well between us. We understood each other in ways that would take years to build up (it took ten years).

MOST IMPORTANTLY: we knew each other well, and we knew we could rely on each other. We were prepared to have many surprises along the way.

READ MORE - http://danieltenner.com/posts/0005-starting-up-with-a-friend.html

Choosing Your DP / Cinematographer

The DP's job is to deliver excellent and cost­-effective shots.

It's the director's job to consider these shots as part of a whole. No matter how beautiful or stunning the shot, in editing the director evaluates whether it will fit into the overall vision.

There is a unique relationship between the director and cinematographer and this article attempts to codify the most effective language for these two positions. To demonstrate the esteem in which most directors hold their DPs, the "director of photography" is the only job title in the business where someone other than the film's overall "director" is allowed to be called a "director of" something.

You must choose your DP wisely. If you do, you can achieve a creative partnership that approaches the level of intimacy and shared vision of a fine marriage.

READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE by Eric Sherman - http://www.moviemaker.com/editing/article/casting_your_cinematographer_3317/

© 1999, 2009, MovieMaker Magazine

WRITERS Breaking into TV

Small Screen, Big Picture

Many aspiring writers and artists fail to break into the ever-changing TV industry. While they certainly do not lack talent or creativity, it's usually because they don’t fully understand the business they’re trying infiltrate.

With innovative storytelling formats like "24" and "LOST" to game-changing distribution models such as the Internet and Video-On-Demand, more than ever TV is exploding with opportunities. Yet, Hollywood is still a business and it follows specific rules.

The winners are not only those with talent, but those who understand its systems and its strategies. Thanks to new media technologies and artistic mediums, networks and studios are finally beginning to notice writers and creators outside of L.A.

They aren’t just looking for imagination and talent; they’re looking for producers who understand the rules of getting hired and succeeding.

READ MORE by Chad Gervich - http://www.writingclasses.com/Products/PubsDetail.php/publicationID/54

Copyright © 1997-2009 Gotham Writers' Workshop Inc.

WHAT SELLS? WHAT DOESN'T?

New media films are making a splash!

Independent documentary films that inform usually sell, especially on TV. Documentary films that inform and entertain sell even better. Some have done very well in theatrical release.

Entertaining films (fiction) or narrative films are harder to sell. They usually require a name actor, a famous story or great special effects. A well known "name" actor makes it easier to advertise these films and draw a large audience, but it has been shown that even the best names alone do NOT guarantee box-office success.

"Art" films are always a difficult sell. Most artists make them for themselves. With millions of free films on youTube, anything that stands out and is different will usually attract attention, but selling it for money is another story.

Films with a "gimmick" might attract an audience, but they would not generally maintain interest for very long. It would depend on how well they were made, how visually interesting and how entertaining they were and whether they could sustain interest for a lenghty period of time. It's easy to get an audience for a few minutes but very hard to keep them for much longer than that.

Today's audience is accustomed to channel surfing. You can gain their attention for a moment, but sustaining it is another matter. One click and they're gone!


Copyright ©2009, Stanley N. Lozowski. All Rights Reserved.

Digital payoffs are scarce

Young folks dig digital but money's hard to find.

The frustrated majority at a Variety-sponsored panel at the Consumer Electronic Show agreed that young consumers overwhelmingly view all their digital devices as outlets for entertainment. Unfortunately, show business’ ability to make money off these new platforms is lagging far behind the quick changes in consumer’s behavior.

According to a survey, titled "State of the Media Democracy," almost two thirds of American consumers view their PC as a more important entertainment device than the TV and almost a third use their phone as a mobile device. In five surveyed nations the numbers are roughly the same in the U.K., Germany and Japan, but Brazil is the only country where digital engagement is significantly higher.

READ MORE by BEN FRITZ - http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117998350.html?categoryid=1009&cs=1

© 2008 Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.