Political Spots Are Heavy This Year

This has been a very active "Political Season" for The Studio Center this year. We've been fortunate to get some heavy traffic from the political gurus making their TV spots here. Last election was almost non-existent for us. Of course it was an "off year" election where not much money is spent...meaning most of the spots were created in the editing suite (graphics and voice-overs) as opposed to live people on-camera. This year they're pull out the stops again...even to the extent of building expensive sets. Rarely does anyone build sets anymore...Like I said, too expensive. This year they're throwing money at it... Bless them!
The lower pix is a great kitchen set built by Edward Duffy of ArtFab and lit by Dave Bunge of Grip Services... two of Sacramento's top professionals in their craft. The upper photo shows DP Chris Robson shooting the spots with The Studio Center's new High Definition Sony EX1 camera. Naturally, the spots looked great! Coyote Films and director Bill Bayne will be in again next week for another round of these political spots... Did I say "bless them!"

The Studio Center Gets a New Paint Job

Well, it's been nearly twelve years at The Studio Center, and the peeling paint was proving that. Actually, I kinda liked that "old studio" look with all that the peeling paint was providing. You know, like the old 1930s Warner Bros water tower. But alas, a number of my tenants reminded me...hey, it's peeling paint! So this week we're hand chipping off the damaged areas and priming them...Ready for the new paint, AND a new color scheme with a great new sign. But I'll show you pictures of that later. Today, here's how it looks... Just so you can appreciate the work. AND so you can find the place when you're coming by!

What Distributors Want

Ok, Ok...I know I've left you hanging with that last entry. I do have excuses though. This business likes to shut off like a faucet and then after a while it will turn on again. Sometimes for no good reason. The most important thing is simply your ability to last. The business always comes back...but you have to "be there" to get any benefit from that upswing. Most videographers go under in times like these... no staying power.
Back to Home Media Expo and my visit with distributors...................
Almost every one of these people said they wanted more "family" productions. You know, the box cover with the young girl or boy with maybe mom or dad behind them smiling...and of course, the horse, or cute dog ( I want more gerbils! ). I asked, " You mean Disney"... they said you mean "disneyesk... We can use the word Disney". Ok, picky picky. But you get the idea. Something that they can rent or sell to the Family. They just don't have enough G rated product. We're over saturated with horror right now. Comedy is hard. So "heartwarming" is in. That was very understandable. Those big screens are being sold to... Families, and they want something to watch that won't gross half of them out. Sorry if you're planning a horror movie (actually not, you still have a great foreign market).
But here's the bit that blew me away... I would ask a dist.rep. "If you were able to order up a movie genre that you knew you could sell this week...what would it be?" Besides the Family genre, 5 of the 30 said... WESTERNS ! What??? Westerns aren't even on my radar! Westerns have been passe for over 20 years. They said "That's exactly why we want some". I told them you just made a bunch of Reinactor Groups in Sacramento very happy. So what if you would combine genres... the family western? That would be Little House on the Prarie or even Bonanza. It might even be 3:10 To Yuma... a bit about honor and values, not just gun slinging. My head was spinning on that one.

Back From HomeMedia Expo

Just returned from a few days in Las Vegas at the Home Media Expo where I had a chance to meet and greet a number of film distributors. The Home Media Expo (sponsored by Home Media Magazine, one of the two top trade mags to the DVD marketing business) produces the convention with the primary purpose of bringing together distributors and video store owners. Along the way they also want to talk to "content providers"...that's us filmmakers. We're not the primary attraction here, but we're a little more than tolerated. The big guys ( Paramount, Fox, Universal, Sony, Warner, etc.) are pushing their product, but they're also buyers (acquisition) of our product... Along with a host of smaller players, who probably are more important to you and me as small independent filmmakers.
I had a chance to meet with about 30 of them over the 3 days of the Expo...distributors like Image Entertainment, Allumination Films, Vanguard, Echo Bridge, Vivendi, Monterey Media, Porchlight Films, Peach Arch Films, etc. They both produce their own movies and they buy movies from other producers.
HomeMedia Expo did have one session I wasn't going to miss: It was a two hour pitch session between Indy Filmmakers and some distributors (unfortunately, many didn't show)...but it was a great learning time to observe the session with those who were in attendance. You got to see exactly what it's like to pitch a distributor and question why they do what they do. Most of these people (distributor acquisition people) are young, in they're late 20s or early 30s. They're in a high pressure job...They have to find product for their company to sell or the company doesn't make any money... BUT they can't choose the wrong product that costs their company wasted dollars. Do that wrong a number of times and there won't be a company left. One guy said his days were spent in front of three screens at his desk: Two were computer screens, one for emails, one for other programs, and the third was a video screen where the prospective screeners were playing. He said he continually glances back and forth to all three. Each movie will get about 30 minutes of his very divided attention...and if nothing attracts more of his attention, he'll toss the movie.
A guy from LA was pitching 15 horror movies he had made. All low budget, no name. The Distrib Guy asked who produced most of them. The LA filmmaker said he did out of his own pocket. You could see the Distrib Guy look him up and down coming to the conclusion he didn't look wealthy, and then asked what the budgets of each movie were. The LA Guy says "about 10 to 15 thousand". Immediately the Distrib Guy says he's not interested and walks away. The LA Filmmaker was crestfallen. I take pity on him and pull him aside telling him you never ever tell a Distrib Guy what your budgets were. First of all, it's none of their business, and secondly, you are immediately Pigeon Holed as was this case. Some of the movies could have been good, but the Distrib Guy didn't want to be bothered once he heard how low the budgets were (although he was probably right). If you divulge the budget and do get a distribution offer, most likely the amount of your budget will be the highest offer you ever get. Your response to the question of "how much did it cost to make your movie?" ought to be Dov S.S.Simon's suggested "Somewhere under a million!". Then they will smile, knowing they are talking to someone who has an inkling of how to play the game.
Next up...What genres the Distribs said they'd like to see more of... what they want to buy. The answer almost blew me away!!!

KXTV News10 Doing White Set Spot

A News10 crew was in also doing a "White Set" spot for Schools Credit Union. Directed by Senior Commercial Producer Rebecca Connell and shot by Landon Lee with a Sony XDCAM F350. Every since the famous Apple computer spots using the "horizonless" white background, there's been a great demand for creating the same look for many other clients. The 35 foot coved white wall achieves this look, especially with our Videssence lighting.

Haven Falls Productions doing video for Schools

This past week, Haven Falls Motion Pictures out of Davis was in the studio shooting a video for the San Juan School District. Mark Holman produced with Chris Terry directing and Chris Robson as DP. Also assisting the actors was Casting Director and Acting Coach, Sally Forcier.

In the scene here, the microphones will be digitally removed in post /editing for the final picture.

Our "Horizonless White" stage (with the built-in cove... or "Hard Cyc") has not been getting as much use as our GreenScreen stage, so it was nice to see the great pictures Chris Robson was getting for this production.

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"Doing Time" finished it's 3rd shooting day last week, with lots more to go for this full length feature directed by Joyce Glover and DP'd by me with our new Sony EX1 high definition camera.

"Doing Time" Second Day

Shooting has begun on "Doing Time" as you can see at the right. Behind me are Boom Operator Swayne Cates and Production Assistant James Thornton. This is actually the 2nd day of shooting and it was 102 degrees by the time we wrapped for the day at 2pm. Of course we chose the hottest day ever (record breaker) in May to shoot a scene that is supposed to me in December! Things are going great with a great crew, superb cast, super preperation... and Joyce Glover (Writer-Producer-Director) is really power schmoozing. She's finding support for this project all over the halls of power... and people finding further funding for us. It really helps being on a shoestring to begin with...any infusion of funds seems like a windfall. But Joyce has a great script that may be opening doors because it seems to be coming at the right time in the right places... Timing is everything!

On another note: I've changed the blog perameters to allow anyone to post a comment. Before you had to be a registered user, but that wasn't made clear... so be nice and you can comment!