Wednesday, February 29, 2012

the slide down


The fall of USA

Yes you read it right, n its all around, the desperation, the cheating, the lying, no one is spared, schools will sell you courses you don’t need so they can fill there pocket

They will advertise courses that teach something else other then what they advertise, and when caught, they say, oh ya we should look onto changing the course advertisement, how callous can they get.

Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you, if you cheat, how do you not expect the same to happen you ?

And the day schools start doing that, you know it is the slide downhill.

The only way forward is DOWNHILL for this once great country .

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

When presented with a budget ask for a schedule, if schedule is not there, it’s a bullshi* budget


Using EP budgeting

Looking at Budgeting

Always get 3 bids, great if you can get 5 bids

ATL: story, developer, Producer, Talent, Director

Producing team should make approx. 10 % of the total budget max,

35 % should be kept for postproduction; often it gets under budget-ed, so be aware of that pitfall,

When you need to save, look at ATTL where you can save, cut on producer and talent

If your budget is suddenly slashed, seek to cut from production team,

Reduce the number of days of the shoot

Also as a line producer you make no creative calls, but see if

The scene advances the story, and or if it gives new info, if not, these scenes can be cut to save cost.

When do u decide if you pay daily or weekly?

If u pay daily u pays little more, but if u pay weekly u can cut a deal, u pay daily when u think u might be able to shave off a few days

Those who are needed daily pay them weekly, else pay daily, so u might be able to save a few 100 here and there, by reducing number of days of shoot.

Below 3 million, is considered a small film

ATL: no ceiling to how much they are paid, but more risk of not getting paid at all

BTL: ceiling as to how much they make, but they can be sure they will be pad for sure.

Ideally: pay daily: grip/ Electric/ DP/ Camera/ AD

Use old budget as a template, n if certain heads are not needed don’t delete them, just keep them as zero, u might need them at a later point.

Use budget breakdown sheets to make budget as u get into actuals,

If you are asked for a budget:

a. Ideal page count 3 per day

b. 5 day weeks

c. All gear

d. All grip and electric and other crew

e. Fill all departments

Make a full-blown budget, which is your ideal budget and then give a lower budget, which is your 2nd budget.

Schedules can’t be reused

Budgets can be

When presented with a budget ask for a schedule, if schedule is not there, it’s a bullshi* budget

Decide what genre is the film

Then what’s the audience?

Based on that decide the budget you want to suggest

Maybe also say the actor u are suggesting.

Remember comic will need a better talent then a horror.

Be careful whom u suggests, as people are vicious in Hollywood.

Average preproduction time is 8 weeks

Soft prep could take up to a year

SAG paperwork will take at least 30 days; they also take a 10 % deposit

If movie is with Weinstein brothers or Miramax, it will be an aesthetic beautiful movie,

There will be higher spend on: Location / music / cinematographer/ production design.

Pre Production:

1st get line producer

Then talent scout / casting agent

Location scout

Where is it cost effective?

Set up production office

Set up shell company, LLC

Scout location

Get location and talent

Try to make sure there are areas near location for catering set up/ staging area/ green room/ place for talent to wait/ make up / bathroom/ production space

Start early process to get music release, tales a lot of time

Put paper work in order

See all documents that effect time and money

Production coordinator is the one who one interacts with not the line producer.

Script times is necessary so u know how long it will take to shoot (script supervisor actually times scene)

Do not produce from home, as it is like a snow ball, will build up fast with people needing to be there, and needing things

Also get stunt master / voice coach, as talent might need to be coached

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Will I won't I


Today I ask you this, if you say yes we are going steady or I will never see you again !!!

ucla extension, money hungry- you get what you give

Leading by example, is something that holds true today too, if you are wondering why the schools are losing funding, well the schools are trying to fill there pockets, so why will the students who have been systematically exploited by the school give back to there alma Mata?

Here is an example:

So why is it that if I need a transcript for which I am paying I get in 5 days, (every school on the planet sends a 1st copy free) but UCLA Extension does not.

If I pay more then double I get it in 5 hours. Isn’t that exploitation? Every time an instructor end s a class 30 minutes early does you refund the money?

You get what you give, if you are exploiting the students, well someone will exploit you that’s the way the world functions.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

almost died last night


thought I was at the end of the rope of life , n the angel was here to claim me as hers ;)

no no it was just gas, but I was sure for a while I was on the way to heaven, n it was painful as hell, Pudin hara to the rescue,
just so u all know , if there is a heart attack which is what I had presumed was happening , well there will be sweating and then the pain will move from the chest to the back and towards shoulder ;)

so if that ain't happening , u are just getting a attack of gas, thanx to greasy food.


Tuesday, February 7, 2012

art of online Production

As a Producer one should strive to get value, not just be a line producer, but work towards getting projects off the ground too

One needs to be aware where tax incentives are, where what kind of deals are available, to add value as a producer.

Always form a LLC a shell company for all your production.

To get incentives one has to set up a business in that particular city / state or country

Produce placement is when some products are given to be used in the movie for free

Branded entertainment is when there is talking about it, they pay money for it.

Viz- mini cooper in the movie, the Italian job