Making films is like making Sangira

I am giving a 10 minute speech at a networking event called "Pecha Kucha" this Thursday night (August 27th) at the Gas Light in Portsmouth. My topic is "Producing a movie is like making a Sangria, everyone has their own recipe and thinks theirs is the best." Since I only have 10 minutes and 20 slides I am not going to say anything earth shattering but its basically a good ice breaker for a networking event. Maybe I can get a winery to sponsor me and I can head out on the road and give an expanded course at events all over the world and we can watch a film at the end and drink Sangria.
Hope to see you there
Marc

Film Roundtable - 2 hours of Yada Yadah Yahdah

After over 40 comments on my twitter, FB and IRL (In Real Life) I needed to move my reply to my blog because the micro blog replies were too long.

First Props to Van and Matt for putting in the NH filmmaker round table.

Second we can meet at a place that we can buy drinks or food and not have to let the state fund our meeting and that means we wont get kicked out. Even though "Alcohol is the lubricant in the Film industry" we dont have to meet at a bar.

So here are my notes and suggestions on what I like about Filmmaker socials, and maybe a roundtable is not a social.
Money talk is needed but it cant be the centerpiece. Its tough because a vocal few kept talking about it and others even helped to discuss the topic with answers so it may have looked like thats what the group wanted.
There is money in the state and good projects will find money. I have raised money for projects and had other projects I loved never raise a red cent. Thats an easy way to find out if you have a good project and if people trust you to do what you say you are going to do.
Filmmakers can make films without money and that's actually the point behind the 48 Hour Project which is a big event for the NH filmmaking community. So many things were missed last night about some of the projects people are working on and want to work on.
The Media Makers meetings are setup really well. You have 3 minutes to say who you are and what you are working on. Put a clock on it and go around the room. And the best thing any filmmaker can learn about money is a elevator pitch so that's under 1 minute. I vote that next time we go around the room and get 1 minute to say whatever we want. Then after all that open up the floor to whatever people want to discuss.
And in the fashion of good old Chuck Barris TV put a gong up so anyone can stop the current conversation and we can move on.

BTW put the gong on the opposite side of the room from me if you disagree. put it next to me if you dont :-)

Virtual Film making

I was recently interviewed for an article about using the web to produce your project. right after I was interviewed I started another project that used Google Docs more extensively as we have also started to use it at the office for Project management.

http://newenglandfilm.com/magazine/archives/2008/12/virtual

Starting the studio and why do the blog

I have been asked many times how did I start my animation studio and a few times I have been asked to articles and even a book about my experience. I have never been able to spend enough time concentrating on one thing to get more than a small 2 page article completed.

I am no John Lasseter (though I would love to be) But I did start an animation studio 3000 miles from LA and I hopefully have some wisdom and insite as to how you too can create something outside the norm in the area you want to live in.
So I start this blog at my companies current state, and I will work my way back to the beginning. trying to post backdating the info.


I hope it educates and entertains you.



Thanks

Marc