Contracts

Contracts--the one part of business that are a very necessary evil--are pieces of paper that can hold up both production, post production, distribution... everything, really.  But they also cover your ass on intellectual property rights, fees and things such as deal points.  You do want to get paid for your work, right?  And, of course, with every contract comes a slew of attorneys.  Each side's lawyers want to make sure its client's  interests get covered sufficiently so they can keep on pushing more contracts across tables in the future.  Having a good relationship with the right attorney is paramount to being successful in the industry.

It surely can become pretty complicated and messy, but one thing is certain; you must have a well-versed and experienced attorney in your corner when the time comes.  However, few independent filmmakers can afford legal services.  A Google search of "filmmaker contracts" returns over seven thousand results.  And how much of what is available online can be trusted?  Granted, what you find online is mostly forms or forums of people discussing where they get their template contracts, but really, once you start diving into things, you are going to need an attorney.

One of the best resources I have found is to lean on our other producers and directors I know.  The first project I worked on had me scouring my black book for anyone who had an attorney "just to look this over for me" over a lunch and see if it's up to snuff.  That netted a relationship that lasts to this day.  Through my friendships, I've made relationships with attorneys who are at my disposal for quick once-overs and are willing to jump on board for an EP credit and to become a line item in the budget.  This mitigates the issue of coming up with out-of-pocket expenses up front.  They will certainly earn and deserve that line item when things get hopping.

I realize not everyone has made those connections within the industry.  So, what's the answer if you don't know anyone yet?  For starters, start going to industry mixers, writer's workshops (because every writer is a closet producer or director), MeetUp gatherings, Stage32 and LinkedIn - network.  Everyone is trying to lean on everyone else when they are first starting out.  It'll cost gas, handshakes and maybe a small entrance fee or a few drinks, but it will be worth it.  And make sure you have business cards - lots of them.

I intended to go in depth about the topic but the whole idea to say anything was sparked by a contract that landed in my inbox this morning - one that a record company forget to have signed.  Ooops!  Even the industries big kahunas don't get it right all of the time and you need to have someone in your corner when that happens.  Keep in mind that in the end, that music video, pilot episode, film or even webisode's ownership rights may be up for grabs and you're going to want respond appropriately when that happens... trust me.

D

Newest web series has launched - 260 Seconds

Finally - a new post, a new web series and new momentum!

260 Seconds - Episode One

Documentaries from a Child's Perspective

Documentaries from a Child's perspective

Yesterday my nine year old daughter asked me why my current film was so important to me, what made this so different compared to anything else I had done in the past.  She is in tune to the fact that my present obsession, a feature length documentary entitled "The 37", is affecting me each and every day.  

She remembers when she wouldn't see me for days as I worked multi-shift tours at the fire department and back to back hitches on the helicopter.  In her eyes I was able to disconnect from the job when I got home and just be dad but this project is always churning the gears in my head and I've found it difficult to disconnect.  

I tried my best to explain that in my previous career I didn't get to know the people I helped - I went on the run, did what was needed to help the person that called 911 and we went on our way until the next call.  In producing and directing The 37 I have built personal relationships with so many of the people that lost a loved one on September 11th that the task ahead weighs heavily long after the interviews are over.

Every film produced, whether it be an action movie, animated comedy or dramatic blockbuster, has a heart and soul that comes from the person or people who came up with the concept.  It's their baby - they want to see it made the right way and for it to be successful.  The difference in the documentary genre is that the film doesn't have a soul just in the people producing it, the heart beat of the film is the people who are driving the content that the viewer sees - the ones who lived the story or have expertise related to the focus of the film.  Real people, unscripted, that had an interaction in the living world at a particular moment in time and they deserve to have their story told publicly.  The exact opposite of fiction.

The documentary surge has been on the upswing for the last decade and it isn't going to slow down.  I personally didn't set out to be a documentary filmmaker.  Film - yes, documentary... not so much.  There is little fame and fortune, there are few red carpets, one's name isn't going to become a short lived staple across the lips of family functions across the country.  That is unless you happen to cover a topic, story or event in a way that is just mind blowing or you creates such notoriety from controversy that even the crappiest film gets seen just because of the bad press.  It happens now and then but by and large most documentary films rarely get seen by anyone.  

So why do a documentary at all?  My own personal story brought me closer to people in the film industry than I had ever experienced before.  Meeting after meeting, seeing how my story was being twisted and turned for their own benefit - I wasn't happy with what it was turning in to.  I pulled it back to sit on it a while when I started working for director James Manera.  He mentioned that many times the only way to have a story told the right way was to just do it yourself.  And one of the best ways to learn how to tell a true life story correctly was to sink your teeth into documentary work.  

Around that same time I met one of the surviving family members of the thirty-seven Port Authority Police Officers who were murdered on September 11th, 2001.  It was Christopher Howard's personal story, coupled with meeting Bobby Egbert - a Port Authority Police Officer who invited me to spend Thanksgiving last year with his family, that got me truly focused on documentary film work.  I was affected by their stories and could see the direction Jim had been pointing me towards.  Both gentleman are now producers on The 37 and work hard to make sure the content is a fitting tribute to all thirty-seven.

Interestingly enough, although The 37 is focused on the stories of family, team work, bravery and the heroism of these PAPD officers, the Port Authority of NY and NJ is not supporting the film whatsoever and in fact hasn't replied to emails or returned phone calls.  Messages have been forwarded to me though and the one I continually hear is, "We are used to working with Oliver Stone."  Refer back to an earlier paragraph where I mention that there is neither fame nor fortune in documentary film work and you'll get your answer as to why he didn't do a documentary on them.    

Back to the conversation with my daughter.

"Why don't you make movies like Harry Potter?"

     "Someday I might but for now there are too many real stories I want to tell."

"They don't seem to be as fun to watch."

     "You're right, they usually aren't but they are just as important for people to watch, if not more."

"Why?"

     "Because Harry Potter isn't a real person and there no such place as Hogwart's.  There are real 

      people who who did real things that changed the world and those stories are part of our history.  

      Those stories deserve to be on the big screen for everyone to see, more so than a fake character's.

     That's what I am doing right now - I'm trying get a group of real heroes' stories their deserved screen

     time, like Harry Potter. "

"Roger that dad.  It still would be cool if you made Harry Potter but this is more important."

     "Roger that honey."

The HelL.A. Show - Ep 6 - Beaux Engelbert

Sony FS700 (via Sean J Vincent)

Having just gotten the hang of the FS100U's quirks and doing backflips after the firmware update last week, it turns out Sony has pushed the envelope once again with the FS700.  It offers a 4k sensor in a package very similar to the FS100U. Of course, it is twice the price, but 4k for under $10k?

The market is heating up with battles to manufacture a 2k/4k camera bodies that are in the $4k-$10k range. One thing is for certain - cinematographers everywhere will now be able to own a camera that would have been a pipe dream last year; with these prices, having a matching B camera is within the grasp of indie filmmakers as well.

See Sean Vincent's blogpost for more info:

Sean J Vincent Blog: Sony FS700... wow.: So here it is...  Andrew Reid from EOSHD was right... Sony have just announced the FS700, a new model in the Sony Large Sensor rang...

That Free Skymall Catalog

What is it about flying that both excites me and instills a feeling of drudgery in me as soon as my buttocks hit the still-warm seat?  Thankfully, today's trip to NYC via Denver has once again fulfilled my expectation of experiencing those familiar emotions.  Thanks, United Airlines, for helping create my feeling of oneness with not just my current row-mates but also this Boeing 757-200's previous passengers.  Used headphones are stuck to the pages of a much-loved Sky Mall, which is also fused shut by the same sticky foreign substance.  I was really looking forward to seeing what the offerings were for yard ornaments during this flight.

The HelL.A. Show - Ep 3 - The Festifull Summer Crew