Miles Franco, Frank Jones, Lyndsay Ogden, Jaron Watts, Shae Winston
Pitch: Miles, Frank, Jaron, and Shae
Treatment: Miles and Frank
Script: Jaron and Shae
Filming: Everyone
Editing: Shae and Lyndsay
Presentation of Video: Everyone
Book Report: Everyone
Brett Robertson
INTERVIEW
10/28/10
Interviewee: Eric Rosenberg
*NOT Daniel Eric Rosenberg, if you google Eric Rosenberg hard enough you’ll find this man, Daniel Eric Rosenberg who is NOT the man I spoke with.
-just thought I’d add that!
Specialty: Independent films; editing
Location: Greater Philadelphia Area
Education: LM High School; University of Pittsburg graduate
Age: 25
I was struggling to find someone to interview in Pennsylvania believe it or not. It’s not that I couldn’t find anyone it’s more that no one responded to me.
So I took matters into my own hands and went through facebook and found some old friends that went to my high school with, and their older siblings. Thankfully my good friends older brother had a close friend (if you can follow), who also went to my high school and who has been making/producing films since he was a teenager.
I have never met nor seen this person prior to the interview with him. It was kind of funny because as soon as I got on the phone, all of my nerves disappeared once he started talking about our high school and the teachers there. It felt like I was talking to one of my friends after about three minutes. So, that was a huge relief.
The interview went very smoothly after than and went as follows:
What exactly is it that you do as a producer?
I feel like the word producer is just tossed around. But to answer the question, I produce films, of sorts. Whether they be clips for a news show, a film of mine, a film of someone I’m working with; you could say that I also do a lot with my vocal presence as a producer. I speak my mind and use my visions as gasoline to fuel the days work.
When was the first real film you tried to make?
Well in college we made some movies for classes, but the first film aside from that was also during school, just not an assigned project. A group of friends and I each starred in a film that I produced and helped write. Writing was really my first passion, but I got to college and met some kids that could really really write well and it kind of blew me away. Anyway, we made some crazy skits and short films originally intended to be serious and they just became funny overtime. You can never really put a cap on an idea, you know what I mean? You need to be open to new ideas in order to improve what you have.
Did you try and market it to anyone?
Yeah, only our friends at first though. I’m not really big on going too commercial yet with all of my work. I have quite the archive built up, but I’ve yet to find the right way to put it forward for everyone to view. I feel like it’s a one shot kind of deal and I want to do it right. That’s why I stick to what I do, and produce as much as I can, on as much on my own as possible.
How much (if anything) did it cost to make this film?
Well, it cost for the outfits, the props, the actors/actresses, the locale, and literally millions of other things too. So yeah it really did cost a lot of money, just to shoot little shorts. Don’t get me wrong, it was entirely worth it. I learned a lot from all of the time we put in. But it cost a bundle. And it’s hard to find actors in college too. I remember really struggling trying to direct them in the way that I wanted.
As a career, what path did you take as far as a job related to this kind of media?
This is my job. I wake up and begin working on the projects that I just fell asleep finishing the night before. That’s just how my mind has always been. I can’t really take breaks from working until I finish a project. Which is a good thing in my line of work, because I do not have a boss telling me what to do.
Was it worth the college education? Or do you wish you went right into the business?
Absolutely. Experience is the most affective way to get yourself good at whatever it is you want to do. I learned so much about pre production, post production especially, special effects, and graphics. It gave me confidence in my work because it showed me all these different components to film.
Do you have any kind of advice for a college senior who’s about to try and find a job in this field?
Yes. I would tell you that you should keep your passions (filming, taking photos), never lose that.. but you should look into getting yourself a studio job and maybe working your way up there. Maybe a news station would want to hire you? Philadelphia has plenty of news stations so that would be great.
I would just advise getting a legit job working for a studio and making your real passion come true on the side. What I’m doing is very hectic and stressful, it works for me, but that doesn’t mean that it would work for everyone.
I hope that helped!
1. Can you briefly define your job
"I am an operation manager that oversee's a staff directors and producers"
2. How did you get started in this business
" I got into it through school and got then got a job at a post production house and worked way up".
3. How do you tell someone over you that you could not complete a task
" I would give a very good explanation about technical difficulties or time constraints" .
4.Do you have any advice for a student just starting out
"Join as many film and TV clubs as possible because theirs nothing like learning hands on".
Copyright Smack down
During the presentation Mr. Franzen spoke about copyrighting and its impact on the Hip Hop genre. He spoke about how groups like De La Soul failed to get clearance for one of their samples of the folk band the Turtles before they released their album and was eventually sued so badly that it destroyed their careers. He also spoke about groups like NWA, and how they still do not have clearance for others to sample their album because there are so many samples used together its too costly and unrealistic to sample them.
1. Can you briefly define your job to me?
a. I run the company, source talent and entertainment, and find jobs for them. I’m involved with selling reality TV shows, such as Couture and a set of twins in Vegas. I worked with Ryan Seacrest and now with VH1.
2. How did you get started in this business?
a. I came out with 300 dollars to my name to work in a tv studio and I worked on a set for a movie, and the man I was working for ended up selling the script for Batman, Bob Cane. Register yourself in the writer’s guild, send me some of your work at end of year.
3. How do you tell someone over you that you couldn’t accomplish an assigned task?
a. With honesty and integrity. She never says she can’t but tries to find the solution. If they want to be in a job that isn’t a fit for them, she tries to find something for them that will work for them. There’s always a solution, never say no. There’s always a source for you.
4. Do you have an advice for a media student who is just starting out?
a. Patience and persistence. Hard work pays off. If you have to do another job and do your passion part-time, do whatever you have to do to fulfill your passion. It’s not always about being the top person as long as you’re working in the industry that you love.
b. Write letters to production companies in city and talent agencies. Register with film commission, registered as PA. Work on set of movies and find out what films/commercials being filmed in town. Send hard copy.
c. Networking is everything. It’s better to be known for a good reputation than to be famous.
Can you briefly define your job?
“My main job is I acquire media. I go into the field and shoot video, or I record audio known as ENG, Electronic News Gathering.”
How did you get started in this business?
“I joined the army. I was an army broadcast journalist. I did a pitch in the army and worked for Armed Forces Network and then when I got out of the service, I started working as a freelancer and I’ve had a couple of staff jobs as well at a local television station here. I do a lot of remote special broadcasts… stuff where a network doesn’t want to hire a full-time employee like its just one job on the road. For example a football game, a basketball game, or a live shot going on the news.”
How do you tell someone over you that you couldn’t accomplish an assigned task?
“Generally, you just have to be honest about what happened. A lot of times, I’ve had this happen before, where I would get an order to go interview someone and I would show up on-site at a camp and the interviewee does not want to be interviewed. Or the interviewee has left the location or something like that, and sometimes, you know, you just have to be honest and say what happened. I’ll tell you what, with television and motion picture production in general, here’s the best thing you can know: It’s a team sport. You cannot do it by yourself, it takes a concerted team effort. There are many jobs to be filled on any set, whether it is a news set or a movie set. No one person gets it done, it’s a team sport. A lot of things can happen to cause failure.”
Do you have any advice for a media student that is just starting out?
“Pick a specialty, and learn it well. Like I said before, it’s a team sport and you need to learn to become a member of a team. Once you get on a freelance crew, then sometimes you can learn different skills, but generally you want to find one skill and be the best at it.”
1. Ms. B is a Production Manager who’s responsibilities include creating the budget, hiring the crew and obtaining equipment. For her a typical job lasts 7 to 8 months and breaks down as follows: 8-10 weeks for prep, 12-16 for shoot, and 4 weeks for wrap.
2. She went to school to study Broadcast Journalism and worked for a short period in Europe doing news. Upon returning to the States, she got a job on a production working as a “Go-For”. She worked her way up in the business form there.
3. Finesse it! You never tell them no! Through diligence and research you always find another solution.
4. Run Away! Seriously, you learn by doing and you’ll learn so much more in one day on set then in years of schooling. To be successful in the industry, you must be humble and passionate. It’s important to have a thick skin and be prepared to work long hours. Starting off, you have to be willing to do anything, without compromising your values and have stamina. You will meet some of the nicest people and some of the nastiest people in the business, regardless; you have to believe in yourself.
1. Mr. D’s role in the industry varies covering both television and film and doing everything from finding material to seeing the project through postproduction.
2. Mr. D went to a college that didn’t have a film program, so he and a few friends got together created a film and subsequently designed the college program.
3. Be truthful.
4. Find something else! There are honestly too many media students and very few actually find jobs in film. The key is to find your voice and your passion, then go with it!
1. Mr. S has done everything in the industry: producing, directing, acting and stunt work. Now a days, he usually works as an Assistant Director, breaking down scripts into schedules, scouting locations…
2. He began as a P.A. or “Go-for” working in commercials. He described his first job as an opportunity to watch and observe. He then began working as a Location Manager, which opened up the door for him to begin working on “Big Films”. His first job as an Assistant Director got him into the Director’s Guild. Mr. S has worked in both N.Y. and C.A.
3. You always figure it out! If there is no solution, then there must not be a problem to begin with. Basically, there is always a way around something or an alternative solution…sometimes, you end up coming up with something better!
4. Find another job! But if it is your passion, stick to it. The job is never easy and you have to make sacrifices. You must be flexible and open; be relentless and dedicated.
1. Ms. V is a Production Coordinator or Production Manager depending on the job. Usually, her job includes booking the crew and equipment and overseeing people. Ms. V and her colleagues are usually referred to as the “Hub of Production”; they handle paperwork, orders, payroll, contacts, venders, cast lists… She works freelance on motion pictures but just recently began doing commercials as well.
2. Ms. V went to college and graduated with a degree in Communications. She began working in television and moved in to features shortly afterwards after beginning work for a production company.
3. The best thing to do is be honest and up front about it. Otherwise, it makes you look bad. Most of the time people are cool and understand that, sometimes, you just get overwhelmed.
4. Get a good internship, try everything and figure out what you like doing. People in the industry are usually very friendly and are willing to teach you, so do as much as you can. It’s a tough business but if you love it, go for it! It’s long hours and kind of a nomadic lifestyle. If you work freelance, it can be very uncertain at times but very rewarding and you meet lots of different people.
Interview with Niki Welge
Production Coordinator with
The Governor’s Office of Film & Entertainment in Florida
Q: Can you briefly describe your job to me?
A: I am the state production coordinator. I work at The Governor’s Office of Film & Entertainment. We are an executive branch under economic development. We are charged with bringing economics to the state of Florida. There are 59 local film commissions that work through our office. We work in conjunction to attract the industry to the state of Florida. I deal with production related inquiries like location, incentives, assistance…pretty much anything production related. I also deal with sales and the financial incentive program. I’m the only one that touches that program. I am the liaison with all the local film offices, and deal with stuff like shutting down bridges, national parks, etc. I do a lot with the permitting process and everything state related. I also assist with the tax credit program in the front end communication with people. I handle a lot of stuff here!
Q: How did you get started in this business?
A: I actually don’t have any film background! I come from a government background. I had a job working in D.C. working for the Department of Health. I began working in the Senate right out of college, and had almost no professional experience. I’ve been working in this office for seven years and I’m only 30. I started off as a film commissioners assistant, and since have been promoted four times and had pretty much every job in the office. I know this place backwards and forwards! I really know a lot about the government office and this office, but I don’t have a lot of film experience. But, working here I’ve gained the experience and knowledge needed to do my job.
Q: How do you tell someone over you that you couldn’t accomplish an assigned talk?
A: Well, we have a very small office. There’s only 7 of us in this office. I have a great relationship with the State Film Commissioner, and there are not many tasks I haven’t been able to accomplish. We have a great line of communication, and if I felt something was too big to accomplish then I feel very comfortable asking for help. There are always people willing to assist us, and we have an amazing support staff. They support me and our Incentives Administrator. They do nothing but support us! With the addition of the support staff, it’s been an amazing transition. It’s really all about asking for help up front and not saving it until the very end. You’ve got to know your limits and your strengths.
Q: Do you have any advice for a media student who is just starting out?
A: Intern!!! It all depends on your interests. If you are interested in working in a film office you need to know two things. Number one, it is NOT a glamorous job. Number two, you need to get into an office and do the dirty work. It’s not all helping clients, visiting sets, meeting celebrities. It’s solving problems, working with unions, and cutting red tape. You must start from the beginning! Its not just knowing the film industry, it’s knowing how to get things accomplished, who does what, and you need to live it. You MUST get your foot in the door some way. You have to learn how to solve real-life problems once you leave college. You have to start from somewhere. In college I had a business focus, and once I got out of school I couldn’t find a job. I got into government work, and then became somebody’s assistant at this office. Without the assistant this office couldn’t run, and because I had that experience I know everything I need to know.
Interview on 9/16/10 with writer, producer, director Bo Buckley of
Wilmington, NC
Business and creative direction, deciding which projects to work on, finding everyone to be involved, making sure that, creatively, everyone involved works toward a common goal, handling distribution, responsible for finding money for shows, responsible to investors if anything doesn’t go right, reports to investors, finding the director for the project
When working for other, his job is generally assistant director and/or production manager.
As production manager – oversees the nuts and bolts of production, budget, crew , equipment management, insurance, paperwork, business, working with department heads, handling workers compensation when necessary
As an assistant director - works on set, letting everyone know whats going on with schedule, maintaining set, work outline
*at times needs to be assertive and at times needs to be sensitive in any of these rolls, takes it personally when people don’t do their job
Getting started: When he was a kid, he played with VHS camcorders making movies and commercials. For college, he went to USC (SoCal) for film and bounced around Wright State in Dayton, OH and finally at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh studying special effects, to learn a skill. He decided that wasn’t his path and moved toward people that were talented and stayed working with those friends, made teams with people that he wanted to work with to put together the elements of a project. His creative outlet is writing.
Telling people that he answers to that something can’t get done: It’s a difficult thing to tell someone that something hasn’t gone as planned and a fine line between a good delivery and a bad delivery of such information. It’s important to spin things as best you can to emphasize that you can make something positive out of something negative. Always focus on the fact that, out of bad things, good can come. “We couldn’t do this but we can do this.” Always maintain honesty, don’t throw someone under the bus, be responsible for what you do.
To anyone interested: whatever your dream, make sure you have a plan. Don’t just meander and say you want to do something without understanding what that career entails. Know what your role is before you commit to it and know what is involved and work towards that goal. The business is difficult and a large percentage of people that work in this industry are unemployed, have a backup plan or a different skill set. Network and don’t burn bridges, make friends and maintain contact with them because they may be able to offer you opportunities in the future. Watch others do their jobs and learn from them.
His websites: fearmakers.com, strangestuff.com
1. Job Description:
David Gottlieb is a freelance senior producer based out of North Carolina. Most of his work is done up north in New York but when legitimate work in the Charlotte or Wilmington areas comes up he works in North Carolina.
2. How Did He Get Started?
David found that he had a knack for film production in college and went to film school in Boston. He noticed that his grades in all other subjects were low while his grades in such things as producing and audio were A’s, so he’d found his “nitch.” He kept telling me to find my nitch and stick with it. He said the only way to make it is if you are really good at one aspect of production to start off with and you master that craft while learning others in the process.
3. How Do You Tell Someone Over You That You Couldn't Accomplish An Assigned Task?
David said to initially say yes to everything in your mind but be realistic in your job choice. It is either “sink or swim, feast or famine” so stick with stuff that you really know. Besides all that he said you have to get it done, in whatever you are pursuing.
4. Do you have any advice for a media student who is just starting out?
Finding a nitch is key and like he said before, it is “feast or famine” in the production world. He said that it is hard to get into the business as a producer or director unless you are rich or know someone. I told him I wanted to do audio and he said that wasn’t a bad career path. From then on he told me to get my own gear to be even more prepared for opportunities. Along with that he said take a look at the post production side of things as it might be a good choice for getting that foot in the door.
