This week in Media Match’s world…

Welcome to our highlight of this week’s videos, news, views, and reviews, and also our Quick Tip of the Week for using the Media Match website. Week ending 18th May 2012.

Breakthrough
5 Top Tips for Making Your Movie and Breaking into the Film Industry : (Media Match Blog)

Biopic
A Transcendent Film About A Forgotten Hero : (Media Match Blog)

Film Tax Credits
California TV/Film Tax Credit Lottery June 1 : (Deadline)

Revenge?
George Lucas Does Something Likeable For a Change : (Movies.com)

On Set
Breaking Bad Season 5 with Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul : (AMC TV)

Quick Tip of the Week

Apply To Jobs:
Here we walk through the process of applying to a job from our jobs board, and give you some tips on the best was to organize your application.

Video of the Week

Building a Snorricam
Vimeo Video School enroll Justin Johnson and Erik Beck of The Indie Machines show us how to build a snorricam.

TV and Film Jobs

Don’t forget to check our jobs board for the latest jobs in the TV and film industry.

Enjoy your weekend!

The Media Match Team

Advice for job-seekers looking for a break.

Barbara Freedman Doyle is chair of the Film Division of Chapman University, and also, author of the recently published Make Your Movie: What You Need to Know About the Business and Politics of Filmmaking (Amazon link). After beginning her career as Asst to the Senior VP of Worldwide Production at Tri-Star Pictures, she continued as Coordinator/Production Supervisor on projects for CBS, NBC, Disney, TNT, Showtime, Hearst Entertainment, Hallmark, 20th Century Fox, and more. Her experience and current involvement in the film industry makes her well placed to discuss the trials and tribulations, as well as being able to share some advice on how to get along in the movie business.

Media Match recent spoke with Barbara and she kindly shared her top 5 tips for getting your movie made and breaking into the film industry…

1. Contacts Are a Big Deal

How many times have you heard it said that he (or she) is “connected”? Being connected is a shortcut. It makes things easier. Before you disdain or discount the concept of connections or that much repeated term “networking”, take a minute and think about how important these may be and why. Every day hundreds of people arrive in Los Angeles with the intention of making movies. But there is no qualifying certification. Anyone can say, “I’m a director / producer / screenwriter”. So relationships and referrals are important. They serve as a filter. They lend you that minimum certification. And by the way, once someone does a favor for a friend by meeting you, they will be able to ask a favor in return. That’s politics.

2. Begin Networking

Tell everyone you know your plan. Is it possible that they may know someone you can call for advice? NEVER use someone’s name without asking permission first. If they seem hesitant when you ask, don’t do it. Is there a film festival in a city near you? Festivals use volunteers. Usually in exchange for your unpaid assistance, you can attend as many panels and workshops as can fit around your work schedule. You will make the acquaintance of people who might be willing to give you advice. When a panelist at a festival mentions a film to watch or a book to read, do it! This kind of research – seeing the films and reading the interviews, not just stopping at the IMDb credits list – should quickly become a career-long habit.

3. Find a Mentor

A mentor is someone who is at least a few steps ahead of you, someone who has “been there, done that” and can help steer you along. A business mentor is not a buddy, and finding someone who wants to help you can be hard. Don’t ask someone to be your mentor. That’s too formal and official, and it’s too much of a commitment. Have more than one person whom you think of as a mentor, and from whom you can ask advice.

4. Do your Research – Learn the Names

You can go online and research people, you can read the trades (Daily Variety, The Hollywood Reporter), and you can read Nikke Finke’s daily newsletter at Deadline. You will learn an immense amount about what is happening in the industry very quickly, including the names of people and companies, and you will begin to become aware of the rhythm of how things work.

5. Try to Learn Something About the Business at Every Interview

Whether by following up on something you overhear in the waiting room, or by researching something the interviewer says, you will get better at these meetings. Knowledge and practice is what will help you to feel more at ease.

These tips are great for getting you started, and they are each expanded upon and continued from in the Make Your Movie book. The book really is for anyone interested in the business of breaking into the movies, learning who the key players are when it comes to getting a movie made, and how to navigate the politics of filmmaking from start to finish, from first pitch to filling movie seats. I suggest you check it out in full.

by Lee Jarvis.

This week in Media Match’s world…

Welcome to our highlight of this week’s videos, news, views, and reviews, and also our Quick Tip of the Week for using the Media Match website. Week ending 11th May 2012.

Rolling!
Bike Chicago Video Contest : (Media Match Blog)

Genre-fied
Disney Dark : (Media Match Blog)

Production
Amazon Studios Will Develop Comedy And Children’s Series : (Deadline)

Kerching!
‘Mad Men’ Paid $250K for Beatles Song : (Rolling Stone)

Sound Off
Do film schools do enough to promote good audio? : (Media Match Blog)

Quick Tip of the Week

Apply To Jobs:
Here we walk through the process of applying to a job from our jobs board, and give you some tips on the best was to organize your application.

Video of the Week

the camera collection
animation – antonio vicentini // boobiesareawesome.tv
illustration – billy brown // robobilly.com
music – ben hantoot // benhantoot.com

TV and Film Jobs

Don’t forget to check our jobs board for the latest jobs in the TV and film industry.

Enjoy your weekend!

The Media Match Team

This week in Media Match’s world…

Welcome to our highlight of this week’s videos, news, views, and reviews, and also our Quick Tip of the Week for using the Media Match website. Week ending 4th May 2012.

Animator
TV/Film Industry Career Profile : (Media Match Blog)

Submissions
Lifetime Unscripted Development Pipeline : (NYTVF)

Finale
Mick Jagger to Host Saturday Night Live : (Vulture)

Kerching!
‘Avengers’ nabs $18.7 mil midnight take : (Variety)

R.I.P.
Joel Goldsmith (1957-2012) : (Ain’t It Cool)

Quick Tip of the Week

Apply To Jobs:
Here we walk through the process of applying to a job from our jobs board, and give you some tips on the best was to organize your application.

Video of the Week

Venice in a Day
A day in Venice (Venezia) in Italy, from daybreak to sunset in timelapse. It’s really a great place and I hope I can share some of its magic with this short video. Some technical specs: Shot mainly with my trusty Canon G10 (and not a G12, like I wrote here first). Post in Motion, After Effects and Final Cut Pro X. Music: Heart of Champions, Chris Haigh, premiumbeat.com

TV and Film Jobs

Don’t forget to check our jobs board for the latest jobs in the TV and film industry.

Enjoy your weekend!

The Media Match Team

This week in Media Match’s world…

Welcome to our highlight of this week’s videos, news, views, and reviews, and also our Quick Tip of the Week for using the Media Match website. Week ending 27th April 2012.

Yikes!
Top 15 Most Controversial Music Videos : (Media Match Blog)

Grrr!
20 Most Annoying TV Characters Ever : (EW)

Wha…?!
David Lynch’s ten weirdest scenes, by film : (Westword)

Cut!
Alec Baldwin is once again pretty sure that 30 Rock is about to end : (A.V. Club)

Ahoy!
PBS Salutes Earth Day : (Ain’t It Cool)

Quick Tip of the Week

Apply To Jobs:
Here we walk through the process of applying to a job from our jobs board, and give you some tips on the best was to organize your application.

Video of the Week

Jaws Film Restoration
Academy Award Winner Steven Spielberg’s iconic summer classic comes to Blu-ray for the first time ever on August 14th, digitally remastered and fully restored in honor of Universal’s 100th Anniversary Celebration .

Take a look at the extensive process that went into restoring this unforgettable film.

Jaws will be available on Blu-ray Combo Pack with DVD, Digital Copy, UltraViolet and over 4 hours of bonus features including an all-new documentary “The Shark is Still Working.”

TV and Film Jobs

Don’t forget to check our jobs board for the latest jobs in the TV and film industry.

Enjoy your weekend!

The Media Match Team

This week in Media Match’s world…

Welcome to our highlight of this week’s videos, news, views, and reviews, and also our Quick Tip of the Week for using the Media Match website. Week ending 20th April 2012.


A week in the desert. With Gear. Lots of gear : (Media Match Blog)

Media Match Blog Promotion: Working with Maya Angelou : (Media Match Blog)

Matt Damon to Film “Anti-Fracking Blockbuster” : (Alternet)

New York City Is Getting The Alamo Drafthouse : (Ain’t It Cool)

A How I Met Your Mother Themed Party : (Media Match Blog)

Quick Tip of the Week

Apply To Jobs:
Here we walk through the process of applying to a job from our jobs board, and give you some tips on the best was to organize your application.

Video of the Week

Biotechnology was a collaborative art project shot by Jake Snider in Los Angeles, exploring the artistic relationship between modern technology and the natural world. Produced by Farida Amar and Gabriel-Bello Diaz / Architect: Gabriel-Bello Diaz / Writer: Sherry Youssef / Vocals: Caitlin MacKenzie / Flute, Bass, Guitar, Hopi UFO: Matt Piper / Percussion, Synthesizer: Zach D’Agostino / Sound Mix and Master: Sarah “Billie” Bearse / Chef: David McConnell / Photography: Will Van Beckum / Video: Jake Snider.

TV and Film Jobs

Don’t forget to check our jobs board for the latest jobs in the TV and film industry.

Enjoy your weekend!

The Media Match Team

This week in Media Match’s world…

Welcome to our highlight of this week’s videos, news, views, and reviews, and also our Quick Tip of the Week for using the Media Match website. Week ending 13th April 2012.

NAB 2012
A week in the desert. With Gear. Lots of gear : (Media Match Blog)

Storytelling
Media Match Blog Promotion: Working with Maya Angelou : (Media Match Blog)

Pre-production
Matt Damon to Film “Anti-Fracking Blockbuster” : (Alternet)

New Screens
New York City Is Getting The Alamo Drafthouse : (Ain’t It Cool)

Offbeat
A How I Met Your Mother Themed Party : (Media Match Blog)

Quick Tip of the Week

Apply To Jobs:
Here we walk through the process of applying to a job from our jobs board, and give you some tips on the best was to organize your application.

Video of the Week

Biotechnology by Jake Snider
Biotechnology was a collaborative art project shot by Jake Snider in Los Angeles, exploring the artistic relationship between modern technology and the natural world. Produced by Farida Amar and Gabriel-Bello Diaz / Architect: Gabriel-Bello Diaz / Writer: Sherry Youssef / Vocals: Caitlin MacKenzie / Flute, Bass, Guitar, Hopi UFO: Matt Piper / Percussion, Synthesizer: Zach D’Agostino / Sound Mix and Master: Sarah “Billie” Bearse / Chef: David McConnell / Photography: Will Van Beckum / Video: Jake Snider.

TV and Film Jobs

Don’t forget to check our jobs board for the latest jobs in the TV and film industry.

Enjoy your weekend!

The Media Match Team

A week in the desert. With Gear. Lots of gear.

From April 14th – 19th, The National Association of Broadcasters hosts one of the biggest events of the year; NAB 2012. Aimed at professionals in the film, TV, video, audio and communications industries, NAB sets down in Las Vegas for five days of panels, exhibits, workshops, trade-shows, luncheons and all kinds of opportunities to further your career. We thought we’d give you a quick run down of what to expect, alongside some useful links and tips.

2012 Schedule

From an array of new product announcements, to the Career Day, to the Country Music Concert and a whole lot more, NAB is already huge, and growing every year. A selection of what’s new in 2012…

‘Focus On’ Workshops
Aimed at content creators who want to learn new software or hardware, or delve into new techniques that will help them master their craft, the ‘Focus On’ series are there to teach tools that can be taken away and applied to your next project. Taught by a combination of certified instructors and industry experts, these classes include half-day boot camps, in-depth sessions, workshops covering documentary editing, Color correction, sound design and more.

DSLR Time-Lapse Video Workshop & Field Trip
A very cool two-part workshop which starts with a classroom session on time lapse video techniques and panoramic photography tips, then takes you out to a National Conservation Area where you can put the newly learned tips into action, capturing the park in a beautiful sunset surrounding. Dont forget your hiking boots, sunscreen and tripods!

StartUp Loft
Designed to be the place to pitch the “next big thing” to a core end-user audience, the StartUp Loft is a lobby attraction where participating companies will feature new products and services that have recently hit the market.

View the full 2012 schedule here: nabshow.com/2012/about/event_schedule.asp

NAB 2012 Tips and Advice

Download the App
You already bank, shop and email on your phone, and now you can organize your convention and limit the amount of print-outs you need to lug around. Get the myNAB app from your phone’s app store and sync it with any planning you have already made online at myNAB Show Planner, then enjoy schedule sharing, direct messaging, GPS locator feature and more. Info: here.

Take the Shuttle
Want to save on overpriced taxis whilst also resting your tired feet? Walter Biscardi recommends taking the free shuttle buses that serve many of the Vegas hotels, on and near The Strip. “Whether you stay in one of these hotels or not, as an attendee, you have access to these buses. So look at the NAB Bus Schedule and pick a hotel nearby to pick up the shuttle, be sure to have your convention badge on you as you generally have to show it to the bus driver to get on.”

Essentials
Those lovely English people over at Quantel have put together a full-blown Survival guide, listing necessary but often overlooked items and habits. Our essential picks: hydration; comfortable shoes; lip balm. Download the full guide here.

Go To The Sessions
With 22 previous visits to NAB shows, Debra Kaufman over at Creative Cow knows a thing or two about planning your week. She says, “Why would you want to spend every waking minute on the show floor when you can sit down, be comfortable and actually learn something? [...] Cool session topics range from converting Titanic from 2D to 3D and creating cross-platform content to cloud computing and mobile TV.”

Carve Out Some Alone Time
Chris Potter at Screenlight has a solid piece of advice here. His chosen downtime solo activity is mountain biking, but you can apply his idea to anything to treat yourselve to a much-needed mini R&R mid-NAB. Go for a swim, get a massage, treat yourself to a nice lunch away from the crowds, go shoot some guns in the desert… whatever floats your boat and makes you come back refreshed after an hour or two away. “After a couple solid days of events, it’s easy to get rundown. I tend to recharge best, when I do something that I love. [...] Take comfort knowing that somewhere in Vegas, you can probably find the thing that recharges you.”

Gear ‘To-do’ List.
With so many innovative filmmaking tools being released in 2012, the show can be a little overwhelming on the gear front. Casey and Danielle of Mindcastle have suggested a gear list including some of the things they are most excited to check out. “If you ever get stuck in one of those “what should I check out next” moments, you can have a good solid list here as reference of gear to check out [...] I added the appropriate booth number as well so you can located it on the map.”

There you have it! If you are off to NAB, have a great trip and feel free to comment on our blog or forum about anything NAB related!

NAB 2012 – Conferences April 14 – 19, 2012 / Exhibits April 16 – 19
Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada USA

by Lee Jarvis.

This week in Media Match’s world…

Welcome to our highlight of this week’s videos, news, views, and reviews, and also our Quick Tip of the Week for using the Media Match website. Week ending 6th April 2012.

Producer
TV/Film Industry Career Profile : (Media Match Blog)

Advice
Media Match Blog Promotion: Rules for Making TV : (Media Match Blog)

Theater-life
The Death of the Cinematic Experience : (Moviedex)

Screenplay
Bob Dylan’s Blood On The Tracks might become a movie, because, really, it’s sort of lacking as an album : (A.V. Club)

If Only…
The Star Wars Cast We Almost Saw : (Oscars)

Quick Tip of the Week

Apply To Jobs:
Here we walk through the process of applying to a job from our jobs board, and give you some tips on the best was to organize your application.

Video of the Week

Sound in Film
Munch Monet discusses the importance of using an original score in a narrative film.

TV and Film Jobs

Don’t forget to check our jobs board for the latest jobs in the TV and film industry.

Enjoy your weekend!

The Media Match Team

The big cheese of movie making.

A film Producer is the main overseer for everything on a film project – from its initial inception and budgeting to its final delivery. Ultimately, although an idea for a film may come from a screenwriter, director, from pre- to post-production it is the Producer who will help shape the film creatively and ensure its logistics are on track every step of the way. Executive Producers will often represent a financial investor such as a film studio, but not necessarily have a hand in the daily grunt work. Associate Producers / Co-Producers can also be involved in the melee, supporting the daily tasks and sharing the workload according to as the Producer sees fit. In addition, a Line Producer may be involved in a film project to help control the day-to-day financials.

Responsibilities

A Producer’s work can often begin when they come up with an idea for a feature, or when they acquire the rights from a Screenwriter. From there, fundraising, budgeting, and hiring key members as part of the creative team are all an important part in a Producer’s role. Once this groundwork is in place, production can begin, and daily tasks will switch to ensuring that all operations are running smoothly, efficiently, and cost-effectively. In post-production, the role will include communicating with all editing and effects departments, overseeing the final cut, and then dealing with distribution and marketing of the project. The Producer’s responsibility for the project continues for as long as the film is shown globally.

Skills

Juggling both the business elements (making sure investors are happy) and creativeness (approving script changes, communicating with Directors) of the film industry is a difficult task: to make it as a Producer, you have to be a visionary, businessman, negotiator and much more. Understanding of all creative processes involved in filmmaking is a must, as is attention to detail in the planning and execution of ideas and budgets. Any employers or co-workers will be looking for excellent communication at all times, and the ability to work under pressure.

Experience

There are no standard qualifications to go through to become a Producer, and experience certainly doesn’t happen overnight. Hence, exceptional producers are hard to come by, and starting out can be a muddy process. Initially, having strong understanding of financials and acumen of business matters should be supplemented with extensive knowledge of the film industry and all four stages that a film project goes through. Studying at a film school is a great ways to build a base here, and working as part of a production team in any manner will begin to develop knowledge and establish a professional name within the film industry.