Feature Film Production

This is visual story telling. If you don't have a crew and are doing all the filming yourself keep in mind that good lighting techniques can make a huge difference on the quality. Film making is as much art as painting a picture so a media limitation based on expense should not stop anyone from experimenting with the art of film-making.

The major stages of a major Feature Film production with lots of money are:

1.Development

In the development stage a producer comes up with an idea for which a script is written(and rewritten until it is perfected). A script can also be obtained from many sources as scriptwriters are always attempting to get their scripts purchased.

2. Preproduction

In preproduction the movie is planned and cost is established. Also the producer will hire a crew.

Smart producers know how to maximize the final product by getting the best actors that fit their roles within their budgets.

On large budget films this could be hundreds of crew members but on less expensive films, skeleton crews are established based on the following positions.

a. Director. (Responsible for acting and creative elements) b. Assistant director. (Manages shoot schedule, logistics & more) c. Producer. (finds actors) d. Location manager. (finds film locations) e. Director of photography or cinematographer. (Photography)

f. Art director. (production sets, costumes plus provides makeup & hair styling services) g. Storyboard artist, h. Production sound mixer. i. Composer. (creates music for the film) j. Choreographer.

3. Production

This is when the actual filming takes place based on shooting schedules, locations and film sets. The director can request multiple takes on scenes until he is satisfied that his ideas are expressed.

He will review daily recorded video and determine if scenes have to be re shot. A couple of notes about obtaining pre shot background footage is that royalty free footage is very desirable as there are no delays in negotiating with content providers who are attempting to maximize their profit.

Royalty free footage also means that you buy it only once and use it as many times as you wish.

Always go for the latest format available. If you are buying today then it only makes sense to buy High Definition(HD) footage.

Downgrading HD to lower formats is easy, It is very difficult to make older formats look good in HD.

I recommend you make your movie using 35 mm unless you are using a Red, a Viper or the Sony F23. The 35 mm could then be transferred to digital(preferably HD) using a process called Telecine for cutting and editing.

4. Post Production

Here the editor assembles the footage and formulates a rough cut of the material. Most directors work very close with editors to identify the most important shots to represent their artistic ideas. Some directors rely heavily on their editors judgment and present them with many additional hours of footage, allowing them to decide what gets cut from the film.

Editors are normally very artistically inclined and make tremendous contributions to projects so finding a good one is important. Here is also where special effects and color correction are finalized and implemented. Check the software listing editing software and look at either Adobe After effects or Magicbullet for color correction software.

5. Distribution

Large films funded by the major studios are distributed to theaters they are affiliated with. Lower budget productions can be distributed via DVD, VHS or even Internet. For lower budget features many filmmakers present their works at film festivals in the hope of getting picked up by one of the big studios or their subsidiaries. Ideally Feature film production, at it's best, is about having good actors working on a well written script supported by a good crew and lots of time and money.

This is almost never the case and corners are usually cut everywhere.

Saint George Seniors

Living in Utah is such a great experience. There are so many great things to do and sights to see. The beautiful scenery ranges from the very north cache valley to the desert south of Southern Utah. One of the greatest places to retire is in the southwest corner of the state in a place called Saint George. Just 40 minutes from Mesquite Nevada and just outside of the city resides some of the most beautiful National Parks in the world, Zion National Park. If there is one thing many seniors say when it comes to Saint George is how they "love the way they are treated!"

Saint George has very rich history, settled by pioneers that came from Salt Lake City. The pioneers were sent down by Brigham Young and worked with the local Indians to create peace so they could create a community for more settlers to come help the expansion of the piece of land. The Brigham Young home is currently owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Ladder Day Saints and holds tours through out the week. Along with the Brigham Young home there is the other homes the Church has obtained and restores such as the Jacob Hamblin home.

Offside these great places there are some amazing businesses in this small community. If you are a senior in the this area then you will be taken care of. These businesses love the senior community and offer amazing discounts to keep you coming back for more. The Senior Saver is the premier discount book that caters to everything a senior would need. There are also great senior communities to make you feel safe and at home. Saint George offers so much its great for when the grand kids come to visit.

Saint George offers some of the greatest golf courses in the United States. The city welcomes golfers from around the globe for tournaments and seniors a like. With over five major courses throughout the city Golfing is nothing new to the senior crowd.

Every year the Huntsman World Senior Games is held with over 20 countries represented each year. Saint George also holds the toughest course for triathletes with the Iron Man competition. This great city is also known as one of the fastest growing cities in the nation and is full of the entrepreneur spirit. If you are looking for a great place to come retire, relax and play some good golf. Saint George is the place for you.

The 15 Time Wasters of Inside Sales Departments - #2 - Poor Hiring

TIME WASTER SERIES #2 of 15: Poor Hiring

Many sales organizations spend a great deal of time and money on systems, leads, and facilities only to forget the most important thing: building a strong sales team.

Before you hire your first employee, identify a success profile, a list of characteristics that will make a successful part of your sales team. Hire only people that match your success profile.

The most important person in a sales organization is a scrappy sales manager, someone who has a clear vision of the company direction and goals and who works tirelessly at following that direction and reaching those goals. Too much time is wasted by employees who either do not know these things or simply do not care. You can remedy that by hiring a sales manager who knows, cares and carries that message to the rest of the sales team.

Once you have a strong sales manager, build a sales team that will support him or her. The best way to hire proven salespeople is by asking your existing salespeople. They have worked with other great salespeople and know who will be successful with your company, and who will not. Every sales organization has a top producer: find out who that was at the companies where your people have worked and offer them a position with your company.

Our experience has shown that life experiences such as competitive athletics and personal achievements during the formative high school and college years are good indicators of potential success in the world of sales.

There are tests, studies, and surveys that can be taken to measure abilities that map well onto sales skills. Often for a small investment early on, a great deal of cost and difficulty can be averted down the road.

During each potential employee interview process, include a way to simulate a real work environment prior to a full commitment of hiring.

Best Practice: Hire each employee into a 60 day probation/evaluation period. This will encourage the sales person to quickly learn your systems, processes and products without wasting any time. Once they have successfully passed the probation period, continue to offer incentives and evaluation to boost morale and prevent a drop-off in initiative and productivity.

Using A Bankruptcy Attorney To Budget

In today's tough economy, many Americans are forced to live on their credit cards as a way to make ends meet. This type of lifestyle with no obvious budgeting only will lead to bankruptcy. It's only a matter of time before the balance on the credit cards get so high that it will be impossible to ever pay them off. Many Americans today try and avoid filing bankruptcy because of the fear of losing their prized credit cards. Credit if left unchecked will end up having the same kind of destruction of a wildfire to the family's finances. When people have available credit on their credit cards, they don't realize that they can't afford the things they are purchasing. If they had to budget and pay cash for their purchases, they wouldn't have the money to pay for them. Once the ball starts rolling there is no way for a person to get out of the way of the damage. At some point they will be hit with crushing debt and no other way out except to file for bankruptcy.

When an individual starts using their credit cards to buy groceries, because there's not enough money from their paycheck, it's probably time to go talk to a bankruptcy attorney. What happens is, because of the interest rate, the credit card debt now becomes a major part of the family's budget. To keep those accounts open, the individual will need to at least make the minimum payment. This cycle will continue on until the card is tapped out. At this point, outside of winning the lotto, there is probably no way this individual would ever be able to pay these bills off. This is a perfect reason of why filing bankruptcy was created. When Congress voted into law they wanted to give good hard working individuals a second chance with a fresh start. Filing for bankruptcy will allow the individual to wipe out all the unsecured debt, freeing up their paycheck to be able to start budgeting and live once again.

Everyone has heard the expression Robbing Peter to pay Paul and living paycheck to paycheck are true in probably over 75% of American households. The average American household has over $20,000 in credit card debt. Considering the same average household only earns $41,000 a year, it's not hard to see that an individual with this kind of debt is just setting themselves up for failure. That's where Chapter 7 bankruptcy is king. Filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy will wipe out all unsecured debt and allow the debtor to start over and hopefully make better choices. After the bankruptcy is filed the automatic stay is put in place that will protect the debtor by stopping the creditors from relentless attacks signed to collect on their debt. This will give the individual a quiet time allowing them to plan for the future. A smart individual shouldn't wait until the cards are all tapped out, they should be honest with themselves and consult a bankruptcy attorney before the creditors start their shenanigans. Living without credit is not such a bad thing, it allows for a debt-free individual to regroup and learn about living on a budget.

Paternity Issues - Are You a Deadbeat Dad?

When it comes to paternity issues, the State may think you are a deadbeat dad regardless of whether it is true or not. If you have recently been hit with a paternity suit, you may be trying to swim your way upstream in a river of sharks. It doesn't take long to realize there is only one thing the State truly cares about if they are involved in the child support and that is getting your money. They could care less if you ever see your child or if any of your rights are established. They want the money back they have invested into the mother and child.

Your child support is going to be determined based on your income. Each state has its own guidelines and formulas as to what is paid out. What you may not be aware of this, but there are many "deviations" from the norm that can be a help you in setting realistic child support amounts. Things like allowances if you have to travel long distances that involves the children and certain tax exemptions. It is to your benefit to find out what these are and always ask for them.

Your financial status for the past 2-3 years will need to be established and you will need to provide paperwork to that affect. When child support is set do not depend totally on the State guidelines. Make sure the financial status of the mother is taken into consideration as well. There are many things that need to be considered beyond the parents work. Make sure everything is taken into consideration that should be, and that the courts are aware of any deviations that may assist you in lowering your child support to a reasonable amount.