There are seven controversial issues within our film that need to be kept confidential and protected prior to the film’s release. This level of secrecy will help us leverage the controversy for free publicity once the film releases. Unfortunately, it’s very difficult to keep everything under wraps in our electronic world where a simple tweet can get to millions of people within the hour.

To help us protect the Working Title’s intellectual property, my producer and I chatted with several lawyers. We wanted to find one that was excellent. We also hoped to find someone we could trust. Okay, now’s not the time for lawyer jokes.

My first call went to William Morris Endeavor. I had used them on several film projects earlier in my career when they were the William Morris Agency. I learned that when the company reorganized, the attorney I worked with retired and did not pass on any of his accounts. This meant starting from scratch.

I met Hal “Corky” Kessler at a conference and started chatting with him about our film. He has a high degree of knowledge in film law, the new tax laws, and foreign distribution pre-sales markets. We took the conversation off line to discuss possibilities of working together. He seemed very familiar to me, so when I got back to the office I looked through some old records and found that I had worked with him on a project years ago – It’s a small industry.

Corky is based in Chicago (Yes, he’s done projects with Oprah) and has worked on 40 plus features with names like Russell Crowe, Robin Williams, Howie Mandel, Rob Reiner, Martin Mull, Jim Carrey, Dana Carvey, Lili Tomlin, Sara Silverman, Bonnie Hunt, John Carpenter, Timothy Hutton, etc. He has worked for screenwriters, directors, producers and executive producers on features including Steel Magnolias, Driving Miss Daisy, and The Sum of Us (winner of the Australian Academy Award for Best Film).

I had also bumped into attorney Emerson R. Marks at a film conference in Texas. I believe my producer bumped into Bennet Fidlow at a film conference in Florida or Colorado. Both men are entertainment attorneys from the same firm in Virginia – Handling the growing hot bed of independent productions in Virginia, the Carolinas and Georgia.

Bennett has worked with a long line of industry names during his time at Columbia, Tristar, MGM, United Artists, Orion, Goldwyn, Sony, Miramax, Screen Gems, Republic Pictures, Universal, NBC, Warner Brothers TV, Fox Family, and Fox Cable, to name a few.

It became clear that Corky’s expertise was in foreign pre-sales and state tax credit laws and Bennett’s was in talent acquisition and production operations. Bennett quickly introduced us to others on his team who specialized in offering memorandums and corporate structures that are conducive for investors.

Everyone we talked with was on board about keeping the controversies quiet, except for me. Well, not exactly. I definitely want to keep most of it a secret, except for the information I plan to leak in up coming blogs. After all, my readers deserve some extra insight.

© 2013 by CJ Powers

I had the pleasure of eating lunch with Marc Miller yesterday. He is a Director of Photography and Camera Operator who has been in the industry for 38 years. He has a significant list of credits and awards. His career started after attending Columbia College in Chicago, when he held staff positions in Chicago and New York. More recently he completed four seasons of CBS’s Big Brother.

Marc returned to the western suburbs of Chicago and is currently working on a documentary. He and I first met years ago, just after I left ABC to work on my first feature. Schedules didn’t mesh, so we never had a chance to work with each other, but we always enjoyed sharing our passion.

Halfway through lunch we chatted about one of the stories I’m developing. I broke down a few visual ideas and Marc knew exactly how to bring it to fruition. His understanding of set etiquette and diplomacy rivals that of a First AD. He is also the type of DP that appreciates a strong director who is flexible to explore the art of a story when time and budget allow.

Marc’s list of credits goes beyond features, television series and documentaries. He has done numerous corporate projects, music videos and commercials. His local projects have included shooting a training series for The Second City and a pilot for the History Channel.

Marc is a member of Local 600 International Cinematographers Guild, SOC and Digital Cinema Society. He is refocusing on features in hopes of finding stories that can make a difference in peoples’ lives. His goal is to construct visual stories that take the audience to places they can’t go, coupled with a subject matter that counts.

We’ve decided to shoot some test footage in the near future, which may double as a promotional piece to raise funds for my next feature. In fact, we’ve already started talking about locations and we’ll set up a scouting trip in the near future. It’s my hope that we will continue building our artistic partnership and I hope to share some of the footage with you.

© 2013 by CJ Powers

Producers and directors are in a position to cast vision for their film, giving cast and crew the information needed for impromptu interviews or questions from unannounced bloggers. It only takes two to six minutes, depending on the depth of information given, to create a united front for the film’s promotion.

I was involved in a production that had numerous layers to the story. Each cast member had certain plotlines they liked more than others, which showed up in their interview segments. By the end of the interviews, the host of the talk show was confused and no longer able to promote the movie because she didn’t understand what it was about.

Simplicity in promotion is critical for sending messages through word of mouth. Any attempt at explaining all of the plotlines dilutes the message and weakens the film’s box office. It’s important that there is one simple vision cast that the production team can share.

The producer and director can prepare their vision casting talk using the following outline:

1. KEY ISSUE: All films address some form of a problem, burning issue or needed societal change. The beginning of the vision casting talk should include an attention-getting device and a clear statement of the key issue.

2. BACKSTORY: Listeners need to hear what brought about the key issue and the common answers of the day that were unsuccessful. This will not only allow the audience to understand the stakes involved, but it also sets up the film’s solution as something plausible and worth pursuing.

3. FILM’S SOLUTION: Present a tangible idea as a solution for the common problem using references to real resources. Use example scenes from the story to support the statements. This will help the listener understand the practical steps needed for success.

4. PAY-OFF: Make a clear and concise statement that gives a specific answer to the key issue. To make a greater impact, keep the comment simple and memorable.

5. CLOSE: Follow up with the prominent benefit that results from the change and encourage everyone to get the word out to reach fans, friends and family with the benefits.

By casting a specific vision for the film, the producer and director are able to focus the promotional and social media messages to drive the film’s box office. The repetition of the message throughout the project’s duration will ensure that the cast and crew embrace it and share it.

© 2013 by CJ Powers