Photo: Christopher Capozziello for The New York Times
Only several hours after I posted yet another sermon on the coming changes in the media landscape and how we all need to be exploiting them, I just read this New York Times article on how Michael Buckley along with a small group of saavy new-age media makers are making real money through YouTube's partner program which pairs advertising with original content.
And when I say "real money" I'm talking up to 6 figures. $100,000 generated entirely online with nothing more than a clear thought out WELL-EXECUTED vision carried out with "a $2,000 Canon camera, a $6 piece of fabric for a backdrop and a pair of work lights from Home Depot".
I don't know what you are making at your current place of employment, but I bet it's not close to that. ( And if it is, I bet it involves a lot more hassle, long hours and considerably less fun.)
Read the Article for yourself. This isn't some far off fantasy just in MY head. This is a new reality right here and now, baby. Ladies and gentleman, the game has indeed changed.
The only question is will YOU be a player in the NEW game or are you gonna let the Golden Age of New Media just pass you by? There's only one answer if you're Down and Dirty...
Back during the writer's strike, bored TV wonder boy, Joss Whedon (creator of such modern cult classics as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and "Firefly") created a whole new show while he waited for the writers, producers, and studios to get their acts together. The end result is the quirky new property known as Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, a 3-part mini-series musical. See clip below:
While the show starring a singing Neal Patrick Harris (you know the guy from "Dougie Howser, M.D.") as a wacky evil doctor is a matter of taste, what I find most notable about it is the primary means of distribution...online via Hulu.com and iTunes which grew an audience for surprise - A new DVD release!
I said it years ago when I started this blog and wrote my book and I'll say it again...the media landscape is changing. The power is shifting in our (content creators) direction little by little.
The big media companies are still in a little denial, but the gatekeepers of traditional media are slowly (dare I say quickly) loosing their iron grip on distribution. Via web 2.0 sites like Hulu.com, iTunes, and others, everyday filmmaking Joes can find and grow a receptive audience...and sooner than you realize there will be more viable options to actually turn a buck on our own work without any approval or involvement at all from the major media outlets.
As I write this there a number of devices and services in action and being developed that will be able to pipe your content direct to viewers computers an yes, now, even directly to their televisions. (See our previous blog post on the new generation of "black boxes".) Look around you. Pick up a paper. Traditional media dismissed the Internet for a little too long and now they are getting their asses spanked for it.
My strong advice is to start studying and experimenting with these new services and online distribution models and building your own devoted audience now before the majors get their act together and find a way to box you out. (Most of these services are still free, believe it or not.) The old excuses of gatekeepers blocking your project no longer stands up.
Now it's up to us to research, be saavy, and move first to seize these incredible opportunities to skip all the middle men and take our filmmaking careers into our own hands. And God-willing, if we do really start building large audiences and making money, the big media conglomerates will come to us...or better yet the big media conglomerates will BE us. It's already happening, people. It's just gonna take awhile for the mainstream to realize it.
Again, all you need to do for evidence is to look back at the record labels vs. digital downloading, newspapers vs. websites, network tv vs. cable...They all laughed at "the new kid on the block" and now that new kid is eating their supper. It's real simple- get with the new, or go out with the old. This time it's our turn, baby. And you can tell 'em I said it.
This Friday night December 5, 2008 - 7:30pm I will be returning to one of my favorite filmmaking establishments in New York City - DCTV a.k.a. Downtown Community Television (DCTVNY.org). If you are anywhere near NYC and in the documentary scene…you need to get down with DCTV if you aren't already.
I think this organization is a “must join” for any serious documentary filmmaker in the city. They provide equipment rentals, multi-level classes, editing facilities, and great panels and master classes, including one with yours truly this coming Friday night. And the best part is that it's a non-profit operation, so everything is completely affordable, goes to help fellow filmmakers and the people and warm energy in that place are incredible. They have Open Houses several times throughout the year and classes and seminars all year round. They also have an excellent free filmmaking workshop for teens in NYC.
I will be presenting an inspirational and one-of-a-kind seminar on breaking in and making a way for yourself in the entertainment industry. Let's be real- there is crazy competition in this industry. It's not enough to just be good at what you do and it's not enough to just "know somebody".
How does one break into showbiz? How do you get that first entry-level job? And what do you do once you get it? You need to come up with proven and bonafide strategies to infiltrate- then rise up where you want to go in this industry or you're gonna waste a lot of time just spinning your wheels in circles.
In this unique seminar I will discuss:
• Filmmaking Training Resources • Getting Ya Mind Right • Film School vs. Self Teaching • Moving to L.A. • Industry Job-Hunting • Local Fimmaking Resources • My 5-Phase Double-Secret Strategy for Moving Up…Anywhere
Thanks again for everyone's continued support of Down and Dirty DV. Your purchase of our premium products allows us to put out even more FREE resources like this blog and our podcasts.
Well, that book is history now. It's been written and released into the Universe. Now it's onto the next ultra-practical hyper-illustrated film book, The Shut Up and Shoot Filmmaking Guide which will focus on narrative production techniques and practice. If all remains on schedule, the new book will drop late Fall 2009.
I don't write these books fo me, but for you- new and old digital filmmakers with limited resources- otherwise known as The Down and Dirty DV Nation. So my question to all of you is:
What type of practical, hard-to-find, valuable, time and money-saving information would YOU like to see in the upcming Shut Up and Shoot Filmmaking Guide?
Holla at me with your ideas by leaving a comment below or feel free to email me at anthony@downanddirtydv.com.
If you are not on our FREE mailing list yet, make you sign up in the red box on our blog to recieve special offers and discounts on the new book as well as the first in the series and very long-awaited-almost-done-but-not-quite-yet instructional DVD on location audio recording.
Halloween's always been my hands down favorite holiday. It's the only one that's pure fun. No required gatherings, no gifts to buy or return, no long ceremonies...just people of all all ages dressed up and having (mostly) innocent fun.
When I was 9 my father bought me a deluxe special FX makeup kit which introduced me to the wonderful world of liquid latex special effects. I didn't have much patience or money for liquid latex to use in the various scar and bullet hole molds that came with the set, so I began to experiment with ways to make realistic wounds faster, cheaper and better.
As promised just (barely) in time for Halloween...I'm giving away my personal recipe for creating really cheap, easy and realistic bullet hole FX.
This is an early sneak preview from the upcoming narrative filmmaking book, "The Down and Dirty DV Filmmaking Guide", dropping from Focal Press next winter. Enjoy...
Click HEREto download the secret recipe as a .pdf file (20MB)
...With a little modification, pretty much this same technique can be used to create all kinds of realistic looking wounds...gashes, cuts, open sores, flesh wounds, deep scrapes, festering boils, warts, vampire bites, werewolf wounds, and mongoose scratches...that's all I can think of at the moment, but you can break out the liquid latex and make-up and use your own imagination.
I just wanted to drop a quick line to let everyone know that I still love y'all, but had to slow down some on podcasts and blogs, because of the birth of the newest Down and Dirty DV hustler...Miles Quentin Artis. This is my second son and between my full-time day job at NYU, freelance projects and family my ass is on lockdown.
Anyway, things should be settling down sometime soon, so I'll be back in the mix soon enough. I'm gonna be dropping a tutorial on DIY SPFX bullet holes sometime before Halloween.
You know, I like to keep things here practical rather than personal, but so many of you have sent your well wishes and it's been so long since I've posted that I've decided to share with you the birth of my latest son, Miles Quentin Artis.
Enjoy "The Story of Miles" and stay tuned for more guerrilla film tips once I start getting some sleep again...
Many people confuse the terms "Down and Dirty" and "Guerrilla" filmmaking as somehow being inferior or half-assed filmmaking methodologies or philosophies that compromise quality and professionalism.
These are the very same type of people that marched the well-uniformed British Army in straight orderly lines across open fields while a ragtag bunch of American patriots whipped their ass with rusty muskets while wearing plain clothes and hiding and shooting from behind any available rock, tree or gulley.
It's not really these people's fault, they just have very limited imaginations, so they don't get it. It ultimately may take a few musket balls in the head and bayonets to the groin to make them realize the potential effectiveness of superior guerrilla tactics that don't depend on overwhelming numbers, superior weapons or endless resources.
As I see it as a bonafide DV Evangelist, guerrilla filmmaking (when done right) often takes MORE careful planning and execution to make the very most of limited resources. Every move has to be thought out, every contingency planned for, and every dollar stretched to make it up on the screen.
Sneak Preview Down and Dirty Filmmaking: Guerrilla Tactics for Professional Results DVD
(*This full 1hr. 22min. Seminar DVD will be available soon on this website.)
So to the Down and Dirty guerrilla filmmaking philosophy is not about being cheap and taking shortcuts that make things easier and compromise quality. Rather, it's about being ultra-efficient and using creativity, labor and planning to make up for your lack of resources and find a way to match or emulate the big budget filmmakers with half the money and crew.
The video below was done by talented animator/filmmaker Ian Hutchinson, one of my very first consulting clients. I helped Ian figure out where to put the (very limited) dollars in the budget for this project, so that they would have maximum impact onscreen.
People always ask me things such as should I rent a stedicam? A 35mm lens adapter? A Red Camera? A jib?...and my answer is different for every case, because it always depends on the COST vs. VALUE that that element brings to a particular project. In this case the big ticket item was a Steadicam operator and it was money well spent to execute the concept.
So don't get it twisted, I'm not a proponent of cheap and quick...I'm a proponent of effective and efficient. Peep Ian Hutchinson's video, Chocolate Pom Pom, below and see what can be accomplished with a small budget using creativity, hustle, an smart planning...
Here's another perfect example of using guerrilla creativity to great end effect...my friend and all around film/video tech guy, Sean Charlesworth, has just put out an exclusiveline of jewelry aimed at film and photo enthusiasts.
Not only are these funky well-made boutique-quality pieces, but they are completely unique in that they are fashioned from various film cameras (many which are no longer made) and other pieces of used film and photo-related equipment such as gears and springs.
Troll the streets of Soho all-day if you want, but you I don't think you'll find this funky fashion statement anywhere except Sean's online shop, SprocketHoles. And if you do by some miracle find something like it in the trendy part of town, it definitely won't be at the same reasonable prices given the rarity of some of these parts and the amount of labor that Sean puts into each piece.
I think it's the perfect and unique gift for the fashionable film and photo enthusiasts in your life. (I'm even having a piece commissioned, but won't say what, so nobody can bite my style, before I get a chance to rock it!)
And the perfect compliment to your new Arri film camera earrings of course is one of our very popular Crackhead/Crowbar Hoodies and T-Shirts to remind your crew to be to keep their eyes on valuable film equipment when location shooting. Both now on sale for $5.00 off the regular price!
Here's a revolutionary and very promising development for Down and Dirty filmmakers with an HD jones and a low budget...a digital Nikon S.L.R. camera that that takes 12.3 megapixel stills that can also record 1024 x 720 24P HD video all for only $1000.00...Let me just let that part sink in for a minute.
There. Got it? Oh and did I mention that it has an interchangable lens? Well, it does. Which means for a fraction of the cost, you can use fish-eye, telephoto, macro or any other 35mm prime lens to shoot crisp clean HD video.
Before I get you all worked up into a red hot HD frenzy, I should point out that it won't replace a video camcorder. However, it sure as hell will supplement one and make for a much lower cost alternative to get some creative shots in with a small camera that you might not otherwise be able to physically (or financially) pull off. And obviously, as an S.L.R. still camera, it has audio and memory limitations.
But make no mistake about it. This is the first attack in a new front in the DV Rebellion. The technology keeps making the impossible more feasible. Sequences and shots that cost $100,000 yesterday, can be pulled off with a laptop and a prosumer camera today. It's a good time to be a Down and Dirty filmmaker. "Impossible" in the world of DV these days is an ever-moving line.
"As one might guess from the emphatic title of his book, The Shut Up and Shoot Documentary Guide author Anthony Q. Artis is more than just a filmmaker, teacher and writer — he’s a sort of DV evangelist, a man on a mission to educate everyone about the benefits of digital production and postproduction."
Since he described me (accurately) as a DV evangelist, let me give you a brief guerrilla sermon...
"The Shut Up and Shoot Documentary Guide" which began as a little self-published B&W guerrilla book that I wrote during my subway commute has already received more attention and positive reviews from all over the world than I could have hoped for, but the one I just got today is particularly special because it comes from one of the most respected magazines in the industry - American Cinematographer.
Way back when I first unveiled the very first version of this book at Sundance some 3 years ago hustling it out of my backpack as I walked up and down the steep Main Street hill in Park City I was so excited to finally see people's reaction to something I had put so much of my heart into. Not unlike with filmmaking, you bust your ass, your wallet and your brain for a long period of time never really sure if people are even gonna "get" your vision- or even worse if they are gonna think it sucks.
In as much as people may think I exude confidence, the reality is that I am just as insecure and unsure as the next person...I just don't let those feelings stop me. I can't afford to and neither can you as an aspiring filmmaker. Whether you are making a movie, writing a book, or starting a new company, any serious achievement will involve a constant head game that you have to win.
As filmmakers we are all aware of the pitfalls of budget, inexperience, faulty equipment, etc. But we rarely consider the biggest pitfall of all - the negative voices in our own heads. (I like to think of them like that line from the Exorcist that goes something like, "The Demon knows your weaknesses. He will mix lies with the truth to confuse you". I take that line as a metaphor for those voices of doubt in all our heads.)
I can't count the number of times I wanted to quit, thought I was wasting my time and money, was rejected by someone I really wanted to help me with the project or was just worn the hell out from hustling and trying to maintain a life outside of the project. Understand that these doubts ARE the very first tests. It's all part of the process. It's where 90% of the people with visions are shut down before the vision even sparks. I suspect there are hundreds of would-be indie hits, #1 tv shows, or even bonafide Oscar contenders half-written, half-shot, half-edited in closets and paper piles all over the world...dreams deferred.
I submit the below review from a American Cinematographer as proof that those voices are all full of shit and that if you have a film, a business, a book...any major personal achievement that you want to get off the ground and bring to completion- you've gotta do your damnedest to protect that vision from your own self doubts, because you truly never know how people will react to your vision unless you complete it and get it out there.
And in the best case scenarios you'll discover what I discovered in this process - completing a major artistic vision ain't easy, but it ain't impossible either. People with far less brains, talent, and character than you and me have successfully completed their visions. In my experience as an educator and film consultant, the biggest thing stopping us is usually us.
Pick a specific goal, ignore the negative voices and never stop moving towards it (however slow or meandering a path you have to take) and you will ultimately achieve it. Here's the proof:
BRAND NEW!!! Indie Film Bootcamp 6-DVD Set - 8+ Hours - Only $129!
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However, you can't just fake it. There's a lot to know when it comes to covering weddings. Just because it's your first wedding video, doesn't mean it has to seem like it to your clients.
This ebook and audiobook are concise straight-forward tips and advice to help you prepare for and shoot dynamic wedding videos like the pros and never miss a beat.
Support Down and Dirty DV and let 'em know you roll "Any Budget. Any Camera. Any Time." with hot guerrilla hoodies, t-shirts, tanks, and more from the Down and Dirty DV Store.
Yes this is where you will find our infamous and much sought after Crackhead + Crowbar Sweatshirts to remind your crew of set security.
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