FILM – Page 8 – Deborah S. Patz

Oct292015

The Critical Path = The Story On Screen

You may say that business folk and creative folk are opposites, but there are concepts that both use… just with different vocabulary.

In business project management, it’s important to schedule a project considering the “critical path” – the minimum steps in the most condensed order to ensure the project will be completed (on time and on budget). With more time and resources (money, people, equipment…), you can add extras to the “critical path” in order to deliver a truly dynamic project. If unforeseen circumstances happen and you have to condense the schedule, you cannot condense it to shorter than what’s on the “critical path” – all the essentials are here for the project to deliver.

Now over to producing a script. It’s important schedule a production considering capturing the “story on screen” – the minimum essential scenes and story points in order to ensure the complete story will be filmed during principal photography (on time and on budget). With more shoot time, cast, crew and equipment, you can add extras to the “story on screen” in order to produce a truly dynamic film. If unforeseen circumstances happen and you have to shorten the shooting day or schedule, you have to focus on those essential scenes and story points because you need them to capture the “story on screen” for post production to craft into a finished, coherent film.

Interesting parallel, eh? Looks like business folk have more in common with creative folk than it first seems.

Cheers and a good story on screen to you,
Deb

Oct152015

How an Empty Box is Like a Sailboat

See the empty box and its label
Hear the music: “Yes, we have no bananas...”
Let your thoughts take you to the movie “Sabrina” with Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart

Ah, yes…

Cheers and good movie memories to you!
Deb

Oct12015

Movies To See Again: Picasso Would Make A Glorious Waiter

Film festival season, and though I’m seeing new and terrific films now, I’m also remembering gems of festivals past.

Picasso as a waiter? Huh? Great image, no?

Well, this movie is a documentary that follows the wait staff at Glorious Catering… but, boy, does the movie go deeper than that!

What I really like about this doc is that without any talking heads, we follow each member of the serving staff at a catering event. Each one is adept in their role and we are a spy with backstage access.

Then we sneak a peek into each person’s “other life” and we discover each member of the team is vastly different and uniquely the same: painters, musicians, sculptors, and so on. A mosaic of talented artists!

You start to question your own identity as you re-label them. They are not wait staff who do art… they are artists that wait to pay the bills.

Who are we, then? We don’t have be the job that pays the bills. We can be… whatever we choose. We just have to do it.

So… what are you going to do?

Cheers & good on ya,
Deb

Sep192015

Story Retold: It’s All About the Style

Weird how we can see the same story retold over and over again, isn’t it? I mean how many versions of Cinderella have you seen or read? Or Jane Eyre? And each one is a different experience, never an exact copy.

Well, there’s a fellow on You Tube (Anthony Vincent) who performs Katy Perry’s “Dark Horse” in 20 different styles. Very entertaining!

To find it on You Tube, search for: Katy Perry 20 different styles
http://www.youtube.com/

And it’s wonderfully illuminating because: It’s all about the differing styles. The video clearly shows that it’s the way a story is told (or song is sung) that can totally change the experience.

So…. What’s your style?

Cheers and good style to you,
Deb

Sep32015

Magic Hour – Big and Small

Crimson and gold clouds stretching to the far horizon… a pink blush of colour tints the buildings left behind… sunset is a vibrant, spectacular time of the day – especially when the weather conditions are just right. No wonder at all why it’s called “magic hour.”

We can’t help but look to the skies for the extravagant light show, can we? Well, know that there are many other – smaller – magics happening at sun rise and set too.

Look down. Look closely.

Find the flowers that close up in the evening and open again at dawn. Everyday. Every single one. It’s a quiet kind of magic, but magical all the same.

Look closely. What small magical events and stories are happening around you?

Cheers and magic to you,
Deb

Aug202015

Business Cards at Festival Parties… Are They Passé?

With festival season starting soon, and all the festival parties and networking ahead it’s time to think about designing and printing your business cards.

“Aren’t they old-school?” you ask. “They’ll just throw them out!”

Indeed, you may be right. The business card has a hard time competing with the smart phone, but then again it may not need to.

Previously, I’ve mentioned the strategy of wearing a blazer or similar piece of clothing that has pockets on both sides of your body. Business cards to hand out in the pocket on one side, and business cards collecting in the pocket on the other (so you don’t mistakenly hand out someone else’s card). It’s still a good strategy.

Why?

1. Not everyone has their cell phone handy (to update) at a party.

2. Not everyone wants to pull out their cell phone to add everyone they meet to their cell phone contact list immediately.

3. A business card can be full colour and eye-catching and provide more message about who you are compared with a text note or name and number added to a cell phone.

4. People respond well to pictures. Promoting a film or book? The card can be the film poster or the book cover on one side and information on the flip side.

5. White space on the card or its back is useful for adding extra notes about your networking conversation (so the recipient will have a memory trigger about you after the event is done). Of course, you’ll need a pen with you too to take advantage of such notetaking.

So… call is a business card yesterday or a “promotional you” card today, it’s still a useful networking tool.

Now, it’s over to you! Design an eye-catching “promotional you” card. You know the recipient won’t keep it forever, so it can be business card sized, small bookmark sized, or some other relevant shape that you dream up (but keep it small, pocket-sized).

Then off to the printers before the festival parties begin!

Cheers & happy networking to you,
Deb

Category: FILM