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Deborah S. Patz – Author

Author of film books for industry pros and youth

Jan282011

Too Late for Resolutions for 2011?

The start of the new year typically has one setting resolutions to improve facets of one’s life over the next year. If you go by advertisements and sales, the major areas for improvement are: diet & health, exercise, career and money (savings).

But as the weeks slip by, you start to wonder if it’s too late for making resolutions. You have to admit you’re no longer writing 2010 when you mean to write 2011. The year is no longer new. Heavy sigh. Have you failed even before you started? And this year you may have really wanted to make significant change in your life!

Have no fear. Each year is filled with multiple “new years.” Why do you have to restrict yourself to the Gregorian one? Maybe your timing with January 1 just doesn’t work. Choose another new year – one more appropriate to you instead. Here are a few to choose from in the next few months:

January 1 (the Gregorian calendar new year) – ok, this one is past. Did you know it was created in the 1500s and prior to its creation there were several calendars being used at the same time?

February 3 (the Chinese new year… this year) – this date moves around a bit from year to year; in 2011 it’s on February 3. Each year is associated with an animal. Next up is Year of the Rabbit.

March 20 (a new year for Nature; the first day of spring) – who can argue with Nature as the start of a new year / new choices when life is blossoming around you? The Iranian calendar also synchronizes nicely with this date as the official start of the new year.

April 24 – (a church new year; Easter) – this one is another new year that moves around a bit year after year. The traditional start of its church year, it is a time associated with rebirth.

None of these are suited enough to you? Then what about…

A film industry new year – “What?” you say. “Could there be such a thing?” In film, anything is possible so why not! In this case, I recommend you make up and recommend an appropriate tradition. In “Gone With the Wind” for example, Scarlett tells us that “tomorrow is another day”. Hmmm… well, as long as you make tomorrow into “today” when you wake up in the morning, then tomorrow is an excellent day to resolve to improve your life! Get right on it!

Good cheer & much success to you for your new year (whenever it is),
Deb

Jan212011

F.I.L.M. Blog: Lookin’ Back & Lookin’ Forward

The 2010 stats are in and the F.I.L.M. Blog is doing great! Thank you for making it so and let me share some nuggets with you:

Deb’s F.I.L.M. Blog at WordPress (the host):

  • WordPress’ Blog Health-o-Meter: “Awesome!”
  • Included in Bachelor’s Degree.org’s 60 best blogs for Aspiring Screenwriters – Filmmaker section
  • Most of the favourite blog posts appear to deal with sourcing free information… the top one being the Free Film Budget by co-MWP author Deke Simon. Well, I hear you and will bring you more “free” again this year. No worries!

Deb’s F.I.L.M. Blog & social community at Facebook:

  • A growing community from at least 7 countries around the world; a great place to connect – like a virtual porch
  • Held some great contests in the last year and gave away books and budgeting pencils. we’ll have to do that again! Yes?

Deb’s books – published by MWP Books:
As you may know, this blog – as well as the film resource links at debpatz.com – are companions to my books on film production management and coordination.

  • My book “Film Production Management 101” was one of the top selling MWP books in the last quarter of 2010 (the new edition, as you may know, came to market mid/late last year) – thank you very much for your part in making it happen!
  • Deb’s books are now available in at least 27 countries around the world! Wow. My books are more travelled than me!

Thanks again for your part in the success of Deb’s F.I.L.M. Blog (and books)! Please continue to spread the word! And here’s looking forward to more posts, more connecting, more F-un, I-nspiration, L-ife & M-anagement!

Cheers & a good shoot to you,
Deb

Jan72011

Inspiration at the Movies: You’ve Got Mail

“Whatever else anything is, it ought to begin by being personal.”
– Kathleen Kelly (You’ve Got Mail, 1998)

It hurts that Kathleen is losing her business at this point in the film. She has such an important message to say. I believe her. Whatever we do – in whatever facet of our life – it ought to begin by being personal. We are people journeying life together. We are not numbers. We are not statistics. We are individuals. Find the people in our careers. Connect with them. We are a community. We are all people. We are all personal. Right-on, Kathleen. Good reminder!

Who did you connect with today?

Cheers & festive greetings to you,
Deb

Dec312010

Stoplight Career Choice

I love this light. Every time I see it I can’t help but think about the career choices we are faced with in this industry.

You are choosing between this job or that job, each with different pros and cons.

Job #1 is a relatively long contract, so you won’t have to look for another freelance job for a good year. How nice. Of course that could also mean that you’ll be out of freelance circulation so long that your contacts forget to call you when new opportunities come up. You’re not the type of person to take a job, and then quit it as soon as something better comes along; you’re going to commit to this job for the long haul. The pay, of course, is lower than what you’re used to, but it’s decent enough. The steadiness of the pay cheque will probably even out over the course of the contract to the feast-n-famine freelance lifestyle  of other jobs anyway. The project itself is inline enough with your career goals, but you are only mildly interested in the creative material. You have the ability to do a great job  and there will be sufficient challenge to keep you interested and striving to do your best.

Job #2 pays better but is a very short term contract of 3 weeks. The creative material really excites you, but you’ve been having more famine than feast of late, and don’t look forward to working hard on production knowing that you’ll need another job again very soon in order to cover the bills. You have the ability to do a great job here too, though some of the challenges are like walking into unknown territory and that scares you a little.

Which job do you choose?

You have a mortgage and family… now which job do you choose?

You are instead choosing between job #1 and no job at all (just the potential for finding another one)… which do you choose?

Who knows what lies down each of these paths! You can only learn about one of them. You may be able to see a part of the way down the road (to influence your decision) but not all the way. From this perspective, then, they are equal choices; they just take you down different roads… each one forward in its own way.

Does the choice bring you another step closer to your ultimate career goal? Can you make a certain choice at this moment in your life? You – by making your selection – are the one who brands the choice as “right”.

Best wishes in making your choices

Cheers & prosperous 2011 to you,
Deb

P.S. I took the short term job to the surprise of my closest friends who thought I would be more tempted by the steady nature of the first one. It was a tough choice at the time, but inside I knew it was right for me at that moment in my life… you know what I mean?