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Deborah S. Patz – Author

Author of film books for industry pros and youth

Jan222010

Coming this summer… Film Production Management 101 – 2nd Edition

I’m working on the copy edit of the new edition now and have now seen the artwork for the new cover… oh boy! It’s getting exciting as launch day approaches. The book will be available this summer and I will keep you updated.

…and no doubt I’ll have some type of virtual celebration on Facebook for the new edition, so join up at: www.facebook.com/DebPatzBooks!

As for the other balls I’ve been juggling, I’ve also just updated my debpatz.com website and its film & TV links resource links pages for PM’s and PC’s. Come by, use them!

PM101 – FILM & TV RESOURCE LINKS
for Production Managers & Production Coordinators
www.debpatz.com/pmlinks.htm

Weather – Time – Maps | Budgeting & Pre-Production | Research | Film Commissions | Organizations | News | Computer | Travel | Office | Courier | Legal | Insurance | Post Production | Coffee Break

You’ll find pages for the USA and the UK… and now for Canada too! Do let me know if you find them useful, and what other links you may wish.

Well… back to copyediting for me!

Cheers,
Deb

Jan152010

Inspiration at the Movies: Pirates of the Caribbean

“Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate”
– Captain Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl – 2003)

My family is the real treasure that first comes to mind for me every time I hear this line… what comes to mind for you?

Cheers,
Deb

Jan12010

A Comforting Sign Along The Way

1-way-pathWouldn’t it be nice to have the path (read “career path”) laid out in front of you, and a sign such as this one, in the photo, assuring you that you are going the right way!

I think freelance life rarely sees this clarity. Freelance life is choosing the non-path – in this case striking a new path – your own path – in the woods. Yes, it’s hard and scary and lonely to leave the groomed trail – the one that others have prepared before you. With freelance life, you are cutting your own trail. You can visit the groomed path now and then, but you do not have to stay there. Making your own way you will find yourself blessed with living close to your career dreams. And that is as lovely a place to be as it is scary.

Hmmm, I wonder… if you had such a path and sign as this, would you actually choose to follow it?

Best wishes for the new year to you, whatever path you choose!

Cheers,
Deb

Dec182009

The Most Famous Star I’ve Worked With

When you work in the film industry, you inevitably hear the question: “So, who have your worked with?” This question, of course, really means: “Which Stars have you worked with that I know really well, and totally admire?”

Yes, I have worked with many Stars over the years. Some have been more famous than others. Some became famous after I had worked with them. And many of those who I admire may – or may not be – the same people the questionner is quietly pondering… but I can say that I have had the pleasure of working with the most famous Star of them all: Santa Claus.

So famous, so admired, Santa had to have a dressing room on a separate floor of the building to keep him at a distance from the child (a.k.a. fan) with whom he was sharing scenes. He was – and is – a total professional. Very aimable guy. I found him to be everything we’ve all expected him to be over the years! What an honour!

So… who have you worked with? 🙂

Happy festive season to you!

Cheers,
Deb

P.S. For a little work-life balance this holiday season, I will not be posting a blog entry next week (December 25). Enjoy the festive season and see you for New Years!

Dec112009

Conquering Perfectionism… by Listening to the J-Tree

J-TreeThe film industry strives for excellence, but it’s a very small step to start striving for perfectionism instead. We want every word in the script, every frame in the camera to be perfect.

Remember, however, that perfectionism is unachieveable – at least if you want to achieve it all the time. Striving for the impossible can leave you forever disappointed in yourself and others. In extreme cases, you may never complete a task because the outcome will never be good enough for you. At the end of the day, you will be very weary.

To conquer perfectionism, I found the answer in Nature. A walk in the forest and you’ll see all kinds of organized chaos. Trees seems to grow haphazardly; some grow right on top of fallen ones, ignoring the rich soil beside. Trees grow crookedly – like this “J-tree” here in the photo. And yet, it works. It’s beautiful. It’s excellence. It’s as close to perfection as it needs to be. It’s real.

So, you don’t have to be perfect. You just have to be real. For those who understand the weight of striving for perfectionism… what a relief, eh?

Cheers,
Deb