Success & Winning Streaks by Brendon Burchard

I was just checking out YouTube for videos on success, when I came across 'Success & Winning Streaks' by Brendon Burchard.

If you want a plan for achieving the success in your life that your searching for, I highly recommend watching the video below.



I've already begun taking the kind of action that he suggests, and I'm in the process of taking massive action towards reaching my goals.

I have several big things I'm working on right now, and look forward to sharing the news with you in the very near future.

To your success,

Mike.

Tom Selleck comments on the MAGNUM P.I. Movie

I was on Google looking for any updates about the MAGNUM P.I. Movie, when I came across this interesting video in which Tom Selleck comments on the MAGNUM P.I. Movie.




It reinforces why I've created BECOMING MAGNUM.

Viva la Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum!

Mike.

Home Grown Revolution

I was just checking out Mark Macey's Facebook page, when I came across an interesting video called Home Grown Revolution.

It's a great concept and idea for personally ensuring the quality of the food that you eat. On their own personal lot, within the city of LA, they've grown over 6,000 lbs. of fruit a year.

Truly mind expanding, and sustainable.

Enjoy!

Mike.

The SteadiCam Smoothee...

I was just taking a look on the Web for some pictures of the Owle Bubo when I stumbled across a Video of the SteadiCam Smoothee by Teffen from Taz Goldstein at HHH - Hand Held Hollywood.

I'm really excited and look forward to getting my hands on the Smoothee, but I though I should share the Video with everyone, so here it is.

Enjoy!

Mike.

Owle Bubo and the iPhone 4

I just came across an iPhone 4 HD Video shot using the Owle Bubo.

The footage looks amazing. I can't wait to get my hands on a couple of iPhone 4's to begin shooting BECOMING MAGNUM with.

Enjoy!

Mike.

Theme Song - I Know I Can...Be What I Wanna Be!

Just came across this great Video which shares the overall theme for my Life and Goals.

Enjoy!

Mike.

Wisdom from Will Smith

Just came across this great video in which Will Smith shares his wisdom about success.

It pretty much sums everything up.

I think I'm gonna go and re-read THINK & GROW RICH and John Kehoe's MIND POWERS.

Keep having fun,

Mike.

Doing it for Money.

DOING IT FOR MONEY

by Bob Fraser

Let's start with an underlying truth behind all the info and advice I'll be passing along to

you in these weekly newsletters:

People who depend on talent, training, looks, age, or their 'connections' - have a smaller

chance of achieving a dream of success in show business than those who depend on

making a living doing what they love.

In fact, it is a misplaced emphasis on the 'craft' elements that causes most people to fail

and eventually quit trying.

The people who succeed are those who determine early on that what they are engaged

in is a ... BUSINESS.

One of my hobbies, during my active career, was watching the results of other show

biz folks. I kept journals for about 5 years, then I noticed that I didn't need to keep a

journal because it was becoming redundant. The fact is, that all the successful people

I met over 50 years, (and when I say ALL, I mean 100%) were capitalists.

I don't mean 'capitalist' in a political way - I'm talking about a kind of store-keeper

capitalism. All the successful people I've known in the show business are successful

because they are good business people ... good 'store-keepers.'

The other side of the coin is the unsuccessful actor, writer, director, producer, etc.

Believe me, most of them are not untalented, or untrained, or unconnected. Generally,

their real problem is that they are just lackadaisical business people.

The biggest mistake I see is the total time and energy those poor unsuccessful folks put

into the business side of their careers.

This amount of time can be called: NOT ENOUGH.

IMPROVE YOUR PRODUCT

If we are not working at our career to keep things running smoothly on a daily basis, if

we ever sit back and wait for things to happen, stop marketing and promoting, or quit

trying new ideas to get people into our store (to buy our product) well, every business

around us will say a big 'thank you' - and grab our customers.

If we don't devote enough time to our business, if we don't plan what we're doing, if we

don't put in a lot of thought and energy, if we don't have vision, if we're not excited by it

all, then the sad truth is that we're just not going to get very far. We are going to be

crawling along, while all around us, hard working capitalists will be charging past us to

the red carpet.

What can you do to become a better business person?

A good start is to understand the difference between being in business and just having the

store open.

The number one way to improve your business is to improve your product. The best

product is not always what the customer buys - but it's always the product the customer

wants. Your odds improve as your product gets better.

ADVERTISE

You will undoubtedly notice that I include a lot of ads in everything I do - website,

newsletter, giveaway items, etc. ... and I do that for a very important reason: I want to

be successful.

To be successful in business (any business) you must be willing to 'market' your product

or services.

A lot of folks don't like to do this part. The focus on the art and ignore the advertising

and marketing. That's why a lot of folks are not very successful. Be warned, if you want

to be in business, you must advertise.

If one kind of advertising isn't working - try something else. (Get new headshots until

you get one that works.)

You also must engage in 'selling.' If you don't like selling, then you are unfit to run a

business. Every business is all about selling. (Even acting, writing and directing - and,

in fact, the underlying idea of putting on a show is to convince the audience to 'buy' it.)

Which is why you shouldn't worry about hiring a salesman (an agent) until you've done

a lot of advertising and selling, yourself.

That's because you want a good salesman - and a good salesman knows better than to

try to sell an untested and unproven product.

An agent cannot afford to sell one of his customers (studios and producers) a sub-par

product. Keep in mind that your salesman will probably represent a lot of different

"lines" and she will give more attention to the ones who work hard at their business.

Always show the product (you) in the best possible way.

The key to good business is to accentuate the benefits of the product and work hard to

eliminate any reasons for the customer not to buy. This requires a lot of thought.

After all, your product is a human being and we all have flaws - which sometimes (after

some thought) - turn out to be benefits.

WORKING HARD AND SMART

That's what capitalism is: Taking your product out into the marketplace, defining your

customer base, doing good product testing and research, hiring good salespeople,

advertising well, and keeping the store open late.

Watch the capitalists around you. You know, the folks who run their own dry cleaning

store, sandwich shop, or quick print center. If they are successful, study them carefully

and find out how they run their businesses.

Believe me, you will discover that most of them ... WORK VERY HARD.

Is it worth working very hard?

Well, their dream is probably just financial success. Our dream, on the other hand, is

fame, fortune, respect and a bit of immortality. AND financial success.

Don't kid yourself, it's a capitalist's dream ... with a twist and a cherry on top.

The question is: how hard are you really willing to work to achieve your dream?

Keep in mind that the number one benefit of capitalism is the money - and money

equals freedom.

Freedom. I think that's a dream we can all get behind.

"Reprinted from The Show Biz How-To Newsletter. Get your own
free subscription here: http://www.showbizhowto.com
Copyright © 2010 Bob Fraser Productions All Rights Reserved"

Celebrities With Big Dreams That Paid Off

When you set out to find a career, it seems there are two warring camps you have to decide between: doing something you love or doing something that pays well. The dream, of course, is to find something that fulfills both goals, and it is possible. Here are five big names that made it by following their hearts, and ended up filling their wallets.

1. Jillian Michaels

The ferocious trainer from NBC's The Biggest Loser went from (in her words) fat kid to fit kid. She revealed at an eDiets.com conference that she left high school at age 17 to start training others. At age 24, she decided she needed a "real job" and went to work as a motion picture packaging agent, a job she says made her wake up every morning and "wish for death." At 27, she went back to training and considers her job now what gives her life meaning. Since leaving her "real job", Jillian has created a fitness empire under the company name Empowered Media.

2. Stephenie Meyer

Now a household name for her authorial debut, Stephenie Meyer was a stay-at-home mother of three until a dream on June 2, 2003 changed her life forever. Over the course of three months, that dream became her first novel, "Twilight", which debuted at #5 on The New York Times bestseller list. Since then, the first book alone has sold over 47 million copies worldwide and the subsequent novels in the series fared even better, with "New Moon" hitting #1 on the Times' list and "Breaking Dawn" reaching 69 million copies sold.

3. Matt Stone

Trey Parker and Matt Stone are best known as co-creators of the Comedy Central show South Park. Matt Stone graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder as the first student to hold the double major of film and mathematics. Their passion for film, music and entertainment led them to create the Comedy Central's highest-rated and longest-running program.

4. Mark Zuckerberg

The founder of social networking site Facebook.com, Mark Zuckerberg began the site when he was a student at Harvard with the help of fellow students and roommates. In 2004, after dropping out of college, he went to Palo Alto with nothing but his fledgling site to his name. With the help of $12.7 million in venture capital, Facebook became the number one social networking site in terms of monthly visits with over 1.19 billion hits in January 2009 according to compete.com.

Now take what you've learned, and start working on your Acting, Directing, Writing, or Producing Business. As an Artist, it's important to keep in mind that you are the Product that you are selling to the Buyers in Hollywood. Let go of the 'starving Artist' Mindset, and embrace the Entrepreneur/Artist Mindset.

The Internet has shifted power back to the Artist's who take responsibility for their own careers, for marketing and promoting themselves and their product.

See you at the top,

Mike.

THE ABILITY TO OVERCOME ANY OBSTACLE IN LIFE!

My friend Darren Jacklin (The Mega-Manifestor) has just sent me a link to an awesome and inspiring Video.

After you watch this Video, take a look at yourself, and ask yourself what 'Limits' have you set on yourself, and your ability to accomplish what you really want to in life. What more do I need to say? To your success, Mike

What more do I need to say?

To your success,

Mike

2010 LEO AWARDS - RED CARPET INTERVIEWS

Yesterday, (Saturday June 5th, 2010) my friend Lisa Ciniglio and I did some Red Carpet Interviews at the 2010 LEO AWARDS which is BC's equivalent of The Oscars where all of the elite people in the BC TV & Film Industry come together and celebrate everyone's accomplishments.

We shot the Interviews using the iPhone equipped with the Owle Bubo, and streamed the Interviews LIVE onto the Internet at www.Qik.com

I got my hands on the Owle Bubo at 3pm yesterday, and I had ZERO TIME to learn about using shooting Video with the Owle on the iPhone and/or about streaming the Video. I called Harold at Owle Bubo, and he gave me a brief walk through - he told me to get the Qik.com LIVE App for streaming video directly onto the Internet.

When I signed up, and just before shooting it said that the Video Quality wasn't going to because it was going to stream directly onto the Internet. (Had I known what the actual quality was going to look and sound like versus the quality of the Video's I've seen on YouTube, I would have just recorded and saved them to the iPhone, and then later uploaded them directly onto my Website, but I didn't have the luxury of time.)

We actually did about 12 Interviews. I'm going to have to contact the people at Qik.com to find out why the other Video's aren't visible/working.

At the top of the www.Qik.com/becomingmagnum page, there's an Interview with LOU DIAMOND PHILLIPS who was one of the Presenters, followed by an Interview with DREW SCOTT & JONATHAN SILVER SCOTT who Co-Produced the 2010 LEO AWARDS and at the bottom of the page is an Interview with the Creators of SANCTUARY which started off as a Web Series with 8 Webisodes and got picked up as a TV Series.

I am going to follow up with everyone that we interviewed to do more in-depth interviews over the next week.

It was great to be on the Red Carpet. Amanda Tapping (Sanctuary) and others had moments where they geeked out and got all excited about the fact that we were shooting the Interviews on the iPhone with the Owle Bubo.

That was my goal. We were unique and memorable. I heard from a friend late last night while I was at work, and saw him walking by, that Liz Levine (Executive in Charge of Development at BrightLight Pictures) who is also a friend, was shocked when I sent her the text right after the Interviews that they were already Online.

I know that several of the people we interviewed are going to be talking about us from their reactions, which is another goal accomplished.

Being on the Red Carpet and seeing so many people doing what I want, and am going to be doing FT was inspiring. It was also great to be around the energy of the Red Carpet, and to talk to several different Celebrities.

I also realized that there really is no difference between the Celebrities and myself. They are no different than me, other than their level of success, which I am well on my way towards achieving.

It feels great to have achieved this major goal. This past week was also a great learning experience for me. I emailed Drew Scott, one of the Co-Producers of the Event a week ago with an idea for doing Red Carpet Interviews and shooting them on the iPhone with the Owle Bubo.

He forwarded it to Colette, one of the Publicists managing the Red Carpet, and she gave me the thumbs up.

I sent an email to the guys at Owle Bubo (who prior to then I was nervous/scared about contacting - part of my subconscious conditioning of NOT BEING GOOD ENOUGH). Graham, the C.O.O. from Owle called me on Tuesday.

We were back and forth on the phone and through email for the next few days. On Thursday they shipped me an Owle Bubo which was supposed to arrive Friday by 12pm.

Turns out the FedEx plane the Bubo was on had mechanical problems, and it ended up in Memphis. FedEx wasn't going to deliver it until Monday by 12pm. I called them up, and told them that I needed it by Saturday at 3pm at the latest. After all, it was sent as a Priority Express Shipment. That's why it was supposed to be here Friday by 12pm.

I was on the phone back and forth with FedEx all of Friday, and again on Saturday from 10am until 2pm. At 2:15pm yesterday I got a call from FedEx that I could pick up the Bubo at their Richmond Facility.

There were a lot of hurdles and obstacles to overcome, but instead of giving into fear and doubt about not getting the Owle Bubo in time, I kept my thoughts and emotions in check, and kept them focused on the Owle Bubo arriving in time, and that I'd be on the Red Carpet doing Interviews with it.

I did have a Back Up Plan, of using my FLIP Ultra HD Camcorder to do the Interviews with. The FLIP shoots great quality HD Video, but it just doesn't quite have the Cool Factor that the iPhone and the Owle Bubo have together. Plus, I can't stream video directly onto the Internet with the FLIP.

I achieved my Goals, and took a huge step forward towards realizing my dream of being a Professional Working Actor, Producer, Director, and Writer in the TV/Film Industry.

Now, I just have to figure out, what is going to be my Reward for accomplishing my Goals?

My next major goal is to have a conversation with TOM SELLECK about BECOMING MAGNUM.

Thanks for all of your wonderful love and support,

Mike.

Karl Urban Interview about creating a younger version of BONES!

Earlier this week I was talking with Diane Fraser, my Editor for BECOMING MAGNUM about J.J. Abrams STAR TREK Movie and how awesome of a job Karl Urban did on capturing the essence of Deforest Kelly's BONES, as well as how good of a job he did sounding like Deforest Kelly.

I'm in the process of listening to Tom Selleck from a scene from an Episode of MAGNUM P.I. in which I've used iMovie on my Mac Book to import Video from an Episode of Magnum, P.I. and trimmed it down to footage of just Tom Selleck in the scenes.

Diane then converted it into an mp3 which I've been listening to on my Sony Walkman for the past week. I'm having a hard time matching how he sounds, but thanks to Karl, I think it's time to consult with a Dialect Coach and see what sort of things they will suggest for me to do in order to sound like Tom.

Unfortunately, I won't however be able to do that before I meet up with Diane tomorrow to record some Voice Over Narration for my 1st Episode, but hopefully as the Web Series progresses, by the end of the 6 months, I'll really be able to capture the essence of Tom.

Now, back to the Star of this post, KARL URBAN.

Karl, consider yourself Officially on my TOP 100 LIST of people to meet.

Mike.

Watchmen's Dave Gibbons: The Secret of My Success!

I just came across an Interview with Dave Gibbon's the legendary Illustrator and Co-Creator of the Watchmen talking about his success.

I found it to be a great source of inspiration as I keep chipping away at my success as an Actor and a Filmmaker. What really gripped me was

What really gripped me was when he talks about the Owl Ship, and how it was surreal for him to be on the Set of The Watchmen Movie and to be inside the Owl Ship which started off inside his head, and now he was physically inside of it.

I'm looking forward to the possibility of having a similar experience if BECOMING MAGNUM is successful in getting Tom Selleck and myself cast in the MAGNUM P.I. Movie.

All the best,

Mike.

The SteadiCam Smoothie...

I just came across video on YouTube about a SteadiCam for the iPhone called the SteadiCam Smoothie.

Take a look.

All the pieces are starting to come together for turning BECOMING MAGNUM into Reality.

Enjoy!

Mike.

Introducing the OWLE BUBO...

Just in case you were wondering, "What is the Owle Bubo?" I thought I'd make it easy, and insert a Video that answers that burning question for you.

What's in the Box?

Hand Held Hollywood

That should hopefully bring everyone up to speed about the Owle Bubo and give you a much stronger idea of what my

Reality Web Series, BECOMING MAGNUM is going to look like.

All the best,

Mike.

Advice from Don Cheadle...about tenacity.

Don Cheadle gives advice to an Acting Student about what it takes to go after an Acting Career...

...and the importance of doing your own thing, which best markets yourself, which is exactly what I'm doing with BECOMING MAGNUM.

We are getting so close to having everything done. Diane is putting the finishing touches on the New Promo Trailer, and for the 1st Episode. I'm meeting up with her on Thursday to see the Final Cut of the Promo Trailer and hopefully of the 1st Episode.

I'm then going to be taking the footage over to Bloody Bob's for him to watch and get a sense for what kind of Music is needed.

This week: I've got to listen to Tom Selleck speak in scenes from MAGNUM P.I. so I can get a sense of how he talks, and start working on learning how to sound similar to him for narrating for the 1st Episode of BECOMING MAGNUM.

I've also got to finish working on my Pitch, and re-listen to all of Gary Goldstein's "Scaling The Great Wall Of Hollywood," mp3's from the course that I took with him.

I've also got to go over my Internet Marketing for Filmmaker's materials.

Once the Promo Trailer is ready, I will be emailing the link to specific people that I've met in the Film Industry and have them Test Screen the Trailer for me, and share their reactions and comments and feedback.

Then I will send them a link to checkout the 1st Webisode of BECOMING MAGNUM, and again get their reactions and feedback.

A few more steps forward,

Mike

Mike

An Owle Bubo Comparison Test.

Hi everyone,

I just popped onto YouTube to look for Video's about the Owle Bubo when I came across this great video that does a comparison of video shot with the iPhone vs. video shot with the iPhone and the Owle Bubo and the VeriCorder Microphone.

It has me really excited about getting my hands on the iPhone especially with all of the great Apps that are out there for Independent Filmmakers and Actor's.

It is definitely a brave new world out there for Indies and Studio's alike.

Viva la Dream!

Mike.

A Great Tool for Shooting Video...

I just found out about The Wrist Shot by Hoodman through the Hand Held Hollywood Website.

There's also the WristShot Camcorder Support System Video directly on the Hoodman Website.

It sells for only $149.99 US and is definitely going to be a great addition to helping shoot BECOMING MAGNUM.

I'm going to be picking up an iPhone in the very near future, and once I've gotten it, I will be picking up both an Owle Bubo and the Wrist Shot and I will begin testing out shots and shooting footage for the 2nd Webisode.

I'm really excited and can't wait to see how things turn out.

Mike.

The Hidden Influence of Social Networks.

I just saw a powerful eye opening video about the hidden influence of Social Networks, in particular was the influence of obesity within the social networks.

It also gives you a greater understanding in the importance of expanding your social networks in targeted areas for expanding your net-worth along with your network...in the TV/Film Industry, or any Industry.

Here's the Video.

Enjoy,

Mike.

http://www.ted.com/talks/nicholas_christakis_the_hidden_influence_of_social_networks.html

Film ideas must be pitched creatively in Hollywood

I came across a great Article earlier this week while checking out Gary Goldstein's Mentoring Group's Website, and it gave me a couple of really big Aha! moments.

I realized that I"m going to need to make some changes to my Website - the feel and layout - as part of the Brand that I'm creating. It also made me think about the overall approach, and what needs to be refined and/or tweaked.

Here's the Article:

Film ideas must be pitched creatively in Hollywood

Alex Ben Block

Thu Oct 29, 2009 11:20pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The novella "Embassy" recently was sent around to producers by talent manager Joel Gotler, inviting them to team with him to create a movie package to offer major studios.

FILM | FRANCE

What was unusual was not that the thriller was written in five days by New York real estate investor, hedge-fund manager and author Richard Doetsch, or that it was published by Simon & Schuster but isn't available in bookstores.

What was new was that "Embassy" has been published as a Vook, a hybrid of text and embedded video that intertwine to tell the story of a hostage crisis and can be read and viewed full-screen online or on any mobile device. The Vook, Gotler says, is "the hottest thing right now."

What the Vook offers, along with a dramatic "Die Hard"-style story, is compelling video that helps sell the concept -- an element many producers are adding to market their projects alongside a script, book or graphic novel.

Why so much effort?In a consolidated marketplace, with fewer buyers making few movies and creating fewer TV pilots, they are demanding a higher level of proof that whatever they buy can be made into a movie or TV show.

"It's more work now," says Gotler, president of the Intellectual Property Group, a management and production company with literary roots. "You need a compelling story, but that isn't enough. You've got to bring in either a director, a writer, co-financing or a co-production deal. We're trying to think outside the box."

Many movies come from obvious sources -- best-sellers, remakes or high-concept marketable elements including toys, video games or classic TV shows -- but there still is a market for original material, especially family movies, comedies, horror and action pictures. However, the bar has been raised as to what it takes to make a sale. There are a lot fewer pitches or even spec scripts being sold, unless they come with elements that elevate their value.

"Right now, the development dollars are hard to come by," says Erwin Stoff, a partner at 3 Arts Entertainment, which manages talent and produces projects. "People are way more careful about what they are buying, so the more you have to offer going in, in terms of a comfort level in that what they are buying is a movie they will want to make, the greater the likelihood you are going to sell it."

Stoff recently sold "Water for Elephants," a best-selling historical novel by Sara Gruen. To make the deal, he partnered with producers Gil Netter and Andrew Tennenbaum; attached his client, writer Richard LaGravenese; and director Francis Lawrence.

"We had one of the most respected screenwriters and a very in-demand director and a property with heat," Stoff says. "It was still not the easiest of materials to sell because people are far less into speculative buying than they were."

In this case, "Water" found its level at Fox.

Producer-manager Doug Drazin of Epigram Entertainment says he recently submitted two scripts that "two years ago would have been bought. Now, it's, 'Yeah, bring an element attached.' So I'm saying, 'OK,' and what I'm finding is agencies are more open to reading material because they realize they have to do more packages themselves."

The shift has hit cost-conscious studios and networks, most of which have pared development staffs, a process that accelerated during the 2007 Hollywood writers strike. As a result, they look to packagers, especially manager-producer hybrids, to come in with material that won't require extensive additional development.

"They want stuff that is as close to ready to go as possible," says J.C. Spink of BenderSpink. "If you can come up with stuff that makes sense, they're really excited to be in business with you."

Spink uses the analogy of a Crock-Pot, or slow cooker: "It used to be a quick-fried sale; now we've gone to the Crock-Pot sale, adding ingredient by ingredient and letting it simmer. It's definitely harder to set things up, but what is good is that for the first time as a business, we are setting up stuff that they will really make."

That often means not only enlisting one's own clients but also working with other managers, talent agencies and producers to gather elements that make projects attractive to buyers. "It's always been a business of matchmaking," Spink says. "It's just the matchmaking has gotten a lot more specific."

Spink recently sold to DreamWorks a book titled "I Am Number Four," written by Jobie Hughes. It was brought to BenderSpink by its client James Frey.

"We found the right elements in terms of filmmakers with Michael Bay directing and Steven Spielberg executive producing," Spink says. "We hired a writer after the fact. It was the Bay attachment that got it set up."

What Spink hesitates to attach is an actor. "There are only about 20 actors that get a buy everywhere," he says. "Every other actor, some studios like and some don't. In a market where you are down to 12-13 people who can actually pay a fair amount of money for a script, I find that attaching actors can actually be a problem. What's been successful for us is finding the right material and packaging it with a writer."

Sometimes, however, having the right actor can help. Lucy Stille, who heads the literary-rights department at Paradigm, recently represented "The Fabulous Fraudulent Life of Jocelyn & Ed," an article that appeared in Rolling Stone about modern grifters that she felt was a surefire movie idea. Before going to studios, she gave it to Annette Savitch, a partner with Natalie Portman in Handsome Charlie Films.

"She loved it," says Stille, and gave it to Tracy Letts, who wrote "August: Osage County" not long after he won a Pulitzer Prize for drama "because she knew Tracy had a deal at Warner Bros."

"The combination of a terrific article, Natalie and Tracy got us a deal at Warner Bros.," Stille says. "I doubt, had I just sent the article cold to Warners, I would have done that. So all of us are spending much more time trying to put the right smart pieces together. The truth is, a lot of executives at the studio level don't have the time or inclination to do that."

When it makes a package stronger, Stille won't hesitate to reach out to big talent firms Creative Artists Agency or International Creative Management for clients. She says that while she looks out for Paradigm clients first, "we want to do what is best (to sell a book as a movie). If that means reaching out to another agency, we're secure enough to do it."

Although this evolution is more pronounced in the feature world, consolidation and cutbacks also have changed the game in television.

"Packagers have become more important because buyers have smaller and smaller budgets," says Brian Volk-Weiss, head of production and senior vp talent management at New Wave Entertainment/Dynamics. "People are being laid off, so there's a real need at the buyer level to have a lot of these components put together."

Volk-Weiss compares it to the way NASA worked during the 1960s and '70s, when the agency created every tool and piece of hardware in-house. "Now NASA has a lot of budget cuts and goes to vendors to lower overhead," he says. "The same thing is going on with studios and networks right now: If they used to have six people developing shows or 10 developing features, they now have three and four, respectively. There's a real impetus for outsiders who are not on their payroll to develop, and that's where packagers come into play."

Five years ago, Volk-Weiss says, New Wave was "scared" to attach too many elements to a pitch or script because it might give buyers a reason to say no. That idea pretty much has been turned on its head. "You don't want to be in a room anymore where the buyer goes, 'Great, but who is going to write this?'" he says. "Basically, they want all the pieces put together."

Volk-Weiss says his company almost always prepares a short video to help sell a concept. "I go into a room with 20 people and pitch an idea with a brown dog, and you've got 20 people thinking about 20 different brown dogs," he says. "When you go in with tape, you are showing the buyer exactly what we mean. That's why we have such a high pitch-to-sale rate."

Having the video already created is among the exciting things about the Vook, says Brad Inman, the technology's creator and CEO. "We think our technology, and video clips, is something that can be used to set up bigger movies and bigger events."

For now, one can read and watch the Vook on an iPhone for $4.95 or online for $6.95, with a selection of titles from Simon & Schuster that includes "Embassy," an exercise book and a cookbook.

(please visit our entertainment blog via www.reuters.com or on blogs.reuters.com/fanfare/)

It's been a crazy busy week as I've been working on cutting together a PROMO TRAILER, as well as looking through all of the footage of the Acting Class with Matthew Harrison at the Actor's Foundry where David Attar and myself are being coached through a MAGNUM P.I. Scene.

I only have a 6 minute window, and I have to figure out which is the best footage for the story that I want to tell. I'm also looking at the performance, and the personalities within the footage, and looking for the strongest of each, as well as what fits into the overall story that I'm looking to tell over the course of 12 Episodes to be shot over the next 6 months.

Two days ago, I met up with BRAD KING (one of Canada's Top Nutrition Experts) about my fitness and weight loss goals. He gave some great information, shot some footage for the Promo Trailer and for the 1st Episode. He also shared some great information with me that has really got me pumped and excited, and I'm really looking forward to getting started with my new Nutrition Plan and everything that Brad is going to be teaching me in order to achieve my lifelong nutrition goals.

NEW CONTACT!

I managed to make 1 new contact this week. My friend Karen Holness who is a Working Actor, introduced me to Richard. Richard is producing a $35 Million Feature Film about a True Story about his father. It's a powerful story, and I can't wait to see it.

The Coming Week...

My Goals for the coming week are to finish shaping the 4th Video of the 1st Episode of BECOMING MAGNUM. Season 1, Episode #101 - "Resolution is Proximity."

Finish the PROMO TRAILER, get it uploaded onto my Website and then send out emails to people to get them to watch the Trailer and provide their feedback on it.

Contact Key People that I know in the Entertainment Industry that are higher up than I am about a Dinner Party that I'm putting together for the Test Screening of my 1st Episode - to gauge their reactions, and to get their opinions and feedback.

Pick up a Swimming Pass for the Month, and go swimming 3x this week.

Meet up with Rob Epp and Joe Docherty and find out about Music for the 1st Episode.

Call Garry Chalk and ask him if he'd be willing to be my Voice Coach/Director as I have some Narration to do. Also ask him if he could Narrate a section for me for the Trailer and possibly Opening Sequence.

I need to make 1 new solid contact in the Entertainment (TV/Film/Media/Music) Industry.

Until next time,

Mike.

I read an article earlier this week that I find through Gary Goldstein's Mentoring Class

Funding Resources for Filmmakers...

I received an email from www.documentaryhowto.com as part of their DocuMentors Series about a FREE TELESEMINAR this Thursday night as part of their DOC TALKS session.

Go to www.documentaryhowto.com and click on FREE TELESEMINAR)

DOC TALKS this Thursday May 13th will give you the inside scoop on securing ITVS LINCS Funding.

I signed up and I'm looking forward to getting some great information about securing ITVS LINCS Funding.

I also went to the ITVS.org Website and downloaded a very informative PDF which I'm going to use as a reference source for my Pitch to Investors, Tom Selleck, and Brian Grazer when the time comes.

http://itvs.org/funding/resources/digital-survey-2009

I've also just finished writing out the Paper Edit for my PROMO/TEASER Trailer that I'm going to use to Promote BECOMING MAGNUM with, and use it to attract some more money from Investors so that I can get down to the 2010 Produced By Conference. I will also be sending the PROMO/TEASER Trailer to Tom Selleck once we've got it cut together.

All the best,

Mike.

Focus on the solution...not the problem.

I've been a little stressed out this weekend as I have to figure out a way to come up with up to $4,500 to finish the editing of my 1st Webisode, pay for tickets to the 2010 Produced By Conference in LA, pay for airfare, and get some new clothes...

I handed the problem over to my subconscious mind, forgot about it for awhile, and then got frustrated when I did think about it, and so I had to force it out of my conscious mind completely. A few hours later, an idea popped into my mind.

I NEED TO CREATE MORE VALUE...and show my small investor the value of his investment by putting together a really solid TEASER TRAILER that piques people's curiosity and intrigue and leaves them wanting more.

I've spent the past few hours going over the footage and rearranging it, moving it around, and trimming it using iMovie.

I now have a rough cut I'm going to take over to my Editor's and get her to put together a really powerful TEASER TRAILER that we can use to promote to my current investor, and possibly to attract some more investors with.

At this point, I'm not sure we're going to make it for the Wednesday Submission Deadline, which is too bad, but really, my focus is on getting the best 1st Webisode and promotional Trailers/Materials and Pitch materials ready, and then get in touch with Tom Selleck...so that is where my priorities are at the moment, and then to get down to the 2010 Produced By Conference.

It's gonna be a crazy busy month, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm doing what I love, I get to be creative and I'm going after a really Big Crazy Impossible Dream!

Lovin' life,

Mike

Episode #1, Video #4

Happy Mother's Day everyone,

A very interesting thing happened at work last night. I wrote yesterday about how I have X amount of dollars that I need to come up to finish the Editing for the 1st Episode, and get myself to the 2010 Produced By Conference from June 4-6th...

While I was working at the Bar, in walked my small investor who was supposed to be out of the country. Part of me is reluctant to approach him about investing some more money, but at the same time, I can't ignore the fact that I need to come up with some more money, and the very same day he walks into the Bar.

I've also been reviewing the footage of the 1st Episode so far, and I need to cut together a 4th Video which will round out the first Episode and bring everything full circle and set things up for the 2nd Episode. I will be working on that today, and once I've got it finished, I'll take it over to my Editor's to get her to work her magic.

I'm also looking at putting together a Dinner Party and inviting everyone involved in BECOMING MAGNUM - From my Investor, to my Personal Trainer, my Chiropractor, my Acting Instructor, my Nutrition Expert, my Scene Partner, my Composer, my Entertainment Lawyer, Garry Chalk who narrated the Trailer for me...and have everyone in the same room so they can all finally meet each other and to share the 1st Episode with them.

I'm considering asking them to help me put together the rest of the money that I need to get myself to LA to the 2010 Produced By Conference.

I'm also looking at approaching Tom Selleck in the next 7-10 days...

Part of me wants to rush to get the 1st Episode together for the Wednesday Deadline for the PRODUCER'S CHALLENGE for the 2010 Produced By Conference. The Grand Prize of $30,000.00 would help significantly in financing my Reality Web Series.

Another part of me wants to make sure I've got the best product, and that I've tested it with an audience before submitting it to anything. I'm on the fence about that right now.

I am also going to need to get a copy of the 1st Episode into Tom Selleck's hands, and hopefully get him on board, and then if we both approached Brian Grazer together, I think that'd give us a lot more leverage.

It's time to get back to Editing the 4th Video of the 1st Episode.

All the best,

Mike.

Cutting together the 1st Episode...

Hi everyone,

I've been working hard cutting together the 1st Episode of my Reality Web Series, BECOMING MAGNUM with my Editor Diane Fraser.

While taking Gary Goldstein's "Scaling The Great Wall Of Hollywood Course," he told me to make sure I had a finished product to give to Brian Grazer when I meet him.

I found a small investor who gave me money $2,500 to get this done. The first thing I did was to buy a Mac Book so that I could help review all of the footage, and then do a Pre-Edit for my Editor, to help save myself money. The Mac Book cost me $800. I also bought 2 External Hard Drives totalling 2.5 TB and cost another $200. Leaving me $1,500 to finish the 1st Episode.

I'm so incredibly glad that I did this. I went through 8 hours of footage that we had shot, and cut it down to 1:11:18 seconds and took it over to my Editor.

I then realized that I am going to need to learn how to Market my Reality Web Series on the Internet. So I signed up for an Internet Marketing for Filmmaker's Online Course which cost another $500.

That left me with $1,000. I gave $50 to my Web Designer, and another $100 for Web Hosting for my Main site, and all of the different sites attached to it. That leaves me with $850 for my Editor.

She then called me up, and had me come back over, and we went through some of the footage, and she had me go back and write a Script based on all of the dialogue within the footage so that we can find the heart of each scene, and the overall story that I want to tell in the Episode.

I did, and it took me about 2 days to go through all of the footage, and write out the script. It was an amazingly powerful experience. I went back over to Diane's with the Script, and now I have to figure out and write Voice Over/Narration for the Opening and Closing of each segment of the Episode.

Which I'm currently in the process of doing right now.

I have also found out about www.producedbyconference.com from Leanne at Cineworks, in which Brian Grazer will be one of the speakers, and it would be a great place for me to meet him. They also accept Submissions for Webisodes from Independents such as myself, and they are giving away a $30,000.00 Grand Prize to go towards Production. As an Actor, it's also a great place for me to be to meet the Top Producer's in Hollywood and begin building relationships with them now.

OPEN CALL FOR ENTRIES

• Narrative Shorts

  Films must be under 40 minutes (open to close) and be narrative in form.

• Documentary Shorts

  Documentary shorts under 40 minutes.

• Webisodes

  Independent Webisodes. Entrants must submit a minimum of THREE webisodes to demonstrate overall continuous storyline. Individual webisodes must be no longer than 6 minutes each.

• Studio Webisodes

  Studio and network-made webisodes. A studio webisode constitutes a webisode backed by a studio, network, TV show, or production. For example, "Lost" webisodes produced by Universal. Entrants must submit a minimum of THREE webisodes to demonstrate overall continuous storyline. Individual webisodes must be no longer than 6 minutes each and must be original material created specifically for the web.

MISSION & OBJECTIVE

The Producers Challenge is intended to promote the work of emerging storytellers, spotlighting producers who demonstrate outstanding promise in their respective fields. In so doing, we aim to deliver exciting new projects to a wider audience and expand the reach of the entertainment community to include the next generation of great producers. Producing is a holistic craft; there is no facet of production a true professional does not touch. Accordingly, submissions will be judged in their entirety, as cohesive and self-contained pieces of storytelling. Juror considerations may include—but are not limited to—originality of creative vision, quality of production values, and inventiveness in the face of narrative challenges or technical constraints.

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL

The 2^nd Annual PRODUCERS CHALLENGE contest is being presented in concert with the 2^nd Annual PRODUCED BY CONFERENCE, an extraordinary gathering of top producing talent in film, television and new media. New and emerging producers are encouraged not only to submit to the contest, but register for the multitude of seminars, discussions and special events that have made the Conference the destination for the producing community this summer.

The Producers Challenge presents finalists in each of four categories: narrative short films, documentary short films, independent webisodes, and studio webisodes. With finalists to be selected by a jury of renowned producers, the Challenge offers storytellers a chance to have their work screened for an audience drawn from every corner of the entertainment industry, with winners receiving not only a complimentary registration to the entire conference program, but an opportunity for connection and mentoring with acclaimed professionals such as Marshall Herskovitz, Gale Anne Hurd, and many more.

PRIZES

Equilibrium Entertainment logo

The prizes this year are better than ever! Each winner will receive a MAKE YOUR NEXT Short Film Package totaling $30k in services for EACH WINNER. Just bring your DP and editor and Equilibrium Entertainment will provide consulting on pre-production, camera and audio gear, production van, a small crew, edit facilities, audio mixing, graphics and titling and MORE. Get details on the equipment winners will have access to use.

Other prizes will include a private mentoring lunch with a top producer like Gale Ann Hurd, Mark Gordon or Marshall Herskovitz, full budgeting and scheduling software packages from Entertainment Partners and an all-session badge to the 2011 Produced By Conference.

The three finalists in each category will have the opportunity to screen at the Conference.

Tickets for the Event Sell for $995, it cost $100 to submit BECOMING MAGNUM the 1st Episode to the Event. The deadline for submissions is Wed May 12, 2010 (5 days from now). It'll cost an additional $1,200 to get my Editor to finish it in time, plus I need to get it Scored with Music and have it all packaged together and sent off. Plus, I'll need to pay for Airfare ($500) and Car Rental ($250), and some new clothes ($500) to go to the Event.

At this moment, I need to come up with an additional $4,540 (2 Tickets to the Event. Pay my Editor, Airfare, Car Rental, and Clothes.

I need to come up with $3,290 by Wed. If I'm unable to finish and submit the 1st Episode by Wed, I will still need to come up with $995 x 2 ($1,990) for Tickets to the Event and $1,200 for my Editor ($3,290) asap.

My focus for the next few days is to to finish writing the Opening/Closing Voice Over for each segment and to come up with the $3,290 so I can get myself to the Produced By Conference with BECOMING MAGNUM in hand when I meet with Brian Grazer and all of the other Top Hollywood Producers.

And on getting the 1st Episode finished along with the Music.

Wish me luck,

Mike.