The Promotional Battle

So yesterday I had hoped to get a brochure done, business card design, and a website done before the day was through. Instead we only got the brochure done and even that needs to be tweaked a good amount from what we came up with. I think it was just an off day for me and my buddy yesterday, I think I was hoping he would spearhead the design more and vice versa for him. So in the end we both were kind of lost in the design phase, what we have on the front and back cover work perfect I love it, but the inside leaves a lot to be desired. I think what we really need is more about the company, like how we got started, what we are all about all that good stuff. Right now it is more of a here is what we do as far as services kind of thing. Either way though it will get done just a lot slower than I thought it would be.

More photo editing for me today, gotta finish up the dj photos and also finish Ashley's headshot photos for her acting application.

Random Movie Fact: In the 2001 film Life as a House, the featured house had to be removed after filming, but costume designer Molly Maginnis led a group of parents that had it dismantled, reconstructed, and enlarged to become a library for the Kenter Canyon school in Brentwood, California. The new library opened in April 2004.

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

The Plan

So for today here is the plan...I am going to go out to my friends studio and work on three separate but equally important missions. 1. Start designing a website for To Tony Productions, a priority that has been high on my list for a while now, and something that needs to happen to help expand things at TTP. 2. Awesome flyers, I want to start going out to more events and hand out flyers for our services to people. A lot of companies in the area are available online but don't really appeal to the average consumer, my goal is to start working on that market more effectively, especially around my home area. 3. Make new business cards, I like the ones I am currently using but I hope with some new business cards to have a way to show people that we have a facebook, vimeo, eventually a smug mug, etc. Plus I want to add a little more flash to it, the current ones are all white which was cool for the whole less is more effect but I am a little over it at this point. That is the agenda for today, hopefully we can at least get moving on all three but if we just get the website close to completion I will be happy.

Random Movie Fact: In the 2005 film The Weather Man, the food that hits Nicolas Cage throughout the film is thrown by director Gore Verbinski.

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

Huge Meeting

Today is going to be a big day for us at TTP. We have a huge business meeting with what could be our first big corporate client. Corporate video is usually something that I tend to stay more away from, not because I can't do it just because it doesn't have much appeal to me. However this client proves to be an exception to that case by actually having some really cool stuff going on as a business. It is a unique opportunity for us as a production company and I just hope everyone will be thinking good thoughts today for us. Wish us luck...knock on wood!

I will posting up photos from the charity event we did on October 27th as long as the company receives the raw photos today, if not I will wait for them to get the materials.

Random Movie Fact: In the 2012 film Moonrise Kingdom, Laura Bishop shouts at various family members through a bullhorn. The idea came from co-writer Roman Coppola's childhood, as his mother Eleanor Coppola used a bullhorn in a similar fashion.

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

July is Over

So it is official July is over and done with. It is now August and every so often I like to look back at a month and reflect on how things went. July was interesting as I feel it is every year, it was the month of my birthday and also I think it was the first true transitional month for me. It was the first time I feel like myself and To Tony Productions really stepped things up and started asking for a bit more from our clients, to run a business and provide quality products we had to start asking for decent pay. While at the beginning of July I had a lot of work opportunities and chances to make videos a lot of it just wasn't for the right price. I was getting kinda lowballed and no matter how much I tried to make it work at the end of the day there was really nothing in it for me as an artist or business man. Those that just weren't ready to pay for the quality were I guess left to their own devices, I am just not going to operate like that. It is hard and gigs get passed by a lot but I will take quality over quantity any day of the week. Yes July was a month for me to grow and I think I finally have a great foundation for the future.

Random Movie Fact: The 1994 film Clerks was filmed at the same store in which director Kevin Smith was working at the time. As he was only allowed to film outside of business hours, and because bright enough lights couldn't be afforded, the plot included an explanation for the shutters being always down.

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

Busy Season Starting

Well it seems as though the summer is starting to pick up over here at TTP. In the past two days I have been contacted by two different artists looking for music videos which is really exciting, especially considering that I have two other artists looking to make videos from a few weeks back. I think I am going to hold off on the two artists from weeks back though just because the price point for the videos just isn't right. I mean at this point I am trying to work with a crew of people who are all looking to get paid, including myself and sometimes I get low balled a little bit in the dollars range. I know when I talked to these artists I had a part time job but things change, so I am going to try to renegotiate with them to see what I can do.

Other than that I have to go in today to my part time production gig and I think pick up my check from the weekend shoot, and possibly do an editing test which hopefully does not make me look like an idiot. The system they use for editing is a Mac one which is like my worst enemy, I can use them I just chose to stay away, but hey you never know maybe all the rust will come off quickly. If it doesn't though I hope he doesn't get rid of me because I don't do great. Maybe I am just over thinking it but hey whatever.

Other than that it is a day to push the production company and maybe play some video games later in the day after heading up to the post house. We will see.

Random Movie Fact of the Day:
In the classic Forrest Gump with every transition of Forrest's age, one thing remains the same- in the first scene of each transition he wears a blue plaid shirt.

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

Making Moves

So yesterday I had my meeting with the principal from my old high school Sparrows Point. The meeting was fine, I was clean cut and dressed up, super professional. He was more than willing to help in any way that he could but as far as nailing down the school for the weekend things were completely out of his hands. As soon as I got into the fact that I would need extras and filming on the weekend it moves into a category that the county has to deal with. Apparently they would need to have custodians on duty to clean up any messes we make while filming even though I offered to clean up after all that stuff. He is going to contact the county and get back to me but things aren't looking too good as far as right now. That leads us to the past 24 hours...

Last night was total breakdown mode which happens with every production but this time especially because of the location trouble so far. Well I had to work and just was not in a good mood, because as a student filmmaker I hate the fact that I have to limit my visions because of not having money. I am a firm believer in making great work but the things trying to stop that are numerous. It is sad because if I had a million dollars to throw around the schools wouldn't hesitate to have me film there even if the project was shit. On the flip though if you have a great story but no cash to throw around no one wants to be around you.

So to the present day, I went crazy emailing every school I could think of and didn't hear back from anyone except Dundalk Elementary who told me to contact the communication department in the school, then when I did the second I said anything about filming they immediately transferred to the guy who runs the department. I left him a message and haven't heard back yet. I can see myself fighting this guy because whenever I say I want at least 50 extras for the film and want to do a little bit of decoration the conversation takes a left turn to nowhereville. Sorry I don't want to just settle anymore, and making a believable film takes some set decoration and extras. Lets see how it goes.

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

Big Changes For Tomorrow

So today I have been running myself ragged in a day that should have been a lot more chill, mainly because my morning class got cancelled but I didn't realize it until after I got up to Towson which sucked. So after being up for all that time I went back home took a shower then got my hair cut, then came back for an audio interview, now I am going to class, then ditching my last class in favor of talking with a good friend about being DP for my next big film project.

Tomorrow is making me nervous because I have the all important meeting with the principal of my old high school. This is vital to the film because I need this location since the majority of the story takes place at the high school, if I get shot down it will be devastating. We will see how it goes but I shaved the beard and cut the hair and bought a nice outfit all for tomorrow. It is huge to me.

Other than that I can really start to see all the shots I want for the film and the vision is really starting to come to life which is exciting because the more concrete idea I have, the better it will be come filming time.

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

Accomplishments of the Day

So today was a good mix of both relaxation and getting business done. All day was basically spent with my girlfriend Ashley, just lounging around and what not but in the evening I had two meeting with local musicians about upcoming music videos. Both meetings boiled down to shooting after I graduate which would be in May, so about mid May to Early June trying to knock it all out of the way. So that means potentially by the end of this year (as far as from now until June) I would have made 3 music videos and 2 short films which would be a new record for content created for myself. Things are really looking bright and hopeful and as long as this track stays true for me it will be a great year.

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess