AWARD LOSING FILMMAKER SHANE NELSON ON WORK FOR HIRE
HELLO! (About Omni-Fusion & Shane Nelson)
MCTC Alum
Not Had A Day Job since 2001
48 Hour Film Winner / Best Film Best Director / Best FX / Best Sound Design • Best Doc Newport Beach Film Fest • Best Biography X-Dance
YOU WILL FAIL MORE THAN YOU SUCCEED. DON’T LET REJECTION GET YOU DOWN.
TV Jimmy Fallon Show, X Games, World Series of Poker
FEATURE DOCS Like A Lion staring 7 times X Games Gold Medalist Tanner Hall for Red Bull & Oakley, Hooray For The Madness (Boutique & Big Box Stores, Internet)
ACTION SPORTS: 11 Action Sports films , WSkI 106, Stereotypes, Pop Yer Bottlez! Netflix, Big Box Stores. Ring The Alarm for Rockstar Energy, Oakley & Go Pro
COMMERCIALS: National > Target Johnson & Johnson (Doc Mc Stuffins)
MUSIC VIDEOS over 50 music videos: Foo Fighters, Motion City Soundtrack, Doom Tree, Bon Jovi, New Pornographers, Minus The Bear, etc.
THAT’s great… you are old and haggard… and have all this work to show I’m young and in school and have a black and white movie about a clown with bad sound.
That’s ok. Started there too.
QUICK ENTRY TO CREWING ON FILM:
You can start crewing on film sets.
1. Make yourself available for free or for pay and then show value. Positive Attitude. Read articles about “Setiquette” and crewing.
2. Form An LLC
A. Protects you and employer for 1099 labor B. California Uber Changes C. Protects your personal assets in some cases. It’s relatively inexpensive.
3. As you show your value and gain confidence and trust of those in production you will begin to get calls for paid work.
GO FOR SHEER VOLUME OF OPPORTUNITIES. YOU WILL LEARN what to do and what NOT to do.
You never have to do anything unsafe
You can often get an unpaid internship in whatever department you want to try so jump around til you find something you like
I started as PA then AC but I was a terrible AC and transitioned AD in early 2000s (Subway, Napoleon Dynamite DP Munn)
Your goal is to be a 1st call on a few busy crews or coordinators/UPMs or Line Producers
THIS IS NOT AS EASY AS I MAKE IT SOUND SO MANY PITFALLS. NOT RETURNING TEXTS CALLS OR EMAILS FAST ENOUGH, BEING LATE, MESSING UP WHEN IT’S YOUR FAULT, GETTING BLAMED WHEN IT’S NOT YOUR FAULT.
DON’T TAKE IT PERSONAL. WHAT HAPPENS ON SET STAYS ON SET.
If you have a problem take it to the producer or department head in private.
IF YOU ADD VALUE, ARE PROBLEM SOLVER AND ARE FUN TO HANG WITH IN TENSE or BORRRRING situations you have a great shot.
Many crew show up 15-30 min early EVERY job.
Honestly I never made it as a CREW Member but I made my income from
On paid jobs send thank you with Invoice and w-9. Pay attention if it passes terms then follow up.
WORK FOR HIRE!
This basically where you are hired by an agency, production company or business or even person to execute a project for compensation. Often as 1099 subcontracted labor. you need a EIN or Soc #. I lay out this in my Contract as independent contracted labor. (And it almost always meets the legal criteria)
Form An LLC
Get a Business Bank Account
Create Common documents like Contracts, Deal Memos, Statement Of Work, Invoices, Email Templates & Production Documents, Business card, social accounts or website.
Have a space to show client videos and other creative and pre vis materials.
Learn about the labor and tax laws .i.e. sales tax federal tax, fringes i..e workers comp
Have work to show (even if it’s a black an white movie about a clown with bad sound.) Make it on your phone if you have to.
NEED A 6 MONTH CLASS TO GO OVER ALL THESE BUT THESE MIGHT BE MOST IMPORTANT.
Always send a RECAP EMAIL. DOCUMENT ANY CHANGES AND GET A SIGNATURE ON ANYTHING OUTSIDE THE SCOPE OF WORK.
ALWAYS HAVAE A CONTRACT or DEAL MEMO. ALWAYS HAVAE A CONTRACT or DEAL MEMO. ALWAYS HAVAE A CONTRACT or DEAL MEMO. ALWAYS HAVAE A CONTRACT or DEAL MEMO.ALWAYS HAVAE A CONTRACT or DEAL MEMO.ALWAYS HAVAE A CONTRACT or DEAL MEMO.ALWAYS HAVAE A CONTRACT or DEAL MEMO.ALWAYS HAVAE A CONTRACT or DEAL MEMO.ALWAYS HAVAE A CONTRACT or DEAL MEMO.ALWAYS HAVAE A CONTRACT or DEAL MEMO.ALWAYS HAVAE A CONTRACT or DEAL MEMO.
So I have this done now what?
You are going to look fo low hanging fruit. Your friends friend is in a cool band. Your uncle owns a pickle factory. You saved some kid from drowning… ask him to hire you or get you a meeting at his company.
NEPOTISM IS HUGE. IT MIGHT BE THE #1 factor to getting started so mine your network, family and friends.
ASK THEM WHAT THEY NEED AND PITCH THEM HOW YOU WOULD HELP. SET A MEETING OR SEND AN EMAIL.
I ASK FOR GOAL, SCOPE BUDGET & TARGET DELIVERY DATE.
Your bid and pitch should serve their goal and stay within the budget.
SOME TYPES OF PREVIS: Mood videos, Work Samples, Rip O matics, Proof Of Concept, Etc Etc.
RED WING SHOES AND A LOCAL CONSULTANT NEEDED VIDEO TO HELP CLOSE THE TRADES GAP
I SENT THEM THIS PREVIS REEL:
http://www.omni-fusion.com/bw-trade-hub - Pitch / Bid
Make sure you plan your work and work your plan.
I use Showbiz Budgeting Software that tracks everything. Then I send a simple version so they don’t get bogged down.
EVERY JOB / CONTRACT IS DIFFERENT WITH TOO MANY FACTORS TO GO OVER HERE BUT HERE IS A RESULT .
RESULTING VIDEO / PROJECT:
www.trades-hub.com
At this phase in your career it’s ok to build your reel by doing jobs who’s budgets match your experience but eventually you need to bid responsibly.
THE BID and PITCH GO HAND IN HAND. Cart horse? Either both?
I wrecked a music video for Jim Carrey by trying to execute a concept way above the funding… conversely you need to be competitive to stay viable.
This is the MARKET compress it to low and no one can make a sustainable living as an adult. i.e. I have 2 kids, wife and a house in the suburbs…
So charge for your overhead and creative fees and Fringes ALWAYS. even if it’s $1… never give it away once you have work to show.
Each year it will get better and better but every skill level has value and deserves to be paid.
IDEAS ARE KING OF ALL. IF YOU HAVE A COOL IDEA AND IT’s LEGIT FUNNY OR TOUCHING THE CODEC DOESN”T MATTER. See Tick Tock or Vine or Youtube Stars making 5milly a year.
THANK YOU. AND BEST OF LUCK IN YOUR FILMMAKING CAREERS!
If this goes to fast here is more on
PREVIS
http://www.omni-fusion.com/previs-keynote