Here's to my new favorite blog - "Hollywood as I Live and Work" who picked up the Strikeset story. Ya'll rule. Good posts too...everyone check it out!
Last count, Strikeset had been picked up by some 28 sources around the Web including Yahoo! Movies- Denver Business Daily also posted the press release.
New shirts going up on the Zazzle site today, nothing new to the Strikeset site, but I fell behind on my Zazzle updating...
Oh, and finally started the script. Thoughts on that later.
Off to work now...remember. Shoot film, not people.
Showing posts with label strikeset. Show all posts
Showing posts with label strikeset. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
A light strikes my head -
No, I didn't clothesline a 1K, it occurred to me today (after getting about 200 e-mails to this effect), that the journey to make "Look Forward" and all the hooplah I'm going through with the Strikeset Filmmaker Gear site has the makings for a really cool diary - how to make the short film! Having done this a few times (but by no means an expert), I have collected quite the library of books, articles and links - this is stuff that you guys can use.
So that's it. In addition to keeping you all updated on the progress of the film, and pimping the Strikeset site, I have decided to make this blog a source for funding and releasing your short film.
So today's topic, the basics of story...just kidding! If you're to this point, you have probabaly read Syd Field a thousand times and have a properly formatted script in hand. Who needs another lesson on short film structure (though I'll admit I just picked up a copy of Writing the Short Film by Pat Cooper and Ken Dancyger - you can get it used on Amazon for cheap, cheap).
First, a quick pimp of the site - been a good first month of business, and as always, the surprises continue to, well, surprise..."Fix It In Post" still the bestseller, with "Director's Know What We're Doing" a close second tied with "Writer. Director. Barista." But the surprise to me is the success of my newest entries, "I Got My Start In Television" and "I Love Indie Film" both off to a good start, and we also had our biggest single sale, huzzah to the kind patron who purchased a 100-pack of magnets! To think, I was going to yank those down...one kicker, I believe they ordered them before the final design was published, so the printing may be skewed. Dear customer, if you read this and you're not happy, please send them back, we offer a money back guarantee, and re-order, everything in the store is awesome and well printed now! Thanks for the business!!
Oh, and here's to good friends also picking up shirts here and there. Besides my own collection, Julie grabbed a "C-47 Brand" tee and it was so cool to see the printing on another person!
Next topic...Producing...
So that's it. In addition to keeping you all updated on the progress of the film, and pimping the Strikeset site, I have decided to make this blog a source for funding and releasing your short film.
So today's topic, the basics of story...just kidding! If you're to this point, you have probabaly read Syd Field a thousand times and have a properly formatted script in hand. Who needs another lesson on short film structure (though I'll admit I just picked up a copy of Writing the Short Film by Pat Cooper and Ken Dancyger - you can get it used on Amazon for cheap, cheap).
First, a quick pimp of the site - been a good first month of business, and as always, the surprises continue to, well, surprise..."Fix It In Post" still the bestseller, with "Director's Know What We're Doing" a close second tied with "Writer. Director. Barista." But the surprise to me is the success of my newest entries, "I Got My Start In Television" and "I Love Indie Film" both off to a good start, and we also had our biggest single sale, huzzah to the kind patron who purchased a 100-pack of magnets! To think, I was going to yank those down...one kicker, I believe they ordered them before the final design was published, so the printing may be skewed. Dear customer, if you read this and you're not happy, please send them back, we offer a money back guarantee, and re-order, everything in the store is awesome and well printed now! Thanks for the business!!
Oh, and here's to good friends also picking up shirts here and there. Besides my own collection, Julie grabbed a "C-47 Brand" tee and it was so cool to see the printing on another person!
Next topic...Producing...
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Links, Links, Links!!!
Thank you, FilmStew! Your write up on Strikeset Brand Filmmaker Gear was picked up by Yahoo! Movies this week, a host of RSS's and I'm counting over twenty mentions (Though I gotta love the title they assigned me, "Would-be filmmaker Thomas J. Chavez". Dang. I did a Heinz commercial!
But props, props. You guys are my new favorite film news site. Right up there with Variety (Anne Thompson, can you see this? We're connected on LinkedIn! Give me a mention! I love you!) Aintitcool, Joblo and THR.
Now the keyword of the day is traffic, traffic, traffic...
But props, props. You guys are my new favorite film news site. Right up there with Variety (Anne Thompson, can you see this? We're connected on LinkedIn! Give me a mention! I love you!) Aintitcool, Joblo and THR.
Now the keyword of the day is traffic, traffic, traffic...
Monday, July 21, 2008
Write up!
Wanna give a shout out to the folks over at Film Stew who gave us our first honest-to-god write-up! Check out the news on Filmmakergear here.
Cheeky. Awesome.
Also, loved the description of "Look Forward to a Bright New Past" - Set in 2018, against a global Apartheid scenario outlawing ethnicities of all kinds, it tells the story of a 17-year-old African-American track star willing to resort to desperate measures to fit in.
Saweet! Media coverage!
Cheeky. Awesome.
Also, loved the description of "Look Forward to a Bright New Past" - Set in 2018, against a global Apartheid scenario outlawing ethnicities of all kinds, it tells the story of a 17-year-old African-American track star willing to resort to desperate measures to fit in.
Saweet! Media coverage!
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Our First Press Release!
Here it is! I'm not sure if it'll get picked up, but I think it's a cool release -and I got some help from a couple of studio PR guys I know (who shall remain nameless, out of respect)...
I'm still not crazy about the title, for someone who takes the greatest of pride in his title-writing abilities, this one is a bit bland, but I'll take suggestions!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Despite Obstacles, New Filmmakers Find Unique Ways to Keep Productions Stateside
Denver, CO, (7/10/2008): For many new filmmakers, the hardest part of making a movie is paying for it. Many rely on friends, family and grants to bring their visions to the screen. Denver-based filmmaker Thomas J. Chavez did the next best thing – he started a business.
Strikeset Brand Clothing was conceived of by Chavez as a way of funding his next film and shooting it here in the U.S. Strikeset makes T-shirts and other clothing with a humorous cinema theme. The profits will be used to pay the production and distribution costs for the film.
“I think a lot of people don’t realize what an important step these films can be for filmmakers,” says Chavez, “for a lot of us, it’s the first professional experience we get, and every penny we spend on production goes right back into the economy.” In addition to equipment rental, each film employs a virtual army of artists, actors, extras, designers, laborers, security personnel and coordinators who must be fed and housed. Set materials must be purchased from local suppliers, transportation arranged, actors clothed and tools purchased. It is estimated that for every $1.00 spent on film production, the local economy will see net income of $1.30[1].
“I just saw this as a way to help my cast and crew get their start, and bring a great film to the public.”
Chavez designed the entire line of shirts with his fellow filmmakers in mind. With shirts featuring such sayings as “I Dream in 1080p” and “Writer. Director. Barista.”, both film professionals and movie fans will find a sense of exclusivity in Strikeset shirts. “With the profits being used to put over eighty young filmmakers, artists and actors to work, I’m hoping this is something the film community as well as the public can embrace.”
Chavez is not alone in wanting to engage the community. The American film industry in 2005 was responsible for the employment of over 1.3 million Americans[2] and over $60.4 billion in output to the U.S. economy. The resulting $9.5 billion trade surplus is one of the few industries the U.S. can claim a surplus in. For many of those professionals, the entry point to this industry is through not-for-profit short films like Chavez’.
Though high labor and production costs represent a significant challenge to shooting in the U.S., many filmmakers are making a concerted effort to film American. Several state governments have also recognized the potential to the economy and have enacted legislation that provides tax incentives to entice films to shoot in their state. To Chavez, Strikeset represents another opportunity to keep the work stateside. “Starting off, you always work within a relatively small budget, but I am hopeful that with the success of this site, we can realize another chance to keep the work American, and continue to build an industry that has been a bright spot in recent times.”
Strikeset Brand Clothing features t-shirts and printed gifts with a cinema theme and can be found at http://www.filmmakergear.com/.
###
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Thomas J. Chavez
Director
sales@filmmakergear.com
[1] Moore School of Business, Division of Research. (2008). Evaluating the Economic Impact of Film Production Incentives in South Carolina. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina
[2] Bureau of Labor Statistics
I'm still not crazy about the title, for someone who takes the greatest of pride in his title-writing abilities, this one is a bit bland, but I'll take suggestions!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Despite Obstacles, New Filmmakers Find Unique Ways to Keep Productions Stateside
Denver, CO, (7/10/2008): For many new filmmakers, the hardest part of making a movie is paying for it. Many rely on friends, family and grants to bring their visions to the screen. Denver-based filmmaker Thomas J. Chavez did the next best thing – he started a business.
Strikeset Brand Clothing was conceived of by Chavez as a way of funding his next film and shooting it here in the U.S. Strikeset makes T-shirts and other clothing with a humorous cinema theme. The profits will be used to pay the production and distribution costs for the film.
“I think a lot of people don’t realize what an important step these films can be for filmmakers,” says Chavez, “for a lot of us, it’s the first professional experience we get, and every penny we spend on production goes right back into the economy.” In addition to equipment rental, each film employs a virtual army of artists, actors, extras, designers, laborers, security personnel and coordinators who must be fed and housed. Set materials must be purchased from local suppliers, transportation arranged, actors clothed and tools purchased. It is estimated that for every $1.00 spent on film production, the local economy will see net income of $1.30[1].
“I just saw this as a way to help my cast and crew get their start, and bring a great film to the public.”
Chavez designed the entire line of shirts with his fellow filmmakers in mind. With shirts featuring such sayings as “I Dream in 1080p” and “Writer. Director. Barista.”, both film professionals and movie fans will find a sense of exclusivity in Strikeset shirts. “With the profits being used to put over eighty young filmmakers, artists and actors to work, I’m hoping this is something the film community as well as the public can embrace.”
Chavez is not alone in wanting to engage the community. The American film industry in 2005 was responsible for the employment of over 1.3 million Americans[2] and over $60.4 billion in output to the U.S. economy. The resulting $9.5 billion trade surplus is one of the few industries the U.S. can claim a surplus in. For many of those professionals, the entry point to this industry is through not-for-profit short films like Chavez’.
Though high labor and production costs represent a significant challenge to shooting in the U.S., many filmmakers are making a concerted effort to film American. Several state governments have also recognized the potential to the economy and have enacted legislation that provides tax incentives to entice films to shoot in their state. To Chavez, Strikeset represents another opportunity to keep the work stateside. “Starting off, you always work within a relatively small budget, but I am hopeful that with the success of this site, we can realize another chance to keep the work American, and continue to build an industry that has been a bright spot in recent times.”
Strikeset Brand Clothing features t-shirts and printed gifts with a cinema theme and can be found at http://www.filmmakergear.com/.
###
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Thomas J. Chavez
Director
sales@filmmakergear.com
[1] Moore School of Business, Division of Research. (2008). Evaluating the Economic Impact of Film Production Incentives in South Carolina. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina
[2] Bureau of Labor Statistics
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