Industry Liabilities

The Law and Controversy of Copying DVDs

There has been a heated debate about the copying of DVD’s and the digital conversion of them to general consumer software.  On one side, the film industry does not want movies recorded, copied or re-sold which is their privilege as copyright owners. On the other side of the coin, the consumers have the right to back up their movies once purchased, as they see fit.  There is rationalization to both sides.

The consumer is right and on the other side is preferred privileges to the copyright owner.  Both sides are right on some level but when it comes down to it the law is the law.

Personally if you are only using it for your own use, then you should be able to do what ever you want.  This means there should be no loading it up the YouTube or selling bootleg copies.  If you are only using it to have a backup then the consumer should be allowed to copy music and DVD’s. 

'Glee' Airs 'Baby Got Back' Cover Despite Copyright Controversy

The teen musical drama ‘Glee,’ aired their own version of “Baby Got Back”, even though there was protests that the arrangement was taken from the internet by Jonathan Coulton.   Coulton even went as far as posting on Twitter that he was upset and was quoted as saying “‘Glee’ “ripped off” his composition of the song.”  He was in the right by legally purchasing the rights of the lyrics of “Baby Got Back.”

In my mind this is completely wrong.  In film and television you need to have permission from the people who own the copyright on the song.  In the long run, getting legal permission protects you and your film or television show.  If you are going to go to all the trouble of making a film or show, then you need to have all your T’s crossed and I’s dotted.  Otherwise, you take the chance of not being able to show what you make.  Not to mention all the legal trouble that you will get in.

POY Finalist Photo Taken to Win Art Contest Leading to Copyright Controversy

MiniSpace.com held a competition for the best photograph.  A 23 year old from France won.  But did he?  Come to find out he took someone else photograph and manipulated it.  MiniSpace.com says that he manipulated enough of it that it counts as his own.

To me this doesn’t seem right.  Taking someone else’s work weather it is a photograph, movie or song and twisting it to make it your own is wrong.  Now music artist take song and remix them.  Hollywood moguls take old movies and make them new again, but first they get permission.  That is the key you need to get legal rights o whatever you are remaking as the case my be. 

Works Cited

              

1.     The Law and Controversy of Copying DVDs by, TopTenReviews Contributor < http://dvd-and-video-to-ipod-software-review.toptenreviews.com/when-everyones-right.html>

2.     'Glee' Airs 'Baby Got Back' Cover Despite Copyright Controversy by, Chelsea         Stark http://mashable.com/2013/01/25/glee-baby-got-back-jonathan-coulton/

3.  POY Finalist Photo Taken to Win Art Contest Leading to Copyright Controversy by ← William Eggleston to be honoured at 2013 Sony World Photography Awards

The 2013 World Press Photo Exhibition

 

Branding

Marketing is very important to the success of any business these days.  One important part of marketing is branding.  Branding can be identified as "name, term, sign, symbol or design.”  You need to understand the needs and wants of your costumers.  You need to do research on what your costumers again need and want.  Branding is a fundamental need to your marketing campaign, one that you don’t want to miss.  It is essential.

With so many companies out there you need to be above the rest.  There is more to branding then just logos and pretty designs.  It is about interaction and claiming your voice.  First you can start by determining what your business is known for.  Think of a certain product or service that stands out.  You need energy behind your brand.  

You need to interact with your audience.  Keep in mind what your brand will look like in 5 years or 10 years.  Don’t be too specific or too generalized.  Being too general overthrows the purpose of having a brand and being too specific prevents the brand from expanding the market.  You need to have consistency in your brand to keep your customers coming back.  The effectiveness of your brand will keep them coming back.  A strong brand is again essential and invaluable to your marketing campaign. 

There are two types of branding personal and internal.  Which is right for your company?  Personal branding can be an indication that this person is an expert in their field.  Personal branding is simpler then company branding mostly because it is easier to sell what you believe in.  So by becoming a pro or expert in your industry you got the handle on personal branding.

You can spend so much time coming up with a marketing plan, and by messing with logos and taglines.  Marketing starts from the inside out.

Product Management

What’s the secret to building products people want to buy?  Well, first you should understand what product management is.  In a few words product management is building, helping, simplifying, collaborating - (sometimes) crying and leading.  So weather you are shipping websites or watches the goal of product management are the same, “helping a team build a products that’s loved by the company,” says HunterWalk, former director of product management at Google.

There are questions you have to answer like who is also making you product, who is buying you product and what are their needs.  So you need to spend more time on sales and marketing.  Hard marketing are activities that engage the customers.  Hard marketing is the essence of what product management is.

“Product management becomes critical when your prospective customers need you to sell them more then one thing in order to become paying customers,” says Alan Ying of Growth Factor.  It’s hard to do product management well, because executing product management takes such organizational tactics “that good intentions almost never make it out the other side intact,” continues Ying.

Product management is successful when a team, one team that reports to one leader this team must work with sales people, support staff, developers, business developers, accounting, legal and marketing.  When a company starts out product management is mostly performed by the founder, because he or she has the strongest product vision.  As the company grows so should the product vision.

So by being the founder of your product start becoming a whole Product Manager.  Start thinking end to end.  Learn everything for the sake of your product and then do everything for the sake of your product, because it’s your baby.  Don’t expect others to raise it for you.  So as it has been said, suck it up.  That’s right suck it up and do your job really well.

Interviwe with Doug Ranie

Doug Raine has been in the film industry for 30 years.  He has worked in a variety of production positions, mostly as an assistant director. His first film was STARMAN and his most recent film, THE LIFEGUARD premieres this week at Sundance in the dramatic competition. Some of the nicer films he has worked on were THE PROGRAM, GHOST AND THE DARKNESS, MEN OF HONOR, and REIGN OF FIRE. His first feature as writer/producer/director, FROM A PLACE OF DARKNESS has won a few awards including “Best Horror Film.”

Question 1: When dealing with people you don't get along with how to you separate the person form the problem?

He has knowledge of all the jobs in the film industry, even though he may not know all the facets of every job, he knows enough to get through problems that may arise. If he doesn’t get along with someone, he makes sure they have all the information to get their job done. If they have trouble getting their job done, he then strives to make sure problems don’t arise… even if that means more work for him. Raine say’s that “the main objective is to get the film done in the safest and most productive way.” 

Question 2: When dealing with Objective Criteria how does 3rd party standers help you in negotiations? 

Raine utilized experience from past films as the “3rd party standard” in dealing with Objective Criteria in negotiations. He usually relies on two or three examples to back up his side of the negotiation. However, he also tries to remain open to the big picture that the other person may be offering.

Question 3: How do you avoid dirty tactics and deal with them in negotiations?

He has found that being upfront and honest works the best to avoid dirty tactics. Again, he will back up his facts with examples from past films. Often, in talking with someone in a negotiation… if you listen to them you may be ale to determine their knowledge and their honesty. This information helps him decide if he wants to work with them. 

What can Product Managers Learn from Film Directors?

Lets discuses “Blade Runner,” Ridley Scott didn’t run the camera, or write the screenplay, he even didn’t act in it, but he did make sure that the “vision” of Harrison Ford’s character caught our “emotions and our intellects.”  Again, he was responsible for the vision and to make sure it all worked together.

Just like any project there is always somebody, lots of bodies, telling you what you should and shouldn’t do and this can work against you when it comes to making decisions.  So, when it comes to the keys to success it is better that one person takes the rains rather then a whole bunch of people.  Product managers share the same vision as film directors do with three key experts, “business director, experience director and technical director.”  When it comes to the limitations of the vision, the experts are allowed to be creative.

Just like in any other professional setting, workers know what their position is and they stay there, the same with the film industry, they do not hinder someone else skills.  The director has so much on his or her plate that they need to know the crew is doing their job, so the director can keep his attention on the “big picture.”

It’s not up to the camera crew to decide what shots need to be filmed or not.  The director is responsible for the budget but the camera crew would be consulted on the difficulty and the cost.  Think of the famous speech that Rutger Hauer wrote in “Blade Runner” this is a demonstration that it takes more then one person to make a film, but a “creative team.”  A creative team, which uses all professionals to the full degree of their creativity.

It is comforting to see that the word ‘vision’ is being used in the film industry again.  Think of the vision it takes for a software company to come up with a new product, like the AppleiPhone, it encourages feelings to think about what can be done.  It is easy to lose your vision, so you need to be carful.  Because this “vision” the director has is the “key to success.”  He or she is responsible for the image and should only be restricted by the budget.

"The Princess Bride’ Movie or a Mini-MBA?"

We have all done it.  Been in a conversation and quoted a movie.  There is an article by Jim Foxworthy call “’The Princess Bride’ Movie or a Mini-MBA?”  Foxworthy talks about how when we are in our everyday life someone ask you a question and we answer with a quote from a movie.  He tells of how he has applied eight of his favorite to the “product management and marketing world.

1.     “You rush a miracle man, you get rotten miracles.”  Think of it this way the product you are going to release is going to miss its date by six months.  You are beside yourself but you keep the quote in mind and as Foxworthy says, “it’s not throwing a light switch.”

2.     “We are men of action. Lies do not became us.”  When it comes to business or home, telling the truth does not always get you where you want it too.  Do you have the courage to say what you want?  You have to be able to look yourself in the eye when it comes down to it.  As Foxworthy says, “it’s difficult to strike that balance between telling the truth and rocking the boat.” 

3.     “I wonder if he is using the same wind we are?”  “Competitive threat” when it comes to business is part of the game.  Just like in any game there is always someone out there who wants to take it away from you.  So you have to pay attention to them.  As the movie says there is a wind out there and you have to get it in your sails as well.

4.     “You know how much I love watching you work. But I’ve got my country’s 500^th anniversary to plan, my wedding to arrange, my wife to murder and Guilder to frame for it. I’m swamped.”  We have all had those days where we can’t get all the work done.  “Product management and marketing” is one of those jobs where you don’t seem to get all your work done. 

5.     “Life is pain, Highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something.”  We have all heard the saying “life is not fair,” and if you think it is you are setting yourself up for disappointment.  The more time you spend on conditions that are ‘unfair’ the more time you waste, so move past them as quickly as you can. 

6.     It’s not my fault being the biggest and the strongest. I don’t even exercise.”  Unfortunately there will always be someone who knows more then you. Someone with better possession’s then you.  

7.     “Ha ha! You fool!  You fell victim to one of the classic blunders-the most famous of which is ‘never get involved in a land war in Asia’-but only slightly less well-know is this; ‘Never go against a Sicilian when death in on the line!” We all have rules and experiences to learn.  We learn as we go. There is always someone out there that is “bigger and stronger” then you and we all make mistakes but it keeps you humble.

8.      “Sunny, true love is the greatest thing in the world, except for a mice MLT-mutton, lettuce and tomato sandwich-where the mutton is nice and lean and the tomato is ripe.  They’re so perky!  I love that.”  When it comes down to it at the end of the day a lot of stuff does not matter.  When you have a release date and it is late, and everyone is yelling at each other a good product manager keeps thing in perspective, because life is worth so much more then just a release date it’s about a “simple delicious sandwich.”

“Goodnight. Good work. Sleep well. I’ll most likely kill you in the morning.”

What the movie industry does for the economy…

What the movie industry does for the economy…  More goes into making a movie then what most people may think.  There is more to making a movie then just a few big name actors and directors.   Have you ever watched the end of a movie, you know the part with the credits?  Look at all the people that it took to make that movie and all the people that got paid.  But still, there is more then just that, there is local business like carters, locations and printers, to name a few, that also makes money off the movie.  Making movies boosts the economy “drastically.”

A lot of states offer tax incentives.  Michigan is one of those states.  Former Governor Jennifer Granholm invoked a state tax incentive in 2008 in an effort to help the state economy grow after the fall out from the automobile industry.  In 2008 we had such films as Grand Torino, Up in the Air, Scream 4 plus a hundred other movies to the state.  But all good things must come to an end.  When we elected a new governor, Rick Synder, he decided that the state could not afford these tax incentives and put a cap on the incentives that films could get.  The incentives that Granholm put in place brought new studios and schools, not to mention jobs, to the state. 

Maxsar Digital Studios a 1.6 million studio that opened 14 months ago is threatening to close.  A lot of industry people moved back to their native Michigan when the tax incentives came about, but they are relocated back to Los Angeles.  This decision of Snyder has affected more then just the film industry.  It has affected businesses like hotels, catering business and vehicle rentals. 

These new tax incentives have affected me personally.  I attended one of the new schools that came to the Detroit area.  Oh, did I mention that the state paid for me, along with many others, to go to school to work in the film industry.  But the job outlook in the state in no the same as it was just a few years ago.  But I will not give up, because I have a great love of making films.