There to Here - Ep 8 - Small Business Panel
Welcome, to there to hear an educational. Podcast, where industry professionals, talk nuts and bolts and how, they got from there to here as this, is a new, podcast we're, really wanting feedback, so go to media, collab, Inc org, and fill out the feedback survey and you will be entered to win a. $25. Amazon gift card I'm, Tonya Musgrave creative director here at collab Inc and today, I have, her Maranatha Hey Lafe, Ramsey, and Brian fellows, with us welcome, guys. Thank. You thanks. Now for having Australia. Now. The one thing that you all have in common is. That you. All own production. Companies, you. Are non-union small. Businesses, like the last few guests that I have interviewed, they have been part of the Union or part of a guild and so I really, wanted to get a Ron honest, look at what. Our, non-union. Small businesses, were looking like Maranatha. You have tower films you're based in SoCal, Lafe, you have Pathfinder, films you're based in Chattanooga. And Tennessee and Brian. You are a freelance, producer and, you're based right out of Chicago, and you serve the Michigan area so how. Are you guys faring go, ahead and expand, and, what. Your work, consisted, of leading, up to COBIT, how about we start there. So. For the last three years I've been on a bigger. Project it was a feature documentary that, was in, three, sixties so I was working on that editing, that that was like kind of the big project that I was working on prior. To that I had a, small. Production company still. Do called. Tarath films and it did like branded content commercial. Work. Just. Mostly really small projects, a lot of them were like kind of feel-good. Lifestyle. Positive. Vibes kind, of stuff and after. I completed. The, VR. Project, I picked. My business back up in January and. I. Was, starting to get like build up my client portfolio, up, again and. It. Was like one day March. I think, 11th, and. I know I was kind of late to the game but it was just like you know oh it's not going to be deal, production. Was being happening on all of these different projects, like clients were coming in and then, all of a sudden it was like. It. Came to an absolute, screeching, halt like all of a sudden it was just like boom and I remember because I was editing for a client and they were like we have to get this done now and then. That, week, it was just like a rush. To, finish everything, and, then. It, was like flying over the edge of a cliff and. Like. Projects have come in like because, people are transitioning. Their businesses, and so they're looking for marketing and there's still a need for that you. Know education, you. See University, of California is one of my my clients and so. They wanted to move, all of their stuff over online and, so, there there are needs. For that and so you can meet that with like things like stock footage or like kind. Of like reverse engineering, but as far as like production. Nothing. So, cutting entire. Commercials. Using, just stock footage I mean, doing whatever you can like I've had, people come, through the, woodwork, like from like clients from four years ago being.
Like Do you still have XYZ on that hard drive can. We re edit this for this project because we really need this content, but like nobody can shoot so. It's it's, just been a very very very weird, couple of months for. Sure yeah, so prior to co vid I was, producing a lot of commercials working a lot of commercials, so. Extremely. Busy season. All the way through summer fall winter, of last year even into January. Was. Just slammed which. Is great so probably. The best year I've ever had was last year, and. I. Was really thankful for that leading. Into this you know unbeknownst to me this was gonna happen but I, would, say I, think. It was mid January, I had a couple, international, projects, happening. In Asia, had. Ticket spot I had everything ready to go and then, I started, hearing from my local contacts, there, about. What was going on way, more news than you know we were really hearing here in the States and so, we made the decision to go ahead and postpone, and. I wasn't, sure that would you know head our way or not but obviously. It has and and, so. Mid-march. Well. Early March actually was, was the last project that I did and, that's. Been it so it's been a pretty dry season since then. Yeah. So the question was what. Were we working on leading. Up to the kovin yeah so. The. Last thing that we did was actually to. 30-second. Spots for the. Largest Honda power sports dealer in the US and, it was, power. Sports is like more like the off-road side of the industry and motorcycles, and like things like that. So. We actually did a spot for Honda Talon which. Is one of their. Like. Hot like off-road vehicles and another for a Honda pioneer and. We. Shot those on. Like, I want to say like March 6 or something like that and we kind of like saw, stuff, coming and, we're kind of like wow we, need to get this production done but. Then things. Didn't really shut down for us and kind of see until. Just. Right after that like maybe like a week after that in. Fact they were gonna play two spots locally before they used them digitally they, were gonna use them with like the kickoff of. Chattanooga. Football, Club which. Is a soccer, club actually, so. A little play on words there but, the. Season opening game was supposed to be that next weekend and. That. Game got canceled, like a day ahead of time and like everything just like kind of shut down at that point so that was like the very last thing that he did before, that we were doing a decent amount of like post-production, for the Navy this. Is like going back to like just before Christmas New Year's and we were also shooting a short. Doc about, Russian, art, over. Like Christmas, New Year's time period so, yeah that's kind of what we're up to yes, so. How, has. This. Affected your business, how are you guys holding up, how is coronavirus. Kind. Of affected everything. I'll. Just continue on, it's. Interesting things kind of went in phases, for us the, first phase was we were still getting a lot of people, like I think newer I think, we've worked on like, three different pitches go. With the early, part of kind of that like. The first two weeks of March and people, were still like oh yeah like you think production is gonna happen like mid-april we think production is gonna happen like beginning of May like those, kind of timelines and then. As this is progressed, like as it's gone on through multiple weeks everybody's. Just sort of dropped off I mean sort. Of goods without saying you haven't shot anything but. Like not only that like, even the people that were like hey we want to put. Together a production for, April, they're kind of like we. Don't know and then. Also budgets, have changed, the production that we're you're in talks. With and, they'd the, agency, had awarded the project to us was, supposed to meet five days of shooting and. Like. One of the first things that they did was scale back and say like, budgets. Have changed we need to make this a three-day production, and then, now it's been probably, two weeks since we've heard from them and like, the last thing that we heard is like I don't, know we'll get back in touch when we know more and like when we figure out like you, know when, we can shoot again the deal so that's kind of the general trends.
Yeah. Piggybacking, off that I, had. You know some tentative projects, scheduled, as well we're. Working on a pitch. And development, on a project. For early April that just. Like you know Lafe was saying as March. Went. Along we. Went into postponement. Of that and the, dialogue between us and the client has kind of drifted into nothing, as, it, lingers, and in. The, air somewhere, until, you know all this gets cleared up so. Yeah a lot of pretty. Much everything's on standstill right now there's nothing, going on yeah. I mean it's it's like somebody just pressed a giant, pause button, and you're. Just kind of like in this homeostasis. Period. Where, you. Know you're hoping that the bottom won't fall out but, what's, going to happen when everybody depresses. Play again, there's. Just no way of knowing no way of telling like. With. The commercial, projects, that I was working on it's like a really similar similar. Experience, what away from Brian are talking about where. I, think clients, also they don't know what they want and they don't know what they want to make as well like, do you do. You reference, this crisis, like what do people want to see is it appropriate to kind, of like hock your wares in the middle of all of this mm-hmm. Being sensitive yeah yeah like I had a client that does. Stuff, like makes, stuff. For golf courses and, who's. Going golfing. Like. I mean that's the big question is like who's buying anything right now like do people have money to buy like are what are we going into you, know and then, I guess. On another note with the documentary, that I was working on you. Know the premiere, was at a festival in October, and you're supposed to have our yearly run where. A lot of these film festivals, you only have like a year from the time that you premiere, so I mean. We spent. Thousands. $7. Like submitting. To. All of these different film, festivals and. Then, like. I'll never forget the day that South. By said like South by Southwest like all of the corporate, sponsors started pulling out and then it was like oh this is real like, this is this is gonna happen this is gonna be crazy this is big and then, every, single one of the film festivals, after that it. Was just like, power. Collapsing. And. You. Know the ones that we. Had submitted to you, know we just kept getting letter after letter after letter that, was like sorry we're not having it this year sorry we don't know what to do I mean. A year's, worth of work trying to figure out how to convert, this into a dome space from VR where people I could experience it communally, you. Know I don't know I don't know what to think about all of that time that I put into that project. You. Know I don't know I don't know what that means yeah. So, how has this. Actually. Changed, your day to day all of your day-to-day. Dealings. Are, you working, on post work for some of these projects, where, are you kind of spending your time in order to sustain your business, I've. Caught up on a lot of television. I. Don't. Know it's it's a mixed bag there, are some days where I feel like being more productive, and others and I, think that's okay yeah, I don't think that's bad necessarily yeah. Yeah. There's been some some, definite, binge washing, which I don't think is necessarily, bad but probably. Not helping. My. My. Trying to lose a little bit of extra pounds you know. But. I think it's fair to mention that, it is okay you, know that yeah I mean this is this is one specific reason why we're getting other people's opinions, is to let, people know that there's a variety of different reactions out there and all of them are okay you know right right. I've, spent quite a bit of time on the back end of some projects that I I just you know it's been something. That I needed to get done for a long time habit one of those is is my own personal website my own personal portfolio, it's. One of those things where you always tell yourself you're gonna do it and you just never have time because you're doing the projects that you know you're paid to do so. That's been really awesome to see that actually getting, to getting somewhere so. I spend a lot of time in that and. Also working on pitches which. Is fun in theory, but I always, question also you know are those, pitches. Actually, gonna see the light of day after this you know where, they go what space do they fit into after, this so, those are questions that I'm trying to tackle. And. Then lastly, some, filmmaker, friends and I have gotten, together and had a Google Doc that. We've all kind of collaborated, on and still working on trying. To come up with some personal. Procedures. And. Plans. For what, sets are gonna look like after this and and how to put, those practices. In place so, that when you know agencies, and clients start coming to us after, this at some point that.
We Have an answer and we have something, that hopefully will. Set us apart and, help us you know jump back into work faster, than than others maybe I. Think. For. About four weeks after, everything. Sort of shut down there. Was a lot of momentum for us because, we just had a backlog, of like. A laundry list of things that we wanted to do and so, like similar, to Brian you, know we launched. A new website and built that out like over the course of like two, three weeks which. We hadn't done since we started the business like our website was like five years old which. Like in internet terms I feel like is more like five decades. So. We. We did that and that was like kind of a big push we did. A decent amount of like re-editing, of work. That we already had that we wanted to format in a different way to make it more appealing for like 30 and 60-second, spots and. I. Think. The biggest changes that happen like in daily, routine, were. Not. Super significant, for myself for lucky, so, my wife and I worked together in our business and. So. For us we could still come into the office but normally we have four people in the office and everybody. Else basically. Had to start working from home so it was all this like kind of work remote thing like, seeing everyone every day yeah and Lafe you actually had a student worker didn't - yes. Yes, so. Like that, person is also remote. And. So that's kind, of an interesting but like I think, at. This point, the. Momentum, has died off and it's basically just me, still. Doing some editing because, that's the skill set I can fall back to you it's. Not my first, preference to be editing stuff but I can do it so I'm gonna do it and. Really. For the rest of us we're not doing much you, know like, the rest of our core team isn't really doing anything anymore which, we were for those first like maybe four weeks after we shut down but. We've like finished the laundry list, I think, lucky came in for a few hours yesterday, and was like literally, just answering, every, email which, we get a lot of like random emails from people that are like do you need voiceover, work like, do you need you. Know, whatever. Like motion, design word like that type of stuff lucky, was like literally just answering him because she could and it, was like ah I might as well like see, what these people are up to you see what their life is like like, more just like conversation. Than actual, work but, I mean that's cool I mean maybe that'll come. Back and be valuable at some point. Yeah. Yeah so leave just, real quick your your company is set up to work some government, gigs since you've done some work with the US Navy.
Has. That outlook changed, at all like it, that kind of brings. Some. Possibilities. Into the future on the horizon, or are, they kind of in the same boat, yeah. It's interesting like, they got. In touch with us I, would. Say a couple of weeks and and basically, said hey we're not gonna be doing any production um, you. Know like out on ships around bases for a long time we, don't know exactly when that is but it's gonna be a long time and. We, were kind of like okay sure that makes sense and then, they wanted to do some post-production and we haven't started doing post-production, for them yet um, so that's also been a, longer. Timeline than, we anticipated, even to do the next round of post stuff I'm. Not sure I mean everybody's, life is complex you know everybody's, like kind of like trying to figure out what it means to work from home like. The folks that we work with, directly around the agency side and they, had you, know an office of 80 people and, now those 80 people are distributed, all over to, their homes, and stuff and things. Like paperwork and contracts. And all kinds of stuff is slowed down like. Even if they want to do stuff it's just not as fast. I. Mean. I guess the short answer is we. Can do some post work and that'll help us tread water but. Like production, is where we actually sustain. Ourselves. So. To what they were saying like pretty much the only thing that I can really do right now is work. You, know remotely, I do work from home so you, know on a day-to-day I do a, lot, of editing. Work but like I said I've been you. Know one of the first things I started to do is just contact, all of the clients and be like hey you know I can't do anything with production right now but what I can do is. You. Know you stock, footage pre-existing. Material. And like narration. And then quickly. Quickly, put together like, a 30, minutes, sample. Of what that could be like and I just started sending it out sending it out so, my date today has, been a ton of production. Coordination, with all of these remote assets, and then, throwing, them all together with. Editing so yeah. That's, what I've been doing it be it's yeah. A little, interesting to see kind of some sort. Of integration, into the enemy, since very you know kind of those whiteboard, type of explainer. Videos I the. Only, reason I say that is because the, previous person that I had talked to she was a writer with WGA and she was talking about how she's keeping her eye on the animation sphere because, their. Work is exactly the same you know come out bending up and yeah and Coover you know with Sony he's they, keep he took his computer from work and no does, the exact same thing at home so I. Don't know there there, are some things that have, stayed the same and. It. Helps to kind of it's helped for me to take those steps back, and see like okay, explainer. Videos those, are kind of gonna be the same like, subcontracting. Out to an animator and then have them doing it and then, maybe you subcontract. With the with the vo artists, voices, I, had, you know when piecing that together if you have editing skills you can like throw that together so, that's kind of what I've been doing, I don't know what to do about like, the production piece. You. Know I don't know when all of that is going to come together I, don't see me doing any kind of production for like. September. I. Think, that's how long it's going to take to get everything together, which.
Is Months later what. I did do right. Away was filed, for the SBA, loan as. A contractor. Independent, contractor you can see that did. Not receive it. Restaurant, trained restaurant. Chains. So. I know they passed another four hundred and fifty billion dollar. One today I think, hopefully. That does actually go to small businesses, but. I think for the next 3-4. Months it's going to be incredibly, dry and. If. I don't figure out this puzzle I don't know how I can live. In my house and have money and you, know exist, like I think I think figuring out that piece of the puzzle is going to be very very important, yeah. I was actually gonna ask about that because usually. I'd be asking the guests like hey do you know any sources of help for industry, people in your particular boat you know those who have a production company or work as a sole proprietor, that kind of thing with, the revelation of PPP, and the, SBA SBA. Loans, I'm, not actually curious, at each of your inputs unlike how that's worked for each of you because I know, of. A personal. Friend who has it's. A it's a froyo shop and he. Was asking. For a. Paltry. 15k. As opposed to a larger. Entity that I know of that got over a million dollars that. Didn't, necessarily need. It as desperately, as he did so I'm, very, curious how that's, worked out for each one of you. So. I'm. Not speaking for everybody on the call and maybe maybe. It's worked out for the rest of you but, the. I, applied for both day, yeah. I D L which. Is the economic I, don't. Know I can't remember what the acronym stands, for but it's basically the $10,000, grant you could get like in a long time basis I did, that back in oh let's. See here. Like, somewhere, like. Around. Four. Weeks ago. And. Finally. Got an email from the SBA it. Was basically like a for an email about a week ago that said oh we're, changing the terms from. A $10,000. One-time grant for small businesses, to, $1,000. Per employee, so. In our case there's, four partners in the business and. Everybody else's. Contractors. And so. For, us that would mean 4k, if that came through but will, that come through who knows I know one person that's got it thus far like in my network and for. Then the, money just magically, appeared in their bank account one day and then they got an email about it like a couple days later explaining. That the money had arrived and.
For. The PPP, I applied for that back on, April. 2. I believe it was like. Literally. Two. Days before. Banks. Could start releasing it and was in contact with my bank. Multiple, times like over those two days and they. Were like I talked to them the day before the. Pp clothes were supposed to be starting. To be approved by the SBA an issue and they, said well. We. Actually haven't, received any additional, instructions. From the SBA on how we're supposed to complete these loans and that was like 12, hours before or like. And. I've. Talked, to them since then and like we never received an e PPP I don't, think our actual, PPP application, made it from the bank to the SBA in the last round and. The last conversation, I had with them was probably, four. Or five days ago and they said don't. Worry like, we'll get it in first, thing on the next round like when it gets funded and I was like okay cool I'll be calling you like every day. Because. Otherwise I, don't think I'm gonna be from, the one. My. Friend got there they were already out of they were already out that's, kind of gone. So. I know I. Haven't. Even seen like the personal stimulus, check or. Whatever I'm, signed up for electronic, deposit, so, thus. Far as 0 and, I have zero expectations. Wow, that is actually something that did did, come through for me personally. Okay, yeah so that's that. Was the only thing that I had actually heard of and the. PPP and the SBA were, things I mean I must have been living under a rock because, I didn't, hear about them until way. Later in the game but. When it was basically already done and gone yeah. I don't have any friends, in my network that have, received it and. I honestly did not apply I, didn't. Think that it would actually happen even if I did that. Was first thing second, of all I didn't. Have a really good year last year and do, you have some. Put away and I. Knew that there was plenty of other people who you, know below the line that don't have, those opportunities, that, need the money and so I would rather, let.
Those People have access to it if it actually going to come out and and they're actually going to be able to get it, at, some point I may change. My tune depending. On how long is less but. That's, currently where my, thought process has been I hadn't, even heard of it that's the thing I don't know where they were because, maranatha, I feel like we. Talked about this a bit to where, it. Was just a foundation that you would heard through the grapevine about it yeah yeah, it was actually through one of my clients she was like she. Texted me at like 10:30 at. Night and, she was like are you doing, this tomorrow it's, opening up and I. Didn't know what it was and she was like look at this video now and it was like this guy, like. On YouTube it was like showing, people how to fill. It out if you were a small business owner it. Had I, think 1.2. Million, hits, when, I, watched, it so, people were watching that video is just like a Genki like one-minute video of how to do it real, quick and then, the next day was. When everything, opened, and, she. Was like you better do this quick because I think it's going to it's first-come first-serve. Did. It you. Know like, Lafe. I thought it was like a $10,000. Check, to, get me by like, the next couple of months, didn't. Hear anything back didn't hear anything back called them finally. Got three was caller. 937. Like. I. Like. Heard that and I was like great this. Is gonna be my eight-hour day yeah. And it. Was hours on the phone and then I finally got somebody and she was like oh great, you know everything's coming up fine like this is great like everything looks good like blah blah blah and. Then. She was like you can expect, to get it the email leh, if I haven't even gotten the email and I was like literally. They're. The, second best thing opened, I was there, because. You. Know there's no way of telling how long this is gonna last I, think it's gonna last well, into the summer if not early, fall I think that's what we're looking at I'm planning I'm looking ahead and I'm just like huh anyway.
So, Even, if I did get it a thousand dollars isn't gonna get me that far right. What, am I gonna do with a thousand, dollars exactly, yeah. That's. The thing too is there's there's so much information out. There that, who, knows what's. Real and what's not you know and so they're exactly. Horrible. Spreading, of this information you know by, the powers that be unfortunately. It's. Just not clear it's not clear you know to people who need it so it's, been unfortunate, yeah, yeah, for sure well. Things. That are talking my mind are like let's. Say like, pee pee pee pee does come through when is that going to come through is that going to come through in like June, and am. I already gonna be in production at that point and it won't matter, what. Does that kind of mean. In like. A bigger sense like what does that mean I guess. I'll just countered as a prophet, or I guess I'll just put it back into the emergency fund because I haven't been working for the last two months which. Is like probably the reason why it exists, but it still feels super, weird to. Be giving like all this money and, it. Not be at the time when you actually need it you know like I don't know it's just it's more, just like random musings so I don't know well I was actually surprised, that the stimulus, came through. When, it like in the middle of this when people actually need it. Yeah. I'm also kind of curious where. The focus has been because, for those PPP, loans I'm seeing, a lot more of the larger entities, get that money reserved. For larger companies, that will make, more of a profit for, those banks, so, what. Is kind of there for the people who, are you know mid to low day. Players they. Don't have a business they, don't, have, a guild, they, don't they're not part of a union so. I don't know though I've been kind of thinking of those because those, are the kinds of people that you guys hire right, yeah. So. I'll tell you a brief, anecdote about one of one, of my friends that I play tennis with I've never really worked to them but he's a, but. He's like all in one video guy that like has his own like small, camera and goes out cheat stuff and like whatever you, know he's probably about 10 years behind me in terms of age and career and, we.
Were Playing tennis and he's like hey what about all these like s.p.a things I was like telling in my experience, and like what the process is and what the different ones mean and stuff he was like wow that's crazy, and then. He texts me a couple of days ago he's like hey I just like looked. Into this stuff it, looks like all of them are closed right now and, I was like Oh Danny, all right you're probably right, like I think everything's like run out of money and. He's like what do you think I should do next. I heard like something about like maybe. You had to get unemployment and I was like I, honestly. Have no idea about unemployment, but you probably can like, you should google it because, I don't know, and. He was like okay and then he like text me back with a few minutes later he's like hey. So I, just went on the state of Tennessee website and here's what it says he like sends me this screenshot that basically says like, you. Know this part of our website is shut down for the day because we're. Too busy processing. The. Applications. That we've already received, please check back later, and. I was like dude I don't. Know that's us. That, sucks really bad I. Think. With the biggest lessons, out of all that luckily I don't have to make these decisions but, there's. Gonna be a lot of questioning, about the processes, that are supposedly. In place you know government wise to. Be able to handle these, kinds of things because we've never we. Haven't dealt with this at least in our lifetime. And so, you, know now that this has happened I think there's gonna be a lot of talk post this. You. Know about, how. It's all falling apart and how. We can fix it for future now, I don't, know. We're. All kind of in limbo on this you, hope it's a once-in-a-lifetime thing but you know for instance I was thinking like post post. Great depression they, had put policies, in place to. Help it never happen, again, so I'm curious what's gonna be put in place this, time, we're. Not the best at at having. These, things in place where they run smoothly so, I don't know mm-hmm, I mean I think there's a really good chance that this could return in the fall for sure, to what you were seeing Lee like if I see something I'm applying for it because. I don't know how long this is going to last so. Yeah I'm applying for everything I also, don't know you. Know there's like a moratorium on rent and there's like you, know all of these different bills, etc, etc so, and so I know a lot of people they're starting to pile up well. What happens you, know when we. Press play again and all of a sudden all of this is do I don't. Know what that's going to mean for like the, economy, or home prices, or like anything like that and and maybe I'm worrying about something that I shouldn't need to worry about but. I'm awfully, glad that I did apply for that thing like the same day even though I haven't gotten it yeah so so where. Do you guys go in order to find business. Loans that you could potentially, apply. For. Sba.gov. Right. That's. That's where I've been that's. Where I think getting, stuff I'm also like, trying to get. In. Life, maybe this is a conversation later I want to you know get in on these government, contracts, to like maybe at some point those will pick up so. I am spending. The time like applying for, or getting. To know that whole process, I'm, also like watching. The. White House thingies. Because. Maybe Trump, will drop a, drop. A hint I don't know like, and and. It kind of, gets. Me at least a little bit ahead of the, curve so if I listen to it maybe it'll give me like a three-hour, head starts. So. Yeah I am watching all of the briefings because, I, have. To. You. Know it. Seems like information. Is. Not, being passed down uniformly. Or. Is it being like, filtered, like. I sort, of feel like no, matter what you think about Trump like, I think there's an awful amount of unfiltered. Information. That comes directly, from him and his tweets and it's briefings and like. Everybody, else in the room is just as surprised as we are that those things are being said you're, good or bad I think.
There's Also a decent amount of like asymmetry. Like, so for example, like. In the South Gaza, yesterday, for. Tennessee Georgia South, Carolina basically. Announced, that the governors are going to start reopening, like, Tennessee's governor said that they are not going to reissue a filter, in place order after, April 30. We're. In kind of a position with one client that's done very well during. This, time period because all their sales are online and, it's, all like essential, items that need to like go up to people or deemed essential and. So they actually, really badly want. To shoot an ad. That. They can put on connected. TV and like. Tons of people are consuming that's that, content, right now so I mean like it it's kind of like perfect timing like whatever they, really badly want to shoot it and they're kind of like you, know as soon as like things open up let's. Shoot it and so. Like it's a weird position for, us because like right now we're. Potentially, a week out from things, officially. Opening up but, like is it actually safe to shoot that should, we be planning a production, what, does it mean when shelter-in-place goes, away and so, the responsibility. Changes, from here's what's okay to like is this. Advisable, even. If it's quote unquote okay, and like, I don't know how to answer those questions those are questions that we're just grappling with right, now like, today, to. That effect like as a business owner what are you liable for. What. Is the liability like, it's get sick on your set is, that, your responsibility, or, do you people saying disclosures. Like, there's coronavirus. Out here if I get it on your side or, something transmits, something I'm not going to see you as, any under production insurance. So. I I've been reading a lot about that because, I'm interested in that as well and on. The film, side of things what I've been because they're all grappling with this - what. I'm reading which. Makes a lot of sense is that insurance companies are not going to want to touch this because, you know how in the world are they supposed to predict. What's gonna happen or what's not going to happen it would be terrible, for them so. I think it is gonna be a waiver kind of situation, where you just you know at some point you have to work and you're just gonna hope for the best. Well. I think. A. Lot of people are wanting to work they're needing at work and they're. Willing to kind of put themselves in that situation if, it's not something that they're willing to risk right. Yeah. What what makes it a little bit difficult is, of course the ethics of putting. Putting, together that production, absolutely. I don't. Know what you guys think. I haven't. Pursued any work. Over. The. Last you know month and, a half or so, and, I just for. Me it was it was taking a little breather and, also. I didn't want to bombard, agencies. Or, you know clients. That I've had in the past during. This time I didn't think that it was, I don't know if I didn't think it was appropriate necessarily. But I just didn't think was the best time it may, be a bad, look for me to go after them right now I don't. Know if that's the case with everybody but I've, kind of waited and I'm waiting to see how things go and next month, to. Start reaching out again but, I don't know if it's a bad idea to. Take a moment though and wait to see where where. Things go I don't know I could be wrong but what. About the people who don't necessarily have that luxury know, for sure yeah yeah, I mean there's definitely a lot of people that that need need.
To Keep going but, you know those, of us that are pitching, projects. Or are, you, know working. Through agencies, and have those relationships you'd. Hate to to. Burn bridges, in this moment I guess I mean I have a suit. I mean. Yet I haven't had anybody, be like. I. Mean it's just like hey, I have this it, costs this so much you know to make are you interested in it do you need content, do you need something right now and, I. Mean, the channels. Are different, and I definitely. Hustling. Absolutely. But like you. Know all of the Instagram. Sponsored, ads, like all of this Facebook, I was like people are still needing, that branded, content and people know that because I was still there or like yeah the need is very much sooner they're. Looking, at this stuff their, business, model is changing, or shifting. And they do have, things that they want to tell people so none. Of that has changed because. People are watching content, still I mean, yeah. I don't, know those are my thoughts aimless. The. The, issue that I find you know majority. Of my work is somewhere. Other, than where I am so, I'm on planes all the time you know I travel 100 thousand miles a year so. I don't know what that's gonna look like and that's that's something that I'm questioning, right now it's, the travel aspect that. Is big mm-hmm. You, could probably get from me to be pretty cheap. That's. Probably true a. Month. When people start like traveling again right two months or whatever is I would be really curious like, your guys's opinions. About, like what. What, the right approach is to, like jumping back into production quickly because. I think, at. Least on Lions I've been. Pretty certain that we're gonna have at least one client wanting us to be in production like right on like May 2 so. Sure, I've heard a lot of different things. From different producers, like some, people that own studios work with a lot of different producers and what they're doing is staying on an employment as, long as they possibly can and this is probably I mean like you were saying it's staggered it's different areas so. In, LA, people. Are gonna, stay on there as long as possible because, there's, so. Little that's, coming in and it's. Really crappy, to come off of unemployment. Where you're getting 600, plus per week it's something. That's. Secured, you can at least get food, once. You come off of it and you can guarantee like, what 1 job a month so. It's, sort of this chicken than the egg thing where it's like you have like the slinky, of. Backlog. But, you don't know when it's going to come in and. You. Know if there's nobody to work how do you work and if there's work how do you work you know it's this back and forth back and forth so like that's. One issue it's. Just a lot. Of producers are very very, unwilling, to bring. In their crews and bring in people and take them off unemployment, when they cannot guarantee, a job more.
Than One job but, what about the what about those that aren't under, that like there are a lot of day players who are non-union they're, not on. Because, that's a whole other mess, so. What, do you do at eclis as a, producer. To, put together these potential, shoots the. Restrictions, are lifted people. Aren't on unemployment you wouldn't be interrupting, anything but, would you move forward with production I, think. This is a it's, gonna be the time for the the. One-man, band to, form and band approach, over, the next year that's, my guess and you. Know we're all guessing here even the people that are a few. Pay stubs higher than we are guessing, as well so, we can't we. Can't really know what's gonna happen the next few months but my. Guesstimate. Is that, those. That can pull off productions, with small crews like that are, going to do quite well because. The, large companies, you know that work through the agency work that we get with. Those large companies they all are, gonna do okay and they're still fine sure, they may have lost some money but, it's not like the mom-and-pop shop, down down the road and. So those. People are gonna want to get you know commercial content out there anything. Larger, than that though I don't think we're gonna see for the next 12 to 18 months that's my guesstimate, and I, could be completely wrong who knows I think it's an interesting scenario, because Atlanta, is a, huge. Production hub for, all kinds of film and television and. Commercial. And everything else and, they're, gonna be open up in a week. According. To their government, I, don't. Think shows will be though I really don't I don't think large productions, like that will be. Again. I could be completely wrong. You, know the large. The, largest commercial I've had in the last couple months was early. January, it, was a NASCAR commercial that I did in Charlotte. And you. Know we had 30 plus people on set crew, and gas and the whole thing and I. Don't, see that coming back, for, quite a while I really.
I Really don't home because I don't think even. Companies, their agencies, are going to be willing to let that amount of people in, a space at once. But. I think that if you have a team of people or you know you know freelancers, that can come together that have. Done the you know wearing of five hats and, can do that well I, think that's when you know those, groups of people are going to be able to shine, starting. Sometime this summer you know or even earlier potentially. Yeah. Seriously who knows yeah. Well. I'll let you know how it goes. We. Be like, feeling a little bit of pressure it's not like a traditional production, so, right yeah. Yeah I mean, what an experience, that's like an awesome behind the scenes. Like. For. The sake of history, or something. Your. Whole garb you know. Well. That's great I mean that's actually a good transition because I am wanting to look at the potential benefits, of, re-entering. The market what kind of positives, you guys see on the horizon because, of this. Are. There any. That's. A good question yeah, I think. You. Know to what Brian was saying like the 1 to 4 like, small kind, of crew my my you, know I think it's having a moment I think people. Are figuring out what's, engaging, is, that changing, you. Know our smaller, productions. Being appreciated. Are they carrying their weight I think. A lot of that is getting adjusted. 30. Person, plus crews, and stuff like that I mean I would like to think that there's always going to be a place and people will appreciate, production. Value, because, it would be a shame to lose that, yeah. I think the one to four crew like you were saying Brian I think it's gonna have a moment in the Sun and. And, for those of us who, have. Learned into those skills or have had to learn those skills being. An editor being. Able to pull together a, crew and and know people who are. Multifunctional. In that way it. May wind up being a real benefit, to have those skills, absolutely. I I agree. A hundred percent I, don't think that you know big, production, and quality production, is gonna go away I mean we've, conditioned. People over the last 10, to 15 years to. To, demand a certain quality. I don't, think companies. At a certain level are ever going to get rid of that. Level, quality, I think, it'll always be there eventually. People are gonna go back to the. Way things were but. You're right I do think the smaller crews will have a moment I think, it's it's. Good for all of us to keep, an eye on technology. Because, in, this moment of craziness, people. Used, Instagram, live and, all, kinds of things. That maybe you didn't use on your you know day-to-day basis, and definitely, you know big corporations weren't using like they are now and so, there's. Been a moment where they've realized, the potential and I think that there might be some interesting. Future. Possibilities. With with that technology, and where that goes and to be on the forefront of that would be important I, think. That this. Will provide, a lot, more not. Just opportunities. But a lot more a, lot more jobs, but. In different ways in different horizons for, instance you know I was actually talking to David and he has. Done a lot of work on panoply. Because. He had to switch a lot of things to. Online learning and you. Know the way that he was able to set everything up through his cameras. This. Would drastically reduce. The amount of people on set you. Know this, could be a thing you know we would be getting rid of some jobs but just like you were saying before with, Instagram live and everything there's gonna be a lot more demand for content, on different spaces, that we weren't necessarily expecting. There. Will be changes. In the horizon, you know like whether or not it is, production. Companies. Realizing. That they can get away with a lower. Standard. Of production, quality while the other ones still go commercial, wise too you know. Stock. Footage is a thing and companies, realize that they can get, a product for a much lower price so I, don't know there are things to to. Keep in mind there well, like my personal pain is the. Fallout. Of what's happening right now is, gonna have a very short tail because, it hasn't happened for very long so it's very like intense, and painful like. In the moment. But if you can like hunker down and, continue, with your long-term thinking, like whatever that is like, with your career, or with your education.
Or, With. Your future plans for your business mm-hmm like I think in, about three months time, if. Things continue as, they are right now in about, three months time, things. Will probably start snapping, back to where they were before like. Things will probably start coming back around and in about a year's time you'll, probably be really thankful that you held the course. That's. My personal opinion mm-hmm. Yeah. To, second that I, would. Agree I think that you. Know if you can hold out as long as, you possibly can or, even you know if you need to take take, a job in interim there's. There's going to be a point. Where. This all turns around and and I don't think it's not going to be you know super, long down the line and if you can hold out as long as you can till that and and, you know make it through as a business, owner those. That own businesses, then. You're going to be better for it because there are a lot of people that are not going to be able to make it and unfortunately so. It, kind, of sounds. Bad to say it this way but kind of levels the playing field a little bit. So. Yeah, if you can if you hold out as long as possible and those that are. Interesting. Or those that you know newly. Try. To start in the industry. You. Know I don't think it's bad to take, a moment to to. You know make a paycheck you, know do what you need to do to make. It but. Don't lose sight of your ultimate goal don't lose sight of your, passion, and your dreams because, you. Know there's a lot of people that you, know once they get settled somewhere then they stay there and they don't ever accomplish what they want to accomplish so, you, know don't lose sight of that when the time comes that things do you reopen and and there, is a lot of work out there because there will be yeah there is no shame in providing, for yourself for sure absolutely, I think. The state of the world right now is, a giant. Jigsaw. Puzzle and whoever. Can solve. The puzzle first is bound, to make a lot of cash so. I know, myself I have not consumed, a drop. Of less content, as before in fact I prominently, like double my screen time just because I'm constantly like doom, scrolling, like trying to figure out what's going on. Life. You were saying you're the people in your in your network, the clients that you have were very very eager to communicate, to their customers, they, want to do it I think, that there is a lot of potential there and so.
You. Know if you can do it quicker stronger faster I mean, I think I think you're bound to really, cut, out a lot, of bigger businesses. It. May be a good three months for you yeah. I don't know yeah for sure well thank you guys so much for joining us thank you for your time if you, enjoyed this interview follow us right here and check out more episodes, at co-op Inc org, if you have comments or know someone who would be a great guest on our show send, in your suggestions to Tanya, at collabing org, and again. We're really wanting feedback so go to media dot collab ink or fill. Out the feedback survey, and, you'll be entered to win a $25. Amazon gift card you guys thank you again so, much for your time we. Will see, you next time on there. To hear. You.
2020-05-06 15:02
