Category: workflow

I am not an avid reader/writer of blogs. I can’t help but to feel like Doogie Howser or the Sex and the City woman when I start writing. I just don’t feel comfortable writing down my thoughts for others to read. I keep thinking—does anyone care what I think? I guess blogs are good venue to share ideas or to find out what not to do. I need to make that jump into the cyber world because I now realize that it is becoming an expectation or necessary part of society, especially in the communication/media community. I had the same trepidation/disinterest regarding cell phones a few years back but now I carry one around everywhere I go and can’t imagine my life without it. So then…this blog is about sharing what works for me when I need to come up with something creative for a short video or film project.

Inspiration from music and art:
I find I can be the most creative while exploring ideas through music. One quick thought in my head needs to be worked out; I try to explore the idea/image thorough music. The images come to mind before anything else. I then try to string them together with music. Explore the possible tones and styles though the music…what would fit with the concept or scene? It’s like meditation in a sense and I don’t know where it will take me. Usually it works out. It takes about 30 minutes for me to “get in the mood” after that the ideas come more easily. I jot them down in words or sketches and rework them later. While I rework the ideas/words/sketches it helps to reference paintings, photographs, and various other arts to try and pin point the tone and style (still listening to the music of course). I then have story boards and paintings to reference the look and music to reference the tone and feeling. I can then hopefully take that to the crew or client and put it all together to make something cool or at least something I feel proud of.

I know i’m coming to this a little late, but the iPhone is a game changer. Honestly, it’s not the best PHONE available, but that’s because it’s not really a phone. It is “something else.”

As I sit outside writing this post on my iPhone it hits me; The right tools can change the way you look at the world. It can change the way you work. It can change the way you live.

The RED ONE camera is another tool that has the potential to change our industry. It isn’t a video camera nor is it a film camera. It too, like the iPhone is “something else.” The RED ONE has been available for about a year now, and has gotten more mature with that time. The workflow, while still a little bit of a challenge, has been proven in professional environments all the way up to major Hollywood feature films.

Because of this,Groovy has made a commitment to purchase a RED ONE and integrate this tool into our corporate storytelling. There will be challenges, and no tool is valuable without re knowledge to use it, but the time has come for us to jump in and help change the game!

Over at the Shane & Peter Inc. Blog, there is a really interesting discussion about how to get clients to sign-off on projects. I think they have a compelling take on the process, and there are some tips that I will likely steal emulate in our procedure.

Here at Groovy, we work hard to be sure the client isn’t surprised by any step of the process, and our current sign-off form reflects that commitment. Not only do we ask clients to sign off at the end of the project, but we also ask them to sign off at important milestones along the way

Take a look at our project signoff form (.pdf) and let me know how you think we can improve on it!