Not only an "A" in team or The A-team

This year I have worked on many small team projects. Meaning that we were a smaller team than what usually a regular production company would assemble to execute a project. I must say that all the projects were successfull and executed as well or even better than a bigger production could have done with larger ressources.

In highnsight, I looked at why this small team concept was successfull. I must say right off the bat that it wasn't always an all-star crew and I realize now from these last few projects that it doesn't have to be an The "Best of the Best" (BOB) to pull off an exeptional result. The real key is a good dynamic. Like most great sports stories the cast of players on the team were not an amalgamation of all the best players of the league but a rag tag crew of derelligues that rise to the occasion to win the Super Bowl ('83 Raiders) or the World Series ('94 Montreal Expos... I know they didn't win because of strike but the romantic in me likes to Dream).

This is not to say to try to get the best people but in most occassions I have been in a dynamic where it was BOB; the interactions between the various creative and administrative personel created a sculpture out of "poop". Meaning, in the end the result was looked good greek sculpture but it's composition was lacking. On my scale, good is not something to aspire to or even settle for. Basically, a gathering of the "Best of the Best" doesn't guarantee a strong result sometimes it it implodes.

I use Hitchcock as an exemple to my point when I work with directors or in creative meetings. Hitch was a genius director because he didn't storyboard the shower scene or create the sountrack for it. He got Saul Bass and Bernard Hermand to work on it for him. Genius.

Being able to assemble a great team, work with different personalities, get the right people connected with the right people on any level is talent that is underated, undervalued and often overlooked.

One last thing on The "BOB", they don't always work/interact with other properly. One thing that I noticed is that if one ore more of the extremely talented team is not participating for some reason, the team dynamic as a whole becomes chaotic and leads to the demise of the project. Film is by nature chaotic and minimizing the pieces that risk your project is the ultimate goal to put yourself in the best posible positiion. Assembling The BOB is no guarantee of success, I would even say that building a team that way decreases your chances at success.

My 2 cents... now back to the #NextNewThing. 

Final Cut Pro X : Crossing Out Jobs or Multiplying Them.

The new Final Cut Pro X was announces tonight and I hit the twitter-verse. People were buzzing about the price point, the features and some were worried about their professional future.

I think it is important to remember the past and not drink too much of the "Kool-aid". Yeah the features are great and they might keep things in sync for you and import natively from your DSL camera directly... Yeah, it's too be expected. Computers are suppose to do the robot work.

But I don't think jobs (Editor and/or Assistant Editor Jobs) are in trouble. 

I think the easy access might yes create some people who think that now they are "editors" because they know software but most in the industry are use to weeding out those folks. And with the coming of the digital age of filmmaking (1998-present) we lost a few transfer House techs but gainned onset media managers. Jobs die and new ones pop up, c'est la vie.

Moreover, I am presently working on a project that has 2 assistants, 2 editors and even the director is doing some touching up. Thus, the assistants must keep 4-5 sets of drives organized. This makes me believe that filmmakers will just use more cameras requiring more man power to keep up with more ambitious projects. I remember a time where documentary shooting ratio was 4:1, now it's more like 40:1; the cameras are rolling.

Most importantly let's not forget that the computers have not taken over yet. They won't work flawlessly like in a demo in a controlled environment. They will be glitches, fixes and most importantly people who will push the software to it's limits requiring some creative troubleshooting from an ace assistant.

Looking Back on 2010 & Looking Forward Gorilla Productions 2011

At the Beginning of the year, I told one of my filmmaker friend and longtime collaborator that 2010 was going to be a busy one; and it was excactly what happened. 

One project followed the next and the quality of projects that I was being offered was high production value and for the most part extremely interesting.

Here is a sample

(Unfortunalty, some project cannot be posted on the net just yet but I will update my website as soon as they are available)

Happy New Year and Keep those Cool projects coming!

MobileMe and Toronto's Finest caught the iphone 3G Thief or Low Budget THE WIRE TORONTO

Photo from retrieved iphonephoto from retrieved iphoneMy week-end started with a tech chase. I was driving to my weekly pick-up TouchFootball game when I decided to run in to Starbuck to get a pre-game Americano for a cafeine boost that would accompanie my iphone playing some motivating beats. I parked on College.

4 minutes later, I jump into my car, turn the ignition and realize that my iphone is no longer sitting in the Car craddle, where I had left it there carelessly. I had also not locked my door. (I know, I know but I didn't get the remote powerdoors feature on my car Honda.) I sit for a split second poundering my stupidity then I realize nothing to fear. I have MOBILEME it syncs all my contacts and I can remote wipe it and I CAN LOCATE IT AT ALL TIMES!

3 TIMES LUCKY
1. I am a half a block away from Toronto Metro Police station div. 14
2. When I get there it's a slow morning at the cop station.
3. They have a computer and some damn fine police talent.

I explained the situation to the receiving officer and he got it right away. Time was of the essence. So directed me to another officer who was at a computer station. I logged into my account and use the FIND MY PHONE feature. First thing I did was remote lock it then explained to the officer what this service offer. She proceded to take over the station and remote call the phone (a feature which is typically in my opinion used to find your iphone when you have misplaced it in your house) , the phone rings for 2 mins even if it is on vibrate. 2 officers decide to walk up the street and see if anybody is suspicious with an iphone in the location indicated on the Google Maps powered application. The phone is not moving for about 7 mins now.

The officers return without my iphone and tell me that I should file a report just so it is logged. I ask to use the computer to remote wipe my phone to clean it of it's contacts and personal info but on the refresh; we notice that the phone is on the move. A very tech savy officer (I can see by the way he worked the keyboard and browser) swiftly opens a new tab with full Google Maps. and uses Streetview to get a visual of the area. He takes my number down, tells the computer station officer to keep hailing the iphone via Find My Phone and takes a quick snap with his smartphone of the map location. He calls for a car to go and cover a rear enterance of the street and he goes off to the location.

Toronto's Finest caught the iphone car thief moments later. He also had a laptop and 3 car GPS units with him and had already stripped my phone from its custom skin and had put a new rubber case on it.

Well little over an hour after the theft, amongst the now busy with activity Police Station, I had my iphone back in hand. Thanks MOBILEME, GOOGLE MAPS and the Men and Women of Division 14 of Metro Police.  

Freelance Video Editing 2: Don't Sell Me Easy

As I read the Linchpin Book from Seth Godin, I realize that he is preaching to the converted. I agree with most of his points and work as art concepts. One point that he make in the book is to "lean into the work, not away from it".

I often get some small projects that offered to me at some of my re-occurring clients that involves mind boggling boring work. The person/salesman offering the work always comes with some of the famous quotes "This is easy", "Steady work", "a no brainer" and/or "You just have to crank it out". My stomach turns every time these tasks are offered to me with this type of pitch. Tasks, that is a good word because it is a task or a chore like taking out the garbage, cleaning the bathroom or washing the inside of a car.

Do professional editors seek out easy gigs? I have never taken a job because of easy.

Unless my family is starving, these tasks have a home somewhere else than on my plate, I have realize. When I started working I would do these task and ultimately they result are boring, underpaid, never gonna see the light of day on my demo reel and they usually suck all your creative energy/time. So, over the years I have turned down these jobs. Luckily, more often than not it has resulted in a better demo reel worthy, exciting job popping up, something incredible.

So the next time you want me to do a job for you and not some work (there is a difference but I won't get into that I will leave that to Seth Godin), don't. Don't sell me "Easy".