Freelancers Union - Really!

If you have been to NYC lately you've likely seen their posters as you ride the subway. The Freelancers Union is a national membership organization that's free to join. They offer products like insurance and retirement to their members and provide political advocacy for all independent workers. If you work in the film/video/television chances are you are a freelancer and either don't have insurance or provide for your own. If that sounds like you, here's a group you need to know about and should join. And since it's November and that means it's open enrollment month for health insurance now is the time to join this group and sign up for their affordable health, dental and disability insurance plans. You can also start a 401K plan for retirement here. And they offer a lot more such as discounts, events, workshops, etc. It's about time a group like this came along!

NYC MCTMT Tax was due Nov 2 - If you freelance in NYC you need to know the scoop

New Tax WAS Due November 2

If you are self-employed and work in the New York City area,
you have likely received notification about the new
Metropolitan Commuter Transportation Mobility Tax (MCTMT),
which is due on November 2.

This tax affects the self-employed and certain employers
doing business in New York City’s five boroughs as well as
those in the following surrounding counties: Dutchess, Nassau,
Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Suffolk, and Westchester.

Self-employed individuals earning more than $10,000 who
work in any of these areas must pay 0.34% of their net
earnings. More details are available on the New York State 
Department of Taxation and Finance website. (And here’s
another guide, offered by the Society of Publication Designers.)

Many members have contacted us with their concerns about
this tax since we first mentioned it in July. It is clearly an
administrative burden, as the payment schedule does not
coincide with regular quarterly tax payments. We are
currently researching the economic implications of this tax.

Free Tools to Back Up Your Online Accounts

Some useful information I thought important to share - as we all keep more and more important information on line we should take a moment and think about what would happen if we lost that information. Do you have a back up plan? If not, check out this article from "Lifehacer.com" by Gina Trapani.

Click on the title of this post to link to the article or cut and paste the link below:

http://lifehacker.com/5335553/free-tools-to-back-up-your-online-accounts

Flu Shots

Okay Freelancers, it's flu season and in addition to the usual flu risk the 2009 H1N1 flu virus is gearing up to be a butt kicker. During the week of Sept 6 -12 the CDC published a report called FluView that confirms that influenza activity is on the increase in the US.

Now I know you think you're healthy and question the reasoning behind the need to get a flu shot.

The flu shot isn't just a good idea for high risk individuals. And it's a great idea for freelancers and their families.

How's the state of your wallet and bank account? I know that given the recent economy that my financial situation isn't a flush as it once was. Can you afford to get sick and loose work? Do you get paid sick days? If not, then you probably can't afford to get sick.

The flu shot is kinda like getting some insurance against catching the flu and being sick and not being able to take that next job. Getting a flu shot can reduce your risk of getting the flu by up to 70%! Don't risk it. Get a flu shot.

Sounding like a good idea but still not convinced? Have questions? It's been all over the news and media but if you haven't been listening or live under a rock here is the link to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) where you can find key facts about the seasonal flu vaccine - And for pete's sake NO YOU CAN'T GET THE FLU BY GETTING THE VACCINE. Geez, you'd think this was the dark ages sometimes! Really, people! But don't just take it from me, go this link and see for yourself . . . www.cdc.gov/FLU/protect/keyfacts.htm

So now that your convinced you should get the vaccine - and all freelancers should strongly consider it, especially if you work in the healthcare/pharma sector - here are some places you can get vaccinated cheaply:

For those of you living in Camden County NJ, your board of freeholders gives out FREE flu shots to residents. Here's the link to the schedule.

http://www.camdencounty.com/health/healthserv/flu_sched.html

If you live in Philadelphia you can get a flu shot for $24, available starting 9/3/09 at:

PhillyFluShots.com 215.587.6266

http://www.phillyflushots.com/?gclid=CJaJgZHNip0CFc9D5god8Xd03g

And if you live any where else, in addition to your doctor's office you can get a flu shot cheaply and easily at one of the following:

CVS - Minute Clinic

www.MinuteClinic.com

Note: They are giving away a $100 coupon book with every flu shot and have other online cost saving incentives.

Walgreens $24.99

wws.walgreens.com

Target - Target Pharmacy

To find one near you . . .

http://sites.target.com/site/en/spot/page.jsp?title=flu_search&ref=tgt_adv_XSHA2959&AFID=googlestr&CPNG=flushots&LNM=flu_shots&LID=

In addition to getting the shot, here's what you can do to stay healthy:

•Stay informed. The CDC website is updated regularly as information becomes available.

•The flu is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people - learn how to cough or sneeze appropriately to minimize spreading germs (see below)

•Take everyday actions to stay healthy such as the following:

••Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

••Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Use alcoholized hand santizers only when necessary. They are also effective but overuse is believed to contribute to the development of drug-resistant virus strains.

••Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.

••Stay home if you get sick. CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them. For freelancers this is especially difficult since we are prone to working when sick because we don't get paid for sick days. This is why you should get the flu shot. You can't afford to stay home!

••Follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds and other social distancing measures.

••Find healthy ways to deal with stress and anxiety (stress and anxiety are believed to weaken your immune system and make you more susceptible to illness).

••Call 1-800-CDC-INFO or visit their website www.cdc.gov for more information.

So now that I've done the work and research for you and made it easy as pie, there is no reason why you shouldn't go get your flu shot.

May your autumn be filled with good health, happiness and prosperity.

Beginner's Guide to Tricking Out your WordPress Blog/Website

For those of you who don't use Blogger.com (my personal favorite site for beginner bloggers due to it's easy of use) and use WordPress (I also have a WordPress site as it's more customizable) here is a link to a great online article on how to trick out your WordPress Blog/Website.

http://lifehacker.com/5365600/the-beginners-guide-to-tricking-out-your-wordpress-blog?skyline=true&s=x

1099 Plain & Simple

I came across this posting on the Yahoo Group LA Producer by Los Angeles based production manager/supervisor and thought it worth reposting here on my blog. This issue of "temporary employee" status has been a long standing issue in the film and video production business.

For all the IRS websites that have been posted, here it is plain & simple, in
English, not legalese, from the CA Franchise Tax Board & the CA Labor Board,
as this is a state issue too.

If you answer "YES" to anyone of the following questions, you are an
EMPLOYEE and NOT an 'independent contractor':

1. Does someone else set your work hours (call time)?

2. Do you work outside of your home (report to location, stage, prod. office)?

3. Do you report to a supervisor (Department Head, Gang Boss, Producer)?

This was told to me by a CALIFORNIA FRANCHISE TAX BOARD
investigator, after they subpoenaed me in a case they (and the Labor Board)
brought against an out-of-state commercial production company who had
repeatedly come to CA & shot jobs & paid the entire crew as 1099,
including making them sign a waiver on their time card that stated that
the crew member "was an independent contractor".

Superior Court found against the company & they were heavily fined for back
taxes, penalties and late fees... and they stated that the 'waiver' was
irrelevant, because a "yes" answer to any of the above questions was all
they needed to consider an crew member an employee, regardless of
what the employer or the employee believed.

Regardless of what some CPA, lawyer, adviser tells you, if you work as
a freelancer in film production as a crew member (other than a DP or
the director) you are not legally to be paid as 1099.

Jibralta Merrill
production manager/supervisor
818 980-2091

The official rules for determining Independent Contractor status can
be found here:
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1779.pdf
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p15a.pdf

And here's a take from DGA First AD/UPM Jonathan Zimmerman . . .

The Federal and State Independent Contractor rules are slightly
different, and the State of California seems to be more aggressive in
enforcing the state rules. Generally, anyone who works on-production is
by definition an employee -- even if you have your own corporation or
business.

A DP contracted to supply plates or stock footage using personal
equipment and facilities, or a VFX artist contracted to perform
animations at home on personal equipment, MIGHT be an independent
contractor, but only if they work without supervision, set the times and
hours of work performed, and meet other criteria.

If you work as an independent contractor and the State of California
disagrees with you, you are potentially liable for your own (worker's)
contributions AND the employer's contributions that should have been
made on your behalf.

It's not easy to determine exactly who can qualify for independent
contractor status. This might help:

http://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/FAQ_IndependentContractor.htm
<http://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/FAQ_IndependentContractor.htm>

But if the State thinks you're an employee, and your employer is forcing
independent contractor status on you to make their lives easier, be
advised that your life might become a whole lot more complicated and
expensive if the State of California comes after you. And once the
State gets you, they automatically turn you over to the Feds. It's not
pretty, even if you actually qualify as an independent contractor under
the Federal rules.

Remember, in the Administrative Code you're guilty until you prove
yourself innocent.

Get a website, already!

EVERYONE in business today needs a website. It's a must have. Do you have one? And if not, why not?

The Internet is being used by millions worldwide with more and more connecting every day. The information you provide on your website is instantly available to anyone that can access it. This makes a website a very effective sales channel and a powerful marketing and promotional tool. Imagine, with a website you are now open for business 24/7/365 and potential customers can find out about you and your offerings even while you sleep.

So what are your excuses?

I don't know how to make a website.

It's too expensive. I can't afford it.

I say, "Hogwash! Would you like some cheese with that whine?"

Yes, you can go out and spend tens of thousands of dollars on a custom website. And for some of you, this IS exactly what you should do. However, for most freelancers and small business that's not an affordable or realistic option. It's simply not necessary. Today, utilizing the Internet is very inexpensive and there are more options than ever. Literally, there are new options emerging every day.

So stop your bellyaching and start simple. You can always change your site and upgrade as you grow and can afford a bigger and more sophisticated site.

Some suggestions and thoughts about what's out there . . .

For Mac users, iWeb is a great place to start. They have a manage-able set of easy-to-use templates. Each are simple to modify and customize. And of course you can design from scratch if you must have it your way. You may also link it to your existing website or just use your .Mac address, though I recommend you use your own URL to reinforce your brand.

Most web hosting services offer low cost web building and design though I find they usually targeted towards the PC user and lack the appeal and ease of use of other stand-alone services.

Increasingly popular are using blogging sites like Blogger.com and WordPress to create a website that's easily update-able through their proprietary blogging software. Blogger.com is the simpler-to-use of the two (this blog is a Blogger.com site). WordPress offers a ton of more customizable options though the learning curve is slightly steeper and increases as you make your site more complicated. Quite honestly, if you do a little research you'll find that WordPress has become wildly popular for website design. Loads and loads of top sites are WordPress sites. Clearly a sign of it's easy of use and customization options.

Many of the social networking sites allow you to create a custom page or site. You may already have a Facebook page. Did you know some people are using their Facebook book page as a website? While these might be good options for the faint-at-heart, personally, I think they are a little low tech and pedestrian. Still, it's better than nothing. If you don't like Facebook, there's MySpace, while you may think it's a little old school it is still hip among the music and indie film crowd. The teen and college set has been migrating away from Facebook back to MySpace, I've heard. No doubt a result of the pressure to accept friend requests from one's grandmother/mother/aunt on Facebook. While I use these social community sites myself to network I'm not a fan of using them as a businesses sole or primary website or web presence. I think you'll find they work better when augmenting your stand-alone website.

Recently I came across WhosCreative.com - a simple online website creation company where you can have a portfolio based site for free or low cost (under $8 bucks a month). They also have a professional level (under $50 bucks a month) for you ambitious folks. This service looks pretty good for artists, photographers and filmmakers and is definitely worth checking out.

Clearly, these are only a handful of possibilities. The point is this - With the web full of options at a cost appropriate for everyone, there's no excuse not to have a website these days.

20 Great Tips to Better Networking

"Oh whoa is me." That's my general internal non-verbalized sentiment when it comes to attending a networking event. Yes, my dear friends I know you think I'm a networking uber goddess but truth be told I am ever locked in my own internal battle to be less dormouse and more diva. At each event I secretly pray that someone will take pity on me and introduce themselves and save me from the anxiety I feel having to introduce myself.

I know that if I could benefit from more proactive networking, chances are you could too, so I thought I'd regurgitate my latest online finding and share Courtney Pike's (JobBound.com) "20 Tips for Navigating Your Next Networking Event.

Cut and past the following link into your browser or click on the title.

http://jobbound.com/blog/entry/20-tips-for-navigating-a-networking-event/

And for heaven's sake if you see me standing by myself at your next networking event, give a gal a break and come over and introduce yourself. We'll both be better for it :-)

Free!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just a reminder to all of you production folks that our friends at Media Services offer some excellent free software (Mac & PC). That's right free! Mighty recession friendly of them, isn't it!

See if there is anything you can use (or pay it forward and pass onto a friend or colleage) at: http://www.showbizsoftware.com/category_s/46.htm

And while you are there, check out their other offerings . . . including their "Bargain Bin" where you'll find some great production resource books on sale for a low $9.95.

Or if you are in LA or NYC check out their free workshops.

Need Help With Social Media? Check Out Dell

Dell has a great group on Facebook (see link below) for you social media newbies and fans. Especially great are their "introductions" to social media must-knows such as Facebook, Twitter, WordPress, Technorati and so on. I know how challenging it is to keep up these days. I hope these tutorials and tidbits will help. Maybe then you too can keep "summer hours" and feel good about your carbon footprint or something :-)

http://www.facebook.com/dellsocialmedia?ref=nf

Cool site comparing best video hosting/embedding options for film-makers

Cool site comparing best video hosting/embedding options for film-makers

http://kareltests.co.uk/

Transmedia

Transmedia is the new buzz word for 2010

Nina Paley's story about her film "Sita Sings the Blues" - amazing! If you are a "filmmaker" or creative media artist and you don't check out her work and what's she's doing you'll be missing out!

DIY DAYS - PHILADELPHIA

On a steamy, hot Saturday in August I can think of a lot of places I'd rather be . . . floating in cool swimming pool or at the shore. And after spending the last week on the road shooting corporate pharma work in Boston the last place I thought I'd spend this Saturday, August 1st was in the warm, dark Chaplan theater at the University of the Arts attending DIY Days Philadelphia. And yet, here I am.

The day started off with a keynote from the energetic author, teacher, documentarian Douglas Rushkoff. Rushkoff's take on "How capitalism killed narrative and how to grow new ones" was an inspiring and witty way to wake up. Unfortunately the follow up talk I attended in the Black Box Theatre put me back to sleep. Maybe it was the hypnotic fireplace video played on a big screen in the back ground, though more likely it was the low drone of Lance Weiler and Chuck Wendig speaking softly into microphones that needed to have been kicked up a notch to be heard clearly in the back row. Bottom line, what was billed as "The Evolution of Storytelling" and specifically technology's impact on the art and craft of storytelling was more DIY-the Lance & Chuck show and storytelling as it applies to gaming and not enough concrete information about how one can develop stories that travel across screens and devices.

I caught the last couple minutes of Esther B. Robinson's (film producer and founder of ArtHome) talk about "Building a Creative Foundation" and was sorry to have missed it.

Next up . . . "What You Need to Know - Fair Use" which is all about the line between remix culture becoming more fuzzy and thus it's more difficult to consider what is Fair Use by Nina Paley (filmmaker "Sita Sings the Blues"). This is the "FREE SPEECH" part of the program . . . hello, Dad--are you listening? (FYI-my father was the photographer of the most iconic photographs of the Berkley Free Speech Movement).

No Doubts: Women Are Better Managers • NY Times: July 25, 2009

This interview with Carol Smith, senior vice president and chief brand officer for the Elle Group, the media company, was conducted and condensed by Adam Bryant.

Q. What is the most important lesson you've learned about leadership?

A. The importance of winning over employees as opposed to bossing employees. I learned that lesson very, very early — in sixth grade.

Q. Tell me about that.

A. In sixth grade, I was head of the project to create a mural for the graduating class to hang in the auditorium. That's a big deal. And I got a clipboard, I remember, and then I had all this power and I started bossing everyone around. And within days it was apparent that I was going to have a mutiny on my hands, and I was fired from the mural. They took my clipboard away. It was a lesson I learned very early in life about the difference between being the boss and being bossy. I often tell people, "Ah, that's a sixth-grade clipboard problem here."

I feel I'm a leader without ever really thinking I'm a leader, which is to say that I know when I walk into a room of employees, I command a presence, but I'm always feeling like I'm part of the gang. I don't instantly sit at the head of the table. I sit in the middle of the table, always. I don't want to sit at the head of the table. I want to be part of the process and part of the decision.

In the end I think that if you win people over, they'll follow you. And of course you need other qualities, like honesty, decisiveness and the ability to confront. I'm a really good confronter.

Q. What do you mean by "confronter?"

A. I have been in this career for many years and I have seen, and this is a generalization, that women are better list-makers. They will do their to-do list. They will prioritize their to-do list. They will get through their to-do list. Maybe it's because we do shopping lists. And if we have a problem — again, as a generalization — we will confront the problem and deal with it head-on.

I think that has really made me good at managing people, because I think they always know that they're going to get a real answer.

Q. Can you elaborate?

A. When you're about to give someone a bad review, they pretty much know it. They might not know they know it, but they know it. Do I always start out with a positive? Yeah. But if there isn't any positive, I'm not going to try to find it if there isn't anything. I will always give them my point of view and my side, and I will always keep the door open to hear their side, and I will always end with, "Here's what you have to do to correct it."

Confrontation — meaning, "You didn't do a good job. That presentation was bad. It didn't work, and here's why it didn't work" — is so much better than walking away from a sales call saying, "Great. Got to get back to the office, O.K.?" It's better for everyone and I've never understood why people won't do it.

Q. It sounds as if you've thought a lot about men versus women as managers.

A. I have, I have.

Q. Please share.

A. Hands down women are better. There's no contest.

Q. Why?

A. In my experience, female bosses tend to be better managers, better advisers, mentors, rational thinkers. Men love to hear themselves talk. I'm so generalizing. I know I am. But in a couple of places I've worked, I would often say, "Call me 15 minutes after the meeting starts and then I'll come," because I will have missed all the football. I will have missed all the "what I did on the golf course." I will miss the four jokes, and I can get into the meeting when it's starting.

Men also, they're definitely better on the "whatever" side. Things tend to roll off their back. We women take things very personally. We're constantly playing things over in our head — "What did that mean when they said that?" — when they mean nothing. And I'm certainly not immune to this. So there's a downside to women.

Q. Any others?

A. No. Although I will say that working for all women is just as bad as working for all men. I hate an office where there aren't men and women together. I hate it, hate it, hate it. Men and women together is the best.

Q. If women are better managers, how come there aren't more women in the corner offices of corporate America?

A. I ask you that. I think we'd be better presidents. I mean, we've got a really good one right now, but I find it so puzzling. I swear I don't know.

Q. What have you tried to do less of over time?

A. Less of the, "I want to know who did that. Who decided to give that rate to that person?" I want less of that self-righteousness. I have a little bit of that and I think I'd like to have less of that — the, "You see? I told you so." That's definitely something I should work on.

I would love to do more — it's corny, but it's true — management by walking around. It really makes a difference. I know it does. And we all get caught up with being with our own little group. We all have our comfort zone.

Q. Any other comfort zones you've worked to get out of?

A. I'm most proud of the fact that I got out of being afraid of giving speeches. You have to be out there and you have to be up there, and you have to be the leader. It was something I needed to overcome. I did everything. I was the oldest person at Dale Carnegie. I could have had private lessons in my office. But I wanted to go there.

Q. Looking back, do you feel there was a moment or experience that set your career on a different trajectory?

A. I started working at 16. I worked all through college. Work brought me success and money and freedom, and then more success and more money and more freedom.

I failed a few times. I failed to get into the college of my choice. I failed to get into law school. And they were big failures for me, but I found the more I worked, the better I did, without ever having a goal. I didn't have a goal. I wanted to be a lawyer and I didn't get to be a lawyer, but all of a sudden I woke up one day and I was in publishing, and I knew what I was doing.

As I look back, I think that sometimes you can't have the five-year plan for yourself. If you're doing something well, you tend to keep doing it. That's how you fall into careers.

Q. Do you have tricks for managing your time?

A. I come to work almost every Sunday for at least four hours to go through my e-mail. I did it when it was a real in-box, and I would go through it and write notes to everyone and then hand them out on Monday, and now I do it with e-mail. I'm glad I come in on Sunday. It's the quiet time. I get things out of the way. I'm reacting, but I'm thinking as I do it, constantly going through things. So when I come in on Monday, it's like my vacation day. I've gotten my e-mail down to under 30.

Q. Any other time management techniques?

A. I don't waste time. If you want to chat, if you want to gossip, I'll gossip with anyone, I'll hang out. But when I'm working, I'm working. When you sit here in my office, we work. Men don't do that as well as women do, either. All of sudden they're on football. All of a sudden they're showing videos of their son's soccer game. Then they're telling a couple of jokes. I'm not good at jokes during meetings. I'm very focused. I'm very singularly directed.

Q. Let's talk about hiring.

A. I am living by something I read in Cathie Black's book ["Basic Black: The Essential Guide for Getting Ahead at Work (and in Life)"] which I sort of instinctively knew — that you've got to meet someone three times, and one of them better be over a meal.

You learn so much in a meal. It's like a little microcosm of life. How they order, what they order. How are they going to give instructions to a waiter? Are they sending back the meal eight times? Can they keep the conversation going, especially if you're hiring someone who is in sales? Are they asking smart questions?

Throughout a meal, the personality comes out, I think. Are you going to connect with us? Are you going to be part of the team, or are you going to be one of these independent players who wants to take all the credit? Are you good with assistants? Those are things you can find out in some subtle ways when you eat with someone.

Q. Any other tips on hiring?

A. Don't hire somebody you don't like. There is always a strong internal pressure to give a job to a person who has all the right credentials and says all the right things, even if something about her sends up little signals of alarm. They may be slight, but in my experience it is a great mistake to ignore them. Every time I went against my instincts and gave a job to someone who, though clearly capable, made me feel uneasy during the interview, it has ended badly.

Days We Will Remember

With increasing frequency, I see Tweets requesting referrals and recommendations for social media coaches and consultants. Daily, I'm asked by colleagues, friends and family about social networking – what is it, how do you do it, what’s the point . . .

Until recently, many of my own colleagues were late adopters of any form of social media and while a few have begrudgingly joined Facebook, most continue to refuse to join Twitter and only lamely at best use professional services such as LinkedIn or Namyez with anything resembling seriousness, let alone organized, purposeful approaches.

The advent of recent events in Iran have fueled the fire of curiosity about social networking as the supreme leader’s crack down on the traditional media forced the world to rely on CNN's iReports, YouTube videos, and Tweets as our main source of information on news about Iran's civil unrest. It has been inspiring to witness the Iranians boldly defy their government, deftly using social media to communicate their message and actions to the world

This is social media as news delivery system, as an organizing tool, as a way to move and inspire mass groups of people.

As the Iranians have courageously taken to the streets defiantly chanting the name of the young martyred woman, Neda, how many of us will they inspire to pick up the tools of social media and give voice to our own self expression? What a strange twist of fate it is, that the example of a nation defined by oppression should be the catalyst that awakens us to the power of social media. If there were any doubt as to the importance of social media and to the powerful role it could play in communications the Iranian’s have put it to rest.

These will be days to be remembered.

Friends will let you starve. Strangers will give you work.

Check out this great blog by director Brian Belefant, DGA - 60 Second Director.

One of my favorite blog entries of Brian's is titled "Friends will let you starve. Strangers will give you work." Painfully true and a great read. Don't forget to add him to your Twitter followers.

http://60secdirector.blogspot.com/2009/06/friends-will-let-you-starve-strangers.html

Twolia Lauches Women's Online Talent Community

Check out https://www.twolia.com

Female Directors, Still a Scarce Movie Commodity

Female Directors, Still a Scarce Movie Commodity (NPR)

Hollywood Feminist of the Day: Queen Latifah

Posted: 20 Jul 2009 06:06 AM PDT

Multi-talented recording artist, producer and actor, Queen Latifah is releasing her ninth album later this summer Persona. She had the courage earlier this summer to talk about her child sexual abuse and she has always been a role model for women who are not skinny yet powerful and comfortable with their bodies.

She has a built in following and is able to get her audience out to see her flicks. Her production and management company Flavor Unit Entertainment is successful and she wants to be able to emulate the Tyler Perry model of having her own studio. I also think her acting ability is underrated. She was very good in The Secret Life of Bees and was nominated for an Oscar for Chicago.

Here are some of the quotes from a recent LA Times piece:

Can you tell me a little more about your production company, Flavor Unit Entertainment? It seems like you have your fingers in a lot of pies.

We’ve had a production company for quite a while now. We’ve produced “Beauty Shop” to “The Cookout” to “The Perfect Holiday,” and now “Just Wright.” We’re developing film and television production. We’ll be having a big announcement soon — it’s not ready yet. I shouldn’t tease you like that! We were a big music management company. As my career started to gain more strength on the film side than the music side, we started to swing our resources over to the film side.

And these movies have made money?

They’ve all made money.

Where does this all end up?

I don’t know that it ends up. If anything it continues up. I would love to eventually have our own studio. A real studio to produce films, television, whatever it is we like to do. To be a self-contained company, like a Tyler Perry, I suppose. You write it, you shoot it, you market it, you license it.

I’m excited that she is thinking this way. We need more women to dream this big.

The Sunday Conversation: Queen Latifah (LA Times)

Women and Hollywood

Good article about Kathryn Bigelow and women directed films.

Women & Hollywood - Women Directors Working Outside the Studio System

(Re-posted from the Association of Women Directors (AWD) Yahoo Groups newsletter)

Kathryn Bigelow

This is a story that I have written numerous times but it just seems that nothing changes. I will keep on keeping on until we get more women directors. NPR did an interesting piece on women directors and their films this summer and how in order for them to get their movies made they need to work outside the studio systems.

YUP. Since only Nancy Meyers, Nora Ephron and now Anne Fletcher can get studio jobs.

It’s great that Kathryn Bigelow and Lynn Shelton are being noticed for their work this summer. I think both their movies are great and I enjoyed them both. I do think it’s interesting that both these films keep getting talked about in the context of the fact that they are women directing movies about men making it seem that this is such a freaky occurrence. It’s shouldn’t b
e that big a deal. I’ll say it again: nobody makes a big deal about guys directing movies about women yet we continue to be shocked that women can make movies about men. Even NPR.

But NPR basically answers its own question with the following quote:

When women direct, they’re in control. And major Hollywood studios cannot exactly bask in their legacies of female empowerment: Historically, female directors tend to work outside the traditional studio system.

Lynn Shelton

Control. What is the fear of women being in control of a film? Women can be producers, but control and, of course, vision seems to make everyone go nuts. The issue regarding women directors is so hard to document as blatant discrimination because the hiring process is not like hiring a receptionist or a manager. A producer or a studio head has to hire someone they trust with their money, someone they trust to get the job done on time, someone they trust to be able to command a crew. Women can be trusted to do many jobs in our society yet getting studio chiefs to trust that a female director is right for the job seems to be too far a leap. Yet everyone knows it is discrimination but they also know it is near impossible to prove.

From the piece:

Bigelow says she has no idea why even now so few women are trusted to direct major films.

“You’d have to sit somebody down here and ask them,” she says, with the slightest
edge to her voice.

By “somebody,” Bigelow means a studio head, a Hollywood mogul. Ask Lynn Shelton the same question — Why aren’t there more go-to female directors? — and she likewise points to the studio bosses.

I wish one of those somebodys would sit down and give someone a real answer. The problem is there is no real answer and they all know it.