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Cybel Martin's Blog - April 12th, 2007
Cybel Martin: The Joke That Never Dies
I spent a lovely three days at my dear friend’s beach house. Lots of food, drinks and a whole lot of nothing. And at some point that ubiquitous joke came up. Someone remarked, “Hey we could make a movie!” As you know, I am a DP. My dear friend is a Production Designer and the other guest is a Sound person. This joke is made every time I am in a room with a handful of film crew people. However, someone, I can’t recall who, sobered us up. The one person always missing from these Mickey Rooney/Judy Garland we can put on a show in the barn moments is someone with money. Alas – producing a film is a bit more expense than a vaudeville act. Which reminds me, I was at an afternoon pool & cocktail party last week and someone asked if we needed backers for our next art show. Must follow-up. (My apologies if this post is too Joyceian.) Which also reminds me: I visited the Freelancers Union website today and they asked where do people go to find freelance work. My best way to generate work is to send an email blast announcing a film screening, my reel updated etc or to go to a party. Its safe to say that 75% of my new business comes from parties. Probably more.
Cybel Martin: Reel Time
I returned to NYC on Thursday and picked up where I left off re: my online reel. I compressed my reel over and over in Handbrake, QuickTime, Flash, Sorensen Squeeze, FE Converter Drop, Video2SWF– the list goes on, looking for the best and fastest quality. I love the new design of my website but if the reel can’t play easily, then what’s the use? I finally finished it on Friday and was so pleased with myself. I sent out my email blast to about 350 people and waited for the responses to come in. And waited. And waited. And as soon as I saw all of the Auto reply Out of the Office emails, it hit me. It was Good Friday. Feedback trickled in that weekend and got better on Monday. Some people had problems viewing and others had it easy. There are still just too many variables for viewing stuff online. Regardless, I’m proud of myself.
Cybel Martin: Chatting Up Vendors
I still haven’t heard from the two features. I have a meeting this Friday for another. There is a good chance that we will be shooting HD on one of them. I met Sandie Stern from Tiffen last year at a Film Expo. Anyone wanting to learn how to be an excellent sales person should shadow this woman. Although I explained to her that I am not a filter person, Sandie stays in my orbit. An email here. A response there. And because of her calm persistence, I am going to test some new HD filters. And I might even buy some to add to my kit. Her gift is she treats everyone like they just might win an Oscar next year AND she also really knows the product (unlike some other salespeople I met recently and shall remain nameless). I had a similar experience at Panavision. They treated me like I had already reached my goals of greatest Cinematographer of all time-ime-ime (echo effect). Its simple but makes such a different.
Cybel Martin: Fun With Stats
My favorite way to kill time is to look at my blog stats. My Auntie Carrie blog just got a bunch of hits from people googling Precious Chong (I mentioned her in a post there). I love the cross-pollinating.
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