Happy Birthday Lincoln, here’s how Hollywood celebrates you…

It’s President Lincoln’s birthday here in the US of A and what better way to celebrate the man than to show some behind the scenes footage of  the movie “Lincoln”, and well if you are a shopper I guess there are sales you could go to and celebrate that way instead. But if you enjoy movies and reading, checkout these videos and articles.

If you aren’t up to speed on Lincoln the movie, here is the link to the official website:
http://www.thelincolnmovie.com/
or you can view the trailer here for a quick overview
http://www.youtube.com/lincolnmovie

Can’t get enough of behind the scenes action? Checkout this great interview and video spotlight with Daniel Day Lewis discussing how he interpreted the role.

http://entertainment.time.com/2012/10/26/steven-spielberg-daniel-day-lewis-and-tony-kushner-on-the-terrifying-process-of-making-lincoln/

 

And because I feel the crew never gets enough spotlight here are some of the great workers behind the making of Lincoln

Composer– John Williams

Producer- Kathleen Kennedy

Visual Effects Supervisor- Ben Morris

Costume Designer- Joanna Johnston

Production Designer- Rick Carter

Editor- Michael Kahn, A.C.E.

Director of Photography- Janusz Kaminski –

Executive Producer- Jonathan King

Executive Producer– Jeff Skoll

Executive Producer- Daniel Lupi

Screenplay- Tony Kusner

For full cast and crew credits here is the link to IMDB. 
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443272/fullcredits?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm#cast
And if you aren’t familiar with this url it is Internet Movie Database, the leading authority on all things movie, TV and celebrity information.

And for more interesting info just to stir things up a bit, checkout this article that gives you the scoop on what Hollywood got wrong about the Lincoln era.

http://www.lamag.com/citythink/askchris/2013/02/12/abraham-lincoln-birthday-rant-what-spielbergs-movie-got-wrong

Further more updated information there is an open letter sent about criticism of the errors. And you can read that here as well.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/lincoln-criticism-tony-kushner-sends-419604

Happy Lincoln’s day! Hope you enjoyed the trip down Hollywood’s version of history and learned some behind the scenes info on how we get things done in the entertainment world.

 

 

Related articles

• An Anniversary Celebration: Lincoln DVDs For U.S. Schools (entertainment.time.com)
• How Abraham Lincoln lost his birthday holiday (constitutioncenter.org)
• Happy Birthday Abe Lincoln (markitmotion.typepad.com)
• Disney will give “Lincoln” DVD to every middle, high school in U.S. (denverpost.com)
• LINCOLN to be Distributed to All U.S. Middle & High Schools (chipandco.com)
• The Lincoln Leadership Institute at Gettysburg Invites Public to Sign Virtual Birthday Card for Lincoln (prweb.com)

5 great ways to start the marketing of your film

 

I just finished 2 days of shooting a short film I co-directed and produced with OneRiver Media and prior to shooting I did some research to decide how best to market my film. Big name production companies have full PR/marketing departments to get the word out and create buzz for their project, but small indie films like mine have to do it all themselves. For a start here are five great ways to begin marketing your film.

1. Logo – Capture the essence of your film with a great logo. Never underestimate the power of a logo to create a visual identity that the audience will connect with. It must be something that immediately strikes a chord in the heart of the moviegoer. Pay close attention to colors that will make an impactful statement. Think of red for horror movies and blue tones for action movies.

Check out American Horror Story and their use of red in their logo.
http://www.fxnetworks.com/ahs/
The use of red adds the element of blood and violence to its logo.

On the lighter side of things look at how Ice Age chose to use blue in its logo to define the edges and added a 3D effect to the font.
http://www.iceagemovies.com/us/
The color capitalizes on the theme of water, hence the use of blue.

For more in formation about the uses of color, view this link
http://www.colormatters.com/color-symbolism/color-symbolism-theories

2. Trailer – Your trailer should be, in a few words, DRAMA, COMEDY, TENSION and MEMORABLE. Creating a trailer for your short film is one of the most crucial elements toward marketing your film. What you include and what you leave on the cutting room floor will determine if your audience will hand over their hard earned cash to see what you have to offer. Know specifically what category your film belongs to and cut the trailer towards that end result. Add key words from the movie that give the audience something to connect with and couple it with high impact scenes and you will have yourself something worth viewing.

3. Print/Marketing materials – Most movies have print and other types of marketing materials to create visuals that coincide with the film. Indie films should be no different in this respect. Create postcards, posters, stickers, standees or whatever to get the word out about your film. Create some promotional giveaways to entice viewers to connect with your social media and follow the films progress. Which brings me to, the use of social media for film.

4. Social Media Vimeo/YouTube – Creating attention online is a great way to gain attention and attract followers to your film. The big three, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are always a good start to get the marketing ball rolling. However there are more social media outlets available to garner attention. Check out the following and see how they might contribute to your marketing potential: Vimeo, Pinterest, Google+, Foursquare, Tumblr and Instagram.

5. Forums/ Groups/ Networks – The marketing fun doesn’t stop at social media. If you belong to any forums, online industry groups or online networks, these places are a great way to share your film. But a word of advice, don’t spam the groups with blatant promotional posts and links. Find a more subtle way to educate and entertain your colleagues by creating posts that share what your learned or challenges you had to get them interested in what’s on screen as well as behind-the-scenes. LinkedIn has a variety of groups available in the filmmaking community, as does Facebook. Choose groups that closely resemble the niche that you are involved with. Be active in the group and support other filmmakers works. Grow your network through engagement rather than solely relying on self promotion.

So there you have it, a quick sure fire way to start promoting your film.  I’d love to hear what you are doing to be creative in your endeavors, leave a comment or questions. Contact me for a setting up a private consultation to strategize for your film.

 

Go forth and be creative!

 

 

Image credit: Posterize  http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/agree-terms.php?id=10053564

 

Promotional poster of American Horror Story. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

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• 10 Feature Films You Didn’t Realize Started As Shorts (flavorwire.com)
• Four Films, Social Media, & More To Come (celluloidandleftovers.wordpress.com)
• New Years Resolutions – A Filmmakers thoughts (ehranjade.wordpress.com)
• Teaser Trailer For The Excellent Looking Sci-Fi Short Film ’2088′ (returntofleet.com)
• See The Stunning, Student-Made Short That Got Hollywood’s Attention (fastcocreate.com)
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CASTING NOTICE- MALE ACTOR SF Bay Area Jan 2013

Casting Notice- MALE ACTORS

Looking for one dark haired male aged 30-40 years old and one light haired male 50-70 years old for principal role in short film, primarily funded by Blackmagic Design and OneRiver Media. More info and updates on Suzette Mariel FB page.

Shoot to be held January 17-18, 2013 with the possibility of one other shoot date TBA. All locations shot within the SF Bay Area.

THIS IS A PAID, NON-UNION JOB. Pay scale is determined by experience. You will receive screen credit and financial compensation.

This film is scheduled for viewing at film festivals, the SF Supermeet, Atlanta Cutters, NAB, Hollywood Post Alliance Tech Retreat, Editor’s retreat in Cancun, Mexico, and various additional workshops and presentations associated with Blackmagic Design Cinema Camera.

Please contact Suzette@suzettemariel.com if you are available and interested. Please submit a professional digital headshot, and I will get back to you with an audition time.

Include your name, email address, phone number, website if available, headshot, and a photo that shows your physique, and acting resume.

You may contact Suzette Mariel directly for more information. Subscribe to the Suzette Mariel FB page to follow the updates associated with this film, future projects, events and workshops.

Two words that made me happy to lose my job… Giants Win!

No one knew that the Giants would sweep the World Series after having done so in 2010. But once again the hardworking team gave baseball fans an excuse to party. And as a result I am happy to say that I am out of job and loving it!

It isn’t often that as a freelancer I am happy to be out of work but when you sit back and think about it, there actually are some pretty cool reasons that not working is to your benefit. For example the situation I am facing today.

The San Francisco Giants swept the World Series in Detroit and are not returning to the Bay Area except for the Halloween Victory Parade on November 1^st, 2012. And for that sort of publicity, I am not needed. Therefore, out of a job until next baseball season and we start all over again.

For a very long time I have worked with the San Francisco Giants in some form or another and have always eagerly awaited the return of baseball season. I wasn’t always a fan of baseball, but anyone who knows me personally knows how intimate with baseball I have become. (See my bio at www.ejsports.com for more information about my baseball business.)

Another really cool reason to be out of job as a freelancer is when a film project comes together and the martini shot is in the can.  Who doesn’t love seeing the end result of months and months worth of work?

Furthermore, another reason to be happy to be out of work is to evaluate your next adventure. It’s all about gratitude and seeing things in a positive light. I love that I am out of job because the Giants won.

The phone is ringing, must be my next gig. So much for being out of a job as a freelancer.

 

 

Related articles

• Stylists Go All Out With Fantasy Baseball Hairdos For World Series (detroit.cbslocal.com)

Got acting talent? We have a position for you…

Zette Media is working with OneRiver Media to produce a short film and we are looking for talented people.

I was invited to play along with in this secret venture to produce a fun and entertaining piece using a very special camera. (Of which will be revealed after the NDA time frame allows.) Come join us if you have acting skills or crew experience.

We are a proud supporter of the MMTB- Making Movies Throughout the Bay Area. If you aren’t familiar with MMTB check out my profile here and be a part of the experience.

http://moviemakingbay.com/mmtb/suzettemariel/

MMTB is also in need of funding. If you like independent film and appreciate our local talent of cast and crew donate what you can for a great cause. Here is the link: MMTB  Funding Campaign

 

What I’m looking for:

1 Male actor needed for 6PM call tonight. Age 25-65 to play German Police Officer. A few spoken lines. Location: Walnut Creek, CA

1 Makeup Assistant- preferably with makeup kit and experience doing light hair.

1 Wardrobe Stylist- preferably with kit and some experience.

Compensation: lo/pay, meal provided, single screen credit, press release, behind the scenes photos, footage for your demo reel, blog post article with link to your personal website.

Contact: Suzette Mariel  suzette@onerivermedia.com or call 415-608-9713

 

photocredit: Filmstrip by pixbox77

World Book Night USA 2012

I had the pleasure being one of the book givers for this amazing event. It helps connect books with light readers and fosters and interest in reading. If you are interested in helping reignite the passion for reading this is a great avenue. Hope to see you as a book giver along side the rest of us book lovers next year. Enjoy the video!

Creative Closeup- Behind the Scenes

It’s been a goal of mine to shoot a series. And today that goal came true. I won’t reveal all of the details but I will tell you that it feels amazing to check off a goal that has been in the works for years. I met with solo entrepreneur, Joy Light of Joy Hand Painted Silk from Ashland, Oregon.

We talked about the greatness of being an independent business owner and the trials of being on the road promoting your business. Joy creates some of the most amazing silk creations on this planet. In fact her creations are so awesome she named her blog Planet Joy to house all of the greatness that comes from creating. Check out her behind the scenes information and upcoming events at http://www.joysilk.blogspot.com

Joy and I had a great time on set and we met lots of great people at the festival. The fun had to end sometime, since there is so much post production that needs attention. I have all of the editing to do, music to choose, an intro to shoot, VoiceOver talent to acquire and lots of other production tidbits to arrange. But starting is the hard part. And today I moved past that hurdle to push forward to a new frontier. To boldly go down a path that I haven’t taken before. And it has me walking on clouds.

Check back for more information on my journey with Joy and future updates on the show. I would love to hear your comments and suggestions about production, or anything at all for that matter. Leave a comment below or tweet me @suzettemariel .

Ciao!

Spotlight Focus #FF Follow Friday on Choose2Live

If you are a fan of Twitter, then I am sure you have seen the #FF (Follow Friday) stream through your twitter feed every Friday. But have you ever asked yourself who are these people? What do they have to say about themselves in more than 120 characters if given the opportunity? And how does what they do help me?

Heading over to their twitter bio is a great start, and sometimes some people have websites that give more information about who they are and what they do. But I still wanted to know more. I wanted to reach the real person and find out their Who, What, Why, How and When information. Something that could make me take a second look and find out how their business and my business could connect and collaborate on changing the world. Even if that change only meant a change in how I saw a small part of the world.

Today’s spotlight focus is on Trish Bishop, of Choose2Live. Her company is unique in it’s approach to doing personal development and living life.  To find out more, read below and head over to the website, follow her on twitter and other social media and make a connection.

 

Name: Trish Bishop

Business Name: Choose2Live

Website: www.thequestionjourney.com

Number of years in business: 6

Website: 
http://www.facebook.com/TheQuestionJourney

Twitter: 
http://twitter.com/QuestionJourney

Linked In: 
http://ca.linkedin.com/in/trishbishop

Google+ 
https://plus.google.com/113193853582315445212

 

Trish Bishop

What industry do you work in and what sets your company apart from the competition?

Natural Health and Personal Development.

What sets our company apart from the competition is that we believe that not everything resonates with everyone. For that reason we partner with other natural health or personal/spiritual development practitioners and happily refer people who do not resonate with our philosophy or approach. We prefer to work with people who are truly committed to the changes required to reclaim who they really are physically, emotionally and spiritually.

 

What tip would you give a new person starting out in your industry?

Be clear about what you do and stay true to it. Don’t try to be too many things or to be all things to all people. Also be discerning in who you work with – clients who are not willing to do the work do not make good references for you!

 

How did you get started in the industry?

My husband and I were both suffering from dis-ease and decided to try a 1-year detoxification process as an experiment. We were two different people, different sexes, different dis-eases – doing the same process and having the same result…dis-ease free! We were both absolutely committed to helping others reclaim their health from that moment on.

 

What product do you think every business should have and why?

Freshbooks! Crazy as it seems, this is an amazingly simple and intuitive online bookkeeping package. I’ve been using it for years and it just gets better and better. Every business has to track their invoices, sales, expenses, etc. and Freshbooks, by far, is the simplest product I’ve found to do this:)

 

What charity do you donate to and why is it special to you? (Include the link if you are interested in sharing)

Kimmapii Kids (
http://www.kimmapiikids.org/Kimmapii_Kids/Home.html
). This charity was started by a Shamanic group in Calgary. In the Peruvian mountains the kids can’t attend school if they don’t have school supplies. Kimmapii Kids donates boxes of school supplies (sourced locally in Peru) and takes them into the mountains each year to give them directly to the children (not to the parents or the schools). It is a powerful and amazing gift that means that each child who receives one also receives an education as a result.

 

What is on your “NEED WANT LOVE” list to do in life?

I need to be who I am without apology.

I want to share my gifts with the world – and play big while doing so!

I love when I see that I’ve touched someone’s life in a way that helps them step more fully into who they really are!

 

What trends are you following that interest you?

Not a lot. I don’t read the paper, I don’t even own a TV – I’ve spent a long time learning to trust the information I receive intuitively and I act on it accordingly – I couldn’t tell you how that plays into the current ‘trends’:)

 

Which entrepreneurs inspire you to live brilliantly?

Richard Branson

 

 

Related articles

• #FF Follow Friday: Spotlight Focus on OneRiver Media (suzettemariel.wordpress.com)
• #FF Follow Friday Spotlight Focus on Joy Hand Painted Silk (suzettemariel.wordpress.com)

#FF Follow Friday: Spotlight Focus on OneRiver Media

Every Friday, millions of people on Twitter send out their Follow Fridays. But have you ever asked yourself who are these people and what do they have to say about themselves in more than 120 characters? And how does what they do help me?

Heading over to their twitter bio is a great start, and sometimes some people have websites and we then click on that link and read about their business. But I wanted to know more. I wanted to reach the real person and find out their Who, What, Why, How and When information. Something that could make me take a second look and find out how their business and my business could connect and collaborate on changing the world. Even if that change only meant a change in how I saw a small part of the world.

Today’s spotlight focus is on small business owner, Marco Solorio of OneRiver Media a full service production company. To find out what he can do for you read below and head over to the website, follow him on twitter and other social media and make the connection.

Name: Marco Solorio
Business Name: OneRiver Media
Website: www.onerivermedia.com
Twitter: @OneRiverMedia
Number of years in business: 21 years in the industry

What industry do you work in and what sets your company apart from the competition?

I work in media production (creating video/audio content for broadcast, commercial, corporate). I think what sets us apart is our professional abilities in both creative and technical, spanning many service offerings; production, editorial, visual effects, 3D, finishing, interactive development, audio, original musical scoring/composition, and much more, all under one roof, in one workflow.

What tip would you give a new person starting out in your industry?

First focus on what you want to do initially (i.e., editing, visual effects, or 3D modeling/animation, etc.) and learn as much as you can, either by enrolling in a school program or by online tutorials (many cases the latter is better). Also being in school qualifies for EDU discounted software. From there, create as MUCH of your own work as possible. This will serve as both a teaching tool and a portfolio when you start interning or looking for work.

How did you get started in the industry?

I first built a small foundation of knowledge by learning stuff on my own as a teenager through books and current magazines. While in college, I got a job at Guitar Center in the Pro Audio department, which introduced me to some good contacts. From there I was freelancing in audio, graphic design and multimedia authoring, which led into some steady work as a chief engineer in a couple of recording studios. From there I started a partnership for a few years, until ultimately starting OneRiver Media as sole ownership.

What product do you think every business should have and why?

I don’t know that there’s one product that every business should have, but in my industry, doing your own research on what best works for your workflow environment within your budget is crucial. There’s a lot of technical snags that can quickly cause a halt in operations, so knowing them beforehand, or knowing how to solve them is key. I try to blog and help others about such snags when time permits.

What charity do you donate to and why is it special to you? (Include the link if you are interested in sharing)

I’ve always felt that kids, animals, and military support were at the top of the list. But recently my dog of 15 years passed away, and because of that, I’ve been thinking more about animal charities. We’re also in the early process of starting up a series of non-profit PSAs.

What is on your “NEED WANT LOVE” list to do in life?

On a more simplified scale, the need to produce my own creative content is essential for my well being. If I’m solely working on projects for other people/corporations, then I get a bit of a disconnect. So with that said, on my personal time, I enjoy composing music, shooting photography/video, producing animations and even playing with LEGO.

What trends are you following that interest you?

Right now the two big trends I follow are NLE (Non Linear Editing) software and professional video cameras. Both are making interesting strides and surprises. For NLE software (with the collapse of Final Cut Pro 7, which was the industry standard), I’m using and keeping an eye on Avid Symphony, Adobe Premiere, and from left field, Autodesk Smoke. For cameras, it’s Blackmagic Design’s Cinema Camera and Sony’s FS700.

Get more great information about production at the OneRiver media website. Thanks for checking out out #FF Spotlight Focus. Come back next week for a double dose of #FF Spotlight Focus, where we will cover two great people to follow.

Redefining your life’s path personally and professionally

Redefining your life’s path

Recently I have had two family members pass away, thus causing me to redefine my path on a personal level as well as a professional level. I ask myself what do I want to be remembered for? Do you know the answer to this question? Here are 5 ways to help you redefine your life to meet a new standard of living personally and professionally.

1. Visualize where you want to be in 10 years and what you will be remembered for? Where will you be personally and professionally? Get clear about where you will live and what your house looks like. Imagine how successful your business will be. Picture how you will interact with loved ones. Ask yourself better questions so you can get the right answers.
2. Clarify what steps you will take to meet your 10-year vision of goals.  Divide your 10-year plan into smaller blocks of time such as 5 years, 2 years, 12 months and 6 months. Create deadlines that coincide with these small blocks of time to keep you focused on your own path and meet your goals. Plan for both vacation time and business improvement goals.
3. Evaluate your goals and determine if they feel right to you. Are they moving you closer to where you want to be or farther away?
4. Act on what you know and find out the things you don’t know to help you achieve success. Take the necessary steps to learn new methods to improve your business. Uplevel your personal development with something you have always wanted to do but never made the time for. In my case it is becoming fluent in multiple languages.
5. Review your goals on a regular basis to keep on track and note your progress. Reward yourself for making achievements to stay motivated.

I took the time to review my goals to help me decide how I wanted to be remembered. I am striving to be remembered for helping individuals promote their talents and for giving back to society. I aim to blog more about my contributions and share them with you to engage in dialogue to discover what you are doing. Tweet me @suzettemariel on twitter or leave a comment below. I look forward to learning about your goals and how you plan to redefine your life.