[Jonathan Ziegler]

Just a quick note: correct, you can’t protect an idea. You can protect the individual expression of that idea. This is the realm of copyright. So, if you have a detailed treatment, proposal, etc., you could copyright it, but it won’t protect you from someone else making the same thing in another form (ie: film, video, website, etc.). Other things you can protect are trade secrets (difficult to protect, but this is the basis for a standard NDA form), patents (not where you are at), and trademarks (also not where you are at). Remember, also, there are at least millions of people coming up with ideas all the time – most of them will never see the light of day, but those that bring their ideas to fruition have a much better chance than those that don’t (infinitely better).

Don’t let the fact that you can’t really protect your idea keep you from developing it. If you can package your idea so it’s marketable to a broader market, you may still have a shot. Look at the “documentaries” on places like Discover, History Channel, etc. – the 30 minute info-mentaries which give little in the way of actual information and offer more speculation and flashy graphics are fairly popular and could be used to make a documentary profitable. Think like Roger Corman – why make 1 movie at x price when you can make 2 or 3 or more! You could turn the footage into a 30 minute program for a cable network and use the money from that to put together your final documentary – just be sure to shoot separate footage for each unless they’ll let you reuse your footage for the documentary.

Jonathan Ziegler
https://www.electrictiger.com/
520-360-8293

[Jonathan Ziegler]

Most external drives are just some kind of SATA drive with additional control electronics to allow the transfer of data from device to computer. They’re pretty easy to make, too, but I won’t get into that. Generally, I find that the drive case/controller itself and not the drive has gone bad. Not always.

Usually, if the data seems intact, allows you to open it, but loads really slow, it’s a problem with the controller hardware (these are made sooooo cheap it ain’t funny) and not the drive (if it were a problem with the drive, the data would be corrupt or non-existent). Try picking up a cheap drive case and swap cases out. They run like $25-40 for a cheap one with USB only so you can just check data. I use the Voyager Q to check drives (it’s a cheap drive “toaster” that you can rapidly swap drives in and out of and it has multiple interfaces, but no cooling which is a big drawback) – https://www.newertech.com/products/voyagerq.php – I hook up a small desk fan for cooling if I’m going to be using it alot – just point the fan at the drive.

For those more concerned with how it looks, there are prettier drive enclosures and drive swappers out there, but they all do the same basic thing despite all the gosh neat features (I mean, a “backup button?” Really?). Beyond that, I’m a huge fan of LaCie drive cases. While I’ve had drives fail in them, they use the same drives everyone else uses which fail just as often as any other – Samsung, WD, etc., but I’ve never had the case fail. In fact, when the drive in my MacBook died, I was able to resurrect it in an old LaCie case and save all the data. Then I made the drive into art. 😉

Jonathan Ziegler
https://www.electrictiger.com/
520-360-8293

[Jonathan Ziegler]

Egads! I hadn’t even heard of that one. Yes, that’s exactly what health insurance is for and I’m glad you had insurance to handle that as $110k is a lot for even the wealthiest to handle. Again: I’M NO EXPERT! I’ve had some insurance training and I have my opinions (opinions are like…insert expletive… you get the idea) which, not surprisingly, reflect my personal, professional, and financial situation.

My wife and I take great pains to be as healthy as possible and living in Arizona presents unique situations (like Valley Fever which I’ve had and it’s really not fun). Now, were I in a different situation, I would likely feel different. The larger issue of healthcare in this country is touchy and not likely to present a solid, workable solution in the near future. Part of the reason I decided I wanted to make movies instead and get out of insurance.

We have drifted pretty far off the original post about competing with script-kiddies with hacked software. Again, don’t play on their field, make them compete with YOU. They won’t be able to compete on quality, knowledge, experience, etc., but can on PRICE. Let ’em. After working for 40 hours on a project and getting paid $200, they’ll be in business at that level for a really short time and then either raise rates or just go out of business. They’ll be replaced by someone else and this cycle will continue.

Suggestions: if you think (or know) your competition is using pirated software, turn them in. A lot of people say, “oh, I don’t wanna do THAT…” Turn them in – think of it as a business strategy. There are stiff fines for using educational software for business use or using a stolen license or an illegal copy. Adobe will very aggressively prosecute license violations. So does Apple, Microsoft, and a host of others. If someone stole your video and made copy upon copy, wouldn’t you prosecute? You pay for your software and it ain’t cheap. Your competition shouldn’t have to resort to illegal activity to improve their edge. I paid for my Adobe Suite, FCS, a stack of other apps and more than a few plug-ins. I’m heading to NAB next year to figure out what I’ll spend money on next year. Don’t forget to factor in what you plan to spend on software and hardware in your quotes. Think also – they need to have a valid business license in their region – big fines for operating a business without valid licensing.

Now, if they did buy their software and can prove it and still want to charge too little for a project, that’s their deal. They obviously have a different business model than you.

Jonathan Ziegler
https://www.electrictiger.com/
520-360-8293

[Jonathan Ziegler]

Well, most insurance companies offer policies that differ little from state to state. The thing is that individual states handle insurance on their own. Each state has an insurance bureau which handles all insurance and financial products (for video businesses). Big companies DO offer nationwide policies, BUT they must first be approved by each state and can vary slightly due to individual state insurance laws. Did you know you can get a policy in another state by going to that state? Most states allow it. If I produce insurance in Arizona and a family member from Minnesota comes down, I can sell them a policy, but I can’t go to MN and sell an AZ policy unless I’m licensed in MN (you have to be licensed in the state in which you are doing business), but then I’d be selling the MN version of the policy for that company.

My problem with health care (in the video business) is that everyone wants this incredible, all-inclusive health care policy which covers tons of things they will NEVER NEED and has $0 copays, free drugs, and an unlimited supply of available doctors, dentists, optometrists, specialists, etc. Those kinds of connections come at a price – administration, staff, buildings, utilities, computers, paperwork, insurance adjusters, and other basic costs of doing business – paying out settlements to doctors, hospitals, policyholders, et al. notwithstanding. They’re federally and regionally mandated business practices.

For insurance, it costs me just over $1200 a year for me and my wife. My health is my responsibility – I pay for doctor visits (after being on set), the eye doctor, my contacts (so I can look through the viewfinder), my own healthy food (better than donuts and coffee during shoots), etc. Including my out-of-pocket expenses and insurance, I spend about $3000 a year for my wife and I. If I had even a modest health insurance policy, it would cost me well over the $3000 I already spend and I won’t be going to the doctor more often or getting a better deal on contacts or getting drugs I’ll never take, or actually getting any healthier. In fact, with copays, premiums and deductibles, I’ll actually spend MORE on healthcare.

Try this: Ask your doctor, dentist, or optometrist what they charge if you don’t have insurance. For me, it was a $265 optometrist visit for my wife and I and $300 in contacts. That’s $565 or about $50 a month since I only go once a year. Can you even get an eye plan for that? Wait until myopia is a pre-existing condition… Don’t forget, these costs are NEGOTIABLE just like any other business transaction. if you’re paying cash, you should pay less – no rigorous, lengthy insurance paperwork, no waiting for payments, just wham-bam…you get the idea. Hell, offer to shoot a commercial for them and turn a $500 doctor visit into a $3500 commercial – good ROI!

I think if most people (media professionals?) REALLY looked at what they were spending, they would realize they were spending more to INSURE their health than the actual expense of caring for themselves. Take that money and put it in a stock, IRA, or (at least) interest-bearing account, get a good term life policy, a cancer policy if there’s a risk, an accident policy, improve your auto insurance, check out the various sickness and illness plans and get some professional insurance – it’s closer to what you need and costs far less. The overall benefit of health insurance for a small group or individual is just not there from a cost-benefit standpoint and being overinsured is a waste of money. Yes, there are people who have serious health problems and they should have health insurance, but most people are pretty healthy and really don’t need it. Insurance companies want lots of very healthy people paying for policies to offset the payouts for unhealthy people on the same policy.

Jonathan Ziegler
https://www.electrictiger.com/
520-360-8293

[Jonathan Ziegler]

I used to sell insurance and I know what the costs are like for small businesses – basically, the bigger the group, the less you have to pay, but the smaller the group, the more you pay.

Among the ones I used to handle was AFLAC. Yep, the duck. Of all the stuff I handled, AFLAC is the one I kept – I still have their accident policy for my wife and me. I pay about $52 a month (this is for AZ – prices may be different in other states). It doesn’t cover regular doctor visits, drugs, seeing a specialist, but it’s there in case something happens – like a car accident, fall from a ladder, accidental stab with scissors (the only things I’ve claimed) – basically any type of accident and they pay you over and above whatever auto, home, health, worker’s comp, etc. insurance pays (they don’t pay a doctor or the hospital, they pay YOU).

Truth be told, neither my wife nor I really ever need to go to the doc but maybe once a year and with health insurance rates at around $130 a month for minimal coverage for my wife and I (it costs less than that to see our doctor!), it makes more sense to have something more like car insurance for us (car ins don’t pay for gas, maintenance and repair, but they pay for accidents and the like). Now, if you have a family and children or have diabetes or another pre-existing condition, your situation will be different.

Right now, it’s the only policy my wife and I have because we can handle basic medical expenses (if my company foots the bill, it’s a tax deduction – talk to your accountant), but if something serious happens, we’re up the proverbial creek and most health insurance won’t cover it anyway.

Obviously, talk with your insurance broker or your company HR person and try looking up your local AFLAC agent for other options, too. If they offer AFLAC, you can get it while u are there, but if you leave, you can keep the group rate. Also, in general, not all insurance is created equal so shop around and don’t get bullied into a policy and pay attention to the company’s rating (go to insure.com for standard & poor’s – you want A, AA or AAA, am best is ambest.com – you want an A- or better), how fast they handle claims, customer service, etc. All very important.

I won’t claim to be an expert, but I’m happy to answer whatever questions you have or, at least, point you in the right direction.

Jonathan Ziegler
https://www.electrictiger.com/
520-360-8293

[Jonathan Ziegler]

Whoa! This sounds like a larger video market issue and not so much a social marketing issue.

Every single creative endeavor for the last 15 years has been slowly getting more and more computerized. Photoshop. Illustrator. Final Cut. Flash. After Effects. This list goes on and on. It’s not stopping any time soon, either.

Do you think Mercedes worries when Kia comes out with a competing car? Mercedes markets themselves as a high-end, luxury automobile with drool-worthy features and specs. Kia markets to lower- to middle-class families who need an affordable car without all the drool. Yeah, they’re in the same business, but nobody would claim they are only separated by price. There is a virtual cavern of difference between the 2.

The same applies to you: if your market is “everyone” you will go broke trying to market. Find a niche and market to that niche. If you’re even remotely serious about competing with a kid with hacked software, make them compete on your field – don’t compete on theirs. You’ll go broke trying to compete on their territory and they’ll quickly show their true colors on yours. Your experience will win out.

Social media is just another advertising, marketing, and promotional platform. That’s it. It’s there if you want it. Use it or don’t. Not everyone puts ads in newspapers, or TV spots, or does email or SM or whatever.

People buy all kinds of things for dozens of reasons. Quality, experience, relevance, scarcity, conspicuous consumption, and, even, price. If “price” is the only thing your clients are looking at, don’t bother with the rest. You can be the cheapest. What you need to do is convince your customers why you are better. It’s not price, right? You have much better equipment than a $1k camcorder, right? do your customers know that? Do they know why you are more expensive than Kid with Camcorder? Your job is to sell them on why you are better. Don’t bring price into it. If they say so-and-so has better prices, have a 10-item list for why you’re better and price ain’t it. Value? Quality? Are you quick? Do you offer perks the other guys don’t? You charge $5000! I can get it for $500! Yeah, but can they offer you a script written by award-winning writer so-and-so or a slew of Addy Awards or a customer list a mile long? Probably not. If they insist they want you for $500, use my favorite word, “no” and walk away. If they really want you, show them the numbers – yep, detail exactly where the money goes. Make it clear that the line that says “profit” is non-negotiable – you aren’t in business to give away freebies and sympathy work, are you? I’m pretty sure neither are they.

One last thing: a person selling a video for $500 isn’t going to do that for very long. I had a friend want to make a series of affordable real estate videos. Wanted to charge something like $79 each – go to their house, shoot video, take to the office, edit, final, etc. Now, including drive time, shoot time, and edit time, I’m in for 5-6 hours. He wants to pay me $20. I laughed in his face. I told him minimum wage was higher and forget about it. Needless to say, he had never run the numbers. Even if he had done it all himself and got a slew of clients, the business wouldn’t survive. What about car, gas, equipment and supplies, paying someone to do the work, etc. His costs may work, but he’ll be very, very busy and will eventually tire of charging so little and the business will fail. My point is if you can show people you are a Mercedes, you don’t have to worry about Kia. Compete for the big money, NOT the small money.

Jonathan Ziegler
https://www.electrictiger.com/
520-360-8293

[Jonathan Ziegler]

Yowza, Mike! You must have tons of experience at this! Now I know why all these little social media companies are popping up. They’re making order from the chaos. Or they’re trying. Reminds me of all the similar text, email, web, SEO, and (insert any form of electronic communication here) marketing companies.

I think when someone comes up with a simple, versatile, scalable, portable social networking tool, we’ll really have something. In other words, you can have your “page” composed of just updates like twitter or something more MySpace-esque or Facebook-y, but individuals can see only what they want to see and people or companies can show you what they want you to see. Then, link it all in with cell phones, other social media sites, email, websites, blogs, TV, Radio, etc., etc. Make it free to any user and make it “upgradeable” for a small monthly fee (like $9.99) and you have a viable business model. Now, to find investors… 😉

Jonathan Ziegler
https://www.electrictiger.com/
520-360-8293

[Jonathan Ziegler]

I’ve always thought the usefulness of social media for business was in connecting and remaining connected to customers, fans, clients, etc. Don’t share that list. It’s yours. Companies spend tons of money each year generating a list of people they can advertise to.

Rather than friending your customers, use a company page and invite others to be fans (like FB). Still don’t like it? Use your social media to drive people to your site, then have a newsletter link on your site which you will use to gather the names and addresses of people you will later send a newsletter to.

Here’s what I’ve seen: social media is great for making a buzz about you, your products, services, whatever. Facebook is good for connecting to people and possible customers. Twitter is good for letting people know about your latest whatever. LinkedIn is good for connecting to potential clients via former clients.

All social media is a sort of abstraction layer for interpersonal communication – like the phone, email, or internet chat, et al. In other words, you are replacing direct, person-to-person talking with an abstraction (a representation of communication). People get to hide in plain sight. This allows a company (a collection of many people and efforts working for someone or many someones) to behave as an individual with a single voice. That voice needs to remain consistent to be coherent. That means you have to be coherent.

People will see your connections. Yep. Most social media sites are for individuals with business as an afterthought. Those connections and the sheer volume are a badge of honor. I have friends who don’t like each other at all, but they like me. They connect to me, but not to each other. I’m also connected to a lot of companies. I’ve never had a company refuse to do business because I’ve done business with a competitor. Actually, the very fact that they know I’ve done business with a competitor tells them I already know their industry and they are happy to do business with me!

Finally, if you are tentative, it will show. You’ll be a newbie. Newbies always over or under do it. That’s fine. There’s a learning curve. Tell people you are testing the waters. When you have a feel for it, you’ll be fine.

Jonathan Ziegler
https://www.electrictiger.com/
520-360-8293

[Jonathan Ziegler]

Well, the simple way should be to click on the timeline then hit the Home key for the beginning or the End key for the end. I’ve left things like slugs and text boxes several times, but 20 hours is a little unusual unless you leaned on a key or something. Don’t forget to check stray audio and, of course, double-check your export settings. Worst case scenario, just grab what you need in Quicktime and trim to the selection, then re-export from Quicktime. Not the best solution, but it works in a pinch.

Jonathan Ziegler
https://www.electrictiger.com/
520-360-8293

[Jonathan Ziegler]

Wow, awesome article, thanks for posting!

Jonathan Ziegler
https://www.electrictiger.com/
520-360-8293