Hi everyone,

Directing is a such a lone wolf lifestyle I often feel compelled to reach out and connect with others in my field. After all, who else do we get to talk to? We're not clients and we're not crew, we're not really prod co. staff and we don't fit in with the regular entrepreneur or freelance crowd. It's a strange way to go about doing business that's for sure. ;)

Anyhow, I Just had a couple of questions and thoughts for the other video directors out there (or perhaps I'm simply trying to avoid writing a treatment that's due tomorrow). And, although most questions are directed at promo helmers, please feel free to chip in even if you don't direct.

So, here goes nothing...

         

How were people's first half of 2009? It started off well for me and I shot several videos back to back but then it all dried up in Mid-March. It finally began to feel like clients were coming face to face with the recession and it became hell on a stick to get budgets out of people. It does seem to be picking up now though. Perhaps this is a late summer push for videos. I've been writing like crazy over the past few weeks. Although it's still to be seen whether anything comes back.

What kind of budgets are you guys seeing (USD)? This is definitely going to vary by director but I'm used to seeing $25k+ and now it seems like $15k+ is becoming standard. What's even tougher is many clients are soliciting us with $10k size budgets.

How many jobs do you guys pitch on in a year? I recently figured this out and I pitch on roughly 52 videos each year, so I average 1 video pitch/week. Given the video budgets, the amount of money I'd be content to make, and my pitch-win ratio (approx. 15%) I've determined I should pitch on 3 videos/week to be where I'd like to be.

What's your pitch-win ratio? I'm batting 150 (15%).

What jobs are most of you directors out there doing now on a production? I've always directed/dp'ed and although I love doing both I hoped to move more to just directing. Doing both is extremely tough and takes critical focus away from the directing aspect of the job. However, with the slow-down in work I've experienced I'm still a dir/dp and I'm having to add editor to that list more and more often. Are there any pure directors out there anymore?

What do you guys pull from videos? When doing dir/dp I try to pull 15% of total budget and when I throw editing into the mix I always aim for 20% but it almost never works out that way. It seems like, no matter what I end up doing, I'm stuck at around 13% of total budget these days. Which means my 'salary' this year is way below what I'd like it to be.

The Wrap Up Perhaps I attempt to do too much on each video but when it's a $15k budget I find it almost impossible to do something interesting and take home enough to pay bills.

Maybe this will all turn around as the economy recovers. After all I have two pitches to write in the next few days and they're both $30k+. But, for now, it's definitely hard out there.

I still love my job and I feel very fortunate to do what I do though. I guess these are just tough times, no matter what you get up to for a living.

K

         

Yep things are tough all over. Less so in Canada I think. And budgets will continue to fall as the price of production equipment becomes more and more negligible. Personally I try not to worry too much about money (as long as rent is paid and there's sushi salmon in the fridge; my main concern is trying get good enough that I can compete against the dozens of amazingly talented young directors that appear each year. :) -jman

         

I kinda really only started to emerge as a director of my own (I assist a "BIG" director) as early as last December.

My first half of the year this year sucked, nothing, but I was still writing alot. In April I Direct Bid and booked a Job and since then I have done a video every other week. Budgets have varied and since my real name is my profile name I Cant really reveal but suffice to say they are on the lower side.

I usually have a DP, and a Production Designer, and sometimes Editor because I like the Collaborative nature of our industry and as you stated it frees you up to focus on directing, but thats not to say I dont have a heavy hand in all the departments and dont help out when its necessary. These days it seems as though there is less help (p.a's, grips, electric etc.) so every seems to have to pitch in a little extra.

I don't necessarily think the recession is all that to blame though, Music Videos have been in a state of change since well before I ever even got into it (ive been working on them for 6 years), but it seems as though we are in the steepest point of the decline and feel that the industry is just evolving, it has to get worse before it gets better.

I'm just riding the wave and hoping it works out.

15% to 20% sounds pretty crazy to me, unless you also produce your own jobs, the Standard is 10%, but some people have underage deals, but 15k to 20k jobs sounds crazy to tkae that much to me as I would honestly feel a little guilty that I dint put the money up on the screen. I myself haven't really even been taking 10% because the my idea on it is to put more on screen and hopefully get bigger jobs. As Jesse says, as long as I can pay rent and provide for my family, and be doing what I love thats all that matters

         

@Jesse - quick question, you say that things are probably less tough in Canada right now. What do you feel helps the Canadian video market?

@Spence - In theory I would take 20% when I Dir/DP/Edit/Exec. Produce. I always Dir/DP/Exec. and try to take 15% on those jobs. Typically though I take right around 13% even on the jobs that I Dir/DP/Edit/Exec.

For example, it looks like I just booked a job. The budget is quite small and so I'll be Dir/DP/Edit/Exec and I'll only be able to pay myself 10%.

I definitely want to be able to put as much as I can on the screen and sometimes I almost feel like I'm ripping myself off. ;)

K

P.S. - @Spence - Since your short drought you've been shooting a video every other week?? What's the secret? Inquiring minds need to know. :)

         

^yes, count me in as a mind of the inquiring sort, too, Spence!

         

kal - the canadian music video market is helped by grant funding bodies like videofact, which is probably the only reason 75% of music videos get made here in the first place. typically, they award $20K per video, sometimes 25K. but it's gone as of the end of 2010. no reason to continue pouring millions of dollars in grant money into a product that really nobody even sees. in the music video golden age it was practically a requirement in order to meet Canadian content requirements for broadcast, but now...not so much. there are a few other funding sources, but that's the big one.

         

Honestly I'm not really sure, ha, a certain commissioner ended up hiring me for 2 of them and a band manager hired me for another 2 and have another possible from him as well, I think once you find people who like your work and you get along with it gets a little easier, I know theres a very good chance my streak could end any time now but Im trying to keep the momentum up. Also what helps is the fact that the commissioner I worked with is independent and she works with different labels and the manager Ive been doing jobs for has a lot of bands on a lot of different labels so that helps me spreading out and getting more clients, I look at it like a Family Tree kind of. Also when I got a rep last year I kind of got lazy and just let him find me tracks, and then when things got slow I realized I needed to hussle and market myself as well and once I started doing that a lot more jobs opened up.

         

@scudmore - Just did more research into videofact... and I think it's crazy... in a good way! ;) I can't find any information about the program ending in 2010. Has this been announced somewhere or something?

@spencefilms - Yep, my rep/manager does almost all the legwork and it's way too easy to get lazy and just wait for tracks. I'm really glad it's busy for you and you're reminding me that I need to get out there and get my 'hustle' on too. :)

K

         

So, I looked into this videofact thing and next thing I know I've lost 1.5 hrs. :)

On the plus side, I found it was very interesting to read articles on the CRTC's website (Canadian TV Regulator). In the end, though, the most important thing I seem to have found was the new (2006-2013) license agreement that MuchMusic (Canada's version of MTV) has with the CRTC.

It turns out that, under the terms of the current license, MuchMusic must spend the equivalent of 33% of its previous year's gross revenue on Canadian programming and that 7% of its gross revenue (incl. in the overall 33%) must go to videofact; which then finances music videos for Canadians.

Here are the pertinent passages:

"Consistent with the foregoing, and taking into account the financial circumstances of MuchMusic, the Commission considers that an expenditure on Canadian programming of 33%, including 7% to VideoFACT, of the previous year's gross revenues is appropriate. The licensee shall, therefore, by condition of licence, devote to the investment in or the acquisition of Canadian programs, during each broadcast year, at least 33% of the previous year's gross revenues. This condition of licence is set out in the appendix to this decision."

and condition 10(a) under the Conditions of License section reads,

"In each broadcast year of the licence term, the licensee shall allocate not less than 7% of the gross revenues derived from the operation of this service during the previous broadcast year to VideoFACT for the development and production of Canadian music videos."

LINK

Thus, MuchMusic is compelled, by their license agreement, to continue to donate portions of their revenue to videofact until at least August 31st, 2013.

I then did more videofact research. The service has given away approx. $44m CDN since 1984 and it has funded 4000 projects (those projects include websites and EPKs for Canadian artists).

This averages out to $11k per project over the lifetime of the program (but of course they give less money to websites and EPKs and that'll lower the actual average amount that goes to videos).

Like Scudmore said, videofact will award up to $25k to videos but, if I'm not mistaken, they require that every dollar they put in is matched by the award recipient.

Thus, if they give you $25k then you're expected to put in or 'donate' the equivalent of $25k in money/services in order to end up with a total budget of $50k.

Let me guess, everyone 'donates' services and it's almost never the case that artists/labels/mgmt tops up the money they're given, right? ;)

Overall, this is a pretty great program; from the perspective of a video director. It does seem a little 'socialist', taking money from a private entity and forcing them to donate it to a granting program. :) :D

But, I've seen some incredible videos come out of Canada and the whole free health care thing seems to work pretty well too, so go mini-social programs go! :)

K

         

"Like Scudmore said, videofact will award up to $25k to videos but, if I'm not mistaken, they require that every dollar they put in is matched by the award recipient.

Thus, if they give you $25k then you're expected to put in or 'donate' the equivalent of $25k in money/services in order to end up with a total budget of $50k.

Let me guess, everyone 'donates' services and it's almost never the case that artists/labels/mgmt tops up the money they're given, right? ;)"

The prodco/label/whoever fronts the cash to get it done once funding is approved. They are paid back by VideoFACT once the video is complete, assuming the requirements are met (it has to match the treatment; not exactly, but at least well enough to show that the money wasn't wasted).

The amount of money given depends on the budget set forth in the original proposal.

         

I see... so you get the money after you finish the video. That's smart. I did find this little tidbit though,

"VideoFACT is sponsored entirely by MuchMusic, MusiquePlus and MuchMoreMusic. The stations have committed to VideoFACT a percentage of their gross revenues per annum for video production. VideoFACT will pay up to 50% of the cost of producing a music video to a maximum of $25,000. The money is allocated as an award with no repayment."

I added the underlining to highlight that sentence. It does seem like award winners have to match the amount of the award. Thus, if videofact gives you $20k then you have to put in $20k too. So, you end up shooting a video for $40k and then videofact gives you $20k back.

Am I right? And, if I am, do artists/labels/mgmt ever follow the spirit of the award and match the awarded amount or do they simply pass the buck onto the production companies/directors/crews and make them write off the extra as donated services?

Knowing the music industry I've got my money on the latter.

K

         

In the spirit of supporting emerging labels and artists who don't have $25,000 to spend on a video, I would advise you to re-think your ideology.

These are the people who the grants are intended to assist. Not the ones who can drop $20K+ without batting an eyelid, although that is the way it goes, more often than not. A good example are artists like MSTRKRFT and Metric who receive inordinate amounts of grant support, even after they should've long-since been kicked out of the proverbial mommy and daddy's house.

When emerging artists move beyond the need for government assistance, they should do so, and pay people fairly. The governing bodies should pay close attention to where their grant funds are going, and make wise investments. There are millions wasted every year on complete crap.

         

"@scudmore - Just did more research into videofact... and I think it's crazy... in a good way! ;) I can't find any information about the program ending in 2010. Has this been announced somewhere or something?"

somebody in "the know" told me...they could be wrong. honestly, the eventual end of videofact has been a rumour circulating for a while now so i really don't know what to believe until they make a public and official announcement.

         

Totally off topic, but respondents here are specifically who I want to hear from.

I have been collecting & exhibiting music videos in a live club format for several years now. It is a fairly deep catalog spanning three + decades of music video of all types. Obviously this site is a great resource & wanted to be open about this for the attendant ethical issues.

This is a self initiated endeavor done out of a genuine love of the form & a belief that it is an optimal experience for viewing. Response is overwhelmingly positive, gets people interested in emerging artists, & seems to have gotten my small audiences more aware of the breadth & width of music video material out there in general. It's a hobby at this point, but have recently situated myself in a better city & community to support this & plan to continue. I get paid about the same as any bedroom DJ & receive no label support or even interest from the few associated regional people I could get a hold of. Hopefully this will be different in this locale, but frankly don't really bother at this point. I assume this is a familiar story to many of you. Company's don't have video servicing arms as they used to & tracking of play is also all but none existent from what I've been able to find outside of e few indi. marketing rep.s. Not like the good old days of at least CMJ & the like.

I guess the question is, do any of you feel this mis-appropriation or misuse of your work? Again, this is public exhibition on a fairly small scale & I DO NOT trade, share, or post the material for my own proprietary reasons.

If anyone HAS any info on reporting or other thoughts on bringing MV to a public forum besides cable access, podcasting, or film festivals I'd love to here it.

I would greatly appreciate feed back on this as I respect the hard work & efforts of all of you. Also, live exhibition in a more "theatrical" setting seems to be an avenue lost somewhere along the way.

Thanks