Experts in Business Plans

Today I am going to review some of the suggestions on creating a great business plan and pitch from some experts in those regards.  Kevin Geiger is known for several films including Chicken Little, and Species.  Despite his primary focus being in digital arts and film he is well versed in the knowledge needed to develop an indie film business plan.  In the video below he discusses some of the most important aspects of the business and that alludes to what one has to know about the actual business plan for an indie film before they can be prepared to pitch it to any investors or production companies. 

His first suggestion is that you must have a strong business plan as well as a strong creative plan.  This goes with any type of business.  Often the idea of what the business is or the creator’s vision is more fleshed out that the actual ways in which the idea will be a successful business. In other words, creators often know what they want to create and how it will be awesome but they fail to communicate how it will generate profits.  That is the Major result of any business and without knowing how your company will make money you can easily develop a faulty business plan.  Another great tip that was mentioned in the video is to develop a strong advisory team that is not being compensated.  This makes a great deal of sense but can be overlooked.  Plenty of people have started businesses before in all the fields and markets that we can think of, it is inefficient to try to reinvent the wheel so getting advisers that can guide you during those situations where the lack of experience can hinder your progress in growing the business.  Also Investors are seeking to limit risk as much as possible, what better way to do that than to have people who know how to make a successful business be a part of your team. Now, the lack of compensation keeps them honest and objective, something that can be overlooked, the minute your advisers start receiving some compensation they are less likely to be as opinionated and find less scrutiny in your work for various reasons.

http://bpexpertviews.blogspot.com/2012/07/film-folks-kevin-geiger-is-known-for.html 

David S. Rose is a “serial entrepreneur” and the chairman of the New York Angels investment group.   He has several tech startups under his belt and in the ted talk linked he addresses 10 key things that one must convey to investors in their pitch.  The first thing that he mentions is that the investor must be sold on “you” and you, in order to get any kind of investments, must sell your “integrity.  Those were the two biggest points that he insisted were necessary for any investors. 

He discusses how you can show experience in the market, or the ability to run a company without having direct experience with a startup. Using the experience you have in other arenas you can merge the skills necessary for a good leader and entrepreneur and become much more marketable to potential investors. 

http://www.rosetechven.com/pitchcoach/

These videos were very short but they met the challenge of providing a large amount of quality information in the amount of time that one might get when speaking with investors and venture capitalists.  Utilizing this knowledge will greatly improve a business plan and its chances for success.  

Improving My Blog

Data Analysis

http://h00kblogs.blogspot.com/

According to Bloggingwizard.com, around 75% of visitors will probably not return to your site. At this point, I feel that the main strength of my blog is that we are currently at a 31% return rate, which is about 5 percent higher than the estimate.(http://www.bloggingwizard.com/blog-visitors-will-never-return-solution/). I have also increased monthly page views from 20 in June to 24 (a 20% increase) without any additional online presence generated. The biggest challenges that I have is the quantity of visitors per month in total and how many pages they view per session. Based on these results the 3 major changes I would make are to:

1. Keep a standard content maximum of 500 words for convenience for readers and to generate more views per session.
2. Utilize an email blast to all my contacts to generate more page views.
3. Include two video-embedded blog posts a month instead of the current 1 video per month ratio.
4. Adjust my titles and keyword usage to include the major search terms in my posts at least twice

If you have any suggestions on how to improve new blogs please let me know in the comments!!!

 

...and now a short video about a Kickstarter project I hope to work on if it gets fully funded!!! It is about the Life of People who moved to China, black people and their experiences!

--PEACE

Less Comic More Con

This weekend marks the end of San Diego Comic-Con and for many people it is a solemn time in which they will have to return to the normalcy of everyday life. San Diego comic con is one of the biggest comic book Convention in the world but with the trend of comic books movies and other geeky subcultures becoming more mainstream Comic-con is losing its comic book heritage. 

Originally showcasing primarily comic books and science fiction/fantasy related film, television, and similar popular arts, the convention now includes a larger range of pop culture and entertainment elements across virtually all genres.  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Diego_Comic-Con_International

The “primary” focus is no longer the medium of its namesake. Some of the most popular announcements have been somewhat related to comics but for some comic purists announcements like these further divert the event from being "about the comics" and towards gimmicky pop culture spoofs and sloppy Hollywood cash cows.

This week, a post about the best cosplay of the con this year featured far less comic book-inspired costumes than before. With cosplay being a staple of the convention, this is proof that we are seeing a diminishing focus on comic books in general.

Comic books have had their share fair share of popularity, a truth that begs the question: "Is mainstream just riding the coat tails of the hard earned fans the comic book industry has nurtured for over 75 years? I prefer to think that the integration of comic books into mainstream media causes this dichotomy that allows for multiple people of various interests to be unified in these conventions.  But, does that seems unfair to the purist or traditionalist who come to comic conventions for, well comics?

 “A Fan’s Hope”, a 2012 documentary  about the San Diego Comic Con, several comic book traders and store owners were interviewed and discussed a growing concern with the lack of space and focus on comics that these conventions have had recently.  

Within the last few years, there has been a resurgence of new conventions that are more dedicated to the paper medium.  Smaller retailers and independent comic creators are unable to afford spaces in the bigger Cons. These venues create more opportunities for exposure but will struggles if they cannot gain the much-needed traction and popularity to be sustainable?

As a comic book fan and reader often times you're frustrated with adaptations and changes made to iconic characters, especially ones that don't suit the essence of the character.  

Without that essence we would never see these character in other platforms, with that in mind I always felt the conventions were an opportunity to show appreciation for those originals but also to highlight the adaptations that have enhanced their stories and increase their readership.  Great work such as Batman the animated series and the Watchmen movie, these things have taken great strides by respecting the source materials. The future for comics in Comic-cons is unclear, but it's safe to assume that all of the fans of comics want to see the “primary” focus of COMIC con sternly planted in comics.

Relationship Strategy Guide: My Friends Are Not Your Enemies

Hey Folks,

This is our first online installment of the RSG or Relationship Strategy guide - Ask A Gaming Couple.  Here, we are going to take questions from followers and comments and answer them-- in CO-OP Mode!

Our first question comes from a Facebook feed that had several good responses but we figured for all the bad ones it was important to provide a dual perspective that works in unison, you know like how a relationship should be.

 

Q: As a guy, if you had a girlfriend you live with, would you "allow" her to have ANY platonic guy friends of her own?

Why or why not?

H: Now obviously this question is directed at men, but we are both going to share our thoughts on this loaded question.

L: My first response is, of course. You may be in a relationship but you have no control over who your significant other (SO) is friends with, nor should you. What's more bothersome is that it's not clarified to if this is something that both parties are supposed to abide by. Can a man/boyfriend have friends of the opposite sex, but not a woman/girlfriend.  So, I'm going to use my view point for both parties of the relationship.

H: YES, to answer the first part of this. luvusagi, you can have any and as many friends you want, whatever sex, gender, species, you can have all the friends.

But, there are issues with this question as it is posed, and the need to pose it makes me assume some people have a poor interpretation of how a healthy relationship works (or they don’t actually want to be in one).

L: If you are looking for a monogamous relationship and your partner is not, this needs to be addressed from the start and you should not involve yourself with some that's not going to value a relationship the way you do, it's only going to bring about hurt, frustration, and in the end separation.  If that's just that way you want your relationship as a man or as the significant other, you have some insecurities or are just straight up possessive and that's something you need to work out and you don't need to be in a relationship right now.

L: Now the most common place responses that I've seen is because they feel like it's just not right for people to have a friend of the opposite sex when they're dating. But how does that make any sense, sure most women or men probably have more friends of the same sex but really most people have both. Most of the time the SO has been friends with their opposite sex friends for longer that they've even known you. How can you start a relationship with someone and then tell them to disregard their friends; people that have probably been there for them in good times and bad, since childhood or work etc.

H: You and I are together and obviously you will probably befriend/ run into, happen upon new  people in some ways similar to me, then I will probably like this person, so why not add more great people to the mix. There are not many people as awesome as me so looks forward  to comparing and complaining about new people, makes me look better. Also, you had friends of my same sex that you knew, had bonds with, enjoyed their company, way before I stumbled into your life. I want to be with you, a portion of you is the way it is because of those people. I am still the one that you have chosen to be with.

L: Speaking from my own personal experience one of my best friends is a guy and to have H00k say that he doesn't want/ or I can't be friends with him anymore would pretty much end our relationship and I'm sure it would be the same case vice versa. Yes, you now have a significant effect over who your SO tends to spend their time with but to demand they don't have friends with the opposite sex also limits your own circle of friends and how you experience new things and people.

H: Do you really think "If I make myself the only option she can't know anyone better"?

L: You're going to get different jobs, you're going to meet various people as you work and often times those people become valuable friends. People that spend a majority of your day with and depending on the job you or they will occasionally have to interact with others on a personal level; ie traveling, company retreats, workshops, business conferences etc. Putting up a wall to the people you interact with at work will cause the stressed status effect.  Work will become harder you will get a debuff in team settings and that 'stressed' condition will be brought home with you and reduce the experience gained in your relationship.

H: How would I feel if my dream job hinged on a networking opportunity that only was made available by befriending people at work but impossible because I was in this verbal female-friend-embargo?

H: On the off chance that you do find you would be more content with someone else after getting to know them or whatever circumstances, I would rather you pursue that, go be happy and let me do the same rather than going through the motions with me.

luvusagi and I have not been looking for replacements in our relationship draft but if she wanted to be a free agent I would be grateful for the time we had together and be happy for her if she was more content.  That is not to say that I wouldn't be sad, and I wouldn't feel hurt especially considering the confidence bolstered about in previous paragraphs.  After the emotional reaction is gone I can recognize that but yea as a process it is sucktacular.

But the confidence would eventually reload. It was confidence that was not bred of our relationship, quite the opposite, it was developed far before I was prepared to be in one, cultivated by being loved and accepted such that I would like and love myself, and knowing how to do that I can love and accept other people.

H: I had confidence before I had support from luvusagi, and yes,  despite the confidence we all feel  an inch tall sometimes. Sometimes we do need support, but not constantly, not a crutch but a cast, one that will come off to reveal a stronger bone. That is what a significant other can do in your life. You cannot lose your partner because you did not find them.  You both, in the infinite chaos of the cosmos, stumbled upon each other and began to play the game of life in couch co-op instead of as a single player adventure.  With that, freedom is also the option to pass the sticks to someone else.

Insecurity leads to being guarded in relationships so you are only partially invested in what the other person has as a benefit to your life, you are sidetracked with that insecurity or those fears and can't be fully engaging or fully in the moment because of it.  

L: Other harmful effects include the paranoia debuff.  Being afraid of your SO becoming too friendly with someone of the opposite will be constantly on your mind, you'll want to know where they go, who they're talking to, etc, it'll cause a rift between you. I've seen people end up resenting their SO on both sides by setting up such a restriction…

H: Trying to somehow avoid heartache by putting stipulations on a person who has already agreed that their titles will only be launched on your system is like playing the same level to avoid dying in the next.  You are missing out on the totality and beauty of the game (or experience of relationship if the game talk is losing you).

L: I can see if you're concerned with the type of friends your significant other (SO) is around, maybe they're not actually good people, have violent tendencies, are evil doers and may corrupt your SO into doing something they will regret or could have them in trouble with the law. <palpatine and anakin> IF that's not the case and you simply think that you're SO shouldn't have friends of the opposite sex because you think they will cheat, you either have trust issues or valid concerns, if your concerns are valid, then you don't need to be with the person period

L: The most important thing to do is to talk about it. Learn about their friends, maybe even become friends with them yourself. It's also the responsibility of your SO to talk to their friends about their relationship and boundaries that shouldn't be cross while they are in a relationship.

And just FYI this is not solely a "straight" couple theory, this applies to any and everyone...

A Few Good Lawsuits

Entertainment Law is riddled with very specific details that can be difficult to cypher through.  Recent incidences have lead me to question not only the laws that are in place but the ways in which they can be interpreted.  In the following examples, the interpretation and the laws inform the decisions.

Lindsay Lohan vs. Rockstar Games (GTA V)

Famous Actress Lindsay Lohan is suing Rockstar games for using her likeness, without permission for the character Lacey Jonas. Despite how similar the character and Lohan me by in personality, looks, and apparel Rockstar is defending themselves by claiming that the Game is a work of art and thus it is protected by the publicity rights claim. Also, the fact that Rockstar has proof of using another model that posed for the images leads most to believe that the similarities are not close enough to warrant the case.

(http://icdn5.digitaltrends.com/image/gta-lohan-640x0.jpg)

This is a concern for the satirically centered Grand theft Auto series and any other companies developing games that can be loosely influenced by celebrities.

It is clear that there are very real similarities to the character and Lohan but the most general of similarities, the character and her antics in game are reminiscent of several “child stars” in America and teen idols.

For those of us intending to create characters based on well-known celebrities, it is always important to be familiar with how much inspiration you can legally acquire.  I intend to include some spoof and parody characters that will not need direct licenses But as a small independent company the concern would be if I had the capital to defend against lawyers if a well-known rich celebrity were to file a suit.

Not quite???

(http://www.gamespot.com/articles/lindsay-lohan-fires-back-in-gta-5-lawsuit/1100-6422867/)

Marvel and Kirby

The Kirby heirs were suing on the basis that their works were not work for hire and that the characters originally developed by Kirby belong to them.  

The biggest issue is that despite the fact that the work was done with marvel in mind and the close relationship that Stan Lee had with Jack Kirby, there is no proof supporting the claim that Kirby owned the characters.

As a creator, I know that it would be in my best interest to hold on to the rights to all of my Intellectual properties so that I do not end up in the same situation.  Or in my work for hire contract include some clause about compensation in the form of royalties for continued use of content that I developed and or options to have priority in the purchase of the rights if they are sold. I would also try to include some type of expiration clause allowing the rights to retroactively come to me in if the IP is abandoned for a specified amount of time.

Authorship Laws for Modding

Modding is the process of developing new or adjusted content for released games through the use of tools included in that games development kit. Currently, Mods can only legally exist through the permission of the copyright holder. 

Yes, Bethesda approved this.

If there is a change in litigation to allow for Modding to be protected by the fair use act or the first amendment they would allow mod authors to have rights to specific mods written for specific games.  They would also be protected from legal action taken by game developers who might not agree with the modded content. 

This could be very good for players who are talented with developing modded content as it protects them from being copied and further showcases their abilities.  This could lead to Modding being and even more popular route for finding talent for game studios. 

(Wallace, R. (2014). Modding: Amateur Authorship and How the Video Game Industry Is Actually Getting It Right. Brigham Young University Law Review, 2014(1), 219-255.)

So...

It is important that artist and creators become just as versed in the laws that protect them as the ones that they could potentially be breaking, it is a thin line to tread and falling on either side could be potentially dangerous.

Negotiations and Deals

Entrepreneurship - Part 7: Negotiation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWSGF7GR0FM

 

How to Negotiate so Everyone Wins, Especially You!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtU3zrc-kIU

Margaret Neale: Negotiation: Getting What You Want

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXFpOWDAhvM

         The ”negotiation” video teaches about some practical tips such as being explicit about how you want to do business, not focusing completely on price, and how the BATNA can determine the feel of the entire negotiation. This taught me that the batna is not only something to research as a fail safe, but it is also helpful through out the negotiation process as it makes you less dependant on the need for a deal and you can be more aware of all the factors that are being brough to the table.

         The “How to Negotiate so That Everybody Wins,” video is about one main principle of negotiating; not focusing on what you want but on building relationships. This method suggests that you focus on the “opponent’s” or client’s needs through the 3P's: Prepare-Probe-Propose, These can be very useful tools in positional bargaining.

         Finally, the last video, “Margaret Neale: Negotiation: Getting What You Want” is about applying 4 step; Assess Prepare, Ask, and Package.  Margaret addresses how we should think about negotiations as collaborative problem solving, not competition. You should be attempting to solve both party’s problems while getting more of what you want. She also points out that a person should Understand on a DEEP level the preferences and interests of our counterpart (opponent).

         These things can help in my entertainment business plans directly.  Often times in entertainment I will be working with different employees and in negotiating contracts these tactics can be beneficial in not only making sure everyone has an advantageous solution, but also that they are willing to do business with me again.  I also will be working and collaborating with very technical people, artistic people, and business oriented people.  Recognizing their particular interests as suggested by some of these videos and knowing what the alternatives choices are, I can negotiate with them all to collaborate and complete projects with more success.

This Post Was Brought To You By...

Producing YOUR content without subjecting your audience to ads.

We have all had those moments watching Television where we jump from one channel to another simply to miss commercials.   Recently we have started paying higher rates for services that don’t interrupt the content we want to view with ads that we are not specifically interested in.

 People are moving away from the intrusion of Ads anywhere they can. One relatively new sight rejects the intrusive nature of ads entirely.

https://www.patreon.com/

Patreon is a site that allows “pledges” or monetary supporters to donate to certain creators and artist that they like and view their content without any interference from ads. The other great benefit from this service for content producers is that outside influences like big business or industry leaders do not have the leverage to change your content to work for their benefit.  Looking at the current model if a channel is being sponsored by Google, but do not necessarily agree with certain specific requirements of Google ads, they really cannot address that without jeopardizing their sponsorship.   That kind of relationship can augment the original vision of the content because of their financial leveraging.  Another example that I have seen is with Youtubers in the gaming community.  Industry leaders to promote their products sometimes sponsor them. 

They are at odds with their sponsors when they have issues with those products or just don’t use them.

Typically viewers have subscribed to these Youtubers for their content, not to be “sold” by sponsors and ads.  As such, we often want to find a platform that allows us to monetize, but not lose integrity.  Patreon might be that solution for several Artists and content producers. 

However, noticed that with this kind of viewer-based support is dependent on an audience or consumers trained in apathy.  The fact that their active monetary support is necessary for content to be developed must be handled with care.  We also have a society that looks down on the idea of handouts. 

Donations and subscriptions can be unfairly lumped together with that ideology and cause issues for people honestly trying to create. Now, there has been an increase in the public appeal of crowd funding for these smaller online businesses.  But, for each new producer/creator the question of funding is an ever present…

-H00k Out