April 25, 2012 - Protection

And so I made it. The last class, the final blog entry, the long goodbye.

Anyway, now that you're older and wiser, it's time to talk about why protection is such a good idea. . . (hold for laughs) and ok . . .

When getting into business, there's going to be a lot of people who are gonna try to push you around. Bullies.

If you let them, people will take advantage of you. When signing contracts, make sure to include a cost plus clause. This ensures that when your client decides to change their mind at the last second, you won't be stuck with the bill. Instead, they get charged an hourly rate for their incessant micromanaging.

On that same thought, if you let people bargain and negotiate with you, it will never work in your favor. They will expect that same discount every time, or they'll take their business elsewhere. Stick to your guns and don't let the customer determine the price. That's not how good businesses operate.

"I'll give ya a buck-fifty."

Affordability doesn't always mean more business. If you're too inexpensive (or cheap), people some assume there's a lack of quality. Find out what the market is charging. You can still charge less than everybody else, but find the right equilibrium between quality and price.

Even if it's free, it's not always worth getting.

Next, it's important to remember that business comes and goes. Like the tides, there are low points and high points, and during these low periods, you may need to diversify and find other ways to use your expertise. If you can't write, teach! If you can't teach, publish! If you can't publish, consult! Consultants makes tons of money and they really are no more qualified than you are.

Get an accountant and get a lawyer. Sometimes there are costs to doing business. Both of these jobs are definitely necessary costs. And sometimes, they don't cost anything. These people will help you out a ton. Conversely, small business owners are always in need of accountants and lawyers. It's always a decent job market.

Back up everything. There comes a time in every man's life, when he loses literally everything he was just working on. It is the most frustrating, annoying experience one can go through, and meager steps could have prevented it. It's like locking yourself out of your house. If you had just grabbed your keys. . . The actions required to saving yourself from peril are minimal, while the consequences for not doing so are major. Back up everything.

Legally protect yourself. If you do anything creatively, get a copyright. It doesn't cost much and you have legal precedent should you find that somebody has stolen also thought of your idea. You can also join the guilds or unions. There's the WGA, the DGA, the ASC, the ACE. It's all out there, and although, they are not binding legal entities, they can at least establish a precedent for your creative work.

It's a cold, cruel word out there, but there is no more knowledge I can put on this blog. Class is over, and I am finished. I've learned a lot in writing this blog, and I've actually found I enjoy it more than I thought it would. Perhaps, I'll start my own, who knows? But, until then and until next time . . .

April 23, 2012 - Odds and Ends

So, you've LLC'd yourself, made a website, and made business cards. What's next? It's time to start worrying about money, o'course! First, let's figure out how much it costs for you to wake up in the morning.

Here's an example: Fred has decided to quit his job at Amalgamated Boredom to open up a brand new venture selling paper shredders. Fred's Shedders, he'll call it. The question is . . . how much will Fred have to charge per hour to sustain his current lifestyle? It's going to require some calculation.

Fred plan on working 8 hours a day for five days, and 50 weeks out of the year. 40 hours * 50 weeks = 2000 hours of potential work. Since running your own business is tough, maybe half that will be actual billable hours. So, 1000 billable hours per year.

Fred also used to make $50k/year + $10k in benefits. However, Fred will also have many business expenses. Perhaps $12000 worth. And then, of course there's the taxes on his business (18% per year) adding an additional $11,000. Add it all up, and you've got $83,000 year. Subtract $5000 for profit (if you're lucky!) . . . and you're left with Fred needing $78,000 every year and having only 1000 billable hours to do it. Fred needs to charge or make $78/hr selling and repairing shredders. 

If Fred decides to sleep for an extra hour. It just cost him a potential 78 dollars.

Hitting the snooze button once costs Fred $11.70

That's why running your own business can be very stressful.

_____________________________________________________

Marketing Yourself.

How will clients and vendors believe in you, if you don't believe in yourself?

Another helpful tip is to reach out to others and network. I'm not talking the drunken debauchery of a so-called "networking party." Reach out to friends first. Friends that you trust will do competent, dependable, (and sometimes free) work for you. I, for example, asked my girlfriend to make the header image for this blog.

Thanks, again!

Vendors are people you need to be able to trust. Your friends are people you already trust, so it's a perfect match.

_____________________________________________________

Doing Work

Doing the work is as easy as just doing the work. Not much can be said about doing work, because if you don't know how to do work, you shouldn't be working for yourself. So when doing work, you should be able to do work, or it won't work and you'll be out of work. How does that explanation work for ya?

_____________________________________________________

Invoicing

Some common questions include: Do I need a contract? and How much should I charge?

If you're working with your friends, don't use a contract. Contracts indicate distrust, and you should be able to trust your friends.

Obviously, you should also be in a reputable business.

When working with strangers, if it's under $2000, you shouldn't necessarily need a contract. It's small potatoes. Anything above that, though, and it's time to get the paperwork out.

For any standard creative job, it's important that you break up the money they'll give you.

So, get 33% of the money upfront. This ensures that they are committed and invested in you. It also means you don't have to use your own money for any additional expenses for working on their project. 

Get another 33% when you've completed the first draft. Not only does this motivate you to keep going, you can buy any additional materials needed to complete the project. Warren Buffett once said "Never do business with your own money."

I'm sure he said it at some point, anyway.

Finally, before giving away your final project, get the remaining money. The client has to pay first. It would be like receiving your fast food at the first window of the drive-thru. What's to stop people from just driving away with what they need?

Other than this horrifying clown, of course.

In the final blog, we'll cover just a few more pieces and wrap this thing up. I hope anyone who reads this has learned just as much as I have throughout this class.

April 20, 2012 - Making Plans

Presumably by now, I've learned everything there is to know about the world. There is nothing left for college to teach me. I'm ready get out into "the real world" and make something for myself, right? The only problem is that that is a very scary and intimidating conceit. What do I know about anything? I'm only 20! A majority of my knowledge comes from pokemon, movie trivia, and the books I was forced to analyze in high school! Well, here are some tips, anyway.

1. What are you going to do?
This is the probably the question college students get asked more than anything else. The implication being, that your current status of student will not last and it is time to actually "do" in life. The better question to ask yourself is "what interests or hobbies can I turn a profit at?"

Hmmm, I do love carrying plates. . .

2. How are you going to do it?

Even more important is the how. Life requires planning, forethought, and preparation. Naturally, there's room for improvising, but why do it if you don't have to.

3. Where am I getting the money to finance my plans?

This is why secondary sources of income are invaluable. Use 60% of income on living and stow away 40% to use on doing what you really want to. Eventually, the balance will shift to doing everything you want to be doing.

Eventually though, I can save up and live my dream as clown-magician.

4. Get an LLC

Did you know LL Cool J loves small business?

Now for some practical tips. For a mere $60-70, you can buy a certificate from your state. That's essentially how easy it is. They send you some "Articles of Incorporation." You fill them out with your original company name and they send you a diploma-like document with a nice gold seal on it, suitable for framing. And the benefits of an LLC are huge. The "LL" stands for "limited-liability."

And "limited-liability" means that when people sue you, they can't take you for all your worth. Your personal assets are completely safe! This is important if you ever get into trouble. Without an LLC, you lose the protection of your business taking the hit. Another important thing is the way an LLC legitimizes both you and your company. There's a major difference between hiring "you" and "YouCo, LLC."

Most importantly, forming an LLC also means you can start making business deductions during tax season. And you can deduct almost anything.

Exotic dancer Chesty Love got a tax deduction for her breast implants.

Bodybuilder Corey Wheir deducted his bodybuilding oil.

Professional Gambler Robert Mayo deducted travel expenses to racetracks.

5. Get Business Cards

They're easy, they're free-ish and again, absolutely anyone can make themselves look legitimate. Here are two business cards that I've kept in my wallet ever since I got them.

Or at least as legitimate as possible.

You can just guarantee that should I ever actually need a clown (or Santa Claus), I'll be calling Carrot Top.

6. Get a website.

This should be obvious. Absolutely everyone has a website. Whether you're selling bees, beads, or beats, it's just more professional. Even if you just start by selling on Amazon or Etsy, you'll have somewhere to redirect people. However, a personalized website is usually the best way to go. Also make sure you keep it updated and working. Nobody likes a site with busted links or broken images.

You've got the tools, you've got the knowledge, you've got the resources, so get out there and take a risk!

April 18, 2012 - Selling Yourself (In a Good Way)

As we reach the conclusion of the class (and consequently, this blog), it is now time to tie everything together. This topic will set out to combine many aspects of previous blog posts while providing some excellent real world advice.

Today, it's all about crafting a cover letter or a sales letter, because what it really does is sell the most important asset you'll ever get in life-- YOU!

1. Find the Person and Research

Get their address, their phone number, their e-mail, and all that important information. Then, research them. Who have they worked for?What do they like? What can you connect with them about?

Then, start it off with Dear __________, 

Make sure you get their title correct. If they're a president of the company, don't call them the manager. If they are the King of Norway, don't call them the Maharaja.

In a way, this is like figuring out your target audience.

2. Hook them in.

This is where your research pays off. Give 2-3 sentences that will grab their attention, and make you interested in the rest of the cover letter. Try to make it a little more personal so it shows you've done your research.

Just don't go overboard on the research.

3. You Want?

These next steps are identical to the ones used when selling products. The "You Want?" portion is where you detail just exactly what you think they are looking for and exactly the job or internship that you are going for.

4. I got!

This is when you started selling the benefits of hiring you! What aspects of the job do you fulfill? In what ways are you better and unique than everybody else? This is not the time to be non-confrontational or wimpy. This is a time to really throw yourself out there and put out a confident atmosphere. So, don't say things like "I may not have experience, but I'm willing to learn," because everyone says that. Show 'em what you're made of.

Not literally, obviously.

5. Buy it Now

At this stage, your prospective employer should be hungry and wanting you. So, don't give them a reason not to call immediately. Include your name, address, e-mail, personal website, or however you can be reached (carrier pidgeon?). Make it important that hiring you post-haste will result in the best circumstances for everyone.

Also as a side note: facebook is not a website. No employer wants to go online and see your inane chatter, or your drunken escapades.At least make that stuff private!

Sometimes, it's tough to put ourselves out there, but in this job market, a well-crafted cover  sales letter might just make the difference. And if you can't get this job or the next, there are always plenty of opportunities waiting just around the corner.

April 16, 2012 - FEAR

The dark side of selling. We had to get to this eventually, as many things are sold using fear. From life insurance to LifeAlert. From pharmaceuticals to presidents. Fear is a potent tool.

However, you can't just the fear tactic willy-nilly. Oh no! You gotta have a game plan. So here are the 4 steps.

1. Introduce
First, you must tee up your threat. It's sort of the "Hey You," but not with something people are happy to hear.
Did you know there's a murderer on the loose?
Didja hear about the flesh-eating virus?
What do you think of when I say the phrase "swamped in debt?"


2. Demonstrate
Why should people be scared? And more importantly, is the audience that's being appealed to in any danger. You wouldn't run a TV spot on waning libido on a kid's network, because the message wouldn't frighten them. It's also important to keep the nature of the threat in mind. Car Accident = scary, realistic, could happen at any time, preventable, controllable. Asteroid = nothing we can do, unrealistic, unlikely
The car accident is much scarier than an asteroid.

3. Introduce (the solution)
The only thing that can save you is ______. Buy my_______ if you want to live. You, in fact, become the hero because you are throwing a life preserver to the audience.

Duck and cover!

It's got to be a simple and affordable solution you are presenting. But the most important thing to remember is to . . .

4. Show

You've got to see someone using the solution. You must see the relief on their face and the worry draining away.It's best if the person using the solution is frail, weak, or innocent, because not only are they highly relatable, but it proves that absolutely anyone can be saved by whatever it is you're promoting.

"I don't have to burn my hands!"

Some final tips for making fear a factor:

-Use vivid word pictures: Instead of sea monster, try tentacled bloodsucking creature from the abyss

-Convince the audience that the threat is likely to happen

-Make the threat relatable. Who is the audience going to care about getting hurt? What will cause more panic and worry. What's more relatable-- a Bactrian Camel? or a cute little puppy?

Quick! Save him!

Quick! Kill it!

-Personalize the message by saying "YOU." Make the audience feel as if you're really talking to them.

-Finally, use the negative. Which is more effective? 

Check your smoke detector regularly so you know when there's a fire.

If you don't check your smoke detector regularly, you will never know when your house is on fire.

Until it's too late

I rest my case.

April 11, 2012 - Evolution of McDonald's Advertising (Part 1)

What do we notice? Obviously we notice an extremely creepy looking clown with a cup on his nose. But we also notice the way he is marketed directly to children. This commercial came out in 1962 when kids were gaining more and more of the purchasing power, and watched a load of TV. Kids would then convince their parents to take them to McDonald's where a "hamburger-happy clown" lived. What more could kids want?

And now they've got Dad on board. This commercial shows that the only way dad can be a hero is by taking his kid and all his kid's friends. And really, McDonald's doesn't cost that much, so why not buy your child's love? "McDonald's loves people and people love McDonald's . . . especially little people." McDonald's already knows they've got the children. This commercial first aired in 1965, so it only took 3 years. Of course, what kids wouldn't be in love with this.

Then, McDonald's introduced new products, thus expanding the world of McDonald's. The Big Mac was the signature sandwich. Breakfast was introduced so McDonald's opened five hours earlier. Then, the McChicken and McNuggets The McRib. Then, salads and McDLT's so you could pretend to be healthy. McFlurries, coffees, and everything else. Is there anything McDonald's won't sell.

Next blog, we'll hit up part 2 of McDonald's advertising.

April 9 2012 - Visual Language Interlude

Taking a small break from advertising to bring up a subject that should have been mentioned long ago. There have been lots of posts on this blog about Language, yet we missed on the one that affects human more than any other-- the visual language.

In terms of telling a story, it was the ancient production of plays that cemented in our minds, how visual narrative works. You have the proscenium arch.

This is the frame that the audience views. If characters walk to the right or left, they exit the frame of the stage, and this motion registers to us, that they have left the scene. They are not involved in the story currently and they are doing something else within their own time and space. Additionally, when they move closer to us, we know that they are becoming more personal and intimate. Perhaps they are about to divulge a secret break the 4th wall. It all makes rational and logical sense to our brains.

However, this all fine and dandy for theatre. But, commercials, television, and movies do not take place on a stage. Their frame is the camera, and it is mobile. Rather than the characters moving, we move the camera. And this idea actually took Hollywood several years before realizing. If you look at some of the earlier films from cinema history, you'll notice the camera stays in one place, and the action looks just like it might on a stage.

Just look at the first scene. The frame is static.

It wasn't until D.W. Griffith in 1915, made a story where the camera moved to change the frame of the characters. Decades later, and it is still the dominant method of using cameras and film. Over that time period, however, we have determined the three fundamental shots of the visual narrative. They each have similar theatre counterparts.

The Wide (or Long) Shot

It serves to establish. It allows us to see the context of the characters, and their connection and relationships between each other. It sets the scene and is excellent tool for creating distance between the audience and the  story.

The Medium Shot

When you can see just the top half of a body, you know it's a medium shot. When we talk to people, this is how we usually see them in real life. That's why this is the shots you normally get when a news anchor is talking. They want to appear personal and honest, like they are in your own living room. In movies, its where most of the exposition and story will take place. It's great for dialogue scenes.

The Close-Up

This is when we zoom in real close on something. It serves as an exclamation point. It draws attention to the object or the character and it invades our personal space. It is often used to build tension or suspense, which is why it's frequently found in horror movies and spaghetti westerns.

And those are the three ways, we relay all visual narratives. A typical scene starts wide, goes medium, then close-up, then medium, and then back to wide. That's because we start by revealing the world before getting to the finer details. It's just that easy.

April 6, 2012 - Evolution of Automobile Advertising (Part 2)

Now that we've gotten past the innocence of the previous three decades, it's time to rev up our engines in the 80s, 90s, and 00s.

1980s

What kind of mpg does this car get? What kind of engine does it have? What safety features are included? We're not going to find out the answer to any of these questions, because this car and this commercial are not about those types of things. This commercial wanted to tell a story. Whether you quit your job, and go out on your own, the Mercury will be there for you. This commercial also differentiates itself by the market its choosing to sell to. There's not a hint of male undertone in this commercial. You've come a long way, baby!

1990s

It would seem that for the 90s, the Mercury brand was struggling a little, and this advertisement certainly doesn't seem like it would help. In this spot, we get no information about the car itself and only vague references to why we should drive it. Commercials in the 90s were much more about the humor. They were silly, and they hoped people would buy their cars based on memory alone.So instead of getting to know a car, we get a soap opera parody, and bad puns.

"The Mercury Mountaineer. Not a lot going for it."

2000s

And here in this spot, we get a sort of mix of the 80s and the 90s. Is it funny? Yes. Does it have an engaging story? Yes. And does it sell a benefit of the car? Yes.
This is a truly great car commercial, and it's important to realize how excellently each commercial captured its era. Listen to the way announcer voice has changed or the way cars are depicted in the last 50 years. It's amazing the road that automobile advertising has followed until we arrive a quality commercial like the one above.

Rather than continuing with cars, the next blog post will talk about the evolution of McDonald's advertising. Stay tuned!

April 4, 2012 - Evolution of Automobile Advertising (Part 1)

Today we'll be looking at the difference between car commercials in the 1950s, in the 1960s, and in the 1970s.
And just for fun, we'll be looking at how Mercury has updated with the times to advertise to what people really want.

1950s

In the 1950s, people wanted "miles and miles of smooth riding comfort," and "lounge-rest foam-rubber seat cushions" and they really wanted "Merco-therm ventilating" (whatever that means).It's evident that people were looking for a car that did everything it was supposed to. It should be the latest technology in comfort and providing a smooth ride. They wanted their ride to be "Better in Economy."

Another interesting is the shots of the car itself. In this TV spot, every image of the car seems very clinical and precise. It's nothing too fancy, just showing an all-around car that's "Better than ever in every way."

1960s

Turn your volume up for this one. It's very quiet.

"We couldn't make comet much tougher, so we made it more beautiful." What a perfect line to ring in the 60s with. This was the period when cars started to become fetishized. Notice how the camera slowly spins around the car while the announcer talks in a hushed, quieted voice. It's almost sensual!

"More graceful proportions" Ooh!
"Four-speed stick, bucket seats" Aah!
"Warm walnut coloring of its dashboard" Oh my!

While the Mercury Comet still claims to be a durability champion, people are not buying it for its reliabilty. In the 1960s, they bought it to look good.


1970s

Remember to turn your volume back down.

It's the 70s now, and Mercury doesn't even need to show you a car for the first 30 seconds. It's all cats, helicopters, and weird metallic containers. The fetish object of the 60s has become a full-on lifestyle choice. Sure, it's still got those "glove-soft bucket seats" and "instruments embedded in rich vinyl," but that's definitely not what people care about. How can you pay attention to those things when there's a woman petting a live cougar in your backseat?

And that's what this car symbolizes. If you drive a cougar, you're as wild as a wildcat and can attract Farrah Fawcett-type women. There's no more talk of economy or "Merco-therm ventilating" (that term still confuses me.), and the innuendo of the 60s is replaced by in-your-face soft selling. They really started selling the benefits rather than just the features or attributes.

The next blog post will cover the 80s, 90s, and 00s years of automobile advertising where things get sillier, sexier, and subtler. (Not necessarily in that order.)

April 2, 2012 - How we all became selfish pricks!

Time to drop a history lesson on y'all.

WWI. Flu Pandemic. Stock Market Crash. The Great Depression. Death. Disease. Loss of Jobs. Loss of Independence. Loss of Life. And this was all in a 25-year period.

The children who lived during the depression would go on to fight in WWII. They are able to leave their homes and experience new cultures, new food, new drugs, and new ways of life. And what do they find when they get back? Free trips to college, a huge manufacturing boom, readily-available jobs, and horny women.

Now these soldiers are back at home and they are starting families, and raising children. They want to give their kids everything they could never have. They provide the suburban home, the TV, the radio, and the chicken in every pot. They still gather everyone together as a family.

And here is where we transition. These baby-boomers grow up among affluence, disposable income, and a parent who wants to give them everything they want. The transistor radio is invented allowing for the portability and freedom of music. Elvis sells sex through music and the world is going down the terlet. Advertisers completely shift into selling to this growing generation, and everyone wants to give them material possessions and objects of desire.How do they respond?

They become hippies. . .

We don't need all that stuff, man! We don't need your material goods, man! We don't need the Man, man!

And then the 70s and 80s rolled around. The counterculture had their own children which gave to way to new responsibilities, and all of a sudden . . .

Hippies got jobs.

These people went to work in offices. They created new products and status symbols. The PC, the walkman, and every other device that created individuality and portability. Families didn't gather around technology anymore. Individuals did. Look at the names of the products. The Personal computer. The walkman. It all screams exclusivity and is targeted at just single people. No groups.

I don't want anybody else listening.

Expand technology outward and what do we have in the '90s, 2000s, and 2010s? Even more personal technology. We've got ipods that hold hundreds of collectively, curated and personally tailored music included with headphones so we're the only ones listening. We can watch movies and TV shows on personal screens. We can handle all our finances, and buy everything we need without ever interacting with a human. We don't just have phones anymore, we have smart devices. And they are only going to keep getting smarter. And more personal. Until eventually we reach . . .

Also, as  a quick note. What's the massive undercurrent for all new technology and new advances in the last 50 years?

PORN

And that is how we all became selfish pricks!

March 23, 2012 - AIDA

SELLING TO YOUR AUDIENCE!

Attention

The first step is obviously to grab somebody's attention. It's the moment of "Hey you!"

The best ways to nab attention are to educate and entertain. You have to be outlandish and outrageous, so you'll get noticed, but it's also important to have a product or service worth all that attention.

"Our brand Ski Poles are fire-resistant!"

Interest

This is the "You want!" portion of the portion of the pitch. You talk up the benefits and never disclose the bad news. You create buzz. A good trick is to act like you're revealing a secret to a customer. They'll feel like they can be trusted and everyone likes the feeling of being an insider.

"You look at the camera too much."

Desire

The "We've got!" statement. Now that they're interested, you make the product or service available, thus turning their interest into desire. Maslow is a key figure here. Of course, we all desire safety and comfort, but also intellectual pursuits and the ability to simplify our lives. How will whatever you're selling play-in to all that?

Action

"Buy Now."

Why is the "now" so important? Because it's all about creating scarcity and demand. People are lazy, and if we don't buy or act or order "now," we'll start think more rationally.

And logic is the real death of a salesman.

March 19, 2012 - King Corn

Features: What is it about corn? What is common to all corn? 

-It's a vegetable. It's a starch.

-Most widely grown crop in Americas.

-It's also known as maize.

These are the features. They are basically the Wikipedia page of the product.

Attributes: What is specific about corn?

-color (yellow, white, red)

-price

-container (can, bag, fresh)

-quantity (small, large)

use (popcorn, hominy, on-the-cob, other things)

This is one of the other things.

Benefits: And what are we actually selling?

-free time by quick preparation

-more money in your pocket

-longer life through healthy living

Corn and exercise. That's the secret.

The next step in selling this corn is determining the audience. Let's look at three of them.

College Age (18-28)

-lazy

-poor

-impulse purchases

-high energy

-drunks

-corn is "convenient"

-No cooking ability

"I've never seen half this shit!"

Families (25 - 45)

-a central purchasing authority

-budget w/ splurging opportunities

-needs large quantity of food

-nutritional needs

-corn is "dinner"

Retired Age (55-75)

-money hoarding

-health-conscious

-lives in the past (nostalgia)

-smaller appetites

-Corn is "security"

"I still buy corn that has its husk."

In the next blog post, I will detail just how to market corn to these very different audiences.