I certainly don't have all the answers, hell, like many, I stumble through most projects with a "learn as I go attitude". Its been about 6 months that I've been toying around on youtube. Ive made vlogs, fake commercials, some odd horror quick shorts plus plenty of comedy. If anything, I've become more focused on sound design, using music properly, learning the basics of editing and becoming smarter when writing.
Every advancement I've made was because I did not want to wait around for someone else. I have never been someone who "needs" someone, or like to feel like I do. Your at their mercy, if you do. Often they are less motivated and/or busy. I've had great collaborations and not so great. You have to look at the learning experience. "No one will care about your project more than you", I was taught this years ago and its the truth. This isn't a slight on anyone, just hoping that someone reads this who is waiting for someone else, and decides, enough is enough and I'm gonna learn on my own.
It's been a long few years for me and this "filmmaking" adventure. I've had some success and some failures. It's a tough pill to swallow when you're convinced you are doing something great and it gets 0 response. I don't have an ego about filmmaking, but when you create an idea, it can bruise your "creative ego" when its never blossoms and dies a tragic death.
Let's look at Youtube. Now my growth has been slow and steady, since I have started. The best part about Youtube is I can always be creative. I have started the Acting with Andy web series, plus I did a ton of Dimension Chat's and most recently I started the Count Clowny series. The last two weeks have shed a serious light on my aspirations. I've learned more about myself and what I want from this process. Let's take a quick look at what I have learned about "the audience" and how this can help:
I've learned this one very important fact - Creating content for youtube or online is very different than creating a film. Why? The audience is not vested and will turn off instantly as soon as they are bored. When you purchase a film, the tendency to give the movie time to develop and breath is much longer than in a "click through" environment like Youtube.
The benefit of studying the "numbers" like audience retention, demographics and instant/honest feedback will tell how well you're doing. I can see what platforms people are watching on (tablet, gaming console, desktop and phone), where they are located, male or females and when they click off the content. In "Youtube Land" you're doing a great job if you're holding 50% audience retention. To me, THIS the the most important factor when I look at the past week's video performance.
What does this mean when making something other than typical youtube fodder? People want you to get to the point quickly and keep that point. It's harder to slowly tell a story unless the viewers are really fans of your content, even then, sometimes you can lose some. Luckily, I have a solid group that believe and love what I'm doing. I'm so thankful for those who tune in weekly.
I believe, Youtube has helped me and continues to help me develop my skills. I've learned more about cinematography because I need to make do with very little. I've learned lighting and camera tricks. I've learned how to write stronger (at least I think) and I've learned to be a better editor. Granted, I'm still very early in this and learning all the time. I watch tons of tutorials and I'm never afraid to research or ask others.
Count Clowny has taken a more prominent role for me. The second episode will begun to roll out a stronger tone in there direction that the story is heading. Each episode has a budget, usually less than $300, although some will soon become higher. Kim and I are funding this because its a story we want to tell. I'm hoping that with each episode, my abilities will continue to grow and you are along for the ride.
If you have not subscribed, check us out http://www.Youtube.com/RobDimension
I get asked a lot, how to get started in acting and how to get the momentum rolling. I figured I would try to help by offering some quick and simple tips, based on what I've seen and learned after 20 years within the entertainment field.
I have given several seminars on these types of subjects, especially within the professional wrestling field, including writing, acting and television production.
Getting started - Things have changed over the years and we are now able to reach and see a lot of people. People are constantly saying "I need extras" on social media. Most people, probably have gotten their starts this way...I did. Look for groups that focus on acting. There are plenty of groups on FB that focus locally, and these are a great way to meet filmmakers that are local. Just do a quick search and interact. Head to film festivals to meet filmmakers. Go to conventions and make contacts. You never know who you'll meet. All these tips will help you create a worth or value in your skills, ability and your impression.
Things I would recommend -
Business cards - I can't stress this enough this classic form of professionalism. Would you take someone seriously if they wrote their name on a piece of scrap paper or on a business card with all their info? Think of it, it makes sense and is easy to look professional. Vistaprint.com can get you 500 cards for like $25. Invest in yourself. Research what types of business cards are recommended. RESEARCH!! Make your 1st impression a memorable one.
Website - This is another easy, no brainer. Creating a website based around what you're doing will let people know more about you.. What you like. Photos. Social Media platform info...all of this are ways for people to discover you. Again, you can buy a domain for $12 from GoDaddy and there are a bunch of free website builders. Look at other actors sites, try to make things clean and professional.
Head shots - This is a bit more expensive, but well worth it. Having professional head shots available are a HUGE plus when looking for work. This will separate you from others. Be original, have fun and create different looks for different roles.
Demo Reel - if you have already done some work and have some things to show off, this is a great way to showcase all your acting chops for everyone to see. Plus, this can be shared on all your social media platforms. You never know who will see it and think of you with a role in mind.
Acting/Improv Classes - again, not free but a million times worth it. Getting comfortable in front of a crowd, learning to tap into your emotions and doing it on command are vital with being an actor. Remember, acting is a profession. You have to work hard at it to succeed, just like anything in life.
Things to stop doing?
* Worrying about "likes" on social media. As a society we have become obsessed with "Likes". Likes do not mean anything. Speaking to people does. Having 5,000 friends on FB means nothing since only 2-4% see your newsfeed, which most times is new "friends" you've made and/or people you normally interact with, based on the algorithm. Think about these things.
* Watch how/what you post and keep your cool on your social media. This will lose you any opportunity quicker than you realize. If you're troublesome online, people will think you are, a potential pain to deal with on set. Speaking from experience, based on some interactions I've had, I won't work with certain people regardless how "great" they are.
These are just some easy tips to start with to help you break into acting, if that is your goal or dream. These tips are enough to hopefully get you noticed by someone and get you going without feeling overwhelmed. I hope this helps anyone who was looking for guidance.
About me - I got my start over 20 years ago, when working for the Warner Brothers Network. I have written commercials, award winning short films, plus countless blogs, like this one. I have acted, performed and worked hard at honing my craft. I have also given numerous seminars based on these basic tips, plus crowdfunding. Make sure you check out my youtube page www.Youtube.com/RobDimension
First, if you aren't aware of what crowdfunding is; it's simply when a filmmaker (I know there are a lot of other reasons to crowd fund but let's stick with filmmaking) turns to the internet site Kickstarter, as an example, creates a campaign, a pitch video, posts what the project is about. Then, fans, the crowd, people who become interested, donate to the project to help make this dream a reality.
So far, so good.
Now, I will lay the blame on the filmmakers. Some do it right. Those are the ones who achieve their goals and actually do better than they hoped. The ones who look to blame everyone and everything except themselves are the problem.
PLAN, PLAN, PLAN - keyword in planning is plan. This is simple. Do your homework and research what you're making, what crowdfunding platform would work best. Look at costs and finances. Have a back up plan in case your goal is not met. Know what you're making...do you need insurance, permits, new equipment? What needs to be paid for. Look into everything. Make a check list. How much will it cost to crowd fund? To make and deliver your perks? Look at everything. (I won't touch on pitch video or perks today, but stay tuned for a future video or blog)
Stop creating multiple crowdfunding campaigns asking for help 3-4 times to get one project done. You're already asking people to take a chance, now you're looking terrible and potentially ruining the experience for them, and the next project they might invest in. You could start a chain reaction that damages others dreams. Be responsible.
You are a filmmaker, in essence starting a business. You need to budget yourself and your project. If you can't do this, don't crowd fund. Do not ask for anything that is beyond your means. Stop asking for unrealistic numbers. Don't have a following? Then the chances of you succeeding is small. Maybe crowd fund for a small project, make and complete that and build faith in your current customers and potentially build a larger audience.
Stop and PLAN
Here is the blunt fact - stop being lazy, stop blaming others, start researching and show others why they should invest in your project.
Look at your project as an outsider and be honest: would you donate? Do you care if this gets made? Does the pitch trailer look like a professionals work?
Before I launched my campaigns, each of my 3 projects I used crowdfunding (all successfully reached their goal, the last reached the goal 36 hours after launch) I was studying pitch videos, reading books, googling for help online. I asked others and paid attention and stopped using excuses like "Well, Rob Zombie was crowdfunding and thats where the money went!" Stop fooling yourself. His fans aren't investing in yours. "But Rob, you don't understand"...actually I do...that's why I'm being honest. I treated my investors like partners and shared things along the way and tried to show them bits and pieces along the way. I delivered on all 3 projects. I worked hard, lost some money but didn't let that stop me. I made mistakes but I would NOT let people down.
That's it for today. Crowdfunding works. It's not begging unless you make it begging. The people investing are proving they believe in you. Have integrity and don't let them down. Prove you're a professional and make something great. You can take this advice and make the best project possible or ignore help and realize you made a mistake, costing you much more than a bruised ego. Look around, plenty of advice/help out there. Best of luck.
Hey gang, just figured I'd check in and share this past weekend's Monster-Mania experience. First off, let me start by saying this Monster-Mania is definitely in my top 3 of experiences. Ive attended 28 Monster-Mania's as an attendee, a vendor and then, as a guest and I'm always blown away by the fandom and how great everyone is. Dave Hagan and family put on a fantastic convention and I am always thankful to be there.
Kim and I arrived Friday to start setting up our table, luckily she's the brains in this operation as she always does a great job setting up and honestly, I typically walk around and talk to people I only see every 6 months. It's truly become our family. I wander around, check out the things I'm gonna grab before the con even starts and I'm typically broke before the con opens..haha.
Our main agenda, for those who know us, was to meet the Japanese guests, collectively who played
Godzilla and Ultraman. Kim, since we've been married has become a HUGE Godzilla fan. So much so, that we literally saved money for this con and knew we would have a lot of opportunities to grab what we wanted. She was like a kid in a candy store and smiled from ear to ear.
This weekend was also the release of our newest film, Mortimor Tromblay. This is our 5th film, not including the Journey documentary and for a change, we opted for a dark comedy. Matt, unable to be there, was again back on board for this project and we all were ecstatic. What we all really enjoyed was the fact that we felt some sort of freedom to make and create exactly what we wanted and had no real restrictions. Our main goal, as team was to make something to be proud of, we all feel we succeeded.
On Friday, Kim couldn't wait to get in line for Harou Nakajima (original Godzilla), Tsutomu Kitagawa (mostly know as Millennium Godzilla), Bin Furuya (Ultraman) and Shinji Nishikawa (concept artist and designer for Godzilla). She immediately wanted Nishikawa-san to sketch her favorite Kaiju, Little Godzilla. I, on the other hand wanted Millennium Godzilla (Godzilla 2000 is my favorite design and suit) and I would never forgive myself if I opted to go without asking for a sketch of Booska. Booska is a playful character that I fell in love with when my daughter was younger. I was able to grab some VHS's of Booska and we would sit, watch and laugh. Booska will always hold a special place for me, as it means great memories for my daughter and I.
Next, we stopped by the Vampire Robots booth and had to grab our Limited to 200, CCP Burning Godzilla vinyl exclusive. Then I noticed that Michael (the owner) had the exclusive Booska and Chamegon set. My jaw hit the floor and instantly, I knew I HAD TO OWN these vinyls. Once Kim saw them, she knew that money was as good as spent. I plopped down my duckets and then included a Hedorah vinyl to cap off our shopping event. Sigh...so many vinyls to buy, so little cash.
On Saturday, I was set to host a few Q&A's including Mitch Pileggi, Denis O'Hare and the Halloween 4 panel with Danielle Harris and George P Wilbur. Again, as a horror fan, this is always an amazing opportunity and I love the opportunity. This time around the Denis O'Hare, known recently from American Horror Story, really blew me away with his open discussion on acting and the way he approaches playing characters. Absolutely crushed it and it felt like an actors studio and I sat like the student and took in all he said. Of course Danielle Harris is really all Horror fanboys crush and really a testament to Scream Queens of yesteryear. She takes it serious and really is always a delight to talk with. So much fun. I also was fortunate to catch the Kaiju actors panel and just loved it. This is where the fanboy in me shows...I'm sure I was smiling quite a bit.
A few years ago Dave asked if I wanted to help judge the costume contest and its quickly become a very fun part of the convention. This year was jammed wall to wall with all kinds of creatures of the
night. From kids, to ordinal and creative to the sexy...they have a bit of everything. I'm always taken back by the amount of effort that some put into this event. Most often, the non typical designs and outfits are winners. It's a fun evening to close out Saturday night (at least for me).
Sunday afternoon's at Monster-Mania have become something very special to me the last 7 years as I'm host of the Yorkies auction. This is where you can see how much promoter Dave Hagan cares and dedicates space for this auction that is the con's best kept secret. Marilyn and her team from the Yorkie rescue go above and beyond and have shared stories about how much their rescue really helps families save these pups. When I first started we would be happy to raise a few hundred dollars, this past convention, we raised over $5,000. Without your support, we could never do this, so I thank you for being there and offering your hearts.
Kim and I, in closing that everyone who stopped by our table, grabbed our newest film. Those who asked about our son, Curt Robinson's recent surgery and wished him well. It's amazing to me that people actually care, maybe it's cliche but I am always thankful that you all care about us, our projects and want us in their lives. Thank you.
Our con haul!
Below is a video blog we did that takes you along for the weekend and see it through our eyes!
