My business has changed a lot since 2007. I’m currently in my third studio space. I now do this for a living (I started out just part time when I was working full time at the talent agency). And my business is changing. When I started out I shot primarily headshots for models and actors. It made sense–I had access to them through the agency, people knew me there, and there was a constant supply of talent that needed new photos. Now, that’s not so much the case. I still love taking headshots, but I’ve found that more and more of my business is consumed by commercial work (lots of theater, some small businesses and schools) and portraits.

Having a loft in midtown Cleveland was cool for models and actors. Not so much for commercial work and portraits.

My location no longer works for the business I’m pursuing. So I’m off in search of yet another studio. While I’ll certainly miss the 1900 sq/ft live/work space I’m currently in (half of an old gymnasium), and I’ll most assuredly end up in a smaller, far less cool studio space in the suburbs, I’ve got to go where the money is. As the business evolves, we need to evolve with it.

This is footage taken from our promo shoot of the Cleveland based metal band “Affiance”, taken on our Flip cam during the shoot last Thursday. It was a fun shoot–our studio is next door to the band’s rehearsal space so we’ve all become friends. Plus it’s always fun to be a groupie for a kick-ass band! I think we overwhelmed the Lake Erie fishermen when we came down with our lights, camera, and crew of around 12 people. Thanks to my fiancee Amy for getting the BTS footage. She ended up helping us run around so she was only able to get video at the first location. Special thanks for climbing the rock wall to retrieve a forgotten speedlight!

It was a long night, but I learned a lot and had a ton of fun. I think the band got some great pictures to launch their career with their new label, Trustkill Records. Check out the band at www.myspace.com/affiancemusic.

This past weekend I sat in front of my computer.

It would have been a great weekend to hang out at the beach (we had 90 degree weather the whole weekend in Cleveland), but instead I was planted in front of my computer watching the live feed of a photography lighting workshop by Zack Arias. Photo geeks will appreciate this–he produced a three day workshop with Creative Live that covered everything from the cameras and lenses he uses, basic camera operations (ISO, shutter speed, aperture, etc.) working with models, using speedlights, using studio lights, using a white seamless…the works! I actually missed the first day but caught almost all of Day 2 and a good chunk of Day 3 after I discovered the workshop on his blog. If you didn’t get a chance to geek out and watch it yourself this weekend and are at all interested in photography, I highly recommend you purchase the DVD version of it. Check out Zack’s blog over the next few weeks for more info on that.

Sure, I knew a good deal of the techniques that Zack was going over, but I still loved the workshop. It was a great chance to brush up on things that I haven’t done in a while, and it was great to get the perspective of a great commercial photographer (and teacher) like Zack.

What workshops have you been to lately? Reading any blogs or books? If not–why not? If you’re truly serious about your craft, whether it be photography or acting or filmmaking or anything else, then you need to keep learning. There are now tons of ways to get free information and education about just about any topic on earth. Throughout the course of a week I read over 50 different blogs, on everything from photography to film to business to personal development. It’s like having an ever-changing library of the most current trends in each topic available for me to read whenever I have free time. Admittedly, it’s been a while since I’ve been able to attend a workshop (in person or virtual) but it was a great reminder of how good the experience is. It’s completely worth giving up a day or weekend to be completely inspired and educated by someone who’s actually doing what you want to be doing.

So what’s your gameplan? Find a mentor, read some blogs, and take a class. If you’re serious about your craft then make continuing education a part of your regular learning experience.

I’ve tried for hours to get to sleep, then resorted to surfing the internet to study photo lighting techniques. Then suddenly, I feel inspired to edit my acting workshop DVD.

The one I’ve put off for months–I want to work on it now, at 3:00 am.

The point of this post is that when your creativity sparks, run with it. I’ve been on a sort of creative block for a while now, and literally get sick to my stomach thinking about editing this video. But there’s no forcing your creative flow. So, I’ll take what I can get–as you should as well. Don’t stifle your creativity because of your schedule.

And now, off to edit some video!

Steve almost primarily does short little videos for the web. It’s a great niche, and he’s really good at what he does. We chatted a bit about the different projects people are using web videos for–everything from annual reports to training videos for their company to web spokespersons. According to the script I read today, the use of web spokespeople can increase customer conversion by 30%. I’m not sure if that figure is accurate or not, but there is certainly is a huge and growing market for web video–Youtube, Vimeo, websites, mobile phones, and iPads; web video is everywhere, and consumers are eating it up.

Steve has a great list potential uses for web video on his website. How do you use web video? Are you using it? If so, have you seen an increase in customer conversion or retention? And if you’re not using it–why not?

from v.nazarian on Flickr

It’s been a good six weeks since my last post on here. Before that it was almost the same amount of time. Truth be told, I’ve been too damn busy to write!

Busy is good. Unless you take on too many commitments as I tend to do.  I really like writing so I’d like to continue this blog. The problem is by the time I’m done with my “work” I’m too mentally exhausted. So if I want to keep this up, I need to find a way for this to become my work. So I’ll start with explaining exactly what I do.

I have many different jobs (or “buckets”, hence my bucket list). In this day and age that’s not unusual, especially in the creative fields. Tyler Weaver has a great website at www.Multi-Hyphenate.com that goes more into this sort of lifestyle. But first, here are my buckets.

Braedy Photography

This has been my bread and butter for the last couple of years. I do enjoy photography, but would also like to be involved in other projects. So I’ve grown the business to include three employees (besides myself) including one new photographer that I’m training. Ultimately I’d like to step back a bit from the actual photography and run the business and marketing.

48 Hour Film Project

Registration just opened for the 2010 Cleveland 48 Hour Film Project. It’s a great competition where filmmakers have 48 hours to write, produce, and edit a short film. This will be my third year as the Cleveland Producer, and I really enjoy putting this together and working with the local filmmakers. This year I’ve also been asked to take on a little  more responsibility, so over the summer I’ll also be the Assistant Director of Operations (with one other person holding the title as well). I’ll continue to run Cleveland and also help out with close to 30 other city competitions around the world. Also as of January I have been the editor of their monthly newsletter, which goes out to 50,000 filmmakers around the world. At this time most of the writing I do is for that.

Braeden Media

Notice there’s no URL to visit, because the company doesn’t really exist yet. This is sort of my dream job, a multimedia production firm that ties together video, photography, graphic and web design to create quirky and creative pieces. I’d like it to be less of the traditional advertising route, but more along the lines of “advertainment”–short films used as advertisements where the product becomes a part of the film. BMW produced a great series a few years ago where Clive Owen starred as the Driver–very cool short films. I’m using some of the money from photography to help fund this business, but the problem is still money to purchase equipment. Luckily I’m fortunate enough to work with a lot of great creative filmmakers that I’m trying to partner up with. I’m currently working on a short promo video for a Cleveland nightclub, which should hopefully start production in the next two weeks.

Make Money Acting DVD

This is a taped version of an acting workshop I did in January. I really wanted to have this done already, but with a two camera shoot I have roughly eight hours of me talking on video to edit. This is something I really need to get off my plate so I’m hoping to get a rough cut done in the next week. Ultimately this will ship as a direct download or DVD with a separate resource guide.

In addition to all of the above I attend school full time–I’m studying for my B.S. in Entertainment Business from Full Sail University (online). Tack on a fiancee and three kids and I’ve got some very full buckets. No wonder I’m on creative burnout! I hope to be able to use this blog to highlight all of these projects on more of a day to day basis. So you can expect some less-polished articles, but more updates more frequently.

Jason Reitman speaking at Filmapalooza 2010

Last week I was at the NAB Show in  Las Vegas attending Filmapalooza, the year end competition for the 48 Hour Film Project. Over 70 films from around the world were screened, all representing the Best 48 Hour Film from each of their respective cities.  I had a great time watching the films, checking out the latest video gear at NAB, and of course soaking in a little bit of the Las Vegas nightlife. But the highlight of the trip for me was watching Jason Reitman speak.

Jason Reiman is the Academy Award nominated director of films such as “Juno”, “Thank You for Smoking”, and the current release “Up in the Air.” He flew in to deliver the keynote speech to a room filled with filmmakers from all around the world. The experience was incredible; Reitman is a very personable speaker and talks on a level that really connects with the younger filmmaking crowd. He talked about growing up in Beverly Hills, his long journey from film to medical school and back to film, and took questions from the audience.

Here are just a few of the highlights of what I learned.

In order to be a  filmmaker, it helps to be the son of a famous filmmaker. Reitman of course, is the son of director Ivan Reitman, famous for helming films such as “Meatballs”, “Twins”, and the “Ghostbusters” movies. He was speaking tongue in cheek, but Reitman did point out the importance of networking. He was lucky to already be in a circle of Hollywood producers and directors through his father, but just because you’re not doesn’t mean that you can’t meet those people. Reitman spoke about the importance of talking to everyone possible at film screenings and festivals, and using social networking to increase your own circle of influence.

Write the bad scripts first. Reitman prefers to direct films that he has also written the screenplay for because he really knows the dialogue and flow of the script will work on camera. But he didn’t always write really great stuff. It took him a long time to develop his own style of writing, and he wrote a lot of bad scripts before anything worthwhile came out. An important part of developing writing skills is to really just keep doing it–get your ideas out onto paper, find out what works and what doesn’t, and begin to develop your own voice.

Work with people you like. Though Reitman is not the first person to have said this, he stands by this mantra. There are tons of talented people in the world, so don’t stress yourself out by working with talented people who are a pain to work with. Some of Reitman’s regular crew are old high school and college buddies. If you’re doing to be out on a set for 12-16 hours a day, make sure you can stand to be around the people you’re working with.

Don’t go for the “cool shot.” Remember that the film is about storytelling, not a showcase for your camera techniques. Reitman and his regular DP like to keep each other in check, joking with each other about the “cool shots for their portfolio” when it looks like one of them may be straying from the storytelling aspect of the film.

There is no excuse to not make your film. Filmmaking has never been more accessible as it is now. Reitman recalled the old days when he was starting out and everything was shot on film, making for a time-consuming and expensive editing process. Now you can find a decent digital camera in nearly every big box store or electronics retailer you walk in to. All you need is a story, a camera, and a basic editing software. Reitman himself scrounged the money for his first film by selling desk calendars to his college. He challenged the filmmakers to stop making excuses and just go out and make your film with what you have.

Watching Reitman speak was in itself worth the trip to Las Vegas. He was insightful and inspiring, as well as encouraging to all of the filmmakers present. I’ll look forward to continuing to watch his great films, and will hope for that Academy Award sometime in the near future.

Reitman speaks to a crowded room of filmmakers

Reitman with Liz Langston and Mark Ruppert from the 48 Hour Film Project

Has it been a while since your last audition? Wonder if your agent is still alive? Getting worried that your agent may be getting ready to give you the boot? It would make sense-if you’re not being called in for auditions, then you’re not making money for either you or your agent. If you’re not making anybody money, then you’re not an asset to the agency, right?

If you’re in a large agency in one of the major markets, then you may have something to worry about. It is customary for agencies to “purge” talent who aren’t really producing. Maybe you showed up unprepared to your auditions, or maybe it’s just slow for your type. Whatever the reason, if you haven’t been getting auditions or booking jobs and you’re in L.A. or N.Y.C., chances are you should probably be hunting around for a new agency.

But if you’re in a smaller market, your agency may be more likely to keep you around even if you’re not booking jobs at the moment. Especially if you’re represented by a large commercial agency that takes on many different ages and character types. Why would your agency keep you around, even if you’re not making them money? Simple–it’s a numbers game. The greater amount of different types the agency has access to, the greater number of people will get booked on the job.

Think about it. Commercial agencies often make deals for talent based on the project and usage, but also the number of people the client is booking. As an agent, I would often give clients rates for jobs based on them booking one talent, 5-6 talent, more than 12 talent, or all of the talent through our agency. The more of our talent that got booked, the cheaper the per-talent rate gets. Often on really big jobs this would mean showing the clients talent we normally wouldn’t submit to cover all of the age and race demographics they were looking for. There were many a time when we were madly calling in talent that we hadn’t seen or talked to in months to make sure they still looked the same as when we last saw them.

So if you feel like you’ve been abandoned by your agency that’s not necessarily a cause for alarm. It all depends on how often you’d like to work. For many talent that have another day job and are happy being called a few times a year, this works out great. If you’d like to pursue things a little more actively, consider meeting with some different agencies in your market, or niche agencies that specialize in getting work for your type. Bottom line-until either you or the agency terminates your agreement, you’re still with the agency. Make the most of the relationship or move on to a new agency.

Please forward your resume, with a head-shot, for consideration. Thank you.

This is an actual ad for a job posting. Maybe it’s not fair, but the reality is how you look and how you present yourself all come into play in getting hired for any job, not just as an actor. A professional headshot says a lot about a person; not only does it tell people that you’re serious enough about your career to get the proper tools to market yourself, but it’s also a nice way to give a potential employer or client a visual reminder of you. After sifting through piles of resumes and applications things tend to get blurry for even the most savvy of hiring managers. Leaving them a professional headshot can be the thing that sets you apart from the rest of the pile.

Here are a few tips when getting a headshot:

1. Use a professional    I’m sure your brother’s friend will give you a great deal, but the fact is that it does matter who shoots the picture. Photographers who specialize in headshots tend to be better at working with people, and do a much better job focusing on making YOU look good. Use somebody that doesn’t know what they’re doing and you’ll not only put yourself in a bad light, you’ll have wasted your time and possibly money.
2. Make sure you’re comfortable with the photographer    I’ve known some excellent photographers who do great work, but really can’t work with people–to the point that people get creeped out or uncomfortable in the middle of a shoot. This shows in the photographs! Take some time speaking with the photographer or even meet them in person before the shoot; you should know in a couple of minutes whether or not you click.
3. Use a stylist    Even if you’re a guy, even if you put on makeup every day, and even if you yourself are a professional stylist. It makes a big difference to have a pair of eyes devoted exclusively to making sure you look good during a shoot, and makes a big difference in the final product.
4.  For clothing, simple is better    Yes, you want some things that will show your personality, but that Hawaiian shirt you love just may be a little too visually stimulating to use in your headshots. You don’t want anything to detract from the focus of the photos, which is you and NOT what you’re wearing.
5. Get some R & R before the shoot    I know, easier said than done But if you’re tired and stressed out during your photo shoot, that energy will be picked up by the camera, and your photos will show you looking tired and stressed out. Get a full 8 hours of sleep the night before your shoot. Drink plenty of water the day before and the day of your shoot; not only is water better for your skin, it will also flush out some of the toxins in your body that leave you feeling tired. If possible, try to schedule at least a couple hours of breathing room before and after your shoot. You don’t want to have to worry about rushing from work to your shoot; do NOT try to squeeze in a photo shoot during lunch!

If you follow these tips chances are you’ll have a great photo session. A great headshot can do wonders for your reputation as an actor or a business professional. To see some samples of good headshots check out www.braedyphoto.com. If you’re in the Northeast Ohio area I’d love to take care of your photographic needs!