How to make it in the music industry

DISCLAIMER:  I have NOT made it in the music industry, but I've never tried either.  I am giving general business advice that I hope can help you succeed in your journey to stardom.  If you don't like to read, good luck on being successful.

I usually blog when I am inspired by an event in my life.  Today I came across a "rapper" in Los Angeles and I really hope he finds this blog.  The moment he found out that I'm a film producer he said, "Yo dawg, wassup wit a free video tho?"  (SILENCE FOLLOWS)

I smiled and told him that he should consider learning the business of music first.  His response, "See!  Ya'll Mafuggas all the same!"  (SILENCE FOLLOWS)

This time I smiled, thanked him for his time, and then I walked away.

Most of the people that I personally know that are into music have not even done a few critical steps to ensure their success.  Knowing how to make music is something that an eight year old can do these days.  There is much more to the business of music than just making the music.  If I were a band member, a rapper, a musician, etc., and I came across this little list that you see below I would use it as a check-list to see if I was on the right track.  We all have room for improvement; some of us have much more room than others.

1.  Do you have a music teacher, coach, or mentor?  Or, are you just that good that you don't need one? (Beyonce takes voice lessons...FYI)
     a.  Take the critiques of people that know what they're talking about very seriously and try to make the adjustments that they suggest.  Who cares how you FEEL, just do it.  You might actually learn a lot about yourself and your technique.

2.  Do people in your local area LOVE your music?  Are you selling out local venues? Are people buying your merchandise?  How many shows per month do you book?
     a.  A record label will not take a chance to DEVELOP, PROMOTE, and MARKET someone if they don't see that music lovers are not already supporting them.  You wanna be indie? Ok, cool.  See step #3.

3.  Do you know what these terms actually mean when it comes to the music industry: Marketing, Development, Promotions, Distribution, Publishing, Licensing, and Copyright Protection? (Look them up and do some research on how the big companies or successful indie artists do it.)
     a.  Do you own BOOKS that cover those subjects?  Do you read about those subjects daily?  Are you obsessed with learning about the music business?

4.  Have you ever talked to an entertainment law attorney?  Do have an entertainment law attorney?  Do you know any music managers that are currently working in the industry?  If so, what degree of success have they achieved?
     a.  You are not a lawyer (most likely).  You do not think the way an entertainment law attorney would think (most likely).  You are not a music manger (most likely).  You do not think like a music manger (most likely).  Get help from those people.

5.  Do you have phenomenal talent? Are your fans left in awe every time you perform?  If the CEO of Capital Records heard you right now, would that person be impressed?
    a.  You can't be good.  You can't be great.  You MUST be PHENOMENAL! Your music must be remarkable; REMARK-ABLE.  Do people remark about your music positively?  Don't give people a reason to deny you. There are a lot of people on "American Idol" that have been lied to by their family and friends.

6.  Do you have an EPK?  Does your EPK sound and look like the professionals?  Do you know what a good EPK looks like? (Look it up) Does your social media look like some of your favorite artist's sites?  Are your social media marketing sites updated regularly, and with the correct information?  Is the content interesting and professional?
     a.  Don't use your professional artist site as a personal space.  Run your social media like a business would run their sites.  You are here to make money; are your posts generating income?  If not; why not?  Do you have a marketing and branding campaign that you stick with?

7.  Are you highly motivated, dedicated, and willing to work harder than the next person?
   a.  There is no cavalry coming to save you!  Do you wake up before your competition?  Do you sleep after your competition?  Do you work harder than your competition?  I'm not trying to say burn yourself out.  I'm only making the point that you really have to WANT this.  Are you using your time effectively?  Be the honest broker and ask yourself at the end of each day, "If I was the CEO of my company, based on my performance today, would I hire myself again tomorrow?"

8.  Do you follow-up after meeting new people?  Are you networking with the proper people?  Are you networking correctly?

DISCLAIMER:  I have NOT made it in the music industry, but I've never tried either.  I am giving general business advice that I hope can help you succeed in your journey to stardom.

Very Respectfully,

George Ohan
@georgeohan on Instagram

How do I start a new business - Entrepreneur

WARNING: This Blog will be informational and a little bit entertaining. 

So, let's go over the checklist:

1. Business Name
2. Awesome logo design
3. Business Card
4. Facebook "Like" page or Twitter account

Ok, you're DONE!  You, my friend, are an ENTREPRENEUR!!!!

NOT!!!!!!!!!

Why on Earth do people think by simply completing the four steps above that makes them a business owner / entrepreneur?  I really do not understand this madness.

Owning a business or becoming an entrepreneur is: a huge responsibility, a lot of research, hard work, persistence, creativity, positivity, leadership, initiative, and innovation.  If this does not describe you, please reconsider going into business.  This blog is not about discouraging anyone from pursuing their dreams of entrepreneurship.  This blog should be a wake-up call to those that have never considered some of the things I'll mention below.

Let's talk about a little word called PASSION...

 The reason I am writing this blog is because I had a meeting with a person (an idiot) today that had a decent idea, but he did not have any plan or research of how he would introduce his company to the market.  However, he DID have steps 1-4 at the top of this blog covered completely.  As I tried to give him any sort of business advice this man rejected 90% of anything that I told him with an excuse of why he didn't do that, or why my idea wouldn't work.  It's ok, it was my fault for taking the meeting.  I knew better than to waste my time just by reading his unprofessional email with grammatical errors.  I took the meeting because I appreciated the fact that the guy had enough sense to seek me out, he had a cool idea, and seemed PASSIONATE.  Big mistake!  Today I learned to not care about how passionate the person is if they don't have the hard work and understanding of their business to back up their passion.

I don't care if you're passionate about something, venture capitalist don't care that your passionate about something, and your invisible customers darn sure don't care if you're passionate about something IF 

you have not done the proper work to turn that passion into a feasible and attainable objective. 

"The world is not short of ideas, the world is short of execution." - Professor George Abe, UCLA Anderson School of Management

There are MANY steps to cover before going into business; listed below are a few things to consider and a good starting list to gather your information.

(Think Strategically) *NOTE* Strategy should be innovative, not imitative, to create a sustainable competitive advantage.  You should write or type out your answers; don't just answer it in your head.  If you don't know what something means, look it up.

1. What is the opportunity for this business?

2. Can I create a business concept to exploit that opportunity?

3. What resources do I need to exploit and take advantage of the opportunity?

4. How do I assemble and manage the operation?

5. How do I exit the operation?

6. Do we have a Mission Statement?

7. Why do we exist?

8. What is the pain that our customer has?

9. What are we trying to accomplish?

10. What is the purpose of this company?

11. What is the fatal flaw that can take you out instantly?

12. Why would anyone partner with me?

13. What business are you in, really?

14. What are we really good at?

15. What does the market place look like?

16. Who are our customers?

17. What important benefits do we provide to our customers?

18. Are these benefits sustainable? 

19. Where can this business be in 3-5 years?

20. Do I know how to read a lease properly?

21. What are the proper business licensees and permits required?

22. What are my threats, opportunities, weakness, and strengths?

23. What is the law of diffusion and innovation?

24. How can I define market segmentation?

25. What is my niche?

26. Have I completed a marketing mix?

This list can go on and on...... However, I will choose to stop here.  I hope that this will enlighten and encourage some people to really step their knowledge up.  This takes some time, intense focus, and a lot of dedication.  Don't give up!  Just know that every time you answer one of these questions you're giving yourself more of a chance to survive in the world of business.  If you're not willing to do it, it's ok because your competition is.

Entrepreneurship is a team sport.  Surround yourself with people that are much smarter than you are.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to educate yourself by reading this blog.  Please feel free to share this blog with anyone that you think can use the information too

.

Very Respectfully,

George Ohan

www.signaturexavier.com

@georgeohan - Instagram 

@LAfilmOhan - Twitter

www.youtube.com/ohangeorge 

UCLA, Anderson School of Management, Entrepreneurship (2012)

The Los Angeles Film School, Entertainment Business (2013)

Why do I need a blog?

The purpose of my blog is to document how I'm feeling, thinking, and blog whatever I'm willing to express at this point of my life.  If someone else comes across the words, videos, or art that I post it should have some thought provoking affect on them.  As for me, if I've posted anything to my blog it's only because I've had a thought provoking situation in my life.  This is a free space to read or write anything that I feel like is appropriate at the time that I blog about it.  Anyone that reads my blog is free to express their opinions without a fear of backlash or offending me.  I encourage an educated exchange of thoughts and ideas at any time.

Blogs are valuable because it let's individuals get into a very personal space of other people.  If a person is trying to engage a specific audience they can see what that group of people are blogging about so they will know what is important to them.    Small businesses and large companies alike can use this information to target products and services toward the right clients.  Many companies make marketing mistakes that result in wasting a lot of money because they don't spend enough time understanding who their target audience is.  If those same companies had a social media specialist that understood blogs they can reverse that trend and hit the demographic that they are seeking.

Thank you for taking a moment to read my blog today.  Make each day a masterpiece.

Very Respectfully,

George Ohan

Armenian business networking group - Los Angeles - ARMNET

ArmNetLA@gmail.com
Armenian Network of America-Los Angeles Region

Speaker: George Ohan
george@signaturexavier.com

Since 1984, The Armenian Network of America, Inc. ® has been a professionally-based community organization that has provided Armenian American professionals the opportunity to interact.  With chapters operating in New York, Los Angeles, and Washington DC., each chapter operates independently, catering to the dynamics of the designated geographic area.


Our Vision

Providing a forum for the advancement of Armenian Americans, integrating professional, cultural and social elements.
Promoting the interests of the Armenian American community through a forum which is ecumenical, non-partisan, global and broad-minded in practice and in opinions.
Addressing issues facing Armenians worldwide.

www.armnet.org

Abolish Human Sex Trafficking event in Glendale, CA

I produced this video on the subject of Abolishing human sex trafficking worldwide.  Take a look and share if you'd like.


Producer - George Ohan - georgeohan@gmail.com
@georgeohan on Instagram

Executive Producer - Poca - @ItsPoca on Instagram
Host - Adriana Michelle Davalos - @miss_LosAngeles on Instagram
Speaker #1 - Marc Palmer
Speaker #2 - Aaron Cohen
Song - "Compliments" - Poca
----------
Location - ICIS Living - Glendale, CA
www.icisliving.com
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Music - Poca - http://poca.bandcamp.com/
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www.AbolishSlavery.org

The Abolish Slavery Coalition prevents the spread of modern-day slavery by helping establish and mentor human trafficking task forces both domestically and internationally in order to find and protect those who have fallen into slavery and to promote the infrastructure needed to rescue victims and assist them on the road to recovery.

Today more than ever, victims of human trafficking are being prostituted, enslaved, abused, tortured and murdered by predators who often exploit victims' vulnerabilities, but with your help, we can free the captives!

----------
www.FashionHope.org

We welcome industry partners in traditional and new media, as well as boutiques, designers, photographers, stylists, and other fashion industry professionals. Fashion Hope also works with individual ambassadors - everyday people with a passion for the cause, who help spread the word.  Together, our impact is significant.

For more information on partnering with Fashion Hope, contact us at info@fashionhope.org

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Video Sponsored by: www.pswdoptimist.org

 More than 60 individual Optimist Clubs are included in this service organization of men and women, boys, and girls, dedicated to assisting youth and their families in our communities.

Optimist clubs all over the world strive to "bring out the best in kids." We offer programs for youth that are tailored to the needs of local communities. The organization's motto, Friend of Youth is also its raison d'etre.
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George Ohan - President, Hollywood Optimist Club
www.SignatureXavier.com

President Obama needs to stay out of Syria

This will require reading, so I know most of the people that clicked on this link would rather look at a picture and click “like”, but this isn’t for you.  Please dismiss yourself ASAP.  This article is for the educated people of the world that actually read.

Our president is a liar, but nobody cares.  Remember when President Obama won the votes of the nation with an anti-war campaign against George Bush?  What happened to bringing the troops home?  What happened to recognizing the Armenian Genocide?  What happened to all of the A-list stars chanting “rock the vote?”  Why did President Obama order to have Mummar al-Gaddafi killed?  Oh wait, the morons of our nation are too busy posting pictures and comments of Miley Cyrus to their Facebook and Instagram accounts….

I have a lot of family still living in Syria, and I was born there too.   I speak to them and get a full understanding of the situation and the news has our entire nation fooled.  Everyone that has commented with their foolish comments online certainly have no idea of what’s going on in Syria.  Just because you read a timeline on Twitter or Facebook, you do not have all of the facts.  Other idiots post their rhetoric for the world to see based on a different idiot’s rhetoric that they read 2 minutes prior.  That’s how our civilized society gets their information.  Maybe 10% of what I’ve seen and read seems relevant and worthwhile.  For those people that I’m connected with on social media I see the ridiculous comments and posts that are poking fun at Syria.  It truly shows what you do not know and how uneducated you really are. 

Unlike the United States, Syria doesn’t advertise the full strength and capabilities of their military.  The Syrian military is very powerful and well respected in the international community.  They certainly have the WILL to win and the American public does not need to put themselves through this.  Iran, Russia, and China.  Does that mean anything to anyone? 

How many murders have there been in the United States since President Obama took office?  Over 50,000 murders here in the United States, that’s how many!  People in the USA are so angry, hateful, and in disagreement with each other that they kill each other at a higher rate than most wars.  Do you see other countries trying to come here to our land and attack us because these people are being killed?  Why doesn’t our president try to police his own problems before acting like he’s the world police?  If George W. Bush was in office the media would be going absolutely crazy right now with this situation.  However, with President Obama people are acting like going to war is ok.  Is this a problem to anyone else? 

If you asked the people of Syria what they think of Bashar al-Assad you’d realize that the USA needs to stay out of their country.  Have you been to skid row in downtown Los Angeles?  It looks like a fourth world country.  Homelessness, drug addicts, crime, rape, and every other disgusting thing you can imagine only a few miles away from Beverly Hills.  Has our president ever walked those piss-drenched streets of his own country?  We have our own problems that need to be fixed.   President Obama would rather invest money into a war instead of helping to provide shelter to homeless women veterans of the USA?  Female veterans with children are the most rapid growing demographic of people that are becoming homeless in the United States right now.  Does our president care?

I hope that Congress does the right thing and does not allow my brothers and sisters to go fight in a war that we do not have any business being in.

Very Respectfully,

George Ohan

Military veterans transition and job fair - The Los Angeles Film School

I just finished editing this short video.  If you know someone getting out of the military soon please share this with them.


George Ohan - Officer, Military Transition - Military@LAfilm.edu

Military: Military Education Benefits

SERVICES FOR MILITARY & VETERAN STUDENTS

The Los Angeles Film School Military Services Department


The Los Angeles Film School is approved to train veterans by the California State Approving Agency for Veterans Education (CSAAVE). CSAAVE operates under contract with the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Under the authority of federal law, Title 38 U.S.C. CSAAVE operates as part of the government of the State of California.

The Los Angeles Film School is approved for Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy and U.S government tuition assistance through the DODMOU.

The Los Angeles Film School is a member of the Servicemembers Opportunity College Consortium.

ABOUT EDUCATION BENEFIT PROGRAMS

In some cases military educational benefits will not cover the entire cost of tuition. All military students with a gap in tuition will need to secure their enrollment in congruence with school policies prior to starting class. Veteran students applying for military benefits are encouraged to speak with a military admission representative or military transition manager at The Los Angeles Film School prior to enrolling for any benefit; please call the main line or email: military@lafilm.com.



NCOA and Military.com Continue Valuable Partnership
NCOA’s Veterans Employment Assistance Division and Military.com, the largest online military membership organization, have extended their agreement to co-host Career Expo’s designed to place separating and retiring veterans and family members in direct contact with companies and corporations seeking individuals with military training and experience.
“Extending this partnership with Military.com is the perfect scenario.” said an NCOA Official. “NCOA has held job fairs worldwide since 1973, but with the outreach capabilities that we now have with Military.com, we are able to reach a greater amount of people.”
“This is a perfect match,” said NCOA President Gene Overstreet, 12th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps. “Companies will have quality events to exhibit at for a reasonable fee and job seekers will have first-class events to begin their quest for quality employment following their military service.”

Video Directed by: George Ohan -
Hollywood, CA

How to make a short film in a few simple steps - Hollywood

George Ohan - Producer - www.instagram.com/georgeohan

There are hundreds of ways to make a good short film.  This video covers a few steps that might put a person on track if they are producing or directing one of their first short films.  Please feel free to email me and ask questions.

IMDB: George Ohan
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3907441/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

You can find lots of fun stuff to watch on the following channel: www.youtube.com/axybarra
Webisodes, TV Shows, Documentary Channel


You can find my favorite director (Xavier Ybarra) at:
http://signaturexavier.com
http://twitter.com/signaturexavier
http://facebook.com/signaturexavier
http://trackingxavier.blogspot.com

Video Production Services provided by:
Signature Xavier © 2013 Production Company
http://signaturexavier.com

Would you like us to make your video? Contact Signature Xavier at xavier@signaturexavier.com. Whether its a YouTube video, Kickstarter video, commercial or music video. We Provide HD Video Production Services and full Video Editing and Color Grading.

This video was shot using the Sony XDCAM EX1R. Los Angeles, CA

The Mumbai Jagran Film Festival screening of our Cannes Short Film Corner-selected film, Whole 'Nother Level: The Short Film will be next Friday, after having screened across India in the cities of New Delhi, Agra and Varanasi. Mumbai is the 4th most populated city in the world, so director Bruce B. Gordon, producer George Ohan and the entire team are humbled and thrilled that our work will be showing there.

Friday, September 27, 2013
2:30 p.m. block in ZEE Preview 3/Fun Republic Cinemas
Andheri West, Mumbai - 400053

http://wholenotherlevel.wix.com/shortfilm
http://jff.co.in/ (Click "Jagran Shorts" tabs).
https://www.facebook.com/WholeNotherLevelShortFilm


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Success fueled by ambition - Community Leader / US Army Veteran George Ohan

Ambition:

Some of us have it and others of us need it.  Below are some thoughts that I put together with the studies of Jim Rohn and many other philosophies that I’ve studied.  The difference between success and failure can be a few simple habits.  A few errors in judgments repeated everyday will get you to fail.  Bad habits will show their results a long time after they’re developed.  Thoughts on success below:

Disciplined, Eager, Desire = True ambition.

1.         Success is a minute-by-minute, day-by-day mentality.  Living a successful life isn’t easy; if it were easy most people would have money.  What’s the major difference between people doing good or bad?

2.         Dreams must be well defined, wishes are fuzzy.  Your dreams must be vivid.   Do you know exactly what you want?  Write it out.  I want to see a 10-year plan.  If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

3.         Nothing is an over night success… diligence is the mother of good luck.  Tough it out with intelligence, continue to educate yourself.  Continue to get better each day.

4.         You’ll be as happy as you allow yourself to be right now.  Don’t be depressed because you are working your way toward success.  Learn to celebrate your achievements.  It’s good to acknowledge your accomplishments on your path of success. 

5.         Big achievements come one small advantage at a time.  Enjoy who you are becoming every day.   You will change daily during your transformation to becoming the person that you know you can be.  You have the power to mold your life. 

6.         Use the ability and power of your mind to build up your success.  Success is a pleasure.  You must be fulfilled with what you are doing today.  Are you happy with your life as it is?  Enjoy the process of becoming successful.  Can you write your successes at the end of each day?  Look for a pattern of what you think is successful.

7.         Try going to bed 30 minutes sooner.  Just try it for 2 weeks.  You’ll get more done and you’ll feel better, just do it.  Start changing how you think, act, and treat others, life will respond to you in the same respect.  Be kind.  What small changes can I start making today? 

8.         Take charge of your personal happiness.  You can’t be successful by yourself.  You have the help of the people around you.  Thank them.   Let the people around you know that you appreciate them.  We are an average of the top 5 people that we spend the most time around.

9.         Keep your mind on your course.  Remember your path.  Your goals will push you forward, but you must remember what your ultimate desire is.  People have already paved the way for us.  They had nothing, and ended up with something great.  These people turned their focused dreams to a reality of success.  Seek them out and research how they did it.  Take the time to talk with successful people.  They might have already walked down the roads that we’re trying to walk down currently. 

10.       Ambition is not being greedy.  It is an eager desire to achieve, to prosper.  Desire is what you want for yourself.  Ambition is how you get there.  Ambition is an expression.  It is something inside of you. 

What are your reasons for creating the dreams that you have? 

Why is it so important to achieve these dreams? 

Does it make you feel good?

Is it for your family?

What has you inspired to be ambitious?

What is the power behind your ambition?

11.       Self-interest is ok; it is not selfish.  You are benefited by giving service to others.  It must be enlightened; make an investment in the service of others.  Always do more than what you’re paid for.  It is an investment in your future.  You will stand out.

12.       Give the gift of attention.  Life responds to give us what we deserve, not what we need.  The ancient law works like, “if you plant, you will reap” …. In order to find ideas, contacts, and hope, you must search. You must go to where you need to be.  It will not come to you.

13.       Life is not a passing of time.  You must have the discipline to act on your life.  Everything affects everything else.  Everything matters.  Save money or don’t save money. Exercise or no exercise? It all matters.

14.       Don’t let up; you can’t ease up.  When you’re at work; work.  Vacation is for rest.  Be disciplined, get your health back, get your bank account where it’s supposed to be, get your family in order. 

 15.      Ambition - it is an eager desire to get more out of life.

16.       Don’t blame others for failures.  It is in your best interest to follow up on everything that affects you.  You are responsible for everything that happens or fails to happen every minute of your life.

17.       Your life will change when YOU change.  Take full responsibility for yourself; whatever your paycheck is… Is that your worth?

 Thank you for reading.  I apologize for the format of this blog

.  I am not really a writer, just some guy with some thoughts.  Thank you for your time and consideration.

Very Respectfully,

George Ohan

Instagram: georgeohan

Twitter: @LAfilmOhan

Develop a pitch for your script - Sell your idea in Hollywood

ALL CREDIT FOR THIS ARTICLE TO: Stephanie Palmer

Instagram- georgeohan

How To Develop A Pitch For Your Screenplay: A Case Study

By Stephanie Palmer

 

Would you like to see how a pitch gets developed for a screenplay?

A screenwriting client of mine gave me permission to use his project as an example.

What you’re about to see is the first phase of researching and developing a pitch, using my client’s feature film idea as a case study. This process will not only help you to improve your pitch; it will also build your expertise in the genre so that you are the kind of writer executives want to hire.

Step 1: Draft The Initial Short Pitch

If you already have a short pitch, great. If not, try the following formula with five elements:

“My story is a (genre) called (title) about (hero) who wants (goal) despite (obstacle).”

I like starting with this formula because it forces the clarification of the dramatic conflict. Typically, a story that is clear can be framed in terms of an entity (the hero) that is seeking something (the goal) despite some significant problem (the obstacle).

Our goal is to clarify the five elements and make them more compelling. This means that the changes we make may seem small (e.g., exchanging one word for another), but they will have large implications because we’re working at the DNA-level of the story.

Using the formula, here’s my client’s initial pitch:

It’s a comedy called Nerd Ops about the National Security Administration’s nerdiest technical people who must become field operatives to save the world from a terrorist hacker organization.”

Step 2: Identify Possible Genres

Genre gives context to the project, suggests a structure for the story, and has implications for budget, scope, and potential revenue. The 1-2 words you use to categorize your project, therefore, should be chosen with care.

For Nerd Ops, is “comedy” the best description of genre? Could we find something more specific?

You may already know how your project should be categorized. If not, here’s a way to generate ideas for genre descriptions:

• Go to boxofficemojo.com;
• Look for produced projects that are the most like your idea;
• See how they are classified.

Using this strategy, and given the core concept of nerdy technicians becoming field operatives, here are some possible genres:

• Dark comedy
• Buddy comedy
• Action comedy
• Spy comedy

Step 3: Identify Themes

While I do believe that it’s important for a finished project to have one core thematic premise, at this stage we’re interested in looking at themes more broadly.
Here are some themes that I could see being relevant:

• Weaknesses can be strengths (and strengths weaknesses)
• Warriors for the 21st century
• The brotherhood (and sisterhood) of geekdom
• Humans vs. machines

Step 4: Identify Structural Elements

Structural elements are aspects of the project which are obvious and relevant but which you don’t want to classify as themes.
Some structural elements of this story could be:

• The culture of elite hackers
• The NSA recruiting process
• “Hell Week” training
• Powerful supercomputers

Step 5: Brainstorm Comparisons

Now, using the genres, themes, and structural elements as a starting point, let’s generate more projects to which Nerd Ops could be compared:

• Spies Like Us (Dan Ackroyd’s character is a technical genius)
• Hackers (elite hackers work together)
• Stripes (oddballs in the military)
• Mission Impossible 3&4 (technical geek played by Simon Pegg)
• The Recruit (Colin Farrell’s character is a math genius)
• GI Jane (the structure of “Hell Week”)
• The Other Guys (desk jockey cops become field agents)

Step 6: Build A Table To Hold Comparison Data

What we’re going to do now is build a chart full of data. Along the way, we’re going to get ideas for more comparison projects and we’ll add those to the chart.
First, set up a table with twenty rows and nine columns. Those nine columns should read: Title, Genre, Rating, Release Date, Buyer/Distributor, Domestic Box Office (DBO), International Box Office (IBO), Total Box Office (TBO), Pitch.
Second, open two websites: boxofficemojo.com and netflix.com. If you’re not already a Netflix member, you can get a trial membership.

Step 7: Fill In The Table

First, I’ll search boxofficemojo.com for Spies Like Us. I’ll enter the data in my table, then click on the tab for “Similar Movies.” This shows me that there’s a project called This Means War that I hadn’t considered. So I’ll click on that and enter the data. Then, I’ll click on the tab for “Similar Movies,” and repeat the process.
Second, I’ll go to netflix.com and look for the summaries. I highlight them, edit if needed, paste into a text file, then cut and paste into my table.
Third, I’ll click on the genres in boxofficemojo.com that I’m interested in and see what other comparable projects I can find.
Sometimes boxofficemojo.com, netflix.com (or IMDB or Wikipedia) don’t agree on the genre. For example, a comparison project in my table is Knight and Day. Boxofficemojo calls it a comedy; netflix calls it an action comedy. I think it’s an action comedy, but like This Means War, could also be classified as a romantic comedy.
Use the genre and pitch that you think best. The important thing is to collect the data in one place so you can look for patterns.
After poking around in the boxofficemojo and netflix databases, my table looks like this: Good in a Room Nerd Ops Research Example

Step 8: Sort The Table And Look For Patterns

Now, sort the table by clicking on the column for Total Box Office and sort the table with the highest grossing projects at the top.
The point is not to be a slave to the box office and to copy exactly movies that have been successful. Rather, it’s to have the same information that the decision-maker has, and to be able to customize your pitch using that information to showcase what’s original about your project in a way that is compelling to the listener.
Looking at our table, we can start to see patterns:

• It seems that Nerd Ops would be more clearly described as an action comedy rather than a spy comedy (e.g. Austin Powers, Bean).
• The top grossing action comedies are either romantic comedies or buddy pics (e.g., Knight and Day, Rush Hour, The Other Guys)
• Characters who are “desk-jockeys” or “prodigies.”
• Two male heroes.
• A PG-13 rating.
• Titles with 2-3 words.

Step 9: Improve Your Pitch

Now that I’ve done some research and identified patterns, I can change the short pitch and come up with new pitch material.
Here’s the old short pitch, then the new one:

Old:

It’s a comedy called Nerd Ops about the National Security Administration’s nerdiest technical people who must become field operatives to save the world from a terrorist hacker organization.”

New (changes in bold):

It’s an action comedy called Nerd Ops about two competing National Security Administration computer prodigies who must become field operatives and work together to save the world from a terrorist hacker organization.”

Step 10: Test Your New Pitch

At this point, I would begin testing this short pitch to see how I can sharpen and improve the core concept.

JR Blind Olympics 2013 - Optimist Blind Youth Association -

I shot and edited this video today!  I am glad to be helping out the youth of my community!

Hollywood film premiere - Lost Wynter Memories - Actor Anja Lill

Verlorene Wynter Memories ist ein Film von David Ortiz. Es ist ein 20 Minuten lang kurz.

Beschreibung
Die Geschichte handelt davon, wie der Held Justin (gespielt von Devin Goodsell) möchte seine Verlobte beleben mit 11:11 Wunsch am 11. November 2011. Der Wunsch bringt sie zurück, aber er muss in Fegefeuer wagen zu versuchen und Reparatur ihrer verlorenen Erinnerungen, bevor sie für immer verschwunden ist.

Plot Outline
Justin macht ein Wunsch auf 11.11 Uhr zu seiner Verlobten zurück ins Leben zu bringen und muss in das Fegefeuer wagen, Fragmente von ihrer verlorenen Erinnerung in der Zeit zu finden und bringen sie zurück, bevor sie in die spirituelle Welt verloren geht.

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George Ohan
Produzent
@ LAfilmOhan

military@LAfilm.com