Heehaw

A guy called Toby Trueman from the video production company 'Heehaw' came in to class today. He seemed like a nice guy, but it really just doesn't appeal to me. I want to tell stories and commercial work really just doesn't seem to allow for that. Here are my notes from the class anyway:

-Attended Napier in 2005, but dropped out

-Worked freelance as an editor (eg. Schoolplays, converting VHS to DVD). This wasn’t sustainable and he had a job on the side.

-Got assistant editor role at Heehaw. Mostly made tea and logged data

-Cut on Final Cut

-Now primarily Adobe Suite (Edits sound on Premiere too)

-If you can know or do a bit of anybody’s job, you’ll make yourself an indispensable part of the team

-Got a job in producing, which led on to writing and directing.

-If you’re the first one out the door, you won’t be trusted. Make it clear you’re passionate about the job

-For the placement, their looking for people who can get involved in other people’s work. Need people who can show positivity. Less about skill and more about the person.

-50 projects on the go. 17 team members. Fully booked 2 months in advance.

-Show them your work etc.

-Most jobs intended for social media

-Need to jell with team

-Doesn’t look at degree, just at whatever work you’ve done before.

-Directors should have several showreels; Producing reel, commercial reel and montage reel.

-Showreels might be asked for that show you can work with animals or children etc.

-Mood films: You might be asked to make a trailer from pre-existing films. Eg Shots/tones. Everyone will know the kind of film you want to make

-If you’re afraid to answer the phone, YOU WON’T MAKE IT. You need to be confident on the phone.

-Sometimes client ideas are terrible.

-If you can write, you’ll go far

-A lot of directors start as producers. At Heehaw all producers also want to direct at a certain level

-Leave your ego at the door. You will start doing small tasks

-Maybe look at editing as a start

-Film supply, Unsplash, Shot Deck, Colour Palette Cinema, Adobe Colour: good for moodboards/references

-At Heehaw you’re unlikely to get hired if you’ve never been on a commercial shoot before. Just short films isn’t enough.

-If your showreel is, for example, only horror films, then you won’t work commercially. Clients want to see you’ve made their type of film before.

-Never fall back on one project. Always have several going at once

-When you’ve finished a project, archive all of your work on it

-Film Edinburgh

-Cloud Break Pictures is the sister company for Heehaw; it produces original content

-BBC online; submit ideas

-Encourages writing treatments for and considering directing animation