Creating cash flow

So as the New Year begins I'm faced with the long challenge of almost every fledgling artist- consistent cash flow! Money comes in arbitrary chunks and I'm always seeking work to help pay the bills. For 2006 I'm taking several different avenues that I didn't take in 2005. In '05 I served as the Marketing Director for the Chicago International Film Festival, which paid decently, but it did not allow me to work on my craft as a filmmaker. In '06 I aim to find work that will expand my tools as a filmmaker.

I have to say though that working with the festival exposed me to the other side of filmmaking, that of distribution and exhibition. The education was priceless, and I did make many contacts that I will most definitely use in the future. Working at the festival also gives me some level of credibility in the industry, as I believe there is some percieved equity in being a filmmaker who is knowledgable in the business and economic workings of the industry.

It's certainly not enough for a filmmaker to understand the ebbs and flows of the box office, we have to know how those numbers came into existence in the first place. Without that context, the numers are meaningless to you and I.

So getting back to cash flow issues, I plan to pursue three venues:

1) music video and commericals
2) a ultra-low budget feature/ short
3) a video game service company in India

The third option does deserve a second take- what? I'm off to India on January 10th to sell 19 REVOLUTIONS, and while there I'm going to explore the options of opening a service company in India for the global video game industry. I'll fill detalis in as events warrant, but right now I won't divulge.

Today I'm working on strategy one: I've been incontact with the Oil Factory, a prestigious production company who specialized in music videos and commericals. They've been kind enough to respond to my messages and have requested my reel for the possibility of joining their stable of directors. I'm sending it out today, so let's hope something good comes out of it.

Music has always been paramount in my creativity- I write my scripts to music, wherein I select the music first and develop the stories around it. Music is my muse. So it seems natural for me to give an earnest attempt at music videos. On 19 REVOLUTIONS I was given positive feedback on my visuals and theor marraige to the music, so I want to give it a rip. We'll see.

This year I've got a new motivation to succeed- I got engaged in in November. Getting engaged has changed my perspective completely. Previously I was content with getting by but now I will have a wife, and while she is successful we both need to contribute to make it work. So if previously I had a fire under my ass, it's now graduated to a full-on inferno. I'm blessed however to have her support and guidance, so I have no doubts that we will get this done.

Have a great day!