Going Pro

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Mitch Perkins
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Going Pro

Post by Mitch Perkins »

After 20 years of fooling with this stuff on a semi-casual basis, I'm takin' it to the streets!

http://www.geocities.com/platopes/Negat ... itude.html

Okay it's just a Geocities site, and there's not a ton of gear here, but we're hooking up with a local production company, so within a couple of months all the doohickeys'll be in place, never fear. Meanwhile the product compares favourably to most anything on offer here in Toronto; the investment will be largely in quicker render time for colour correction.

Originally I thought it might be bad form to post this here, as it's $$ related, but it doesn't seem to be the case. ~:?)

Mitch
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Post by Evan Kubota »

Are those prices CAD or USD? How much more is the wetgate option?
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Post by shecky »

good luck! - and allow me to offer a piece of advice:

with the ridiculously low cost of domain names and hosting these days, you should (hopefully soon) invest in a domain name (US$8.95/year) and hosting(US$50/year or even much less). i say this as having a .com will add credibility to your business that a geocities site and a gmail address simply does not. with todays software and templates building a simple site takes about an hour and costs as little as nothing.

i am sure you are planning on doing this anyway, but for something like this where i assume all of your business will come from either referrals or from your website, its time + money well spent.

also http://www.negativeattitude-cine.com is available :)
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Post by Mitch Perkins »

Evan Kubota wrote:Are those prices CAD or USD? How much more is the wetgate option?
These are good/helpful questions Evan, thanks.

The prices are CAD/CDN/Canadian...loonies.

Where > 2 x 50' rolls need wetgate, add $2/50' roll, with a price-break at 20 rolls, down to $1/50' roll. If I ever see 20 rolls from the same customer needing the gate, I'll be surprised; not much of a seller for the home movie folks.

Mitch
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MovieStuff
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Post by MovieStuff »

Good luck!

Two things:

1) The domain name "negativeattitude" is available in the .TV domain for $50.00 a year. You can go to

http://www.tv

and look it up for free.

We use the .TV domain and other media companies are starting to, as well. While I think that ".COM" adds legitimacy to regular businesses, media companies are a good fit for the ".TV" domain name. Just a suggestion.

2) Is the photo at the top an example of your neg telecine work? The way you have the word "negative" superimposed over the photo and it goes to negative when your cursor passes over it implies that the photo at the top was from a feature length film shot on negative super duper 8. Perhaps that wasn't your intent but that's how it appears to me. If that isn't an example of what negative looks like when transferred on your system, then I would suggest using an image that is, just to be accurate.

Roger
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Post by francis »

mate, congrats and good luck.. i hope it goes better than expected
double super8!
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Post by mathis »

"Sorry, this GeoCities site is currently unavailable."
Mitch Perkins
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Post by Mitch Perkins »

MovieStuff wrote:Good luck!
Thank you, sir!
MovieStuff wrote:Two things:

1) The domain name "negativeattitude" is available in the .TV domain for $50.00 a year. You can go to

http://www.tv

and look it up for free.

We use the .TV domain and other media companies are starting to, as well. While I think that ".COM" adds legitimacy to regular businesses, media companies are a good fit for the ".TV" domain name. Just a suggestion.
And an excellent one. Here's the thing - I'm pretty sure the prodco I'm hooking up with will suggest doing away with the name, and doing business under their current name. Meanwhile I just *couldn't resist*, despite legitimate concerns of friends wrt reaction to the name. Shouldn't be too hard to alert whatever customer base, if any, we build up to the name change. Those paper towel guys did it...~:?)
MovieStuff wrote:2) Is the photo at the top an example of your neg telecine work? The way you have the word "negative" superimposed over the photo and it goes to negative when your cursor passes over it implies that the photo at the top was from a feature length film shot on negative super duper 8. Perhaps that wasn't your intent but that's how it appears to me. If that isn't an example of what negative looks like when transferred on your system, then I would suggest using an image that is, just to be accurate.

Roger
You're *on it*, Roger - the frame grab is 7240 originated. We thought about that for sure, but went with it on the connection to the name alone. Excellent point though.
We'll be shooting some neg with an appropriate image in mind, though nothing will be quite like the look on Ed Fielding's face coupled with those words...he's an actor though, so maybe we'll get him to do it "one more time" ~:?)

Thanks for the input.

Mitch
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Post by Mitch Perkins »

mathis wrote:"Sorry, this GeoCities site is currently unavailable."
Are you using firefox?

tools
options
privacy
clear all

This gets me into Yahoo whenever it's giving me problems.

Mitch
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Post by audadvnc »

You might also consider an alternative or additional name for your service. Some more established clients may shy away from a place called "Negative Attitude", for fear you aren't serious. Something like "Mitch Perkins Telecine Services" or other plain-vanilla moniker gets your name out there and may be more inviting to churches, insurance companies and the like. Their money's as good as anyone's, and they're more likely to pay on time than druggie student filmmakers.

And as everybody else says, get off of Geocities and buy a domain name. "perkins-cine.ca" is available, as are others. Check with:

http://www.internic.ca/

Other ideas: Provide contact information including your name, a city, province, & telephone number. Put up a short, colorful demo with pretty girls (see Pro8's for a good example) . Get a credit card machine; students that may be unwilling to part with their cash are much more willing to use their card and pay later. My wife's paper business increased sales 50% by accepting credit cards. You've got a 20 roll discount? How about also a smaller 5 roll discount, something that customers are likely to go for.
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Post by VideoFred »

audadvnc wrote: You might also consider an alternative or additional name for your service. Some more established clients may shy away from a place called "Negative Attitude", for fear you aren't serious.
I agree with this point of view...
What about 'Positive Attitude' :wink:

However, I wish you all the luck with your new company!

Fred.
my website:
http://www.super-8.be

about film transfering:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_k0IKckACujwT_fZHN6jlg
Mitch Perkins
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Post by Mitch Perkins »

VideoFred wrote:
audadvnc wrote: You might also consider an alternative or additional name for your service. Some more established clients may shy away from a place called "Negative Attitude", for fear you aren't serious.
I agree with this point of view...
What about 'Positive Attitude' :wink:
"Chain of Happiness"? ~:?)

Yes, I think I'm going to talk to the prodco today about assuming their name immediately; a pre-existing website, no confusing future name-change etc...
VideoFred wrote:However, I wish you all the luck with your new company!

Fred.
Thanks to you and all who made suggestions, pretty much all of which will be acted upon.

Mitch
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Post by etimh »

I kind of like "Negative Attitude." :P

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Post by Number6 »

Do you develop these films or just transfer them?
"The probability of one individual being right, increases in direct proportion to the intensity with which others are trying to prove him wrong." -- James Mason
Mitch Perkins
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Post by Mitch Perkins »

etimh wrote:I kind of like "Negative Attitude." :P

Tim
What the hell is that supposed to mean? ~:?)

Mitch
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