From The Stage To The Page

[JustKris]

FINALLY done with the administrative stuff!

I'm testing the market a little with some Facebook ads and a lead magnet, just to see what the response is. I have to admit, this stuff is a lot easier at my day job where I have a developer and a sizable budget. (Not to mention a big email list.)

But regardless, I can at least track the ads and get back to writing.

56 pages on the screenplay. And another couple thousand on the other project.

 

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[JustKris]

Plugging away.

I took a short freelance gig that's related to my Fastlane business, basically doing marketing consulting for a B2B firm in Europe. It will be around $100/hr for 10 hours of work. So that's another $1000 for the movie. And an added bonus---it will make an excellent case study for my business. The owner talked a bit about coming on in a more permanent fashion, but we'll see how it goes.

Biggest priority right now is finishing the feature screenplay. Between a full-time Slowlane job, family, and freelance gig---I have to fight to schedule time for this project. I think the best solution, going forward, is to write first-thing in the morning. That way, no matter what happens later in the day, I've at least made progress on the movie.

 

[JustKris]

Man, I am fighting for every word on this screenplay. Even if I have time in the evening, my head feels like it's underwater. It took me an hour to squeak out a page. I'm pretty useless after 8pm.

It might be time to get up at 5am, Miracle Morning-style. That will give me a good hour before my wife and son wake up.

Oddly, I can do business-type stuff even when I'm fatigued. Different mental muscles, I guess.

Side note: My Slowlane company might be in some trouble. They deal with franchisees of MAJOR brands---and apparently the top-level executives of one brand think our product features are non-compliant. The problem? That brand accounts for nearly 50% of our annual revenue. If it goes sideways, it would be at least $120,000 per month in revenue gone overnight.

Violate the Fastlane principle of Control...and pay the consequences.

Just another kick in the a$$ to get my own thing going.

 

[JustKris]

Still fighting. 2/3rds of the way through the draft. The lack of "deep work" is embarrassing. I'm definitely spreading myself too thin. Between work, family, the business, the freelance gig---it's just too many things to concentrate on.

I started working on the business so that I could (eventually) leave my job and have a more flexible schedule. And then I took the side gig because I thought it would be a good case study for the business. I keep stacking these things on.

As a side note, I don't know how most people live in Los Angeles. I make 9k a month and my wife has a decent job. We don't spend excessively, have no debt (aside from her student loans---about 12k)---and we live like college students.

Our crummy apartment costs 2,000 a month, which is actually a steal. We tried looking at other apartments and everything is at least 1000 dollars more. Or we could try to add 1.5 hours on our daily commute time and only pay 600 dollars more.

After our second child is born in the fall, we're getting out of here. So probably at least another year here. I'd love to figure out a way to move even sooner, but that's such a short timeline to try to replace my Slowlane income.

 

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[JustKris]

Whew! Freelance gig is wrapped up. 1200 bucks for 13-14 hours of work---pretty sweet, considering I can put all of it towards the production budget. Plus, the company threw in an extra $100 bonus. "This really isn't enough money for all the work you did," he said. Geez, maybe I'll charge 4000 for this type of work next time. Hahaha.

(Thanks for the Upwork insights, @SinisterLex!)

They actually want to hire me for another thing, but I have to finish this draft before taking on any other projects.

Now it's time to buckle down and knock out this draft.

 

[JustKris]

1st draft is DONE!!!!!!

It's definitely going to take 3-4 revisions before the script is ready, but it still feels nice to have a (somewhat) functional, completed script.

And speaking of creations, we are expecting our second child this fall! So the timeline of filming may have to adjust. I'd still like to shoot by August, but any later than that and I'll have to move the shoot until early next year. (Which isn't the end of the world.)

Now I've got some more time to finish the first draft of the book, which is nice.

 

[JustKris]

Penciled in a shoot date for the short film in late May.

Filming the feature this summer is out of reach. SAG-AFTRA take 4-6 weeks for approval, financing isn't complete, and the actors I want on the project are filming other shows until September. Not to mention all of the paperwork, contracts, insurance, and other headaches.

Just keeping things simple and focusing on finishing my first (non-fiction) book.

 

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[JustKris]

Quick update:

23,000 words into my non-fiction book/course that I plan to sell this summer. I'm going to do some pre-sale marketing to fill out the course a week or two before it's released. I have all the content---I just need to take a few days and record all of the videos and create the downloadable handouts.

I figure I'll have a few different pricing levels----the book itself, the book/video course/online group, and then a full consulting package.

Shoot is still tentatively 2 weeks out. It's been a huge pain trying to coordinate the crew, since a couple of the guys fly around on shoots at the last minute.

 

[JustKris]

First draft is DONE. Just over 26,000 words.

Editing and re-writing now. Next steps will be getting an attractive design, some outside editing feedback, and then creating the course. (I've been holding off as long as possible on things like getting a logo and other action-fake traps).

For the film, looks like my DP (Director of Photography) may not be able to make it. But at least I've got my potential Fastlane business.

 

[JustKris]

1st editing pass is done! Just over 27,000 words.

Now it's time to start structuring the video course and handouts. It's crazy to think I've accomplished more in 3 weeks than I have in the prior 3 years with regards to making a business.

But I couldn't have created something like this 3 years ago. I didn't have the mode-specific knowledge, the credibility, or the proven results in this niche. At best, I would have been "researching" (i.e. copying) existing products and trying to awkwardly put my own spin on it.

It's like in Unscripted , where MJ talks about being in the limo industry and having that first-hand experience to see the problems and opportunities.

 

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[loop101]

I once had to write a finance strategy for an indie film, so this might come in handy for you. The general rules are: people who put money in early, get a better return; people who take money out last, get a better return; and everyone but you should have a cap on their maximum return. The multiple businesses are structured for legal protection. Sorry if you are already know this.


The film "ThunderStrike" will NOT be financed by the use of various grants, pre-selling rights, or deals with studios. This film will use the ideal investor for low-budget films - ones with considerable disposable income and an interest in show business. Before any fund-raising can be done, some infrastructure must be in place.

First, our production company "ThunderCo" will be created. The company will be formed as a Limited Liability Corporation. An Employer Identification Number (EIN) will be acquired from the IRS. The Certificate of Incorporation and EIN will be taken to a bank where checking and savings accounts will be opened. The checking account will be used for normal expenditures, while the savings account will function as a segregated "escrow" account.

Next, the business structure for our film will be created. "ThunderStrikeLP" will be a limited partnership with ThunderCo as the General Partner, and the investors as Limited Partners. This structure will be used so that the investors will have limited financial liability.

Potential investors will receive a Private Placement Memorandum (PPM) that they must agree to and sign. The purpose of the document is to make sure that your investors are properly informed about your project, and the risk that their investment entails. The PPM will contain all the information an investor will need.

The PPM will begin with a sales pitch to potential investors. The cover will have an engaging glossy photo. It will contain an executive summary that details why ThunderStrikeLP might be a good investment. Next, will be a brief synopsis of the script. Financially successful films that targeted the same demographic groups will be mentioned. It will be explained why ThunderStrikeLP will not make the same mistakes made by similar films that were unsuccessful. The quality of the crew and equipment will be showcased. After the initial sales pitch, the PPM will describe the technical details of the production.

The details of the film production will be presented in digest form. The budget top-sheet will be summarized by department. The production schedule will have dates pushed out, to allow for a late start if needed. Importantly, the marketing and distribution plans will show the investors how their money will hopefully be made back by the film.

The PPM will describe how the investors' money will be used. The development budget for ThunderStrikeLP is 20% of the $250,000 budget. Investors must first decide if they are investing in the development or production. Once the development budget is fully funded, new investors may not invest in it. Development funds will be made available immediately to ThunderCo, while production funds will be held in the segregated savings account. The production funds will remain in escrow until 80% of the total budget is raised.

The deal structure section of the PPM will describe what investors get for their investment. After-tax profits will first be used to pay off any deferred and contingent salaries. Then it will be divided evenly between ThunderCo and the limited partners. The profits due to the limited partners will be allocated giving monies invested in development a double-share of the profits.

Contact with investors will be maintained throughout all phases of the film production. An initial email, followed by monthly reminders, will instruct them to visit the film's website. Regardless of how the production is going, the investors will be informed of the progress.

The last section of the PPM will be a statement of risks to the investor. The risks will cover competitors having more resources, the IRS disallowing their legal protection, bad reviews, and many more possible events.

The pool of potential investors will be found by using friends and family and the "Rule of 3". We will network 3-ply, to give us an initial 27 potential investors. We will not accept more than 35 investors.

Once the minimum funds are raised, we will begin production.

 

[JustKris]

2nd editing pass is done. Now I have it to out to some entrepreneur friends for some feedback.

Whew, talk about going full circle. Back to publishing my first book (and online course). Got a pretty sweet logo on Fiverr for twenty bucks. Now it's time to design some course slides and handouts. (Or, much more likely---outsource it)

Weird bit of synchronicity. Literally ten minutes after I finished this edit. I got an email inviting me for a freelance gig for this kind of consulting. And looking at this guy's business model, I thought "Whoa, I could add this on as a product offering." So I'll either get a freelance offer or another business idea. Not bad.

 

[JustKris]

Stepping things up a bit. Almost done with my first online course, which I will sell alongside the book. Based on what I've seen with similar courses (though my niche is different), I should be able to sell it for anywhere between $300-$1000.

Which is just in the nick of time. Our second child, a girl, is due to be born in two months. My goal is to get my first sale before our daughter arrives. Nothing crazy, just one.

After I do some final editing and graphic tweaks, then it's just a matter of setting up the course. And, you know, marketing the thing. (The biggest challenge, hahaha)

 

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[JustKris]

How's this for weird signs from the universe? So I'm wrapping up the recording and editing for the video course, when I get another email out of the blue for consulting. I literally have never heard of this dude and my website isn't even done (it's just a "coming soon!" landing page with an email opt-in).

We talk a bit, I send him a quote and a copy of the book. "The book is so insightful!" he says, adding that he wants to explore working together. I figure 1-2 monthly clients like this and I can completely quit my Slowlane job. Between that and a halfway-decent selling course, it would be twice as much money with half the stress.

Not to mention, having the flexibility to move to a part of the country I like and have a lower cost of living.

Let's keep it moving!

 

[JustKris]

Update:

Course is DONE. Edits and graphics are DONE. This is the pilot course, so I will undoubtedly be updating and improving the content over the next 6-12 months. But it's a solid minimum viable product.

Now comes the real fun: launching. Going to start with a fairly simple sales page and work on a larger site while everything else is moving forward.

 

[JustKris]

Getting ready for the launch. My goal is very simple for this launch: just get one sale.

- Made a really simple squeeze page in Leadpages (with a Wordpress plugin) for my main website. I started to get a super-long website together and got buried in action-faking. So I figured, "screw it, just get the simplest thing up there for now."

- Got my online course site set up.

- Started networking with some other businesses.

Now comes the real fun---the email, online ads, etc.

My daughter is due to be born in five weeks, so the clock is ticking.

 

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[JustKris]

Really happy with the progress today. A lot of technical stuff that would have completely sidetracked me a couple of years ago. Got my software solutions set up---email, landing page, etc. Also did the groundwork for my email and Facebook campaigns.

I kept things simple---just focus on the next thing. Whenever I got stuck, that's all I thought about. The next thing.

Launch is in a week. Still a lot to do, but I only need to do one thing at a time.

Something feels different. I'm not hoping for some outcome, I'm not keeping my fingers crossed. I'm just focused. Just taking steps each day. Or as MJ would say, process instead of an event.

 

[JustKris]

Two big lessons from today:

1) When the universe starts giving you signs, you pay attention.

Had a guy randomly reach out to me on Facebook and ask about consulting. Apparently he had seen my post in an industry group and looked me up. Turns out he has a company in the area in a vertical I know really well.

"Oh, I'll definitely have our marketing person buy your course. And send me the breakdown for your consulting quote."

Might have my first sale before launching. Pretty cool.

2) Momentum is everything.

The initial grind, when you're working in a vacuum, is tough. But once you start to get traction, it's time to step on the gas. I've been working every night---writing copy, setting up campaigns, reaching out to potential customers. And it's honestly been invigorating.

It's so funny. I do a lot of this stuff at my day job (@Joe Cassandra, I'm sure you can relate), but it feels DIFFERENT doing it for myself. Every email click, every opt-in----it's like magic! Even though the numbers are WAY smaller than what a campaign at my Inc. 5000 Slowlane job would do, it doesn't matter. It's all going to a venture that I control.

To borrow the metaphor from MJ's book, my whole life I've been Azur. Breaking my back trying to move a single block. Now I'm in Chuma-mode, building the machinery to construct my masterpiece.

Let's keep it going!

 

[JustKris]

Good day today. I played hooky from my Slowlane job (though ironically, I actually was under the weather) to do a presentation.

Got my first 6 signups to my email list and 3 people showed up to the call, which was cool. I know, crazy small numbers compared to what I can do with a multi-million dollar company behind me at my day job and in my spare time, no less. But I'm still excited.

Walking around today after the call---the sun was shining and the world felt different. It was like a glimpse into some future reality. "Whoa, what if I could work when I wanted to? What if I could do whatever I want and not have to worry about fixing somebody else's f*cked up business?"

It was magical.

 

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[JustKris]

Minor setback. The videos in my online course all look blurry as hell. Even exporting them in a higher res doesn't seem to help. So I'm re-cutting everything. 40% done. Hopefully I can finish this all by tomorrow night.

Also had another Sign From The Universe. Talking with a buddy last night over drinks and he starts telling me about this new startup he's working on. And I actually knew a ton about that industry, so I started giving him some feedback and thoughts on marketing his system. "Wow, I never thought about this stuff. What would you charge for consulting with us?" he asked.

Pretty cool.

 

[JustKris]

Just read this whole thread... In the 3+ years since you started it, have you actually finished and started selling anything that you've been working on? I think I counted 2 fiction books, at least 2 screenplays, a non-fiction book and a course that you've started on, but it doesn't appear that any of it has been used to actually generate income.

Don't mean to pick on you, but it's easy to start a business idea...it's hard to actually follow-through on it. You need to get better at that second part...

That's a fair critique. Yes I've generated income on one of the screenplays and the book/course are the same thing. And I literally just started launching the course. And I've already gotten consulting clients while writing the book.