Behind the Lens

Randy Hansen
September 2007

Whether it's a dad preparing to take a family video or a big-shot Hollywood producer, helming the next blockbuster, both are essentially doing the same thing: working out the little (or big!) problems in their creative endeavor to get their projects done. Let's take a look at some producers in differing stages of their careers. One is just starting out, the next has built a strong, profitable business and the third has already produced one feature film and is working to produce even more. Their stories can help all of us be better producers ourselves.

From Augusta, Georgia, 19 year-old Hodges Usry took 2nd place in the 2006 Videomaker/Sony Short Video Contest. His production, Rozwell is a haunting review of one man's history and the man's disturbing reaction to it.

"My Ultimate goal is to be a feature film director or cinematographer" Usry said. "I'm studying film at the Savannah College of Design and I would really like to go the narrative route as a filmmaker." As part of his schoolwork, the sophomore has created film noir projects and shot a 16mm film production that was a "mood piece". But college wasn't his first production. He has already produced several long videos using "Guerilla video" tactics. "We shot all of these with virtually no money at all" he said. "All of the actors worked for free and I got most of them from Internet ads." In fact, the lead actor for Rozwell was selected just this way, but unknowingly lived just ½ block away from Usry's house!

His biggest challenge? "I found the planning part the most surprising. Trying to get everyone at the same place at the same time was really tough. People have work and school and other commitments and getting everyone on the same page took some hard work." He uses Sony Vegas to edit his projects and loves it. "I won it as my prize for the Videomaker contest and I don't want to edit with anything else. It's really cool".

He has advice for those who are just starting out: "Don't be afraid of failure. Shoot anything and everything that comes to mind. Video is cheap and you can always shoot it again. Besides, once you get to editing your project, that 'throwaway" take just might be the thing you need."

In business for himself since 1999, John Paluzzi is the owner and only employee of Full Circle Productions in Fort Myers, FL. "I started out as a master control operator at our local TV station, running commercials and bugging the news department to let me shoot video for them". He was soon a full-time news videographer, but got the itch to move out on his own. He left local TV to work for a local production company, but struck out on his own the next year. "I started out with only a Jimmy Jib and no camera, but soon the requests for shooting video kept coming in and I was losing money as others were taking these jobs."

No fool, Paluzzi soon bought a second hand Betacam and the business grew steadily from there. It didn't take long for him to realize that his business was just that, a business. "Understanding things like tax laws, insurance, licenses and trademarks was a real education for me. I already knew editing software but had to learn other software too, for tasks like accounting, inventory and correspondence".

He doesn't assume the traditional role of producer, but hires freelancers to work at these positions. "I'm kind of a silent executive producer. Although I'm ultimately responsible for the outcome of the production, I hire experienced freelancers to work as the day-to-day producer, soundman and general-purpose grip".

Paluzzi advises finding a group of people with varied talents and skills and to keep using those folks to maintain and even build a solid business. "I hire and re-hire the same people as I can trust them to help me produce video for clients. It's because of our history and knowledge of each other that allows all of us to produce the highest results possible".

And what are those results? Repeat customers. Paluzzi stresses taking care of repeat customers as they provide his business with a steady stream of predictable jobs while he adds new clients to an already impressive list that includes America's Most Wanted, Court TV and National Geographic Television. The key to his success is constant communication between himself, the client and his freelance employees. "I'm always asking about what the clients need, what they expect from the production, and the crew and I are always trading ideas to make the production the highest quality we can. It's important to know that everyone has good ideas and to listen to them."

Eventually, Paluzzi would like to add some permanent employees to Full Circle Productions, but, for now, he's happy as a one-man band. "I might add some people later when I get too old to carry all of this gear around, but for now I'm having too much fun."

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