Absolute Steve

Two Sides Of The Business Coin

There are two sides of the business coin, profits and people.  You have to have one before you can have the other.  So which comes first, profits or people?

Three ways to establishing a profitable company:

1) Bootstrap your way up the ladder of success as a sole proprietor.  The owner starts out then gets busy enough to hire his first employee then continues this process until the company becomes a very profitable company.

2) Founder finds investors who invest into company before company even takes form.  In this scenario the founder can hire on the employees she needs to expand the business quickly and grow the company into a major power house.

3) Team effort this is similar to scenario one but in this case you have a handful of individuals each with their own talents who can operate as a small business right from the start.  Think of all the Web Based companies who began this way as well as all the great rock bands.

Of course we can look at this from another point of view.  What is more important to the company? The people who work for it or the profits the people make for the company? 

People first:  This will be an award winning work place where employees thrive and grow and continue to spread their creative wings.  Mistakes and pushing the status quo are viewed as a means to an end not an end.  Thus employees are freed up to make the company very profitable. 

Profits first:  This will not be an award winning work place and employees will feel used and limited in their ability to grow.  Yes the company may be profitable but it wont be a place where people will wish to work for very long and the creativity will be very limited.

Which type of company do you work for? What type of companydo you own? What kind of company do you wish to start? What companies do you know that fall into each of these categories?

Creativity is Expressed in Many Different Ways.

Creativity is expressed in many different ways.  Recently my son Noah and his robotics team were honorer in the official First Lego League Robotics Blog for the branded hats they came up with.  You can see the pictures here.

Many may think creativity is limited to artistic endeavors but this assumption would be false.  Creativity can be found in almost everything we do, from stylized automobiles to product design and even its packaging.  Creativity is used in branding of a company or a team.

When was the last time you stopped and looked at a cardboard box?  Next time you are at the store look at all the cardboard stands.  Examine the portable file boxes you purchased and folded together to make a rigid box to hold 50 pounds worth of files.  The ability to create a box is a very creative endeavor. 

Building a company is creative, selling something is creative and so is manipulating the stock exchange.  Creativity is who we are and it comes out in everything we do.  The next time you make an excuse for a mistake you made, you are guilty of creating. 

Creativity is a reflection of God, the Bible states we are made in His image. Thus the fingerprint of God is upon everyone of us and that's why we are creative.

When God is "removed" from our life by God haters, the end result is blandness.  Just look at the former Soviet Block Countries and the type of buildings they made.  Look at the cloths etc.  Now take a look at the things around us that lack color and creativity, does this bring comfort and joy or is it depressing? 

Creativity when allowed sets the spirit free but when it is a reflection of a tormented mind it reflects misery and hopelessness.  Thus the aim of a good designer is to break free of dullness and create inviting elements which energizes the mind. 

The best in creative design be it hats used by a Robotics Team or the latest smart phone can and will be a determining factor in thier overall success or failure.

Here's to creativity!

How To Make a TV Show, The final segment has been shot!

Well I am able to bring you an update on my How to Make  TV Show series.  This past Saturday we wrapped shooting for the last of our segments.  We spent all day Sunday in a very small room crammed with people and lighting as we worked through the 5 minutes or so of material.  What I think should take an hour or so usually takes many hours and some tense times.

As much as I have my lines down I still get side tracked and have to repeat my lines numerous times until I get it right.  Then it's on to the second set of camera positions until we get them down then its on to the third set of camera positions and so fourth until my Producer and Director feel good about what has been done then and only then are we done for the day.

Speaking of Producer and Director we may work as a collaborative but when it comes to getting the shoot right they are in charge and I am no longer a collaborative but a tool in their hands which they need to operate correctly so they get what they want to have happen come off.  Its only after I am done for the day is the tension gone and we can once again speak as equals.  Don't think for a moment that actors of any stripe unless they are also the producer or Director of any said show are treated any different they are just tools to be used much like the lights and camera just much more capable of screwing up things.  The other members who assist are also cogs in the machine called a production crew.  Everyone has role and they need to do their very best or we have to do it again until it's right. 

Next stage is spending time inside the studio doing post production begins.  This is where we began inserting all the images which will be used to back up what the characters will be speaking about throughout the show along with any voice over work for best sounding delivery per various portions of the show. 

Music - I will meet with a friend in about a week or so to begin work on the Theme Song.  He is a great artist who wants a crack at working with us.  I look forward to work with him.

I also know we have a few establishing shots which our Director of Photography will need to shoot, fortunately they will be stills with no one in them but the setting where each segment is to be located.  

There is so much that goes into creating a 22 min TV show - hundreds of hours just for a half hour worth of entertainment.    That's why a big budget movie costs tens of millions of dollars.  Watch the screen credits at the end of the next movie you view and you will see over a hundred names scroll by.  Watch the end of your favorite TV show and witness how many names are listed 30 plus for most.  Everyone gets paid so you can see it is not a cheap proposition to produce a 22 min show much less a 120 minute movie.

A big thanks to all the On Site Crew who have made this possible, you know who you are and will all get credit where credit is due.  To the remainder of the team, see you in the studio!

Learning From Sears New Social Media Engagement Plan

I just read a wonderful article at Forbes.com by Brandon Gutman where he interviews Mark Bonchek, SVP of Communities and Networks for Sears Holdings. In the article, Mark shares how Social media is being used by Sears.  At one point the guest stated the following: 

“In the past, brands could control the message. But not any more. Marketing has become like a political campaign. Every message gets thrown into the social spin cycle. This is a big change for marketers trained in traditional advertising, with its focus on segments and channels. Marketing is now more about sociology than psychology. Brands need to focus on the social context of their customers’ lives. Do they create a sense of social identity? Can they create social currencies that help customers connect with each other?”

This statement can be offered up for all Media of today where individuals create fan sites and blogs and facebook pages where they gather and chat about the latest in whatever.  We are the news, we make the news etc.  Instead of the corner store where everyone hangs out and shares opinions we hang out at our favorite social site. Instead of relying on professional critics we become our own critic via Amazon and other on line book sellers with tools which allow readers to write comments.

As for Companies and socical media lets take a took back for a moment:  A casebook study in social engagement would be the Harley-Davidson Motor Company who created the Harley Owners Group out of thin air.  This is pre World Wide Web.

By creating the H.O.G. they built a community in which to be active engaged member of (if you own a Harley, that is).  By creating the H.O.G. they created a commonality that exists with H-D owners, they provided membership and the rights of membership. They provided Company sponsored events, rallies and rides, they have engagement of riders who can write in and contribute to the exclusive HOG monthly magazine.  The company offers every kind of Branded product under the sun which continues to create co-hessian and ownership of their brand even by those who don’t own a Harley!

Taken one step further all the H-D dealers participate in the very same social context, by providing weekend meet ups, free coffee and BBQ’s along with swap meets and monthy parties open to all members and non members alike.  The Dealership is where H-D riders meet and then set out for rides or just hang out and talk about all things H-D.

When was the last time any car dealership or other manufacturer ever did this?  Yea they have Corvette clubs and such but these are not company owned.  H-D kills it in the social context.  Today on top of what they have done, they are also working hard on the new media front with the H-D site being one of the highest ranked sites for a company.  They also have facebook, etc.

As for Sears, they have always offered 24/7 service it’s called catalog sales as well as in store sales. In the old days everyone had a Sears catalog in their home. You would order from it and it would be delivered to your home or to your nearest Sears. As a side note how many young men caught their first glimps of a womens breast while pawing through the bra section of these catalogs? 

As a child I loved going to Sears, when we came through the front doors of the Bellingham, Washington Sears store we were greeted with good feeling smells coming from the candy and treats case.  I would always beg my Mom or Dad to buy me some heated red skin peanuts or chocolate covered raisin.  Even as a teenager with his own car, when I was near by I would make a point to stop in and buy some warm peanuts.  This built into me fine memories of shopping at Sears.

Don’t forget the local Barber Shop, it was and still is in some cases the scocial hub of the small towns across America. It was where retired men or young men alike would hang out and read the latest magazine and chat about the latest goings on.  You could stop in any time and hang out even though you didn’t need a haircut.

In deed the idea of offering information and engaging customers through education, assistance and shared interests has been around as long as the barber shop.  It's just now we can do it 24/7 on a global scale and the owner of the business doesn’t have to be a part of the ongoing conversation just a facilitator who joins from time to time much like the Barber. 

What many call new, is just a re-framing of what has always been, the only exception being, we are  expecting it to happen a lot faster than in days past and that’s the real problem facing companies and marketers alike.  Thinking that we can build a monster following in a short time is crazy stupid, it takes years even decades to build a trustworthy brand.  Even in today's fast paced market people want to know you will be around for a while before they will invest a lot of time in you excluding the latest pop star or movie sensation. When it comes to building a trusted brand it still means offering quality all the way around and something distinctive your competitor isn’t offering.

Recycling Hits

Have you ever wondered why so many artists recreate and put out a newer version of an old hit movie, play or song?  One music group will get a home run single from the original song only to have it picked up later and re-played by 1, 2, 3 or more bands.

In the movies we see Scooby Doo a 70’s cartoon recreated into a hit live action movie. Or Mission Impossible a 60’s TV show turned into a hit movie franchise.  What about such songs as Pretty Women put out by Roy Orbison then recreated into a hit by Van Halen?  Think of the retelling of Annie get Your Gun and hundreds of other examples.

Why is this done and why are so many of the newer version hits as well?

Because good art is good art and once it has a proven track record you can update it and use it again.  The things that made the original great are still there to become a hit again.  Of course there are disappointments such as the retelling of Planet of The Apes. I for one vote the original heads above all others.  The reason?  The premise of the original Apes movie was totally unexpected and the ending nailed you between the eyes.  Any other version misses this altogether thus misses out on the original premise and focuses on making the apes look more real and less about the origianl impactful story line of the original.

Bottom line hits are bankable to those who hold the purse strings as in studios and investors.  When it comes to creating entertainment the bottom line is the bottom line, and that’s one reason we see such things happening.  The second reason and less well known is many artists be they, movie producers or musicians enjoy the challenge of retelling an old story in a fresh way.

Regardless of the reason, I for one have enjoyed seeing or listening to older hits transformed into new movies and music hits. 

Long live the retelling of an old story in a new way.

Learn from your mistakes

I just reread a short brief sent out to me by Jack Cainfield.  Now I am not partial to some of what Jack advocates but I do enjoy some of what he says and I thought the following idea was worth looking at even further.

He suggested that we use a scale of 1 to 10 rating system, to have people rate how well we did in giving advice, doing a speech, parenting your kid and the like.  He said it was in the negative feedback we learned what we didn't do right, we can use to better ourselves and our companies.

So this got me to thinking about failure.  What if I used mistakes as a learning tool? It could  go a very long way to optimizing a marketing campaign, streamlining a process or building a better car. 

You cant wait till you get something perfect to release it. If that was the case, software would never be released, instead software is sold to you and then updated automatically via internet each time a fix is made.

The same goes with a marketing campaign. You can hone in on you targeted audience, you can craft a great message to reach this audience and you can put all sorts of response mechanisms in place.  But you eventually have to pull the trigger and watch the results, its only after the results start coming in can begin to tweak what isn't working, but not until. That's one way to learn from your mistakes.

The other way is to let your employees tell you what they think is wrong with the company in an anonymous manor, of course with no recourse only for management to listen and apply what is true and better for the company.

Same with clients they need a place to vent their frustration about your company in a safe manorr where you in turn can take what is being said and apply fixes to these blind spots.  That's the good thing about Social Media sites they allow people to make complaints without worrying about repercussions.

So in the end head what Jack says take the complaints and use them to make yourself and your company a better place or person. 

' how you profit from your mistakes.

Are Educational Games effective use of Classroom Learning

Are Educational Games an Effective use of Classroom Learning?  One parent’s view of educational games used to assist children with learning.

    Recently I was requested to write a blurb on game based learning.   So, instead of keeping this article to my self, I thought I would publish it and get your response. 

    Interestingly enough, after I wrote this article, I read an article in a magazine I subscribe to which covered the role game based advertising plays in todays media mix and the way they are being used to engage prospects who visit various websites.  The survey pointed out a huge increase in engagement by site visitors and even an up tic in sales, tied to game playing.  So is it any wonder game based learning could also be used to engage students? 

    As a father of three boys I’m very aware the draw video games have on my sons.  They fight over which game to play and which platform to play it on. They enjoy the challenge of killing, building and exploring.  What I’ve noticed is that all these games are designed to offer stepped up challenges and quick rewards based on achievements. The games are designed by fellow gamers who understand the challenge to reward, learning to mastery ratio. They are designed around intuitive learning.

    It’s no wonder then this type of thinking would be introduced into children’s learning games.  Children’s learning games incorporate the same principles found in the games kids and adults play. In learning games, there is an achievement component not found in the normal class setting, the rewards come much quicker.

    My youngest son is currently using a couple online learning based games to brush up on his Math and English (both recommended by his teacher).  He enjoys learning without thinking he is learning.  The built in challenges and immediate gratification keep his interest levels high.

Hands on learning

    In our everyday life many of us learn by doing not hearing. For example, when you buy a new piece of book keeping software you learn just enough to begin to balance your check book then go on to learn more ways to use it.

    If you want to learn how to plumb, you watch and you do, until you can plumb a house. Hands on learning, is as old as human kind. Game based learning takes advantage of this style of learning just supercharging it with intuitive learning and rewards. 

Rewards based learning

    The challenge in learning something new without having an immediate reward attached to it, can lead to getting board, losing interest or getting frustrated and stopping altogether.  This is one likely reason so many kids drop out of school, not the lack of ability.

    You wouldn’t work for your boss if you didn’t get the reward of a paycheck so why would it be any different for students?

More teacher per student time

    A big plus in game based learning models is that teachers are freed up to walk around the class room and offer one to one instruction tailored to each student’s need. In the gaming scenario the teacher is seen as an “expert” not the authoritarian teacher figure. 

We live in a connected world

    As a nation we’ve shifted away from an industrialized culture and now live in the connected age. Every kid alive today will be using a computer and the associated software to do their jobs.  From machinist’s who program computerized manufacturing machines to the engineers and nurses and auto technicians.

    When people want to know something they use online based tools.  Our brains are being rewired by the thousands of hours we engage in the digital world. Thus using the platform we work and play in to learn is just a natural evolution.

Old World verses New World

    The only reason a school system wouldn’t wish to try such an approach has more to do with policy making and less to do with what’s best for the kids.  The one size fits all model of the past 100 years isn’t working.  The drop out rate is far too high and the major reason I believe is the rigid one size fits all system of learning, which keeps the status quo in place and those who benefit from it.

    Those whose careers are tied to this antiquated system will push hard against the introduction of games based learning systems within the classroom. Yet if America wishes to be the number one provider of public education, we better quit with the self serving antiquated systems and open our arms to whatever works to engage and educate our children including Educational Games used in Classrooms.

    Educational games can be a wonderful way to educate students whose learning styles need more hands on engagement and immediate rewards tied to it.    No it’s not the only way but just one more way to engage and capture the hearts and minds of today’s students.

Making a TV show Part 4 Filming begins

Making a TV show Part 4.

Well we have finalized the script, rehearsed and staked out the spots now the shooting begins!

Saturday January 7th and Sunday January 8th we will be doing our first "Live shoots".  We will be shooting two parts at one location and a third part at another location, in all a lot of work, for a few minutes worth of TV time. 

We will have to do multiple takes of each portion, be they long shots or close up shots. Also because I'm not a pro, redo's for yours trulywill be in-line for the day. I will most likely have to do my lines several times per take in order to nail them just right.

I have so much respect for any actor who works to learn theirlines and then also works with the filming crew to make their character come off believable - from the TV anchorto the scripted soap opras they all have to work hard to nail their parts.  I have a deep respect for those who take the stage, when on a Live stage you are on the razors edge.  When in front of a live audience you have no safety net to fall into, should you forget your lines. Unlike film where you can do another take. Nope, you are bare to the world and when you goof you goof and you you pick yourself upand move on. Those who nail it have my utter appreciation be they school kids or adults.  Acting is not an easy art form, its done in front of real life people, unlike a painter or writer who slaves away behind closed doors, acting is full frontal exposure. So is comedy and playing music but you  have a bit more leeway you can improvise a tad more but scripted plays offers no room for improving your lines. 

I suspect as time goes along I will get better, especially when and if the show sells itself to a network entity.  Until then Iwill most likely continue to lose sleep, be on edge and not very hungry until the filming is out of the way.  I get butterflies every time we are getting ready to shoot but once the shooting begins I am doing all Ican to deliver my lines in a believable way the butterflies go away then its just toughing your way through it until you get it right, no corner cutting.

Thanks to a great crew, I know I will do ok but a lot of prayers are being sent up under my breath as I work to become the actor I know myself to be.  I also know the show in of itself, is an excellent concept and well worth puting on TV so with that in mind  I will move through the discomfort and just do what needs to be done to make it all come together.

Stay tune as I'll be back to share with you what it was like after the weekendshoot. Until then thanks for reading and please share this with all your friends.

Best regards,  Steve Johann

How to make a TV show Part 3

How to make a TV show Part 3 a continous story of how I am creating a TV Pilot to pitch to a TV Network. 

We are now well into rehearsals.  This past Saturday Sophia and I met up with the crew and we ran through our parts for a few hours.  I have my parts down pretty well but she is learning hers.  I have an advantage since I have an intimate knowledge of my parts being one of the writers.

Speaking of writing, I wear three hats: Creative Director, Writer and Actor.  It's hard to work as a  split personality but thats what I have to do.  As the CD I review and put in my 2 cents worth in the overall direction of the show.  As the Writer I wrote the original story and also help re-write the script. As the Actor I have my part to make the character believable and come alive.

We have a complete crew made up of individuals who are also wearing multiple hats.  We are after all working on a very extreme budget and we are all volunteering our time and talents to make this thing come off as a Hit!  Everyone with exception of the two actors and directors girl friend are students at the Seattle Art Institute and see this as a final project they will get credit for and a portfolio piece to share with future employers.  On the other hand, I want it to fly and to be picked up so I can pursue my goal of creating an excellent TV show for at least one season and possibly more. 

Together we are all working very hard between our normal jobs and schooling to make this show.  I am extremely happy with every ones input and am very grateful to be working with some great easy to work with people.

This reminds me a lot of the days as a musician playing in original music groups.  No one was paid we all did it for the love of creating and the songs that were written were always best when everyone took ownership and made it theirs. 

Wood-shedding being a term used by musicians to practice and that's what I am doing a lot of. Every night I run through my lines,memorizing the parts and working on my character development.  It's a lot of work but like music its rewarding work.

We still need a couple sets and we are working on this so things are far from nailed down but the schedule is up and we are working off it.  We are taking a bit of time off as everyone spends time with family during the Christmas week but will be hard at it once New Years is past.

Collaboration is a powerful thing be it making music, TV show or building a business or playing as a team.  When everyone is working together great things get done.

best.

How to make a TV Show Part 2. Hurray we found an actress!

    Hurray we found an actress! 

After having 12 to 15 actresses try out for position of co-host the previous week, we decided we needed to recall 3 of them.  So on Saturday the 10th we had 3 actresses return for a second tryout.   Four hours later we arrived at a unanimous choice of actress who will play the co-host part.    So now its onto wardrobe, rehearsals and more rewriting of the script.  (Note, I will be posting pictures as we go along, so stay tuned.)

    Speaking of script, we are still working over the final script which will most likely take place up to and even through shooting.  Funny how what starts out as a script becomes a living document which is open for modifications along the way.

    When I first read about script writing and the concept of submitting a completed script to a studio or a program for acceptance, the author of the book stated that many times once a studio buys the rights to a script they would re-write it.  They would even place multiple names on script. At first I didn't get it, but now I do having written an original script/outline and having it modified by my production crew. 

    The reason is very simple and it goes back to my days as a muscian working in a band.  When everyone had a part in the writing or modifying of a song it always sounded much better than the original song idea brought in by an individual member.   The old saying the sum is greater than the parts is very true both in song writing and script writing. Because in the end both are very collaborative in nature.

    One reason is we are still modifying the show as we go along (Note not the show itself we all agree to this just the finer points of character development) once the characters are cast in stone then it will be much easier to write scripts for ongoing episodes should we get picked up.

    The reality is, a lot of work goes into all aspects of TV show from pre-production to post- production. I can tell you, it's well worth spending time getting everything right, before filming begins.

So, stay tuned for the next update