PRE-PRO TIPS

PERIODICALLY YOU WILL FIND TIPS POSTED ON THIS BLOG.  THESE TIPS WILL HELP YOU IN YOUR APPROACH AND HOPEFULLY WILL ASSIST YOU IN AVOIDING COMMON MISTAKES.

 TIP 1 

Know your crew's schedule. If you know when everyone is available you can more  quickly make appointments. This will eliminate the back-and-forth calls and Emails trying to schedule a meeting.


 TIP 2  

When you are contacting or meeting people in conjunction with your PSS make sure to write down names, positions and contact information. We've encountered situations where contact has been made but the identity of the persons talked to or spoken of are unknown. This is not going to help you in your quest and you will appear unprofessional when you call back and try to describe the person you spoke with.


 TIP 3  

Keep a contact list. Whenever you come into contact with a person or organization that possibly might be able to help, enter all information (phone, text, Email, web site, etc.) pertinent to that contact into a file (Word or Excel) created on one of your group’s computers. Not only will this help in keeping track of the many names you need to know, it also makes this information available to all group members.

You will be turning in this contact list with your Production Book at your Group Presentation. Keeping it up-to-date will make your life a lot easier.


 TIP 4  

Question: When is the best time to contact persons in the organization you are pursuing?

Answer: During the day when they are most likely at work and in the office.

If you wait until you get home in the evening to send your Emails or make phone calls you've already wasted a day as you will have to wait until the following day to receive a reply.

This is why a phone and computers with gaggle Email havebeen made available to you during class time. The phone is only capable of making local and 800 number calls. USE OF THIS PHONE IS A PRIVILEGE. If you misuse it the privilege will be revoked for the whole class. NO PERSONAL CLASS OR CALLS THAT ARE NOT DIRECTLY RELATED TO YOUR PSS PROJECT.

In addition, if you make contact during class time you may be presented with an opportunity to set up a meeting or schedule some sort of session with your target group. When this happens during class time your group can make necessary decisions right away based on everybody’s availability. This also makes you more responsive and you look more professional. This will be especially important when you reach the point where you will have to schedule your shoots. Jumping on the opportunities as they are presented will get you to your final goal much sooner.

If as a group you are not responsive and don't use the opportunities and time given to you this will affect your final grade for this project.


 TIP 5  

Sending along a follow up THANK YOU within 12 hours of contact may be the most important act you can perform while working to create your PSS. Don't forget and don't assume that someone else in your group will take care of this nicety. Make sure one of your crew is given this task after every encounter, good dead or rejection. Did you encounter an uncooperative soul? Send him or her a thank you. You never know where it may lead.

You may also need to go back (maybe you had technical problems) and redo the interview. Having already sent the thank you means a better response from your source and an easier time of getting back in.