Summary

In this 2-hour workshop and networking event, you will have the opportunity to learn the business and legal best practices you should keep in mind as a filmmaker. Whether you are a producer, show creator, or in any aspect of the production process, this session will provide you with strategies and advice that will protect and greatly benefit your projects.

Sign up at: http://bizandlegalfilm.eventbrite.com/

Some items being covered:

- Deal creation and sponsor/brand outreach

- When and who to bring on during the process

- Proposals and pitches

- Setting up business entity

- Contracts and permits

- Agreements and negotiations

Many show creators find the challenges of show production business and legal strategy confusing and hard to navigate. Case study analysis and Q&A opportunities will provide attendees with the opportunity to ask questions specific to their projects.

For $5.00 you get access to the session, wine, soda and snacks, and a comfortable environment at Santa Monica’s best co-working space, The Coloft.

Schedule

7:00 – Arrival/Networking

7:30 – Speaking Session

8:15 – Mixer/Networking

9:00 – Optional After Session Drinks

Room capacity is 20 but there will be a FREE stream available for the speaking session and posted the day of the event, please select that ‘ticket’ above to receive information.

Speakers

Carter Mason

Carter Mason has worked in the entertainment industry for almost a decade as an actor, writer, and producer. Additionally, he owns and operates the Carter Mason Group, which specializes in providing the resources for filmmakers to gain access to quality yet affordable legal services and business consulting. His clients have produced numerous feature and short fims, independent series, and new media projects. Currently, Carter is developing a branded independent series as well as a show he created, Threesome.

http://www.cartermasongroup.com/

http://twitter.com/cmasongroup

http://twitter.com/cartermason

Matthew Arevalo

Matthew’s passion is partnering with brands to help build community, optimize operations, and develop a strong digital strategy. He is committed to developing new ways to infuse projects with the management, social and production assistance needed to break away from the pack. Currently he is consulting as Social Producer at CBS News for the show What’s Trending, working on various aspects of new startups, and is a member of various industry entertainment and business groups while continuing to produce projects.

http://www.choosemw.com

http://twitter.com/choosemw

http://www.mattarevalo.com

http://twitter.com/mattarevalo

Related posts:

1. PT or FT Associates Needed The "group" in Carter Mason Group is a little out...
2. Legal Workshop for Filmmakers Update: Please watch the video for important information. Date, time,...
3. Charter – Case Study in how NOT to run a business In years past, the cable companies enjoyed monopolies over the...

The South Bay Networking Breakfast is back in full force!

If you’re in the area, come out and network with other small business owners.

The event is free, you only pay for breakfast if you choose to order.

Fran Tarkenton will be interviewing Bob Burg, author of Endless Referrals, via teleconference.

Download the flyer and pass it on to others!

Thursday, July 28, 2011
7:30-9 AM

Bob’s Big Boy
24021 Hawthorne Boulevard
Torrance, CA 90505

Bring business cards/promo materials and an attitude of, “How can I help others?”

Hope to see you there!

Related posts:

1. South Bay Networking Breakfast in Torrance Tomorrow will be the first South Bay Networking Breakfast! If...
2. PT or FT Associates Needed The "group" in Carter Mason Group is a little out...
3. Networking Breakfast Club The Carter Mason Group is pleased to announce the first...

Key areas of focus (list will expand as it is refined):

• Various types of partnership agreements
• Using attorneys to set up an LLC properly
• Contracts to structure backend deals
• Trademarks, copyrights, and fair use
• Approaching investors legally
• Creative monetization of new media and protecting your film business

I need to be clear that I am NOT an attorney, I am a filmmaker. I use attorneys regularly to do the above and more for myself and for clients. I do market a product which works similarly to a co-op or insurance, but this workshop will not be a sales pitch. A filmmaker will be able to take this information to any attorney(s) they choose for legal work and consultation, use another service, or just keep the information in mind for later use.

Because I am not an attorney, the information will be focused on helping filmmakers understand areas that need to be addressed by attorneys and not legal advice. From the information given, a filmmaker will be able to assess possible areas of weakness and/or areas where an attorney could strengthen the quality of a production.

Please feel free to request any areas to be addressed in the workshop. I cannot give legal advice, but if I can help point you in the right direction by adding a component to the workshop, I will.

More information coming soon when date and location are secured!

Why would I do this for free?

Obviously, I hope some of you will be interested in hearing more about how my service works, but I will not be presenting the product I market at the workshop. To me, it would be unethical to put on a workshop with no value just to make sales. This is about using my experience with attorneys and filmmakers to ensure my colleagues improve the quality of their productions from the business/legal side of things. I do believe some of you will be interested and will ask to hear more about how my service works and that I will gain clients from doing a free workshop. If I do not gain a single client, it will be worth the time to share the information I have gained through experience with my fellow filmmakers.

Related posts:

1. PT or FT Associates Needed The "group" in Carter Mason Group is a little out...
2. Business and Legal Best Practices for Filmmakers Summary In this 2-hour workshop and networking event, you will...
3. How You Earn Your Money Matters Living in Los Angeles, I often see people very unhappy...

Tomorrow will be the first South Bay Networking Breakfast! If you’re in the area, come out and network with other small business owners.

The event is free, you only pay for breakfast if you choose to order.

Thursday, January 27, 2011
7:30-9 AM

Bob’s Big Boy
24021 Hawthorne Boulevard
Torrance, CA 90505

Bring business cards/promo materials and an attitude of, “How can I help others?”

Hope to see you there!

Related posts:

1. South Bay Networking Breakfast for July The South Bay Networking Breakfast is back in full force!...
2. PT or FT Associates Needed The "group" in Carter Mason Group is a little out...
3. Networking Breakfast Club The Carter Mason Group is pleased to announce the first...

The “group” in Carter Mason Group is a little out of balance right now. Carter’s main focus is working with filmmakers and business owners to help them protect and grow their businesses at a fraction of the cost they usually spend on attorney fees and/or business consultants.

Most of our associates right now are working a very limited part-time and focusing mostly on families and individuals, which we love, but there is a huge opportunity we are missing.

One guy can’t do it all, so Carter is looking for people to work with him primarily in the film community and also with “regular” small business owners.

Our business philosophy is that the more people you help, the more successful you will be. We are starting up two to three new networking events — which will be given to biz owners at no charge — to give the biz owners a chance to support and help one another.

Out of these events in the past, biz owners have been very receptive to sitting down and hearing how we can save them money, protect their business, and develop a solid plan for future growth.

The persons we are looking for now should be willing to work on the events and follow-up with business owners. The actual money is made when a business owner enrolls in our plan, so yes, this is a full commission opportunity.

For actors/filmmakers, such as Carter himself, the flexibility in this opportunity is perfect. Last minute audition? Reschedule an appointment or perhaps have Carter or another associate meet with the business owner. Book a long-term film? Take some time off, we’ll be waiting for you (and excited for you) when you get back.

If you don’t think you can “do sales,” this might be the perfect product to prove yourself wrong. It is truly a “you either get it or you don’t” concept. All you do is share the information, no high pressure scammy sales techniques necessary.

Also, if you do equal work for a networking event, Carter or another associate could split sales with you coming out of the event. And your first few appointments will be made with Carter and when the sale happens, it’s yours. Paid training.

Any drawbacks? You must be a self-starter. It is difficult working from home, and we won’t hound you. If you don’t show initiative, we’re not going to harass you and try to get you to work. So if you need someone looking over your shoulder, this opportunity is not for you.

Some will view this next thing as a drawback, but it is the very thing that allows for extreme flexibility and makes this perfect for industry people: You are not an employee, you work under a 1099 and own your own business.

There is a small start-up cost to becoming an associate. If it is truly prohibitive for somebody who gets what we do and wants to be involved, there are ways we can work with you to get you started at no immediate cost. We will never let the lack of funds keep us from helping somebody who wants to work with us, we’ll find a way.

For more information, Contact Us today! You can also message us on Twitter, @cmasongroup

Related posts:

1. Business and Legal Best Practices for Filmmakers Summary In this 2-hour workshop and networking event, you will...
2. Three New Associates The Carter Mason Group welcomes three new independent associate couples...
3. Networking Breakfast Club The Carter Mason Group is pleased to announce the first...

We are pleased to announce the next networking breakfast will now be held in Burbank, CA. The next breakfast is Thursday, January 21, 2010 at the Hill Street Cafe.

The Carter Mason Group office is now in Burbank, so we want to work with other local business owners as much as possible. We are looking to start breakfasts in other areas of Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego in the future.

Thursday, January 21, 2010
7:30-9 AM
(You do not have to stay the entire time, but it is recommended for networking!)

Hill Street Cafe
3301 North Glenoaks Boulevard
Burbank, CA 91504-2011

For questions, call Carter Mason at 323-963-4699

What to expect:

• 15-30 other small business owners in attendance
• A 30-second opportunity to introduce yourself, your business, and what a good lead is for you, or how others can help you
• Coffee and snacks on us, but you can also order amazing food from the Hill Street Cafe
• A 20-minute thought-provoking conference call hosted by Hall of Fame QB Frank Tarkenton (This month’s special guest is Ahmad Rashad)
• Opportunity before and after the call to network with other business owners
• A rare free business networking opportunity!

What to bring:

• 30 business cards and/or product brochures
• If you want to order breakfast, cash or credit card
• A quick synopsis of your business and what a good lead is for you
• A positive attitude!

What not to expect

• To sell something at the meeting
• To be sold something at the meeting
• To be charged for anything except if you order breakfast

Most of the FAQs are answered above, but sometimes we hear:

Why are you doing this for free?

That’s a great question. Our business is supporting small business owners and helping them run their businesses more efficiently. In short, the networking breakfasts provide us the opportunity to network as well!

Fran Tarkenton will briefly explain one of the services our business offers at the end, but it is only a minute or two of the entire meeting. We promise. You can hold us to it!

This meeting is for you, the small business owner, and we do not lose sight of that. The event is a success when other small business owners make good contact with others like themselves.

About the special guest:

Ahmad Rashad is an Emmy award-winning sportscaster and former professional football player. He has had a television career with all major networks covering both football and basketball. Ahmad now works directly with the Commissioner of the NBA, David Stern, on all NBA television and Internet operations, giving him the knowledge to share with you ways to help you leverage Internet marketing!

Related posts:

1. PT or FT Associates Needed The "group" in Carter Mason Group is a little out...
2. Networking Breakfast Club The Carter Mason Group is pleased to announce the first...
3. South Bay Networking Breakfast for July The South Bay Networking Breakfast is back in full force!...

In years past, the cable companies enjoyed monopolies over the zip codes they serviced. While this is still true to some extent, new options for television and internet service have opened up the door to healthy competition.

Moving to Burbank, CA has introduced me to Charter Communications for the first time. Previously, I have used Time Warner and Cox Cable as cable and internet providers, and I’ve also had AT&T and Verizon DSL service. I’ve had complaints with my service providers before, but I have never experienced such blatant incompetency and disregard for the customer’s experience.

Charter clearly has not responded well to the new competitive environment in the world of home entertainment and communications. It all began when eleven days ago, I called to inquire about cable tv and internet for our new apartment. The person on the phone was helpful, but he implied they could be out the next day or the day after to set up our service. “But” … he wouldn’t know for sure until the order is placed.

Once our order was in, he informed they could not actually install until the 29th. I asked him if I could cancel it AT&T Uverse could come out more quickly, and he said I could cancel any time to cancel the installation, even the day of.

After setting the appointment with Charter, I started the process online of signing up for Uverse, as it seemed to be a lot more bang for our buck regarding the television service. I didn’t like the slower internet speed, though, and ultimately decided to stick with Charter and at least try them out.

So I went about getting ready for our big move, and the next day the movers arrived. We worked all day and into the evening packing and unpacking. At the end of the night, we had a few drinks to celebrate our new apartment and went to bed. This day is actually important for later.

On the 23rd of December, we went to La Jolla to spend Christmas with my girlfriend’s parents and returned on the 26th. It was frustrating to not have internet or television, but we honestly should’ve signed up when we received our move-in date. So we don’t blame Charter for our initial delay in not having service.

However, on the morning of the 29th, the real problems started. Our 8-12 window started vanishing, so I called to find out if they were still coming. I was informed that I had called on the 22nd to cancel the installation. Yes, my moving day evidently I had time to call them and be on their ridiculously long hold to cancel a service I wanted! I was pretty upset to say the least, and the representative put me on hold to talk to dispatch. Dispatch “confirmed” that I had called to cancel my service.

I protested I had never called, and they kept saying “the computer says…” So I kept saying, “I don’t care what your computer says, I never called, and I NEED internet for my work. I was put on hold once again, only to be informed they could not come out for one more week.

I said, not politely at all, “If you are not going to take care of me when I waited around for your window all morning long, cancel my service.” They said they could not do any better, so I told them to cancel everything.

I then called AT&T Uverse, and with the exception of a very long hold time, I was treated very well. Unfortunately, they did not have availability to install service until January 5, but they created a ticket with dispatch saying if there were any cancellations in my area to call me and set up service ASAP.

Forward to this morning, December 31, 2009. I get a call from Charter saying their technician had been there this morning and wanted to know if I wanted to change my appointment.

I called back to ask, “What the hell are you guys doing?” By entering my phone number, I was told I still had an appointment for January 4… not today. I was never told they wanted to come out and install service I canceled.

I was informed they had cancellations today, and nobody had canceled my previous order. If I wanted, they could come out and install it today by 3 PM. I cannot imagine a world where I would keep their service, but I need internet now and television service is a definite plus with the football games coming up.

After being informed I could cancel any time and only be charged for the days I had service, I decided to let them come out and install the service. If somehow they blew me away, I was open to canceling Uverse, but honestly my experience thus far made that highly unlikely.

So the contractor comes out around 2 PM, and he has only ONE DIGITAL DVR, not the TWO HD DVRs I ordered. He informs me the warehouse is out, and I will have to exchange it after the holiday.

Now, please understand the contractor is not to blame. He was actually very nice, knowledgeable, and he performed his work well. Charter just messed up once again and did not have the order for the right equipment.

He is currently on the phone for the third time trying to figure out why they do not have the correct channels and services set up. I feel badly for this guy having to contract with such a terrible company.

The good news is the internet is blazing fast. It actually clocked at 17.39 Mb/s, way above the 5Mb/s we signed up for. That is the only part which will make it difficult to go to AT&T’s 3 Mb/s service, which I am sure will not clock anywhere close to even the 5 we signed up for with Charter. As long as we can watch movies streamed through Netflix, we will live with it. Assuming AT&T doesn’t have any major customer service gaffes, we will end up switching to Uverse.

The contractor has been the only plus in my experience with Charter. They are not efficient, organized, nor do they take seriously the customer’s wants and needs. I wouldn’t even be testing them if it were not NYE weekend and there’s football to watch as well as a need to catch up on some work done over the internet.

Related posts:

1. PT or FT Associates Needed The "group" in Carter Mason Group is a little out...
2. Business and Legal Best Practices for Filmmakers Summary In this 2-hour workshop and networking event, you will...
3. Legal Workshop for Filmmakers Update: Please watch the video for important information. Date, time,...

If you’re looking to start your own business, let the Carter Mason Group assist you.

All of our independent associates are their own business owners and choose to receive as much or as little support from us they choose.

The main company we work with has prepared an informational call to tell you a little about the opportunity. This number is running for a limited time (until 10 PM on January 1, 2010), so check it out now!

(605) 475-4400

Please Contact Us after you have listened to the call.

Related posts:

1. PT or FT Associates Needed The "group" in Carter Mason Group is a little out...
2. Business and Legal Best Practices for Filmmakers Summary In this 2-hour workshop and networking event, you will...
3. Charter – Case Study in how NOT to run a business In years past, the cable companies enjoyed monopolies over the...

This week, I received a small amount of justice I would not have received without my Pre-Paid Legal Services membership.

When a prominent internet dating site renewed my 6-month subscription without notifying me, I was angry. Technically, they were within their rights, but of course, their sign-up process was less than straightforward about what would happen in 6 months. Sure, I will admit I should’ve paid closer attention to the fine print, but I didn’t. Normally, I do, but this was an impulse decision for a service I barely used. Certainly, it was a waste of $125 to begin with, and I certainly didn’t want to spend another $125 on a service I no longer need.

So when my account was automatically charged, I was instantaneously mad at myself and the company. Mad at the company, because it is a terrible business practice to not notify someone a few days in advance that their subscription is about to be renewed. The best and most reputable companies do exactly that, because they value good relationships with customers rather than making a quick buck.

I immediately called the company, and I was told, “The computer won’t let me refund it.” Amazingly, a few moments later the computer let her refund all but the first month… which was inflated to be almost 50% of the 6-month pricing.

I tried to escalate to someone who could refund but was rebuffed. I happened to be at a conference at the time, and I couldn’t afford to waste my time on the phone with people who are just going to tell me, “The computer says…”

So I called our provider law firm here in California, and I spoke with an experienced attorney who guided me through the ins and outs of my situation. Basically, under the law, the dating service most likely had the upper hand. I had subscribed, and I didn’t have a strong position for why I should not be charged. The only thing I had was my strong belief that companies should value customer service and their good name over a small amount of money, and that I was deceived by “the fine print.”

I faxed over the terms of use for said company, along with my statement of facts, and the attorney composed a letter which he sent to the company. Yesterday, I received an email from PayPal notifying me of a refund of the remaining amount from that purchase.

While it was a small amount, the attorney shared with me how it felt good to be working under the system Pre-Paid Legal has in place. He’s no longer charging $80 just to pick up the phone, he’s helping people with their legal issues, no matter how small or how large. This is a top-notch attorney recruited by our California provider law firm to practice a type of law where your rights, fairness, equality, and justice are not determined by your pocketbook.

Justice is no longer determined by what you can afford.

Related posts:

1. PT or FT Associates Needed The "group" in Carter Mason Group is a little out...
2. Provider Law Firm Success Stories Often, we hear reports about how our legal plan has...
3. Business and Legal Best Practices for Filmmakers Summary In this 2-hour workshop and networking event, you will...

Right now, you are most likely in one of three groups of people:

1. You have never heard of or know very little about Network Marketing (also referred to as Direct Selling or Multi-Level Marketing)
2. You have been solicited to join a network marketing company, perhaps several different companies, and whether you have participated in the past or not, you want nothing to do with them
3. You love network marketing and are working in a company using that structure to market its products and/or services

For many years, I considered network marketing to be something, well… from the bowels of Satan. Maybe that’s a little harsh, but I was so sick of seeing friends and acquaintances sucked into some company’s marketing plan and pushing sub-par products at high prices (so they can afford their compensation plan), only to find out the only people making money are the ones who started the company to begin with.

Now that our economy is, let’s say, less than stable, scams are on the increase, and the likelihood of a middle income person investing their time and money in a company that will never produce results is at an unprecedented high. Many of these scams mask themselves in the form of a network marketing company.

For this reason, we thought it would be helpful to give some principles for evaluating a network marketing company’s strength and help you spot those that are at best a waste of time and money, and at worst a scam that could absolutely never deliver on its promises.

1. Is the product something you can sell at the price offered?

If there were no multi-level marketing plan attached to the product, could you sell it?

We see this quite often. Vitamins, beauty products, and many niche products choose to market their product through direct selling. In order to motivate the sales force, they beef up their compensation plan so ridiculously high the only way you can sell their product is with the compensation plan. This means you won’t be making any real income unless you are constantly recruiting others to sell the product.

A network marketing rule of thumb is to ask yourself, “Would I buy this product at that price even if I knew nothing about the business opportunity?”

If the answer is no, you should not be selling the product. Period. If you really believed in the product, you’d want it at the price it is being offered for.

And here’s an even better question to ask. “Would I want this product at all if I couldn’t make money off of it?”

2. Can you make a decent income selling the product?

Most importantly, can you make money off of it without recruiting tens or hundreds of people?

After you’ve decided the product is a good value at its price point and people will want to buy it, you should look at how the compensation plan breaks down. Many companies who choose network marketing top-load their compensation plan, so the only way to earn any real income is by recruiting hundreds of people in your downline.

So you may be asking, “Isn’t that the point of network marketing? To make money off of other person’s work?”

That’s what most network marketing companies sell you on, but think about it for a moment. If your company merely produces people who do not want to sell and only to make money off of others, who is ever going to do any real selling? Your network will not have lasting success unless there’s a product you believe in enough to go out and sell it. If your product is not good enough to be sold without the compensation plan, it is not good enough for you to invest your time and hard-earned money. It really is that simple.

If you can’t sell a product on its own merits, and make a decent profit on your own individual sales, it will be incredibly difficult to produce significant overrides and lasting residual income. If your product is really good, people will ask you if they can sell it!

I’m not saying don’t recruit others to sell, don’t get me wrong. But sometimes you may just be selling, and before you even mention the business opportunity, the person asks, “Can I sell this?”

Honestly, if you have enough passion for and belief in the product you’re selling, this should happen to you often. If it doesn’t, you are probably more enamored by the money you can make than a product that is beneficial to others.

3. What is the reputation of the company?

In the age of Google, it is very simple to find out what others think of the company you want to get involved with. Simply Google the company product names and add review to the search query.

For even the best of companies, you will find negative reviews. Often, there are those who slam a company simply because of a network marketing structure. Skepticism runs very high when it comes to direct selling businesses. And you know what, that’s a good thing. No, it’s a great thing, because the few companies out there marketing a quality product at a fair price (and they are out there) will stand out from the crowd. Those are the companies you want to be involved with.

A company selling a quality product at a reasonable price will have more positive reviews than negative. You will be able to read positive testimonials about both the use of the product and the income earned by sales associates. If you can’t find positive reviews quickly and easily about the product you are considering marketing, don’t sell it. Walk away, it is not the opportunity you are looking for.

Look to see if the company has changed its name and how often. Sometimes a rebranding can be a positive thing, but if a company has to keep changing its branding, it is probably because they are running from the truth. And that truth is their product isn’t worth marketing.

4. How long has the company been in business?

It’s been said of network marketing companies that the only millionaires are made if they get in during the first year or two of the company. This is simply not true.

If your company did not pass questions 1-3, then yes, you’re only going to make money if you’re at the top and convincing people they are going to get rich off of an over-priced product which nobody really wants and would not buy if they weren’t enamored by a get rich quick marketing plan. While it is possible to make money this way, do you really want to be the type of person who gets wealthy off of duping others? And most likely, you’ll just end up being the one getting duped any way.

Now, a company should not be discounted simply because they are a start-up. But if it is a new business opportunity, you should hold the product and pricing to an even more stringent standard than a company with a proven track record. It’s easy to get caught up into the idea of the next big thing. If you’re interested in a start-up company, search for other companies selling a similar product. See if there’s any longevity in any company trying to market the product or a similar product.

A scam has a short shelf life, so the only way a company can stay in business year after year is if it produces the results it promises. If a company is barely above the level of scam, they may be able to get by with changing their name or rebranding, as mentioned above, but it would be nearly impossible to find a company in that scenario which has a quality product at a fair price which you could sell on its own merits.

5. Will you be happy if you sold the product full-time?

The allure of making money off of others hard work permeates the network marketing world. But it is not at the center of the concept. The central component to network marketing is teamwork.

A simple concept which has passed the test of time is “like begets like.” Look at families and you can see that it is rare that the apple falls far from the tree. As a network marketer, you will produce the type of associates that you are. The work you do, at best, they will do.

If your only goal is to work hard enough to not have to work at all any more, you will find others with that same goal. While it will be possible to achieve that with a quality product marketed through a quality company, you will find yourself beating your head against the wall and wondering why people just aren’t out there selling… selling for you, that is. They won’t be selling for you, because they’ll be too busy looking for the people going to sell for them. And those they recruit will be too busy looking for more people who…

The only way you can build a business you believe in which will one day offer you a fulfilling work life as well as financial freedom is if you are marketing a product you believe in so much you are out there selling it yourself.

That point has been hammered throughout this post, because it is the single most important thing in regards to choosing a network marketing company. If you do not enjoy selling the product, you will not find people who enjoy selling the product. Without that enjoyment, there will be no lasting residual income coming in from the sales of your downline.

In Conclusion…

There are companies out there who meet the stringent criteria above. At the Carter Mason Group, we’ve chosen to be involved with a company which passed the test. It’s not the only one out there, and we didn’t want to use this post to recruit you to our company. We want you to evaluate whatever opportunity you are researching using the right criteria. When it comes to network marketing, do not invest your time and money into a company or product which does not pass the test put forth in this post.

So if a company does pass the test with a product worthy of your time and money, go for it! It could be your ticket to a fulfilling work life and financial freedom.

Related posts:

1. PT or FT Associates Needed The "group" in Carter Mason Group is a little out...
2. How You Earn Your Money Matters Living in Los Angeles, I often see people very unhappy...
3. Business and Legal Best Practices for Filmmakers Summary In this 2-hour workshop and networking event, you will...