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

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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!

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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.

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1. Business and Legal Best Practices for Filmmakers Summary In this 2-hour workshop and networking event, you will...

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!

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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

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Post tags: associates, business, consulting, filmmakers, legal, opportunity, service

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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!

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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.(...)
Read the rest of Charter – Case Study in how NOT to run a business (984 words)

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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.

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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.

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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.(...)
Read the rest of Network Marketing – Dream or Nightmare? (1,593 words)

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