October 31, 2008

Yee-Haw!

Happy Halloween!! For the first time in several years, I'm actually donning a costume. Why? Because our dear friends/sponsors at American Airlines generously invited Calixto and me to join them tonight at the Waldorf for Bette Midler's benefit event, MC'd by Kathy Griffin, for the NY Restoration Project. Yep, you heard me: Waldorf. Bette. Kathy. Lions. Tigers. And Bears. Oh my! You're probably thinking I'm going all out and wearing some fabulous, outrageous outfit. Not so, my naive amigo. That would not be the prudent way to go for an entrepreneur on a budget. Instead, I'm going as a cowgirl. Giddy-up! I have a cowboy hat and cute-as-pie cowgirl shirt from Halloween '07. Plus, I bought a lasso and new red bandanna at Ricky's; throw on some jeans, put the hair in low pigtails, dot some freckles and off I go. Of course, I don't think Michael Kors, the costume judge, is going to present me the 'Halloween Runway' award and, if Heidi Klum were there, she'd probably say, "Auf Wiedersehen", but that's not the point. The point simply is to participate, celebrate, enjoy and not exit with costume buyer's remorse. Plus, tomorrow, I'm speaking to a class at Brooklyn College about multicultural marketing. So, I can't go too bananas (not that I would do that with sponsors anyway...please, I'm a pro-fess-i-on-al). Okay, I need to get back to work. I just got off the phone with the agency for a potential sponsor and before I get all 'Joanna Wayne', I need to customize a proposal. So, I'm off. Have a great Halloween, remember not to eat too many candy corn or your stomach will rebel, and entertain yourself by counting how many Sarah Palins you see (I already know there's at least one at my table tonight!).
~ Liz
(P.L.H.H.)

October 30, 2008

Be Like Mike!

What a day! I spent the vast majority of the AM and early PM preparing for a meeting with my friend, Mike, who works at a top investment bank that focuses on media. Mike's already been a HUGE help to us by introducing me to an executive at Comcast; that introduction led to Comcast's request for a Jan. '09 meeting to discuss a potential VOD partnership. Yowsers! Okay, focus...back to Mike. So, I presented him the revised investor presentation, which reflected our modified strategy. Over the course of the past year or so, we recognized we had to rethink some of the revenue streams. It turns out NOT doing that kind of evaluation is a classic entrepreneurial mistake. Mike mentioned many entrepreneurs get so fixated on their ideas and so mired in the day-to-day details of trying to get the business off the ground, they don't take the time to step back and consider the big picture, i.e., evaluate progress, viability of the original strategies, new opportunities, industry research, etc. Go us! Anyhoo, I was a bit nervous to show Mike the proposal b/c I have a huge amount of respect for him and, as I mentioned, he's been immensely helpful; I just wanted to validate his efforts by showing we know what we're doing and can articulate why and how we're going to make Cinedulce a success. And, guess what?? He said it was great! More importantly, he thinks we totally made the right decisions in terms of the refined approach and thinks we're right on target. I mean, talk to me! Next steps: he's going to make a few more key introductions and, in the meantime, we're going to keep trucking along. We need to keep building and, hopefully, by the time we reach potential investors in Q1 '09, we'll have an even stronger story with even stronger proofs of concept. When that time comes, he may even have some investor intros for us. Here's the thing. Although Mike is amazingly generous and supportive, there is a potential business upside for him: when the time comes to sell this baby in 5 +/- years (our 'exit strategy' as the investment biz likes to call it), Mike's firm will hopefully handle the sale. Nothing like looking towards the future, huh? ;) So, all in all, we pretty much love Mike. As the old Gatorade ad went, everyone should "Be Like Mike". And, if you don't know what I'm talking about, you're either too young or too oblivious to pop culture since that Mike is arguably the most famous athlete of our generation (and, no, it's not Michael Phelps..jeez!). ;)
Lator gators,
Liz
(P.L.H.H.)

October 29, 2008

Catch a Rising Star...

When I was at the Latin Convergence Conference two weeks ago, I was approached by this recent college graduate, Maria. I swear to you, it was one of those "aha!" moments when I knew I was meeting a future rock star in the PR/marketing business. Do you realize how much confidence and presence it takes for a 21 year-old (much less anyone) to bust into a business conference and introduce herself to random executives? Think about it...take another minute, it's cool...yeah, exactly: not so easy. AND, she met a TON of people, including her potential future employers, who asked her to interview the following week. Anyhoodles, I agreed to have coffee with her this week to jabber about what I do, how I got here (wherever 'here' is), provide some advice and insights, etc. I literally jumped at the chance. It might sound odd since this was clearly for her benefit, but, for some reason, I feel compelled to mentor Maria - or, at least, support her in any way I can (e.g., putting in a good word where she's interviewing). It's just so inspiring to meet a young woman who's so together, bright, self-assured and hardworking. Plus, she's a peach so, net-net, she's going to be a dream come true for any employer. All of that aside, she seemed genuinely impressed by my professional tale, which was borderline shocking to me considering how non-traditional and circuitous it's been. I guess it's about perspective, right? Maybe she sees in me what I see in her - a positive, persevering woman who's following her heart. All I know is Maria is fabulous and I wish her great success. And, her employers better hold on tight b/c when I have the money, I'm coming to poach her. As the old saying goes, you have to catch a star on the rise or on the decline, but never on top...too expensive. ;)
~ Liz
(P.L.H.H.)

October 28, 2008

Boo!

Join the Cinedulce spookfest by watching these new, Halloween-inspired “On the Edge” thrillers. Just don’t blame us if you get the creepy-crawlies!

– Sandman’s Box – When dares go wrong…gross!
– Day at the Theater – Day of the Dead meets Charlie Chaplin
– Sunday Afternoon - – Episode 2 of Day at the Theater
– Rhyme Animal – Hip-hop meets horror anime
– Simulator – When robots attack…look out!

Click here to watch!

Risk/Reward

After writing yesterday's blog, I had lunch with an old friend of mine, David, who started a company many years ago and essentially sold it 2x over. Pretty damn impressive. We should all be so lucky. That's the upside. The downside is an inherent risk of selling your baby: the new parent may not agree with your vision for and approach to growth. Plus, your real executive/leadership responsibilities may be stripped away from you (regardless of the fancy title you receive). That's a tough one on the ego, if nothing else. I understand if a much larger organization wants to take your small/mid-size company to the next level and management feels you may not have that large-scale experience to handle the job. Totally viable. But, that really wasn't the case with Dave. In his case, I think management just made poor decisions and disregarded the very strategies that made David and his company successes in the first place. I mean, how goofy is that?? Going back to the upside, however, I think the reward of a newly inflated bank account and normal sleep patterns have at least partly assuaged David's bruised ego. Nothing like a shopping spree and some shut-eye to put you on the sunny side of the street...
~ Liz
(P.L.H.H.)

October 27, 2008

Why me?

I was reading this piece in yesterday's Business Section of the New York Times that struck a chord. It was a brief interview with Guy Kawasaki, a best-selling author on entrepreneurship who just wrote a new book, "Reality Check". One of the questions was about what traits or behaviors are immediate tip-offs that someone has the entrepreneurial gene. Interesting question. Guy's response: "The more I meet with entrepreneurs the less I think I can pick them. Sure, there are stereotypes: bright, aggressive, enthusiastic, young, etc. But, there are many successful entrepreneurs who don't come off this way...I have come to believe that almost everyone has the entrepreneurial gene - it's been necessary for survival for thousands of years. The issue is whether that gene gets expressed..." And then, in response to a separate question about his advice to entrepreneurs seeking funding or growth opps. in this crappy economy (uh, my wording there), he responds, "My advice is that they melt wax into their ears and go forward. If they are waiting for wonderful credit and capital markets, they probably aren't entrepreneurs." I repeat, interesting. Of course, this made me think: why is it that I and both of my olders brothers are entrepreneurs? What is it about how we were raised and/or how we're wired that we felt inspired, maybe even compelled, to trust our guts, dig deep down and venture onto that road less traveled? Nature vs. nurture. I'm still considering my answer, but I can offer what I've concluded, thus far. I agree with Guy - almost everyone has that entrepreneurial gene; it's called having dreams. We all have dreams. It's just about what happens along the journey of life that does or does not drive us (or, in many cases, allow us) to chase those dreams. So, one of my conclusions is we all have the 'nature', but strong nurturing can provide the environment, the context, in which to explore that nature. More specifically, my parents instilled in all 3 of us an extremely strong work ethic, sound moral compass, healthy sense of competition and appreciation for teamwork (sports also helped with those) and the confidence to fail. That last one is important - we can't all be the best, or even good, at everything we do. But, don't let that stop you: give it the old college try. Worst case scenario, you may learn a thing or two...including that failing is not the end of the world. It may even lead to the beginning of something new, something better. Many years ago, I started a boutique entertainment marketing firm, Garnish, which did okay, but, more importantly, led to the festival and, ultimately, Cinedulce. So, I don't view Garnish as a failure, but rather a crucial leg in my journey to where I am today. I also think entrepreneurship takes a bit of childlike enthusiasm and naivete. That is, if all self-starters knew how hard it was going to be -- financially, physically and, maybe most of all, emotionally -- I bet a good % would reconsider. And for those repeat offenders? Masochistic adrenaline junkies. Did I tell you how after Calixto and I make our millions from Cinedulce I want to get involved with arts and underprivileged youth?? ;)
~ Liz
(P.L.H.H.)

October 25, 2008

Onward and upward...

So, interesting stuff happened at week's end. First off, we have potential interest from a major QSR (quick service restaurant) with both the NY Int'l Latino Film Festival and Cinedulce. It's early, of course, but they get it and that's the first step. Super groovy. Then, courtesy of our good friend, Nero, I had a great meeting with a major, Spanish-language radio station in NYC. It'd be super to have them on board for the festival, so fingers crossed. Plus, media partners are great b/c they tend to help with sponsorship. You know, they go out to their advertisers and try to sell them in for a media buy + event sponsorship. So, in essence, media partners can serve as sales agencies. Who doesn't love that??
So, as I like to say, onward and upward...
~ Liz
(P.L.H.H.)

October 23, 2008

iTunes Movies? No, iDon't.

Anoche, I had a lovely conversation with a big cheese at iTunes Movies, who effectively dashed my hopes of working with iTunes in the next...3 years! But, really, we knew that was going to happen. The iTunes Movies store is fairly new; as a result, they need to focus on tier 1, commercial films: high profile studio pix with big names and big budgets. They're just not ready for indies. I get that...but still annoying. Hey! We don't need no stinkin' iTunes Movies, right?? ;)
~ Liz
(P.L.H.H.)

October 22, 2008

Gotta be Startin' Somethin'

Okay, I admit it: I'm currently listening to old-skool MJ right now and I felt inspired to honor him with a blog title. It's the least I can do for the man who brought us "ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa" (and, yes, I actually looked up the spelling of that jibberish). That aside, it does fit the current mood of Cinedulce and yours truly: gotta be startin' somethin'. With that in mind, this AM, I had a great meeting with yet another old friend of mine (who knew I had so many friends??) - this one is at Time Warner. The thing is, Calixto and I love Time Warner and let me tell you why...HBO is the festival's presenting and founding partner (say it with me: "It's not TV. It's HBO"); Turner B'casting is a cherished fest sponsor; Time Warner Cable is our cable partner and now potential VOD partner (fingers tightly crossed!); we've worked with Warner Bros.; and, we have friends at People en EspaƱol (Hi Rachel!). So, you see, the TW family of brands is just peaches. Back to this AM: I met with my friend, who must be doing something right in the TW Foundation group b/c he has a FABULOUS new office with insane views of NYC and the Hudson. He's a kind soul who gets to support organizations in the arts and media, including youth and minorities. Very cool gig. Anyhoodles, after listening to me blather on about how awesome Cinedulce is, my friend offered to make intros to some high powered folks in the Time Warner family. I mean, how great is he? Big, bear hugs to mi amigo. AND THEN...Calixto, Lyndon and I had our weekly Cinedulce meeting where we plan how we're going to conquer the world. Lots of fun stuff coming up, but you'll have to keep reading my blog and visiting Cinedulce.com to find out what. In the meantime, I'm going to keep drinking my tea and hoping these sniffles are allergies and not the dreaded seasonal cold...
Over and out,
Liz
(P.L.H.H.)

October 21, 2008

Hard times, hard decisions

Today is an interesting day for Calixto and me; this is our first day working together out of my home office. Cinedulce's Content Manager, Lyndon, is still working from our NoHo offices, but we decided to cut costs for a few months by moving in here. We'll go back downtown sometime in Q1 '09, but this was a hard decision we had to make. You know, sometimes you have to make those difficult, short-term decisions for the long-term vision and health of the company. Meanwhile, it's not exactly horrible here and the commute is much easier for Calixto. We may get a bit too comfortable... ;)
~ Liz
(P.L.H.H.)

October 20, 2008

Bring it on...

Okay, I'm back from my yoga retreat and damn was it worth it! But, I tell ya - 4.5 hrs of yoga daily can make your hamstrings pretty darn-tootin' sore! That aside, I and my hamstrings are back in action and today was yet another crazy good, productive day. I've been sitting here following up with all of the fantastic folks I met at last week's convergence conference. PLUS, I had an old friend reach out to me regarding interest in sponsoring the '09 NYILFF. She works at a major bank (no...I can't say which). BUT, I can say we've been trying to get this together since '06 and now it seems like the time may be right. How bazonkers is that? I'm telling you, this business is SO bizarre. PLUS! I received a email from another, even older friend (high school), who's now at a major social networking site with serious interest in the Latino market. As it happens, that particular site is on my short list of target partners. Talk to me... All of this brings me back to my Oct. 10 entry, "It's a Small World After All": appreciate your friends, recognize how connected we all are and never, ever burn bridges because you never know when someone from way back in the day will reach out with something interesting to discuss.
~ Liz
(P.L.H.H.)

October 16, 2008

Burn, Baby, Burn

Quite frankly, the big accomplishment thus far today has been registering this here blog on FeedBurner which has, in turn, allowed me to 'feed' the blog to our various social networking profiles. Speaking of which, if you're not already our friend on Facebook, MiGente &/or MySpace, whatcha waiting for?? More profiles to come in the very near future, but that's what we have as of today. Oh, and we also have a bunch of videos on YouTube, which you can view either there on YT or directly on Cinedulce.com (but, really now...wouldn't you rather go directly to the source and see what else is happenin' on Cinedulce??). In the promising news dept., it seems Verizon Wireless is def. interested in the fest. I don't yet know re:Cinedulce and VCast, but yesterday while I was at the conference I received a vm from the VZW's event agency. In the spirit of good vibrations, perhaps you should send a few text messages today...you know, just to make the mobile Gods happy?
Also, I'm excited to say this afternoon I'm taking off for my first yoga retreat. I'm just going for tomorrow and the weekend but I think it'll be great. So, hopefully on Monday, I'll be all zenned out. In the meantime, I won't be able to write anything tomorrow cuz, you know, it's pretty hard to type and downdog at the same time. I know this is upsetting to my legions of fans (aka my parents and Jamie), but I'll be back online on Monday. So, enjoy the weekend and wish me luck with Verizon Wireless!
~ Liz
(P.L.H.H.)

October 15, 2008

Congrats to Convergence Conference

Okay, today's LatinVision/NYC Latin Media & Ent. Commission convergence conference was EXCELLENT. And, let me just say, I'm not usually all that enthusiastic about conferences. Both orgs. did a fantastic job of putting together interesting, relevant panels with legitimately high level executives both on the panels and in the audience. Plus (ahem, cough, cough) I think yours truly held her own on her panel. But, even more importantly, they had an awesome Chanel make-up artist backstage to make us all look purty. Nah, I'm kiddin'. I mean, I'm not kidding; they did have an awesome Chanel make-up artist; but, that's not most important. What is most important, however, is I met a TON of great folks...including the VP of Programming & Biz Dev at Time Warner Cable...talk to me VOD! Other folks I met were execs from iTunes, Univision, Impremedia (a festival partner but we're talking about growing that alliance and a possible multi-market program), Microsoft, HITN, Johnson & Johnson and I finally met in person the executive at JPMorganChase with whom I've been chatting for 8+ months. Plus, I reconnected with all sorts of friends at various companies, such as Remezcla, Batanga, Merril Lynch, HPNG & Edelman. All in all, major props to Carlos Vassallo (LatinVision) and Carlos Manzano (NYC LMEC). It was a great event and I honestly look forward to next year.
And, now, I have my work cut out for me - all sorts of follow-up lies ahead. So fun!
Well, that's my update for the day. Positivity all around.
Later gators!

~ L
(P.L.H.H.)

October 14, 2008

Just thinking about tomorrow...

So, here's something cool: tomorrow, I am speaking on a panel at the 2008 Convergence Conference: The Future of Latin Media, Entertainment and Technology Markets. The panel is called "Making New York City the Latin Media Capital of the World: Promoting the Best of Hispanic & Latin America’s Arts and Culture"; other panelists include Tomas Cookman, CEO Cookman Int'l LAMC / Nacional Records (I haven't seen him in forever!), Julianne Cho, Dir. of the Mayor's Office of Film, Theater and B'casting (I can't wait finally to meet her after all of these years and calls!), Kate Levin, Commisioner, Dept. of Cultural Affairs, & Gabriel Abaroa, President of the Latin Grammys. Not bad company, huh? The conference is actually really cool; check it out http://www.latinvision.com/conference. And, here's the kicker - some of the execs. from companies I'm currently approaching for sponsorship will be there. Now, if that's not exciting, I don't know what is. Oh wait - yes, I do...the third and final presidential debate is tomorrow night. So, all in all, tomorrow should be a very interesting day. OH! And, how can I forget? Our new biz cards are scheduled for delivery this afternoon. Yes, I made sure they got here in time for this conference. ;) We asked our creative agency, Spoon + Fork (spoonandforkstudio.com) to design double-sided cards: one for the NYILFF and the other for Cinedulce. Super groovy.
Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow there'll be sun!

~ Liz
(P.L.H.H.)

October 13, 2008

Presto!

So, Matt (from Octa8on) and I had a super-fantastic chat on Friday afternoon and he has two -- count em two! - potential clients for us. I can't mention which ones b/c I think it's bad luck (aka kanahara in Yiddish) and, more importantly, bad bizniz, but let's just say I hung up that phone with a giant grin on my face. Even if just one of those deals comes to fruition, I would be singing a sweet tune. Well, actually, I'm completely tone deaf so singing is not an option. But, I would be very, very, very happy. And so, on this 2008 Columbus Day, I am sitting here in my home office completing the Cinedulce capabilities proposal for my guy, Matt, with high hopes we can pull a client rabbit out of his agency hat and make some partnership magic. Abracadabra...success! Wouldn't it be awesome if it was that easy?? Ah, a girl can dream...
~ L
(P.L.H.H.)

October 10, 2008

It's a small world after all...

Okay, here's my funny small-world follow-up to Wed's note about friends dying hard. So, as I mentioned, my friend Brian is hooking me up with the entertainment and multicultural groups at Octagon (whoopie!). But, as it turns out, my good friend, Matt, whom I've known for years and was recently at another agency, is now heading Octagon's multicultural dept. (who knew??). So, Brian goes to Matt to pitch the festival, Cinedulce and me and Matt's like: "Brian...hold up; what are you talking about? I've known Liz for years and sponsored the NY Latino Film Fetival 2x with Verizon!" (I've taken some creative license here, but you get the point.) Holy canoles. Now, THAT's funny stuff. I repeat, it's a small world after all....which leads me to the old, but still very true adage: never burn bridges. Needless to say, Matt and I are scheduled to chat at 3pm today. Wish me luck!
~ Liz
(P.L.H.H.)

October 8, 2008

Old friends die hard...thank God

I tell you, friends are the best. Who doesn't love friends?? Within just one married couple, I landed both a set-up (thank you, Lynn!) and a (future) meeting with Octagon's multicultural and entertainment groups (thank you Smitty...uh, I mean Brian). Seriously, that's one efficient bit of business. Now, if only all of my friends were so efficient, I'd be a happily married millionaire by now!
~ Liz
(P.L.H.H.)

October 7, 2008

The kids these days...

NEW CINEDULCE CHANNEL ALERT: YOUTH FILMMAKERS! Back story: During this year's NY Int’l Latino Film Festival, we introduced a new programming category: Youth Filmmakers Showcase (high five to Kodak Gallery, the presenter, for being so supportive of aspiring teen filmmakers). We sent out a special call for submissions and were shocked by the overwhelmingly positive response: 86 submissions nationwide from teen filmmakers, ages 14 - 19! Even more impressive was the quality of the films we received. In fact, we were so impressed we decided to launch a Cinedulce channel to showcase this new crop of young talent. Dealing with issues ranging from rape and addiction to teen pregnancy and the definition of beauty, these films may have been made by teens but their subject matters are as mature as any film you will see. Check them out and be reminded how the power of film can inspire, amuse, teach, touch and heal. I tell ya, the kids these days...impress the s**t out of me!
~ Liz

(P.L.H.H.)

Blog Check: One-Two, One-Two

Well, it's my first time on the mic, oops on the blog, and all is good. We're gearing up for our first DVD and if all goes down as planned it will be hot. The DVD will be a combination of films featured on the site along with new titles not yet shown on CD. In addition, the DVD will feature some extras, including a "Cinedulce Unwrapped" with some of the filmmakers. Putting together this disk is proving not to be as easy as I thought, from picking the films, to running them through everybody, to getting the deals done, to making sure we close the production of it and deliver on time, to creating the art and on and on. This thing is a production by itself. Yet, it's something we're all excited about because it will get the films to the public's hands and give people even more of a taste of what we're about. If all goes according to plan, expect it to arrive in time for the holidays (gifts anyone?). To all who read this, thank you. I will try to start writing a bit more often and give you a gist of how we work as far as programming the site. I'll maybe even throw in some drama for good reading every now and then. My everyday adventures may not be as exciting as Liz's, but I will try to throw down some insight and food for thought. So here's to my first blog entry!
Peace
-Calixto

October 6, 2008

I Heart Comcast.

So, I just received feedback from Comcast...already! That was ridiculously fast; I just sent the proposal on Friday. Apparently, those Comcast folks are nothing if not efficient. Anyway, it turns out they want me to f/u in January with someone in the Content Acquisitions Group. They had already told me it would likely take a few months before they could meet (if interested), so I think (hope!) this is positive news. I mean, I assume the alternative to this response would be a big fat “PASS”. So, woo-hoo for Cinedulce! STAY TUNED…

October 3, 2008

Comcast, here we come!

Phew! I just finished the Comcast proposal. That's no joke. I'm telling you, if we have the opportunity to partner with Comcast...well, that would just be Super-Fantastic with a capital S and F. Plus, this is the first distribution (vs. sponsorship or marketing) proposal I've written. So, you know, it took a bit of time to finesse -- positioning the company and all that jazz. Now, I need to call Netflix (contact anyone?...) and I really want to check out Vudu. Did you read that NY Times article on 10/02? Honestly, I think the writer, David Pogue, might have literally drooled on his keyboard; he was frothing with enthusiasm. But, that's a great thing and I can appreciate a man with passion...so, rock on David.
~Liz
(P.L.H.H.)

October 2, 2008

Slow but steady...

Okay, today has been a much more relaxed day vs. the mad chaos of yesterday. You know, sometimes you just gotta sit at your desk and bust out the fundamentals - writing proposals, paying bills, organizing, etc. It's not sexy, I'll give you that, but it keeps the train rollin' along and builds the foundation that, hopefully, leads to partners and $$. On a groovier front, we're putting together our first DVD compilation (yay us!) in partnership with this great company, Indiepix (indiepix.com). We're going to make a DVD comp. for Cinedulce, incl. a variety of shorts - comedies, dramas & docs, and then a second DVD to celebrate the festival's 10th anniversary, including some past Best Short Film winners. If all goes well (fingers crossed!), we'll release the Cinedulce DVD in time for the holidays (I smell a gift for mom + dad, folks!) and then the NYILFF one in Q2 '09, to coincide with our marketing ramp-up. We're pretty psyched about the DVDs b/c we've been wanting to do something like this for a while and now is the perfect time. Anyhoo, the point is, this afternoon, I spent some time re-watching some of our Cinedulce shorts b/c we're trying to decide the right combination for this first DVD. You gotta check out the dramas "Chronicle of A Hitman", "Fireflies" and "The Wannabe". Oh, and check out the doc "Just Ralph" - it's SOOOO relevant to the current political situation...

Over and out,
L
(P.L.H.H.)

October 1, 2008

mi dia loco!

Holy smokes - total insanity today. We had a great meeting this AM with the NY Daily News, the official paper of our film festival. We're hoping to have a whole special section for the 2009 event, which would be killer. Fingers crossed! Then, we met with our financial consultant about how to adjust Cinedulce's projections to reflect some recent changes we made regarding our shorter term (5 +/- years) growth and revenue strategies (no money = no Cinedulce...ay dios!). Then, we had our weekly Cinedulce meeting. Other than basic timeline and deliverables crap, we talked about film vs. TV on the Internet (as opposed to TV on the Radio, for all of you music fans out there...;)). Pretty cool conversation. And THEN, I had a call with Kodak, another festival sponsor, about this amazing video shot and edited by Cinedulce's Content Manager and all-around creative genius, Lyndon McCray. He shot all of this behind-the-scenes footage of Nely Galan getting ready for her big event (screening of "Celia the Queen"), where Kodak Gallery and the NYILFF honored her. She had her make-up done by mark., which we also shot. For the record, she's totally cute and great. Anyway, the final video is pretty damn good, if we do say so ourselves, and we're going to load it on Cinedulce soon. So, keep an eye out!
And, on top of all of that, I just finally got out my proposal to one of Verizon Wireless' agencies b/c it would be the bee's knees to have a really strong telecom partner for the festival, but also, almost more importantly, as a wireless distribution partner for Cinedulce. Are you feelin' me??
Anyhoo, so much for things slowing down after the festival ended...
~L
P.L.H.H.