Hey everyone, its Friday! To ease in to the weekend, we post our favorite movie scenes from YouTube. This week we look at our favorite crime story reveals. These scenes may be NSFW so please be careful if you are at work. Enjoy!

David Graver, Business Development – Chinatown

“SHE”S MY SISTER AND MY DAUGHTER!” (To be honest folks, if you haven’t seen this one yet, I don’t feel bad at all about spoiling it.)

Sean Jaques, Producer – Se7en

The ending to this film threw me for a loop. Though it’s still fun to say “What’s in the box!” every time the delivery man comes by.

Lauren Musacchia, Production Coordinator – The Life of David Gale

Kasey Morrison, Intern - Memento

Please see this if you haven’t, you will fall in love with Chris Nolan and be confused beyond belief.

Will Torbett, Editor - Clue

Though not technically an ending (of which the film has plenty), this is one of the more dramatic crime discoveries. Do check out more of Clue for some great sleuthing and some delicious curry – Tim Curry. Mmmm…

And because we love this movie so much…

Corydon Wagner, Director - Clue

One of the many possible endings…

Please post your favorite crime reveals in the comments section. Have a great weekend!

Hey everyone, its Friday! To ease in to the weekend (especially this holiday weekend), we post our favorite movie scenes from YouTube. This week we look at our favorite death scenes. These scenes may be NSFW so please be careful if you are at work. Enjoy!

Corydon Wagner, Director – The Hurt Locker

Guns, EOD suits, and explosives! Sweet!!! This guy gets messed up!

David Graver, Business Development – One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

This was a tough one: American History X effects me the most, Chinatown’s death offers an answer, all the death scenes in Kill Bill make me giggle. I selected One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, however, because Chief genuinely feels he is doing what’s best. He feels morally obligated to make this killing. As a death scene, it truly confuses.

Sean Jaques, Producer – Pulp Fiction

Poor Marvin. We wish we knew you better but instead you ended up being entertaining in death. Thanks for the memories!

Kasey Morrison, Intern – Bonnie and Clyde

This ending is epic.  You want Bonnie and Clyde to get away but you know that they won’t make it.  Bonnie’s and Clyde’s slow motion and almost artful deaths are both painful and beautiful to the viewer.  It is an ending that you never forget (and one that made history!).

Will couldn’t choose any one death scene so…

Will Torbett, Editor – Montage of Death Scenes

I have a lot of deaths.

To ease in to the weekend, every Friday we post our favorite movie scenes from YouTube. This week we look at our favorite action scenes. These scenes may be NSFW so please be careful if you are at work, Enjoy!

Corydon Wagner, Director – Casino Royale

“Nothing better to capture the spirit of our times than the raw, unrestrained, brute anger of the new Bond. Craig’s sense of movement and intention is nothing like previous Bonds.”

David Graver, Business Development – Snatch

“I’m not sure I’d ever argue that Guy Ritchie is a good filmmaker. He made a great film in “Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels,” then perfected his formula with “Snatch” – before making films that ceased to be worthwhile. (A one trick pony?) Snatch, however, from this very opening scene, had me eaten by the underground rhythms of unrealistic London – enjoyably so.”

Sean Jaques, Producer – Equilibrium

“Equilibrium’s plot is a Science Fiction cliché, its been done before and its been done better. But the action scenes in this movie are Matrix level cool mix of martial arts and gun play.”

Will Torbett, Editor – Metal Gear Solid 4

“To highlight the action we’ve got an impressive variety of angles with some very curious, deliberate camera movements. Watch as the camera realistically struggles to keep up with Raiden as he leaps into and out of frame, shaking and zooming as if held by some inexplicable camera operator. Rarely do we use slow motion, and the movements around the stage – the dolly in to meet Raiden after his last take down, the rotation around him as he dices kneecaps – strike a fine line between impossible artifice and commonplace film conventions.”

Kasey Morrison, Intern – Raiders of the Lost Ark

“Within the first ten minutes of the film you are already completely charmed by Harrison Ford. His anti-hero attitude makes him all the more lovable. As the floor begins to shake and the boulder comes rolling at him we hear John Williams at his best and your heart instantly races. It just gets better every time you watch it.”

What is your favorite action scene?

Cordy and I attended the Creative Job Agency networking party last night at Broadway East. It was enjoyable, yes. We met a great amount of interesting people. We also brought tremendous value to the gathering with our current network of associates, including Greener Media producer Jesse Ash. Today, quickly, we touched upon how effective these events are. It perhaps was not the best fit for our need, that being the expansion of our relationships with small agencies and branding firms; however, it was a success. We met peers and learned how they were managing this economy. We met creatives and familiarized ourselves with their work. The crowd was heavily weighted toward freelance creatives. As someone helming business development, I considered “what value can a freelance editor offer me?” We have a tremendous editor in Anthony. However, by connecting with that freelance editor, we may one day secure a job. If he is approached with a job that needs a production company: here we are.

Sure, this event was not exactly in line with our six month, one year and three year plans. However, in meeting people – in all outreach, we gain. In my opinion, anyway, everyone is a potential client.

I worry about students graduating from university this year. I have many peers looking for jobs right now. Many more have found themselves trapped in a job they don’t quite like, or far afield from their studies. We here, however, have been given the opportunity to fight together. We draw from our education. We have a work community allowing us to harbor our natural skill sets before challenging them outside of our walls.

Sean and Cordy ask only two things of us: be on time and do your job better than anyone else could possibly.

That is not asking a lot.

In this economy we should feel fortunate to have a job, period. Most people are fighting to retain work that they don’t even enjoy. Thus, we here are fighting for something that much greater. We are happy and healthy, sleek young foxes in an industry that requires both speed and teeth. Our days cannot be spent lazing about. We must work to keep our business alive. That said, we are privileged.

We have a lot brewing right now. In a way, lead outreach is the harvesting of beans. The vetting process and client management is the actual grind. The joint creative venture then constitutes the brew. We have active hands doing all of the above. Thus, are lips have yet to “brrr” in the “wintry economic climate” (as the puppeteer Craig Schwartz says in Being John Malcovich).

I guess that means we at Fifth Column are a bunch of coffee drinking foxes? Does that mesh with our identity? I think so.

Sean writes. Anthony and David shoot. Cordy edits. (Is this true?)

Cordy directs. Sean produces. David writes. Anthony edits. Lauren schedules. (Close,  yes.)

David manages clients. Lauren researches leads. Cordy cold calls. (I have seen this happen.)

We all have defined roles here. That’s what it says in the handbook. That is the way we make the office function. Each of us has a torch to bare, tailored to our strengths; whether that be art, management or money. Cordy is the director. Therein lies his skill set and his desire. Sean is the executive producer. It is a perfect role for his ingenuity, management skills and desire for creative input. Anthony is the editor. His sense of rhythm and pace define his visual aesthetic. Lauren controls the office. She makes it tick and to be honest, makes everyone’s jobs easier. I work with people, seeing that they find their way to us and leave our hands happily, my power of communication guiding us through. These are our jobs, but also our skills. Together, well placed, we mesh into an unstoppable unit.

However, from the thinking out loud I did above, we all have the ability to do everything. Every one of us is capable of interacting with clients. Cordy could shoot and edit if need be. Anthony and I do take the camera out and shoot. Sean does write; commercial copy and personal pieces. Although our jobs are defined, our interests are vast. We are curious about the elements composing this industry. We seek to better ourselves as individual media-making wholes.

It is all a part of our DIY idealism. If you want good media, you’ve got to make it yourself. Each one of us alone could manage this process, but with our powers combined we are a force to be reckoned with.

We apologize for the lapse in blog posts. Cordy and I have holed ourselves up in the conference room, leaving only for lunch meetings and pitch sessions. We have declared war and call our new space, the War Room.

Our tactics: spiderweb. Reach out to contacts, and contact referrals. Research and connect. Deploy and maintain. These are the vagaries of it all, but our tactics began as scrawls on a glass table top and are now mapped out and goal oriented.

Our outreach has met tremendous ends thus far. Excitement flourishes at Fifth Column. Be prepared though, for a blog blitz next week. We will have much to share.

We are Fifth Column: a separatist group working from within to change our culture and industry.

Malcolm Gladwell might call me “a connector.” I enjoy bringing others together. There is a thrill, a synaptical response, that I experience upon initially approaching someone or seeing two associates connect. It is a moment where absolutely anything is possible. In essence, this is fundamental to what I do. Our success hinges on collaboration: the bringing together of great minds, needs and the organization to execute. These connections yield work and art: time for us behind the camera.

Everyone deserves time and dedication, curiosity and, well, a check-in. It’s a tall feat. Cordy gave me a book to read titled “Never Eat Alone.” It reiterated a lot of the way I already behave. But it also taught me the word “ping.” To ping someone is an easy way of keeping in contact. It takes just a moment. When you’ve found a YouTube video you like, pass it along. When you have a free second in the office or at home, make a phone call. Call someone just to say hello. Call someone simply to ask how they are doing. Reach out to them, for them. If your time is limited, an email will suffice. Touch base.

Maintaining a presence in other people’s minds is a benefit to you. Sincere interest in your peers and their well being, well that is a benefit to all.

I’m a perfectionist. There I said it. However, I’m also a small business owner and a director. In running a small business I’ve come to appreciate that there is a time and a place for perfection. In most cases getting something done is often times more important than getting something done to a level that exceeds expectations. John Reardon, a close friend of mine, introduced me to the concept of “just showing up.” The power of this concept cannot be overlooked especially in modern times. Not everything in life deserves excellence. In fact, most things should just be checked off the list. When running a small business I’ve come to learn that it is more important to be hyper focused on a few key facets of our business, rather than attempting to architect the perfect organization. I tend to pride myself on being a very focused and excellence driven individual. I relish the feeling of big wins. However in order to build a consistent habit of success one must channel this positive energy into a select few slots that deserve the brilliance you bring to bare. David Graver, our blog editor and chief, expects us to write around 250 words per blog. Right now I’m at 212. I must also make three client calls today, meet with Sean about our new office, and start cutting my new reel. So instead of making this perfect I’m going to….

P.S. I’m not inserting a picture either…

One can be fully aware as to the many small tasks involved in running a small business. However, awareness and action differ greatly, and I believe only once you’ve been thrust in the start-up world can you fully comprehend the amount of work put in. When looked at via our website, you see the work we do: video and film work, commercials and entertainment. You see a list of our talent, the faces that make up this company. You see the art. You do not, however, see our infrastructure. You do not see Sean crafting budgets or Cordy sending out follow up emails. Perhaps you have an understanding of the time involved in creating a three minute promotional video, but what about the running of the office behind it?

Already I’ve been tested twice; first, with regard to office management. An office needs to remain stocked, its employees happy with the conditions. None of our employees went to school for office management. Rather, we learned through need. An absence begot an action which ultimately begot a system of preparation. The key to managing an office: preemptive behavior. Supplies and locations need lists. Lists need management. It requires an organized mind, as well as a care regarding your space and coworkers.

And what is a business without clients? They keep the very office, which we inhabit every day, alive. Clients do not need managing like an office does. They need communication and dedication; an ear to hear, a mind to understand and a hand to actualize. It isn’t taxing. It, on par with the actual media we produce, is a perk. Registering a request and delivering it spot on, seeing our tangible work effect the people that seek it out: that was my second test. Excitement and passion for this company make it an easy one.