Hi mate,

Hi Whoop - going to respond to each of your notes in this colour.

From our conversation I understand that you are looking to consolidate your 3 key services (documentaries, selling images and teaching) under one production company. As a working title I have named it RD Productions.

Yes sounds good. We should start by buildings the foundations for a brand of a film production company first - and then bring the photography and teaching in after the brand’s foundations have been built up. Photography will work great as content as I have so many photos. It will also help give the brand a style. However I don’t want the brand to come off as a purely photographic company as I am primarily working on video. The teaching can also be added after the brands solid foundations are laid out.

RD Productions' website will be the first port of call for your customers. I recommend we start by creating a brand that will appeal to your audience and can be rolled out across your chosen social media platforms. you will need to consider all the text that will be required not only on your website but also on your socals as this will be the voice of the brand. 

Yes will work on this over time as we build things up. With regards to building a brand network - I want to ultimately use social media platforms to driving users to my website or landing page. I don’t want to rely on algorithms of instagram and YouTube etc - it can be dangerous. The goal is to get a few thousands signed up to a news letter - or subscribers to my website…so they can hopefully get something from my work, and behind the scenes moments of my work too. What is key for this whole project is not for it to be too much about ME - but also working out what the audience can get from my stories and information I give out to them. Then it will be a success.

You're in a good position because, visually, you've got some amazing photographs which will really help when we get to the creation stage. 

Yes mate and lots of video content to make into micro packages too. I was also thinking (but I have skepticism for not getting dragged down into content fatigue) about making mixcloud weekly, or bi - weekly radio shows. You can record audio, and amazingly mix anyones music into your radio shows. So for example - I could build up ‘what is to come’ in the contents of a future documentary by asking people on the sea front what they think about the War in Ukraine. Every day British Dorris could give their opinion about it —- and then a month later I could release about film about that very content. Each radio show could have specific info about launch times etc..and then be mixed with real nice tunes that sum up the feelings of the little interviews. This is just an idea - but I do feel it could be a nice way to bring traffic in - without getting bogged down with making constant videos etc. The other half of me says fuck making weekly content - and just focus on the bigger stuff. Of course I want that - but my feeling is that you need to keep yourself on the radar with something online. Do let me know your thoughts Martin. Once these ideas are locked - consistency on my side is key. If I can build up a subscribers base (on Patreon or via pay pal) - it will be worth it in the long run. Can I make longer form documentaries without getting too drained by content?

I invisiage the the process will look somewhat like this:

1. R&D - come up with a concept for the brand (Including moodboards, name, mission statement, values)

2. Creation - create the brand assets (Logos and graphics)

3. Website development - Adding and formatting all content on a webpage (I strongly recommend using adobe portfolio and buying bespoke domain name)

4. Creating social media accounts (self explanatory)

5. Engaging with a content strategist (I can recommend a good one)

6. Start sharing your content and building a community!!

For now all we are going to focus on is the R&D phase. Below are some questions I would like you to answer: 

  • What is your objective?

To set up a production company for the documentaries I make. I have nearly finished a big film from Syria - and hopefully it will result in a big commission (with TV) - and put my name out there again. I have to use this as opportunity to secure my foundations as a film maker. By having a company set up - it will be easier to secure funding for future projects. The sweet spot - is to merge consistent content for the company - so that eyes stay on it - with releases of of powerful documentaries. Of course documentaries take months if not years to make - so that will be the main focus. Content is simply there to keep eyes and supporters on the business. As I mentioned before - fatigued from content production is something I am skeptical of. Editing documentaries is hard - and I can’t let most of my time go into making internet content etc. But if I can find a way to burn out some kind of content - that doesn’t do my energy over - and can focus on making the bigger and powerful films (which is what the brand/production company is all about - that will indeed be the very sweet spot.

  • What will your "new" brand stand for, what are the 3 values you want to associate with your brand?

Camera Garden is a multi award winning production company that creates powerful political stories told through the lived human experience. On the heart of the news beat, but always digging deeper - the garden uses  cinematic storytelling to produce films from the heart that takes us into worlds not seen before.

Three values;

Strong foundation in the cinematic film process.

Politics of our time, told through the human experience. We do not seek to be objective.

We cover real stories that show reality sometimes looking like sci fi.

  • What's your communications objective?

To focus on telling rich and powerful cinematic stories. These will mostly be documentaries. They could be feature docs - which take years to make. But there is also mini web series. I am currently working on releasing an episodic web series called Train Dreams. Check it out https://www.ross-domoney.com/dream-trains-series

This web-series as a side note - is a great way to test this whole project out. Because we can test out how to use brand and content to bring awareness to the construction of each episode - building up a hype before each episode is released. There is also so much opportunity for stylistic graphic design on this project - as the train dream world is so sci fi !!

As mentioned earlier in this document - another format can be the weekly or biweekly radio show on Mixcloud.

There is also of course photographs and Zines etc. But I need to stay focused as I am wary it could be too much at once. What I really need to find mart is a format that is not too energy consuming - that I can pump out weekly that brings attention to the production company and films etc. Any advice appreciated.

  • How would you like your brand to look (colours, graphics and fonts)?

Fuck not sure on this one yet - I really like something a tad - dark/moody in style but in contrast to colours and images that are really bright. I want to play on this semi sci fi dystopia feel - but I don’t want this brand to be overridden with darkness. Light is a big thing for me of course - coming from a photographic background. Perhaps font slightly gothic - also digital looking ? I’m not fully sure yet mart we need to build this. Graphics — hmm I like the idea of tunnels, glass like Lenes on cameras - and of course urban environments for cities. It doesn’t mean this is a fully urban brand…but I do love the city. Here are some musicians who’s look and sound could inspire;

Molchat Doma

Joy division

Dark Wave Music

Nightmares on Wax

High Priest of Saturn

Altin Gun (check out album covers)

I do like the 80’s as an era - but I don’t want to get stuck in this - as it’s been done.

Something that’s an image from the future?

  • How would you like your brand to sound (tone of voice)?

Tone of voice is political. But not the banal politics we are all sick of. I want this to appeal to old and young people alike. Also to cinema lovers. This is not films that are boring sat down interview ones — these are creative rich storytelling techniques that take the audience down a mind bending road. There is an uncertain feeling about the future at the moment - and I think my work captures that. How do we make this appeal to our audience? People are sick of the news too — so how do we ommit a different feeling to the news?

Stories you could show your grandma or your 15 year old cousin. For the people. Human stories about human experience.

  • Who is your target audience?

Cinema lovers. People who enjoy left leaning stories. People who like being taken into sci fi like worlds. Sometimes revolutionary. I guess this could be for young people. But I would like to appeal to more than just that. I guess Guardian readers would appreciate these kind of films. Also perhaps the fine art world.

  • What would a positive outcome from this work be (what would success look like)?

I build up a loyal of following who benefits form the stories I tell and who wants to support me to bring them more of those kinds of stories. This can’t be about ME though. Those people who follow and support my work will be satisfied that they support and sponsor this work - as it’s exactly the kind of work they want to be seeing and funding. They feel it fills a gap. I will have my own audience who will benefit from my films and support them — as they are partially built up by the audience too. I will have a living breathing entity that I can work on at anytime from any place around the world. This thought gives me real joy. If after hard work I can see the fruits of my labour and that people enjoy my work - It will give me infinite energy to continue and create new work. Something to grow and water over time. Something that is purely mine - not owned by YouTube or instagram - but this is ultimately for my brand/website. Yes I would like to take funding from big film bodies - but I don’t want to rely on these people too. I want to partially have my work funded by the crowd. This will be give me financial security in an unstable world right now. Freelancing as you know is hard and unpredictable. This brand will give me artistic strength (even though I struggle with being vulnerable online — like an emo artist) and my creations will be on show on one accessible and consistent platform. I will continue to be an author of my own work and style.

Here is how I see the outcome of this work - in the eyes of my audience too;

They will get insightful information into human stories and issues from around the world. They will be part of the journey. They can discuss and suggest styles of film making with me. They will be able to learn filmmaking techniques with my company too. I also wear possible don’t want to make this brand about myself (as in me the person). I don’t know about you - but I am getting a bit bored of people making their art about them as a brand. It’s not all bad - but in filmmaking and journalism circles - it’s often about the person being in front of the camera. I do feel now that people want to support ideas and filmmakers that are more about the people. Could be ahead on a trend here hopefully. My audience will get to interact with the filmmaking process and be able to ask their own questions about world issues. They will be part of an organic movement.

Below I have listed out some actions for you:

Got started on this have a look

Going to send a few Dif pallets (subject to change of course)

https://coolors.co/74d3ae-ef3e36-0c0c0c-ffbf46-3c91e6

https://coolors.co/931621-241e4e-fbfff1-cb9cf2-226f54

https://coolors.co/1f0322-8ac926-1982c4-fb8b24-d90368

https://coolors.co/ff69eb-083d77-0cce6b-f6ae2d-47a8bd

—- I’ve stopped for now - could go on for ages. I also like the colours that are coming up on Pinterest bored I have made

Vivid

Community

Storytelling