Be Passionate. TED.com Inspiration.

Why begin a company that you’re not passionate about? KLEJ Productions is passionate about the equality of gays and lesbians in America. We are not alone with our passions either.

State Senator Diane J. Savino shares with us one of the most passionate speeches on the topic of gay marriage at the NY Senate. Take a minute to view that speech here at TED.com.

Senator Savino did an admirable job of explaining the case for gay marriage. She started by proving her intimate knowledge on the subject through relationships of gay men she knew personally. We hear a story about her explaining her side on the issue to a man in a petty cab and every bit of knowledge she has obtained to prove her point.

Just about a minute into the speech the Senator speaks one of the most powerful sentences I have heard on the subject. She says, “This vote is about an issue of fairness, and equality. Not political.” Her passion, and complete logical state about the situation, along with her ability to speak to it on the level of all Americans, is what we all need to be hearing.

Most of the time when the issue is arisen you hear time and time again that gay marriage will ruin the sanctity of marriage. Here, Senator Savino does a fantastic job of taking that one opposing view point and dissecting it and righting all of its wrongs. She talks about how the government is not to change the religious institutions right to discriminate on whether or not they would marry gays and lesbians. The bill will allow the courts to issue marriage licenses and marry people no matter their sexual orientation. She drove home the idea with stating how the divorce rate is so high in our country. In her story about the petty cab driver who asked her opinion on the subject, she stated that she could go with him tomorrow down the courts and apply for a marriage license and no one would ask how well they know each other. Allowing same-sex marriage will not ruin the sanctity of marriage.

This speech did our company a great service. Being able to see our point of view on the issue taking on a whole new light was inspiring.

The point I am trying to make, besides showing you all how important this issue is in our country today, is that like Senator Savino, we need to be creating our companies like she created this speech. Be passionate. Back yourself up with knowledge, intimate relationships. Be able to talk to everyone on your staff the way the Senator did, with respect.

Take this even further and use this logic when making a movie or short film. Be passionate, relate to the audience and know what you’re talking about. Find a way to get intimate knowledge on the subject. At the very least, go back to TED.com and review more passionate speeches on the subject.

In my companies quest to inspire tolerance on the subject of gays and lesbians, a good one we found was Councilman Joel Burn’s speech “It gets better.”

Check out TED.com for subjects that inspire you. You won’t find the passion lacking. Be inspired and create magic!

Great Resource--www.mpaa.org

When tackling the wonderful opportunity of starting your own production company the best place to start is The Motion Picture Association of America. The website is full of ideas and knowledge. Whether you would like more information on how to copyright your artistic creations or you’re interested in staying up to date with industry reports, you must visit this website.

While the Motion Picture Association of America’s website does a great job of informing the public on copyright, industry reports and ratings, that is not their primary responsibility. The website reads:

“We are the voice and advocate of the American motion picture, home video and television industries, domestically and, through our subsidiaries and affiliates, internationally. We champion a healthy, thriving film and television industry by engaging in a variety of legislative, policy, education, technology and law enforcement initiatives. These efforts range from safeguarding intellectual property rights to using technology to expand consumer entertainment choices, to championing fair trade agreements and a secure future for artistic freedom of expression.”

This site is important to our industry because of its fight for copyright laws and how it educates the public. Many people view copyrighted material illegally because they are unaware they are do so. Copyright infringement and piracy are huge threats to the film industry. Without MPAA's dedication to the issue, I do not know how long the industry would last financially.

That being said; know your options. As they say, “location, location, location.” Although, these days, you have the opportunity to make change happen anywhere. And there are different incentives for having your company film in particular states. A big state that has been pushing the onset of the film industry is Michigan. The scenery is beautiful and the tax break is too. The website provides a state-by-state statistical analysis for the film industry. For the purposes of this blog, I wanted to show you a state that is far from New York City and L.A. The following are Indiana’s statistics:

“Movies filming in 2008: 3

TV shows filming in 2008: 6

Economic Impact:

The motion picture and television industry is responsible for 10,192 direct jobs and $267.7 million in wages in Indiana.

Production Incentive:

The Media Production Expenditure Tax Credit (MPETC) provides individuals and companies a refundable tax credit of up to 15 percent of qualified production expenditures with an in-state spend greater than $100,000 for films or TV productions less than $6 million. The annual cap is $2.5 million.” (State-by-State Statistics)

With all of that information already provided, the best part for up-to-date information is their blog. It is updated often. I suggest signing up for their e-mail list; their blog updates will be sent to your e-mail. If you wanted a different way to get the information updated to you, log onto Twitter.com and follow @MPAA.

The industry can be overwhelming and confusing. With simple-layout websites like the Motion Pictures Association, a newcomer on the scene as well as any mom looking for information on blocking things from their kids, has information at their fingertips. Read their blog. Keep yourself updated so your company can be successful. Good luck!