Pick Three

In Hollywood they say “Good. Fast. Cheap…Pick two.” I dunno. All three sound pretty good. But sadly the expression has become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Conventional video production in LA has grown so specialized and compartmentalized that a client must be resigned to an end product that is either going to fall short, cost a boatload, or take forever.

In the last year I’ve created and/or edited spots for Nokia, Capitol Records, Christian Audigier, Barack Obama’s Presidential Campaign and Gucci – clips that included Oscar winners, Golden Globe winners, Grammy winners and even a Beatle. Each one was created on a shoestring budget, quickly delivered and met with delight by the clients.

So excuse me for suggesting that one can avert the Kafke-esque beast that is Hollywood production and still come away with a spectacular looking piece. Pardon my conceit that a great product shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg or take ages to finish. And, please, forgive me for wishing to shatter that time-honored myth that a client only gets to pick two values from the Hollywood Trinity. It’s time to pick all three.