Expert: Dan Pepper - 2/17/2011

Question
I understand Cali is the only place to legally film. But I also know in starting a company it requires hundreds of thousands of dollars. My questions are as follow on strategy.

1. Is it possible to start with a very small staff and average equipment? (Technology has advanced enough to get good footage with affordable cameras i think)

2. Would having a sizable amount of footage to start with be a good strategy to sell to distributors or the launch of own website?

3. In order to keep with the law on location, what is needed to prove filming location? (i am interested in getting user content but complying with law)

Thank you in advance, in all my research I have to say you have shown great knowledge and honest answer. If you are interested in a protegee, I raise my hand, both of them!

Answer
Hector, good questions.  Here are my thoughts:

1.  Yes, if you have staff that knows what they are doing and you create quality content.  You may also consider renting pricier digital equipment instead of buying cheaper stuff.

2.  You'll need a fair amount of content before any reputable distributor would be willing to work with you.  If you are launching a pay or subscription site, plenty of content will be key in order to keep your members happy.

3.  Proving where you shot your content is typically not a big issue - issues related to solicitation and prostitution tend to arise on or around the time of the shoot anyway.

And thanks for the kind words - it is much appreciated!