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Organizational question...
So, I am one of the most organized people I know. I often know where not only my stuff is, but where everyone else's is too. I just keep up with stuff. Its in my nature. However, keeping up with all the details of trying to schedule shoots is difficult. Making sure you know all the important information about a photographer (or model) like their half dozen profile numbers, their phone number, records of emails and interactions, oh, yeah, and the shoot details gets tough to juggle. So I am curious to know how others do it to maintain their schedules and not have anything fall through the cracks. Thanks!! Oct 23 06 05:54 pm Link I ask my secretary...... BTW....is your handle...NC17 a StarTrek thing???.....I think NC17 was the first Enterprise designation. Oct 23 06 07:20 pm Link I'm a great fan of the "project folder". Inside the front cover, I have the names, phone numbers and email addresses of everyone involved in any way, then next come sketches and snapshots (Polaroids of working images, etc.), then contracts (if any) then receipts for expenses, and lastly billing stuff and correspondence. And I create the digital version on my machine when I'm ready to archive it with the images. I do love a good org system! Oct 23 06 07:31 pm Link I simply don't do nudes. I'm sure it cuts down on the jobs immensly! Oct 23 06 07:40 pm Link I use Microsoft Outlook as my primary organizing tool. There is a separate Contact file for each individual, which contains name, address, telephone number(s), email address(es) and website address(es). The notes area in the contact file is convenient for multiple websites. There is a separate Task for each shoot. The task file has an area for linking contacts, such as model, MUA, stylist(s), etc. and has a notes area in which I make a "to do" list. The Calendar, of course. All of these can be linked to each other within Outlook and linked to files outside of outlook. It works quite well. Oct 23 06 07:55 pm Link Easiest way is to create a sort of PERT chart in a spreadsheet program like Excell. You can list all the tasks in one column and the time line spanning the rows. Just work backward from the shoot date to determine when everything needs to be started. Works great. I have managed many large development projects this way. Oct 23 06 09:31 pm Link FKV: That's NCC-1701, not NC-17. Whoops, is my geek showing? OP: My solution so far: - I use Google Calendar for my scheduling (work, personal, and shooting), keep my shoot discussion notes there. I would switch to iCal but I need access away from my home computer. - I keep my model contact info in Address Book (it's a Mac thing, Outlook or OE will work if you are using a Windows machine) and it syncs to my Pocket PC phone. - I try to use email for all conversations with models that aren't over the phone or in person. I don't trust the email at MM, MySpace, etc. to be there when I need them. - I create email folders for each model I'm talking with and move them between master folders (Clients, Booked, Reschedule, Hot Leads, Warm Leads, Cold Leads, Flakes, and Interesting Profiles). I store *both* sent and received emails in those folders, as well as notices I receive from OMP, MM, etc. related to them. Oct 24 06 12:38 am Link Jay Dezelic wrote: Shows the businessman in you Jay. Oct 24 06 01:45 am Link Mitsukai wrote: I'm glad that works for you. It doesn't work for everyone though. Thanks. Oct 24 06 08:06 am Link Thanks to everyone for their replies. I currently use gmail, which I love for the organizational qualities of it, and also use gmail calendar. It works pretty well, all things considered, I was just curious to know how other people did it and what types of results they were getting. I guess the toughest thing to keep up with is the things that are working on coming together. Those sorts of details are tough for me to keep straight as they often change quickly, and many details get spread across multiple emails, such as what to bring/wear/wardrobe, makeup or no, shoes, directions, phone numbers, links to sites, etc, etc etc. Thanks for the suggestions though! I totally appreciate it. Oct 24 06 08:08 am Link iCalendar on my Macs...a pen and paper...and a really good memory.  Oct 24 06 08:11 am Link  I keep track using one e-mail address, cell phone, dayplanner, rolodex, giant wall calendar, and quite a number of composition themebooks. I prefer writing things down.Oct 24 06 08:29 am Link I have an intern. You might try the Microsoft computer software called Access. It lets you handle most of this organizational stuff easily. Once the data is in you can search, sort and it is not hard to learn. Oct 24 06 08:43 am Link vanWingo wrote: Make sure you back up the outlook.pst file every now and then. It's a bugger when Outlook crashes -- and sooner or later, it will! Oct 24 06 08:45 am Link KathyJean wrote: There is something really nice about paper Oct 24 06 08:56 am Link Actually I am training my cat to handle my to do list. She is working her way up in the organization from paperwight to assistant paper shreder. I may have to lay her off though cause she keeps demanding more snacks. Cheap help is hard to find. Oct 24 06 08:58 am Link Philip Hall wrote: Seriously, I suggest a student intern. In our area (SF Bay) there are many work study students that want work. You register with the school and the federal government picks up half their pay. Oct 24 06 09:03 am Link Philip Hall wrote: Heh, I don't think if I employed my dog I'd get as good of results. Unless of course I wanted drool spots on everything... Oct 24 06 06:01 pm Link |
