Making Movies is Hard

Hugh MaCleod finds out making movies is hard and points to a lession in extreme business modelling.

From GapingVoid:

"The one thing I have learned since watching this film project evolve from the very beginning is: Film making is REALLY hard. Seriously. Here are the hard bits:

1. Writing the script.
2. Raising the money.
3. Convincing the right actors to appear in the film.
4. Shooting the film.
5. Editing the film.
6. Finding distrubution.
7. Marketing the film i.e. convincing Middle America or whoever to part with their money,one movie ticket at a time, in sufficient numbers to see an eventual profit.
8. Probably the hardest part of all: Ensuring that none of the above goes over budget."

Forthcoming on Extreme Business Modelling: (Part #3)

"A few important aspects of extreme programming, eh, extreme business-modelling:

• Write a user story. Explore the value for the customer!
• [Extreme business-planning specific: Acid test your pricing and margins. If you could easily deliver at half the price of the competition, you may be good. If you're pretty sure you can deliver at 1/10th you'll have the leeway to play really loose :)]
• The customer (even the potential one) is always available. Involve the customer, use him, make him a part of the process.
• Pair programming and collective code ownership. Involve the customer again, let him have ownership to your product!
• Make frequent small releases. Test one thing at a time, don't get stuck with a half-baked and untested complete plan.
• Iterate and integrate often. Test and try, go back make better, test and try again, go back...
• Leave optimisation till last. When it gels, shape the last parts, refine when the basics are right!"