iPhone, anyone?

[Dominique Grenier]

Is there somebody here who's planning on getting an iPhone on day one? That thing is sooo gorgeous...

I wish, but since it's US only, no luck here...

[Ken Corben]

Yes and No - people are actually putting ads on craigslist to hire people to stand in line for them - geez. Plus there's no word if sufficient stock will be in place or how many you can buy at an Apple store. The ATT stores' word is limited one per customer and no word on quantity - the horror.

I'll simply order online since we need more than one with next day shipping and see what happens - that is if the Apple site isn't frozen by the demand. Cool thing is you can activate the new iPhone via iTunes - the genius!

[Zakaree Sandberg]

I think im going to wait a bit.. there is word that it will drop in price significantly.. the price now is just to get as much as they can while its hot off the shelfs.. I think the 4gig will be down to 250-300 in a few months..

I have tmobile right now and obviously would switch over.. but I was saddened to find out about ATT prices for the plans.. right now i have 1200 anytime min, free weekends and nights. unlimited text/internet for 82.00
ATT would be 100 for 900 min, nights and weekends, unlimited text/internet.
I dont know if its worth it

[Yash Keough]

I'm actually pretty impressed by what I've heard so far. In Canada here, we pay exorbitant rates for cell use and any kind of data use. The AT&T rates are extremely reasonable. Right now my current cell plan gives me the unlimited evenings/weekends/incoming + 1000 text messages + 250 minutes and 100 long distance but it ends up costing me around $70-85 a month. That includes absolutely no data. So I figure the iPhone plans are pretty great. Now they just need to stop sitting around and start working on getting it to Canada and shaking up the industry :D.

As far as the actual iPhone itself, there has been a lot of media people who appear to be trying to make it fail, saying all kinds of things about why it won't work. From what I've read though, the majority of the reviewers so far are very impressed with the phone and only have a few complaints. For one, 3G is missing yet from what I've heard, adding that feature would significantly reduce battery life as of right now, which is something the iPhone is apparently pretty good with. The keyboard - I hear from reviewers once you've used it for a couple days you get very used to it and can type as fast on a Blackberry. Those seem to have been the main gripes/naysayers remarks yet I think as a whole, people will be very impressed. I hear there are a few little things such as no copy/paste etc but I'm betting most of these little issues will be resolved come version 2.0 of the iPhone in a year or so. :-)

[PaulClements]

I dunno, I think I'm about the only person that isn't all that bothered about the iPhone. I think the iPod is a wonderful piece of iconic design and it's beauty lies in its simplicity. The iPhone whilst being attractive doesn't have that same visual impact, nor do I care much for most of the features. When you can already buy nokias with 5mp Carl Zeiss cameras and GPS built in I don't see that the iPhone offers a great deal more other than being a nicer looking phone.

I guess it kind of comes down to the "everything for everyman" syndrome. By this what I mean is I'd rather listen to music on an ipod, use a gps instead of simple maps and browse the internet on my computer, can you imagine trying to read these forums on a screen that big, let alone write a reply!

Another issue I have is exposure. iPod's aren't carried around day in day like a mobile is and as such isn't as susceptable to wear as much. I easily get through a phone within 18 months, often enough 12. An iPod on the other hand may very well last for years.

[Dominique Grenier]

Another issue I have is exposure. iPod's aren't carried around day in day like a mobile is and as such isn't as susceptable to wear as much. I easily get through a phone within 18 months, often enough 12. An iPod on the other hand may very well last for years.

Yup, but apparently, according to reviewers, the iPhone is really sturdy and scratch resistant. A reviewer carried it in his pocket allong with his keys, pennies and the like, and the iPhone came out without any scracth. Plus, it underwent an extreme crash test. Plus I think you have to factor in the "wow" factor of an iPhone, which, pretty much like an iPod, you'll be, I think, more careful with its usage than you are with a typical phone...

If it is anything like the iPod nano, then I don't think you have to worry about the lifetime of this device, outside of the "I-want-this-new-wonderful-device!" syndrome when the next big thing come out.

And for the features, I think it is a mix of good design, good user interface mixed with features that makes the iPhone appealing, to me at least.

Granted, it doesn't have a GPS built-in, which would have been a killer feature, however, not everyone need this, nor will miss it.

If you haven't done so, and you have time (because it is long) take a look at this quick tour of the iPhone features and UI, well worth it I think:

iPhone Quick Tour (long) (http://www.apple.com/iphone/usingiphone/guidedtour_large.html)

[Dominique Grenier]

I think im going to wait a bit.. there is word that it will drop in price significantly.. the price now is just to get as much as they can while its hot off the shelfs.. I think the 4gig will be down to 250-300 in a few months...

Still, a lot of people will be pissed if they drop the price to quickly! I know it is normal for electronic devices to see price drop, but if we look at the original iPod for example, it remained at its original price for some time, before seeing a price drop, which, if I remember well, was along side an update to the iPod line.

Time will tell if the same will happen with the iPhone...

[Jonathan L. Bowen]

I guess it kind of comes down to the "everything for everyman" syndrome. By this what I mean is I'd rather listen to music on an ipod, use a gps instead of simple maps and browse the internet on my computer, can you imagine trying to read these forums on a screen that big, let alone write a reply!

EXACTLY! That's how I am. I just want my phone to make phone calls! I know I sound so 1990s, but seriously, if my phone works for calling people, I'm delighted. I have a GPS for navigating. I have a 10 megapixel camera for taking pictures. I have a killer laptop (and a less killer laptop that's smaller) for surfing the net. I really don't want one little device that "does it all" because to me it's just a phone. That's all I want it to do. It doesn't have to play music, show videos, navigate the roads, make me breakfast, scratch my back, do my laundry, wash my dishes, or any other thing! Just. Make. Calls. ;)

[Jason Francois]

I'm thinking I'll get one if I can find one, but I'm not going to wait in line for a day to do it. I'm always an early adopter, but for no practical reason.

Nobody needs an iPhone. It's purely a WANT thing.

That said, $600 right now could go towards a couple days of meals on my upcoming feature.

Guess, I'll have to rethink the iphone. :)

PS-Paul is right, there are more practical and effective ways to do all the things the iphone does, but none of them looks so sweet. :)

[Jonathan L. Bowen]

That product should come with a warning... "WARNING: Advertising has made you think that you need this product that you clearly don't need. Experts have put these thoughts into your head without your consent or knowledge. Buy at your own risk." ;)

[Keith Alan Morris]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_czPDtECjlU (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_czPDtECjlU)
take that, iPhone!

[Leo Ticheli]

I'll be buying an iPhone on Friday even though it has many features I don't want or need, it does promise to be a lot more user friendly for the things I do need.

I don't need music on my phone; I've got iPods for that. It might be nice to have on a plane, but I question whether we'll be allowed to use it since phones have to be switched off in flight.

What I do want, besides a good solid, reliable phone, is a great contact list, calendar, txt, and email. The iPhone interface looks terrific for these applications and syncs with my Powerbook.

Sure, we all have our favorite scouting cameras, but sometimes you don't have one or you've got to quickly send a photo so a good camera phone is necessary. GPS and maps are a real plus as well.

I don't buy the, "wait for the next generation," argument; there will always be something better around the corner and you could be waiting forever. After all, none of us are waiting for the next generation of Red cameras!

Right now I'm being tortured with a Palm Treo, equipped with software written by the Marquis de Sade and the reliability of FEMA during Katrina. The bloody thing resets or freezes constantly, usually at the worst possible times. I believe there is actually a class action case against them in California.

I won't miss the Treo. Actually, I plan to throw it against a nearby brick wall as soon as possible. It will probably bounce back and hit me in the head as a last act of malice.

Who knows; the iPhone may turn out to be a bomb instead of "the bomb," but I figure it's worth the risk of a few hundred.

Good shooting and best regards,

Leo

[Chris Kenny]

I don't think I'll stand on line for hours on Friday, but I will probably order one from Apple's online store when they go on sale. My current phone is pretty long in the tooth (almost four years old), mostly because I just hadn't seen anything newer that I particularly liked until Apple started showing off the iPhone.

My other hat says "Web Developer" on it, so I can probably have some fun writing little web-based apps for the thing, to help us manage production or whatever. (Probably just for internal use.)

[Jason Francois]

I don't buy the, "wait for the next generation," argument; there will always be something better around the corner and you could be waiting forever. After all, none of us are waiting for the next generation of Red cameras!



That should be a debate stopper on this forum. :)

Seriously, I'm with you on the contacts and such. Right now every phone I've had or others have had a just such a pain.

[pat@hpnc.com]

Seems over hyped and over priced to me. So no:)

[Jason Francois]

Seems over hyped and over priced to me. So no:)

Damn, I missed the lack of logic in my post. The RED is underhyped and underpriced, so the debate continues. :)

[Yash Keough]

In my humble opinion, the thing people most need to realize about the iPhone is that it is an APPLE product...or in other words, it "just works". Apple in both their computers and their iPods creates tools that are easy to use, reliable, and innovative. I currently have a Sony Walkman W810i phone and while it's decent, it leaves a lot to be desired in terms of ease of use, reliability, and solid navigation/user interface. It can often be a pain in the ass to use and you're left thinking why can't I do this while making a call or what not. Furthermore, it's music integration isn't that great (that is when using a computer and playing music) and every now and then when trying to make a call I get this weird freezing up of the phone. I also have to restart the phone (which takes a while because of the stupid startup logos) now and then when coming out of a subway as it doesn't pick up the network. Anyways, you get the point. Sure Apple's iPhone has a lot of great features and sure lots of other phones have these features too, or in some cases even better ones. The difference is the iPhone's will be easy to use, they will work and they will be innovative. Like the multi-touch. Why scroll on a webpage when you can use your fingers anywhere to move around?

[Jeff Kilgroe]

I'm curious to see the iPhone and I'll go check it out in a couple days. I'm moderately interested in creating applications for it. I currently have phone service through Verizon wireless as they give the best coverage in my area and most places I travel to. But Cingular/ATT isn't bad either... I may switch over to the iPhone if it works as good as it looks. But when it really comes down to it, I wouldn't use all the crap on there. I suppose it could serve as phone and my contact list, appointment book. That's about it. I wouldn't use it for music I don't think or any serious internet use. Perhaps checking email in a pinch. Of course there isn't a phone manufacturer out there that makes a phone like I want... One that is just a damn phone, that actually works 100% every time and is built to withstand any kind of punishment, is compact, yet I can still use the buttons and comfortably talk with it.. etc... I hate cell phones because the ones that are "just phones" usually are complete junk, have protruding antennas and other undesirable characteristics. The whole trend of putting cameras and everything else on them is just stupid. So instead of having a nice phone, I can have a device that's both a crappy phone and an even crappier camera. What a novel idea. My current phone is an LG Chocolate. It sucks, don't buy one. The touch sensitive buttons on the front work fine for about two weeks and then go to hell. Verizon has replaced it twice for me. Same with my wife, so she switched to a Samsung flip phone... Not a bad phone, more practical than the Chocolate and no touch-sensitive surfaces, but still a complete POS. Occasionally it freezes up or the screen won't light and the battery has to be pulled to reset it.

[Jonathan L. Bowen]

To me that's the dealbreaker of the iPhone -- I used AT&T before, it was absolutely, positively terrible service, didn't even get service in the ENTIRE city of Corvallis! Corvallis is a small town, it has 50,000 people, but it also just so happens to be one of the LARGER towns in all of Oregon! If you don't include anything that is really part of the Greater Portland Area, then Corvallis rates 4th in the state behind Eugene and Bend I think. The point is, Oregon State University is there, everyone in college has a phone, everyone in college uses a phone a lot, duh, so if you can't even offer support to a large college town there are serious problems in your service plan. I remember the only way to talk on the phone there was to go all the way to the Interstate (I-5) and make a call! That's when I switched to Verizon, and when they say they have the best network in the nation, they mean it! They do have the best network, hands down. Maybe one day AT&T will catch up, and that'd be great, I don't have any loyalty to any phone company for reasons other than I just want a phone that works. But I've had friends using other services and I always laugh at them when their phone just doesn't work in certain areas. Mine always works. Everywhere. There is nowhere I've ever been where it doesn't work, and that's saying something because with other phones I've had, it was iffy.

I do think the iPhone is pretty cool, and I love Apple, I just need to be able to put my foot down on purchases I really don't need because I've been burning through money like it's going out of style lately! With all of the filmmaking equipment I continue to buy, and with my hobbies (a $50,000+ Star Wars collection and now absinthe, which I love, but at $80 or so per bottle to get it shipped into the U.S. it's also expensive, hehe), it's not hard to spend money fast. That's why I have to pass on something cool like the iPhone that I don't really need now.

[Dominique Grenier]

That's why I have to pass on something cool like the iPhone that I don't really need now.

That's not like its a one time deal either... if the iPhone is at least half as successful as the iPod is, it is going to be there for a long time anyway...

[PaulClements]

Actually the ability to create mini programs for the iphone could be useful. If applications are available such as focus charts etc for use when filming then I will be v interested in it. Hopefully by the time it's here in the UK those across the pond will have invested sufficient time and energy and I won't have to worry about making my own!

[Adrian Correia]

That's not like its a one time deal either... if the iPhone is at least half as successful as the iPod is, it is going to be there for a long time anyway...

exactly! And as my wife said - I can get a PS3 and an iphone - or the Red camera. One guess which way I went. Plus, I hated my service with cingular and went to Verizon so I am out of luck. Will other carriers ever habe the iphone besides AT&T?

[damonbots]

AT&T absolutely screwed me a few years back. Service was horrendous and 2/3 calls dropped. Cost my business a lot of $$$. Went to hell and back trying to get released from contract. Even after they agreed to release my contract, they nailed my credit report. Three unanswered letters later and a few legal threats finally wrapped it up. The phone looks totally sweet, but do consider the numerous AT&T horror stories before you jump in. I suggest waiting for Apple to pick up a new carrier after the complaints start pouring in.

edit: Oh, I forgot one last thing... F AT&T

[Jonathan L. Bowen]

Amen! Those douchebags.

[Ken K]

Oh, I forgot one last thing... F AT&T
Quoted for truth. This is why I won't be buying the iPhone. As an Apple Consultant and evangelist (have switched many friends and family to Macs), it's sad that I won't be toting this sweet device because Apple decided to partner with the biggest bunch of douchebags to ever piss all over the cellular industry. Not that I'm bitter or anything.

Verizon's been my favorite, but I switched to T-Mobile awhile back for the better prices. I'm happy with both, but Cingular/AT&T just blows.

[Dominique Grenier]

Will other carriers ever habe the iphone besides AT&T?

If I recall correctly, Apple and AT&T have signed a 5 year agreement giving AT&T the exclusivity. So, those who'd like to get an iPhone but whitout AT&T are out of luck... for the next 5 years. However, by this time, phones will be implanted in our brains with 1 terabyte of storage, a 20 MP video camera shooting 16K images, this will be a no brainer... hehe

[Chris Kenny]

Nobody really knows the terms of the deal between Apple at AT&T. For instance, does AT&T's exclusivity extend to other phones Apple might make? Because we can be reasonably certain that this is just the start, and in a year or two there will probably be an iPhone nano or some such.

[Tom Lowe]

I'm in no rush. My phone works fine and I love my 30GB video ipod.

[Ken Corben]

Ya,

I gotta' say when you can't get s cell signal on Fairfax and Fountain in the middle of LA (cingular) that pretty much sucks. However, since I know the dead spots in LA for their coverage I work around them.

The thing that sold me on the iPhone is the voicemail upgrade. Now I no longer have to listen to the new or saved messages in "ANALOG ERA" order but can see and select the voicemail messages. Worth every penny right there period.

[Jonathan L. Bowen]

I can wait until 2012.

[Ace]

I might just carry a huge coffee table around.

[Curran Giddens]

I'm in no rush. My phone works fine and I love my 30GB video ipod.

I'm with Tom on this one. I buy stuff because I need it, not because it is the new hot item. I had my old Nokia for like 5-6 years before I bought a new one.... Besides, the iPhone needs more storage. 32 GB would be nice.

[Yash Keough]

I might just carry a huge coffee table around.

Ahaha! Or as this ad http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_czPDtECjlU says, a "big ass table". :)

[Gavin Greenwalt]

In the last 3 months since getting my new phone: I've dropped it numerous times on concrete from about 4 feet. Twice dropped it from 9+ feet onto a house floor. It's fallen out of my pocket onto concrete a few dozen times from about 2 feet. That ignores the abuse it's received from keys etc.

Unfortunately in my case the only carrier that I can get reception in my apartment is Cingular/AT&T. Reception is terrible across the country but since it's my only option if I want to receive calls at home.. so be it.

Also sometimes AT&T will update your phone during the day and will require a reboot before it can receive calls again... but does it alert you? Nooooo. So I've gone for 24 hours where I received no calls because my phone needed to be rebooted. Now I have to turn off my phone and remove the battery every morning or risk being 'off the grid' for the day.

I don't have very many dropped calls, but I also can't always make a call. Or I'll have to wait about 45 seconds before it starts ringing, even with full reception.

I could go on and on and on. But I think others have said it best. F Cingular.

If I'm going to carry around a device too inconveniently large to be unnoticeable I'll buy a UMPC and a 3G PCMCIA card.

[Ace]

Putting it to good use

[Adrian Correia]

hate you acehole....

[C.H.Haskell]

Thats it acehole, another reason to get one! haha...wtf

[Jeff Kilgroe]

Ha... That almost tempted me to go brave the line in the morning and throw away lots of money for an overpriced phone on a network that won't do me any good. Hehe. What am I thinking...

[John Godden]

I'll go on record as saying this iphone mania is a sad commentary about the state of American 'materialism'.

That being said, I own a lot of aapl and hope a lot of people buy one of these JA phones. :bleh:

Regards
JohnG

[Jeff Kilgroe]

I'll go on record as saying this iphone mania is a sad commentary about the state of American 'materialism'.

Why is it American materialism? You can't honestly tell me that people won't be lining up all over the world when international release dates come and go. But materialism for sure. OTOH, I may not be buying an iPhone, but I'd love to have an updated iPod with the slick new touch screen and 32 to 64 GB of solid state storage. :)

[Curran Giddens]

http://www.apple.com/iphone/usingiphone/guidedtour.html

"We want to make choosing a service plan simple and easy, so every plan includes unlimited data with direct Internet access, along with Visual Voicemail and a host of other goodies," said Apple CEO Steve Jobs. "We think these three plans give customers the flexibility to experience all of iPhone’s revolutionary features at affordable and competitive prices."

The base plan will be $59.99 USD and will get you 450 anytime minutes along with 5000 nights and weekend. The $79.99 plan bumps you up to 900 anytime minutes and unlimited nights and weekends. The $100 rate plan will get you 1350 anytime minutes alongside unlimited nights and weekends.

As Steve Jobs said, each plan allows for unlimited data (emails and web surfing), 200 text messages, as well as rollover minutes and free mobile-to-mobile for anyone on AT&T.

There will also be a one-time $36 activation charge.


EDIT: I just watched the 20 min. guided tour. Hmm.... Nice!

[Jonathan L. Bowen]

It's funny the way the companies choose to advertise for cell phones. I wouldn't say I think the Verizon ads are brilliant, but they drive home the basic point -- we have good service, when you want to make a call, you'll be able to do so. Even if the ads are a bit cheesy I get the point.

The AT&T ads, despite me not liking the company, aren't horrible either. They certainly drove home the point about Cingular and AT&T joining together, and I guess that was important to them. Maybe they think it's implied that if you have two providers join, you get "twice the service." So ok fair enough.

Then we have T-Mobile, which I really don't understand. I totally understand how you advertise, let's say, women's shoes to women, because uhh, most guys don't buy women's shoes. Unless they are for women, haha. And I get why makeup is advertised to women, because again, women buy makeup generally, not guys. What I don't get is how it is beneficial for a cell phone provider, which provides a service that both genders certainly use and need to use quite a bit, for business and pleasure, decides it is a great idea to make all of their ads girly and completely insulting to men. I mean why would I want to buy a phone where I have Catherine Zeta Jones talking with PINK text and borders everywhere, and telling me how cute it is that you get WHENEVER minutes (what am I a Valley Girl now? Oh my god like wow I have like so many WHENEVER minutes it's soooo totally awesome like whatever!). It's even cuter, apparently, that "couples talk free," oh how adorable, isn't that cute? Couples talk FREE. Wow it's just all too cute for words. The pink text at the end always makes me want to switch to T-Mobile, no doubt about that!

Ugg... haha. I hope they have great service and great plans, because I'd feel kind of ashamed to pull out a phone with that logo on it after their advertising campaign. My dad uses T-Mobile I think, lol, which is really funny because both my mom and I hated his phone service, we both used Verizon and his phone never seemed to work. But then again... my dad isn't very tech savvy so it's possible he was just not using it right. I think they badly need a redo. Anyone here getting a RED want to offer some spec. ads for T-Mobile? I think it'd be fun, couldn't be any worse than what they have. ;)

[Curran Giddens]

Anyone here getting a RED want to offer some spec. ads for T-Mobile? I think it'd be fun, couldn't be any worse than what they have. ;)

This brings up something (way off topic) that I was wondering about....

Do people ever create an ad on their own and then offer to sell it?

There are a few products for which you could make an ad without using the specific product during the shoot. Then you could customize the ad depending on which company you shop it around to. It could be as simple as just putting a picture of the product along with some text at the end....

I've got some ideas for some hard liquor commercials (even though I don't drink).

Zeta Jones's deal with T-Mobile began in 2002 and has been the longest celebrity spokesperson deal in the wireless industry so far. In 2005, T-Mobile extended her contract another two years and she reportedly brings in anywhere between $8-9 million a year for the gig.

from wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_Zeta-Jones): In September 2006, T-Mobile dropped Zeta-Jones for a more “man on the street” advertising campaign.

[Jonathan L. Bowen]

HAHA, that's kind of funny. I remember when she first appeared on the scene, when I saw her in The Mask of Zorro I guess it was, I was mesmerized, I was like wow this girl is going to be huge. Well, she was, but I just was never very interested with her after a while. I guess it was the Michael Douglas thing, I'm not really sure.

Curran -- we were going to try some spec ads, actually I had one for the RED that I did a casting call for but we never ended up shooting it. Not that I can't still do it. And also not that it is a real spec. ad, i.e. it's not like we would think we could sell it to RED, it was purely for fun. Basically it was this kid (late teen / early 20s) who goes in to talk to his mom about "this cool new gadget that the guy from Oakley came up with" and the mom is reading a magazine, not paying much attention, but she asks what it is, he says it's a camera, she says, "Is it expensive?" He says, "No it's really cheap compared to other similar cameras on the market." She is like, "That's nice..." So he asks if he can charge it to her credit card and if it can be an x-mas present. She hands him her purse only barely paying attention to him, he walks away: "Sweet...!"

I want to make a fake Red Bull ad for my friend David, the guy is seriously half the reason that company stays in business. When he moved from San Jose to Los Angeles, I bet company execs were like, "Hmm... since March, our sales in San Jose have been down 20%, yet our sales in Los Angeles have increased 5%. I wonder why that is..." Little do they know that David consumes about 5 Red Bulls per day. I've never seen anyone drink Red Bull like water before until I met him. He can go through 12 in about 24-36 hours, it's actually quite disturbing! I limit energy drink consumption to a maximum of one per day, and generally 2-3 per week.

Those two paragraphs remind me of something hilarious David said the other day. We were talking about how if we rent the REDs out, we have to go with them to make sure our investment is safe and our equipment handled well, etc. I said that the RED is like a girlfriend, you want to go everywhere with it. David said, "No, it's much more than that. Even for girlfriends it is good to let them go out on their own sometimes. The RED never goes out alone." LOL

[Mark L. Pederson]

Do people ever create an ad on their own and then offer to sell it?



Curran - there is actually a "niche" in the ad space for just that - spec ads.

Many "would-be" directors are shooting and uploading to the internet.

Companies LOVE this - free ads. It's why you see so many corp. sponsored "film contests" -

If it goes "viral" it can help land a real job or agent for the filmmaker.

ANOTHER way to approach it is as follows:

Approach an AD AGENCY. Often, they have complete story boards of pitches that their clients LOVED but couldn't afford, etc. - it won;t be your "vision" - but the agency already has the account with the corp. client - so, the "right" people will see your work -

I've never done this - but I know people who have, and SOLD the ad after-the-fact to the client through the agency.

[Jonathan L. Bowen]

Very nice. That sounds promising actually.

[Michael Schrengohst]

Curran - there is actually a "niche" in the ad space for just that - spec ads.

Many "would-be" directors are shooting and uploading to the internet.

Companies LOVE this - free ads. It's why you see so many corp. sponsored "film contests" -

If it goes "viral" it can help land a real job or agent for the filmmaker.

ANOTHER way to approach it is as follows:

Approach an AD AGENCY. Often, they have complete story boards of pitches that their clients LOVED but couldn't afford, etc. - it won;t be your "vision" - but the agency already has the account with the corp. client - so, the "right" people will see your work -

I've never done this - but I know people who have, and SOLD the ad after-the-fact to the client through the agency.

That does not happen much. They are companies all over the net selling "stock footage" TV ads.
Here are a few:

http://www.spotrunner.com/

http://www.socaltech.com/fullstory/0002933.html

http://news.com.com/Spot+Runner+culls+unsold+TV+spots/2100-1024_3-6049354.html

http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/biz2/0702/gallery.nextnet.biz2/19.html

Other spot services

http://www.mpowermedia.com/?gclid=CLvzwMKTu4wCFRdYTAodoiy8YA

http://www.commercialcreator.com/packages.php

http://adedge.com/

[Jeff Kilgroe]

What I don't get is how it is beneficial for a cell phone provider, which provides a service that both genders certainly use and need to use quite a bit, for business and pleasure, decides it is a great idea to make all of their ads girly and completely insulting to men. I mean why would I want to buy a phone where I have Catherine Zeta Jones talking with PINK text and borders everywhere, and telling me how cute it is that you get WHENEVER minutes (what am I a Valley Girl now? Oh my god like wow I have like so many WHENEVER minutes it's soooo totally awesome like whatever!). It's even cuter, apparently, that "couples talk free," oh how adorable, isn't that cute? Couples talk FREE. Wow it's just all too cute for words. The pink text at the end always makes me want to switch to T-Mobile, no doubt about that!

Don't underestimate the power of marketing to women. Single women are a huge portion of the population as are women in relationships that still take a highly active role in decision-making. It's a great marketing angle for T-Mobile and I think it worked well for them. Even now that Zeta-Jones is no longer doing ads for them, the T-Mobile image is still soft and so are the new commercials, at least the couple I've seen.

Other cell companies market to women too, just not on the same level as T-Mobile. Why else would Verizon offer pink RAZR and pink Chocolate phones? I see with pink RAZR and pink Chocolate phones all over the place. It's gagging really, but that's good marketing.

Another look at a different angle to the market is Boost Mobile. They're taking Nextel phones and service plans and pimping them with a ghetto / gangsta image. They're starting to go after the skater market too...

[Jonathan L. Bowen]

Well, that's true, often women do make a lot of the household decisions and bill paying and all of that. So if you get that half of the relationship to buy a T-Mobile maybe you get the guy too ;) If I got talked into that by a girl I'd feel whipped, though, LOL.

Girls talk on the phone probably a lot more than guys, so I can't really say I blame T-Mobile but I wonder if there isn't a way to market where you are catching the girls but also the guys, too. Like I never see T-Mobile ads in Maxim trying to show me how rugged their phones are and how cool they are, why a "real man like you" would want a T-Mobile phone, etc., haha.

[Ramesh Jai]

This brings up something (way off topic) that I was wondering about....

Do people ever create an ad on their own and then offer to sell it?

There are a few products for which you could make an ad without using the specific product during the shoot. Then you could customize the ad depending on which company you shop it around to. It could be as simple as just putting a picture of the product along with some text at the end....

I've got some ideas for some hard liquor commercials (even though I don't drink).

Zeta Jones's deal with T-Mobile began in 2002 and has been the longest celebrity spokesperson deal in the wireless industry so far. In 2005, T-Mobile extended her contract another two years and she reportedly brings in anywhere between $8-9 million a year for the gig.

from wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_Zeta-Jones): In September 2006, T-Mobile dropped Zeta-Jones for a more “man on the street” advertising campaign.
Funny you should mention that. I have shot just such an ad for A bank and made 6 different versions and passed it on to 6 different banks.

Will keep you posted if it worked.

[Curran Giddens]

Funny you should mention that. I have shot just such an ad for A bank and made 6 different versions and passed it on to 6 different banks.

Will keep you posted if it worked.

Good luck with your bank ads. Maybe all 6 banks will want to use your ad. Then you can auction it off to the highest bidder!

I think it would be fun to do some ads for hard liquor. A lot of the ads I've seen just have some hot women dancing in a club, etc. set to some good music, and don't even show the product until the very end. Seems like a good excuse for casting only super-hot young women in skimpy outfits.... :innocent:

[Jonathan L. Bowen]

Heck yeah, there's nothing quite like that. A few of the girls I've auditioned so far... dang! Any excuse to see lots of hot chicks AND call it "work," well, that's just too good to be true. ;)

[Leo Ticheli]

Now making calls with my shiny new iPhone. Waltzed right in to the Apple store this morning, no waiting in line.

Unless I discover a host of bugs, later, I'm thrilled. It's Star Trek, guys.

Good shooting and best regards,

Leo

[Alexander Nikishin]

The calling plans for the iphone are horrible, that's the only thing holding me back from getting one.

AT&T.....garbage.

[Chris Kenny]

Waited in line yesterday for entirely too long at an AT&T store, went home with nothing. Waited in line for under 10 minutes at at Apple's Fifth Ave. NYC retail store today, went home with an 8 GB iPhone. It was activated about 10 minutes after I got it home, and my existing number was ported from T-Mobile within an hour.

Slick.

[Jason Francois]

I'm typing this from my new iPhone and I'm loving it.
I've tried most carriers and they're all pretty bad in my opinion,so I'm more than happy to have my phone even if its AT&T.

[C.H.Haskell]

Its a great device, even for 1st generation (which I feel all 1st gen should have a fine print that says..."product beta test")...BUT, similar to RED...Apple did a great deal of testing with real users in the field before launch so as a result its a smooth piece of hardware that in my opinion lives up to most the hype (which I also find insane)...

But if your like me and have been holding out for proper a business phone (blackberry/Treo etc)...then this is it, and IMHO none of the others hold a candle stick to this beast.

Yeah its not perfect...but damn close to it. ;)

Best

[John Godden]

Why is it American materialism? You can't honestly tell me that people won't be lining up all over the world when international release dates come and go. But materialism for sure. OTOH, I may not be buying an iPhone, but I'd love to have an updated iPod with the slick new touch screen and 32 to 64 GB of solid state storage. :)

Because it's being sold here in America ONLY.

JohnG

[Ken Corben]

The 8GB models were completely sold out here in LA today (Sat) so I bought the 4GB for the wife. No line and less than 20 iPhones left at 6PM. You know there's a friggin' warehouse full of them some where - phased release what a pain.

Anyway, easy activation - loaded the photos and music - very cool device to say the least. Working on the loading of QT movies to show trailers and demos of works in progress for a pitch meeting tomorrow - the picture and audio are amazing.

[Jeff Kilgroe]

My wife's best friend bought one.. I played with it tonight, it's really cool. Now my wife thinks she wants one. I stalled her off temporarily because we have to pay a disconnect fee to Verizon and she got discouraged when she saw online order was a 2-4 week lead time. But who knows how long that will hold her back. Heh.

[Chris Kenny]

the picture and audio are amazing.

Yeah, the screen is great. Between the almost tactile feel of the UI (ironic, with all the pundits complaining about the lack of physical buttons) and the fact that you can't easily make out pixels, the thing really feels like something other than a computing device. It feels very organic. There are all sorts of little touches that contribute to this. Like, if you try to scroll past the start of or end of the content you're viewing, it lets you, and then the view bounces back. This has a much more fluid feel than a hard stop would. And the transitions everywhere make you feel like you're navigating a real little physical space.

It's a pretty impressive effect.

[Michael Ragen]

I've been playing with one all day. It's kinda nifty, but the keyboard setup is terrible. I want a stylus or an actual keyboard. Also not being able to text message more than one person at a time sucks. I'll wait for the next gen. The web interface is pretty cool though. I still want more real buttons though.

[Jonathan L. Bowen]

Why would you text message more than one person at a time? I'm confused...

[Jason Francois]

I've been playing with one all day. It's kinda nifty, but the keyboard setup is terrible. I want a stylus or an actual keyboard. Also not being able to text message more than one person at a time sucks. I'll wait for the next gen. The web interface is pretty cool though. I still want more real buttons though.

buttons are going the way of film...they'll be around for some time,but their days are numbered :)
That said, I love buttons and film, but I'm trying to evolve.
still a bit tough with this touchscreen.....takes me ten times longer. Oh well.

[tokintrader]

Need vs want - semantics.

I design predictive software for financial markets. New features I'm implementing will be specifically for the iPhone interface. It's the first mobile device I've ever considered supporting.

Yes, I need to have a mobile interface to my software with a next generation touch interface.

I also need a Red 4K camera to show off the other worldly details I see when tripping on mushrooms in Nature.

Seriously :)

[Michael Ragen]

Jonathan,
if you are having a meeting or a party or some event that involves more than one person it is very handy to be able to send the same text to multiple people at the same time. I have been told that this should be fixed on the iphone in a few weeks.

[Alexander Nikishin]

What service plan did all of you iphone owners choose?

[Chris Forbes]

Why would you text message more than one person at a time? I'm confused...

I have seen my sister-in-law carry on up to 9 I.M. conversations at one time. I don't think she is unique. It is like a virtual party.

[Ken Corben]

What service plan did all of you iphone owners choose?

We have an existing ATT business plan for three phones. It was an additional minimum $20/month per phone for the 200 text messages. The iTunes activation was seamless and took a matter of minutes to complete. We used the phones all day today and are VERY pleased. Visual voice mail is the bomb.

I converted an array of company video demos and trailers to "iPod" via FCP export with quicktime conversion, imported to iTunes 7.3 and loaded them on the iPhone - very cool!

[tokintrader]

Re: "The fact that no one understands you doesn't mean you're an artist."

sharkguy, it sometimes means you are aware of something others can't see yet. Depends on how many emotions are raging within you.

a leader on a remote island once lead his tribe to safe haven several days before a devastating tsunami...

[Ken Corben]

Re: "The fact that no one understands you doesn't mean you're an artist."

sharkguy, it sometimes means you are aware of something others can't see yet. Depends on how many emotions are raging within you.

a leader on a remote island once lead his tribe to safe haven several days before a devastating tsunami...

Very zen tokintrader. You summarized in one sentence the responses I often encounter from executives in this business to my ideas and pitches. I had a Discovery Channel executive once tell me that my concept of shooting my shark week special in HD was not relevant to their programming needs:)

I have learned that "Genius is being 6 months ahead of your time. Being seen as a broke and odd recluse is when you are 10 years ahead of your time."

My Grandfather was a genius and accomplished nuclear physicist from his theoretical proofs of neutrinos to his work on Oppenheimer's theoretical math team. He was very sad when I dropped out of grad school to become an "artist" and break the family tradition. I think if he were alive today he would approve.

[Brook Willard]

I couldn't help but geek out and make a post from my iPhone. Lame, yes... But hey.

[Tom Lowe]

I'll be more interested once it has about 30GBs, then I can load it up with movies and MP3s and use it a super iPod. :)

[Jeff Kilgroe]

I'm willing to bet we'll see new iPods with the widescreen touch interface and 32~64GB capacity (solid state) by this time next year. Possibly even a 24 or 32GB version out this year in time for Christmas. Think iPhone, but without the phone capability and more storage. I'd definitely buy a 64GB one of those -- provided it doesn't cost as much as a new kidney.

[Tom Lowe]

Yeah. If the whole current ipod was a screen, that would be awesome, in terms of screen size. Currently the screen is so tiny you have to be desperate to watch anything on it... and that does happen. :)

[Jeff Kilgroe]

Hehe... I'm holding out for the widescreen, multitouch iPod... I currently just have an iPod nano and one of the clip on Shuffles. Both great, the shuffle is awesome for at the gym, but I wish the clip was tougher. It just doesn't bite that hard and I've had it fall off on occasion.