Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with independent

Best video rental stores?

davidriley — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:13:06 -0800

I make independent films and distribute them myself. I've started sending my movies to independent video rental stores around the country. I've sent my movies to I Luv Video in Austin, Scarecrow Video in Seattle, Video Underground and Hollywood Express in Boston, Acme Video in Providence, and others. What are the best independent video rental stores in your city? Don't say Netflix.

Best way to educate a child who is a follower in large groups but independent in small groups.

lynnie-the-pooh — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 07:54:18 -0800

Need advice: what is the best way to educate a child who is a follower in large groups but an independent leader in small groups? Hello:

My five year old daughter is in public Kindergarten right now and the teacher tells me she is not independent and that she is a follower. She does not speak up and does not show confidence. At home, my child is talkative, independent, assertive, and a negotiater; the complete opposite of her school situation. Plus she is reading at a first grade level.

But I also see this independence outside of home, as long as it is a small group or only a few people. For example, she is a model/actress for a company, and can get up and do a monologue that she memorized in front of a small group. And one time I introduced her to a lady that she never met before (who was a choir instructor), and my daughter got up on the stage in front of this person and began belting out a song from the sound of music, using her arms and face to express the song and everything.

She used to go to Montessori school for preschool, where supposedly an independent child will thrive. The teacher there did tell me that my child was on the quiet side and seemed to be a follower. Now that we are in public school, it seems to be the same thing.

My question is, should I put her back in Montessor, in hopes that she will become independent? Should I keep her in public school, since those schools are more geared toward telling children how and what they are going to do and learn, or should I homeschool her and then put her in a lot of activities? I do homeschool her in the summer, so it's not like I don't know anything about that.

What I'm concerned about, is that a child who appears to be free and independent and assertive, is now changing her personality with every experience she has at public school. And eventually she will see herself as the quiet, unsure, follower in the group.

Any advice?

Lynnie-the-Pooh

Who are the artistic examples of the up and coming model of promotion and distribution?

nanojath — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 23:16:35 -0800

Working on a list: looking for examples of artist types who are forging a livable career through unconventional methods of self-promotion and/or distribution. Slightly vague, but I think it is a reasonably definitive category: in the old model, successful writers get a deal with a major publisher, successful musicians sign a deal with a major label. People like Wil Wheaton, Cory Doctorow, Jonathan Coulton are making a mark leveraging this new media thingy we've got going online. Not too interested in whether you think they suck or not. If they're making a living and eschewing the road more traveled to success, I want your examples. Bonus points if they have a regular online presence I can feed into via Google Reader.

Shopping for Someone to Shop for Something

nomad — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 11:10:20 -0800

How do I shop for an independent health insurance agent in Philadelphia? My current job situation does not provide health insurance (I'm a contractor), so I would like to obtain personal independent insurance. From what I've read in books and online, it's not a bad idea to get an agent that knows what is available in my area and can help me find the best plan for my specific needs. I'm having a hard time, however, figuring out where to start shopping for an agent to help me shop for a plan.

Angles I've tried or am trying:
* I know about eHealthInsurance.com but think I could still use the assistance of an agent
* I've contacted the Pennsylvania Insurance Department and they refused to give me a listing of licensed agents and suggest that I use the yellow pages (what is this, 1962?)
* I've contacted the Association of Health Insurance Advisors and they sent me a list of all agents registered with them in Pennsylvania including their certifications. I've whittled this down to three people that are Registered Health Underwriters and are located in and around Philadelphia, but I have no idea what level of credibility the AHIA has and whether there are other (possibly better) agents out there that I'm missing out on by going this route.
* I know that the best way to do this is through recommendations, but I have no friends or contacts that have independent health insurance in the area (and I ask basically everyone I meet).

Does anyone have any resources I could use to shop for agents? Should I just forgo the agent and shop directly for an insurance policy myself (since I'm already spending so much time on this)? I have many questions that I feel would not be answered if I buy the policy directly.

Independent Contractor, or Not?

SoftSummerBreeze — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 16:39:53 -0800

Supposedly I'm an Independent Contractor. But I never signed a contract. I began working for my most recent employer in early 2005, brought in through a temp agency. I was formally hired 6 months later as a full-time employee with health benefits, vacation time and paid salary vs. hourly. I continued to advance in the company from front desk admin to office manager. There were a number of entities under the primary company umbrella, as well as a non-profit organization. I performed work for all of them. As the economy slowed, so did all the primary businesses, so most of my work was for the non-profit.

At one point my boss came to me and said he was going to have to pay me as an Independent Contractor for "about a month or so" since the primary businesses were struggling financially. I verbally agreed to this without doing my homework as to exactly what it meant to be an I.C. This method of paying me without taxes etc being deducted from my checks continued on for 6 - 7 months of last year. At certain times I would receive standard payroll checks, but more often than not I received a check for my full wages without any deductions.

The '08 tax season was not pretty. In addition to being 1099'd to death I had final taxes to pay on my deceased mother's accounts. Never before in all my working years have I paid at tax time; I've always received a refund. Not so this year. I ended up paying close to $4k!

I spoke to my boss about this and he basically blew me off. My calculations showed that I had been underpaid by over $1k and he refuses to pay me this money - which he agrees he owes me - until some investors come through with their money, which is not likely to happen any time soon. Also, bossman was continuing to pay his portion of my group health and dental insurance through the company.

In January of this year I was told that there was no work for me, but he'd call me in on an as-needed basis. At first I was working about 20 hours per week. Over time that dwindled and I worked a total of 3 hours in May and June. Obtaining my payment for the work I'd done got to be more and more of a joke. I was told that various partners were contributing to my salary and I had to wait for each person to decide to actually pay me. Since I was *not working more than I was working I cleared my office of all personal possessions one weekend. That was about 3 weeks ago.

Toward the end of last month I called the benefits agent to discuss other health and dental insurance options. He recommended I switch to COBRA with the gov't benefit of 65/35 payment split. He called the office to have them process the necessary paperwork and was told by the gal in accounting that I was still employed there and this was not necessary (my changing my insurance).

Today I get an email from my boss sent at 6 AM (??) saying he noticed that I've cleaned out my office, would I please return my office key and call the benefits agent to switch my insurance to COBRA. Damned strange, if you ask me. It took him 3 weeks to notice my office was clean? And why couldn't I have switched to COBRA last month when I asked about it?

But I digress.... I've read up on what being an I.C. entails and what the basic rules are. My boss has pretty much violated all of them, the most glaring being continuing to pay my health and dental insurance as though I were an employee. Beyond that he dictated what hours I would work, and provided me with accrued paid vacation. He's doing all this without my ever having signed an Independent Contractor Agreement.

I'll be taking my key in sometime this next week, but I need to know how best to address this with the boss. I've been collecting unemployment since January and except for the first couple of weeks did not note any income because I wasn't being paid regularly for the work I was doing. In lieu of no Agreement being signed I want to ask him to not 1099 me this year and just call it good. I'll even forego the $1k he still owes me if he's willing to do this. (Is that a good idea, or...)

What other facts do I need to know to let him know that I am not going to play his games and I want to make as clean a break as possible. He's always been one to co-mingle funds and BS creditors like no other. I never cared until it became personal.

Help me go in there armed to the hilt so I can come out relatively unscathed financially.

Thanks.

Help me find independent journalists

reenum — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:30:26 -0800

Looking for independent news sites and journalists' blogs I've been reading ProPublica since last year and really love it. I've tried to find similar sites, but no other site seems to have independent journalism without an extreme bias towards the left or right.

Today, I was reading a post on The Inquisitr and it talked about how some journalists who find themselves out of work are relaunching themselves on the Web.

Can anyone point me to independent journalism sites besides ProPublica and sites of journalists who used to write for a paper, but now publish independently on the Web?

Alternatives to the mainstream scientific method that have generated real, practical output.

ajp — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 11:47:28 -0800

Alternatives to the mainstream scientific method that have generated real, practical output. Hi all. I appreciate this is a wide-ranging question, and simply asking the question introduces a lot of points en-route that might provoke debate. The overall question, though, is whether any real, tangible, practical output has come from modern alternatives -- or complements -- to the "scientific method".

A debate about the value of the scientific method is probably out of place here -- whether it represents a pinnacle of achievement; if it's a "good" or "bad" thing; etc -- these are conversations that don't fit MeFi's purposes. Ditto the nature of truth, experience, and so on. All valuable stuff, but I'm looking for something specific, for now. I'll be investigating epistemology in my own time.

Both proponents of, and opponents to, the scientific method recognise that it has limitations. But are there any alternatives that have provided as much? I know of very few places to look. Goethean science seems interesting, in its acknowledgement of both the subjective and objective. But how many Goethean scientists have cured a disease?

If we consider the scientific method to be a "gold standard" (and I appreciate that some do not) then we'd recognise that it grew from a distinctly non-scientific background. Proponents would consider it as a pinnacle of sorts, emerging as increasing clarity from confusion. I'm less interested in the tangential off-shoots from this process, more interested in parallel or independent systems of thought -- if that makes sense.

Measuring the "value" of the outputs of any alternative system is tricky, if we're not to use the yardsticks of the scientific method itself, so perhaps that's a sub-question here! But, back to the main thrust: what are the alternative systems, and what is the value of their output?

I appreciate that by asking the question, I'm taking a rationalist approach; but every journey starts somewhere.

Looking for an Independent Insurance Agent

Pocahontas — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 09:44:32 -0800

How do I find an independent insurance agent? How do I find out who is a good independent insurance agent? No, I didn't get any recs from friends, and I want to do this today.

Searching through the mefi archives, I see that it is very important to get an independent insurance agent before purchasing any type of insurance (looking for a lower premium on my home policy).

In the East Bay of SF Bay.

stupid computers, always cutting things short

Lucinda — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 06:49:12 -0800

Question for those of you who have seen "Knee Deep": My recording cut out - how much did I miss? (spoilers inside) The last thing I saw was Josh Osborne standing on the deck of one of the houses that was being built in the development that was once his father's farm. The camera was pulling away, wistful music was playing, he was staring into the distance.

Was that it, or did I miss any sort of epilogue?

(It doesn't look like it's scheduled to be on again any time soon, or I'd just re-watch it.)

how did you get out of a romantic rut? how did you stop being single?

iamnotateenagegirl — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 13:57:44 -0800

how did you get out of a romantic rut? how did you stop being single? This isn't a how to question as much as a how did question.

You were single. You didn't think you'd meet anyone, you were open to it, but you were quite self sufficient and comfortable. You were enjoying life, blah blah, but you wanted a relationship in the long term and was maybe angsting about it when other things weren't going too well, but got really anxious and territorial about your life when the prospect of things changing came up. People tended to tell you you had a lot of bad luck with romantic relationships; you could never seem to meet anyone 'right'. You overanalysed everything, and self-sabotaged as much as you could, so you could stay single. But now you're in a relationship. How did this happen? Was it the person, the external factors, or something else?

(the answer I'm looking for is not 'i started to love myself' or anything prescriptive. It is details of how things actually happened: I started meeting someone every day, our dates worked out, our one night stand worked out, etc)

How to find out the percentage of registered republicans, democrats, and others in New York

omnigut — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 14:42:54 -0800

Help! I desperately need to know what percentage of people in NYC are registered as democrats, republicans, and independent. Can anyone find the right link?! I can't find the information on NYC.gov but I have very little time, so I'm skimming. Thank you!

I want my film listed on IMDb.

davidriley — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 18:53:36 -0800

I want my film listed on IMDb. I've tried and failed. The title gets lost in a dead letter office while I'm supposed to come up with "relevant information" without being told what information that could be. My film is, of course, a low-budget horror movie that has never been screened nationally on television or at a film festival, but it has been shown over forty times around the country and is for sale online. I know of filmmakers who have their crappy movies listed on the site before they are even finished, so there must be something I can do.

This previous question didn't seem to yield a solution. Anyone have any ideas?

January, it's just this month, you know?

Rinku — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 17:57:55 -0800

I have a month in which to do a project. What kind of project, you ask? Good question. Perhaps something fun, perhaps something educational, perhaps something mind-expanding. The options, they are endless. The college I attend has a "winter term" between fall and spring semesters. It lasts through most of the month of January. The three official options for winter term are as follows:

1. Academic Study: a faculty-sponsored, academically-focused research, study, or performance project that can be conducted on- or off-campus, individually or as part of a group project.

2. Field Experience: a learning activity that could include career exploration, social or political action, community service, or an unpaid internship.

3. Personal Growth and Development: an opportunity to learn a skill, try something new, or pursue subject matter outside of traditional academic disciplines.

As you can see, the possibilities are endlessly broad, especially the third - under its banner of "personal growth and development" a student in the seventies (it is told) once etched the word "potato" into every tray in the dining hall. I'm wouldn't be surprised if this was true, considering how every single tray in the dining hall has the word "potato" etched into it. Given, these were the Seventies, and if I were to propose this to a teacher today (your project must be approved and sponsored by a teacher) I doubt they would accept.

Still, you can do pretty much anything, as long as it's more or less worthwhile. Last year I did a private study of Buddhism, where I read books and went to Buddhist services at a local shrine, but the shrine's only monk was gone on a tour of India for three weeks out of the month, and the books, they were long, they were dry, and the project devolved into me attempting to win every achievement from the Orange Box.

This January, I'm hoping for fewer gnomes in fewer rockets, that is, less boredom. Not that my project last year wasn't interesting, it was, I really enjoyed attending the few services I did, and the books were interesting, even if I didn't read as much of them as I probably should have. I am aware that no matter what project I choose, I will be a little bit bored, just because January is a long time. The exact dates you're supposed to be doing the project are January 2nd - 27th, weekdays, supposedly about 5 hours a day, but most people don't do quite that many hours. It can be all at once, too - I've heard of a group project that only took a week, but the kids were working almost solid, save sleep, during that time.

So, what do I do? I'll have access to a computer and the internet, (obviously), a good reading couch, a kitchen, and Seattle (an hour away) if I choose to do it at home, which I'm leaning towards. Travel is an option - I could go somewhere and write about it, propose it to a Journalism teacher - that works but it costs money. What projects can I do at home, on a relatively limited budget? Seattle specific recommendations would be cool (oh hey you should totally just go volunteer at ___) but, more generally... what kinds of projects could I do in a snow-locked cabin for the winter? That's really not too far off from what I'm talking about here.

The only thought I've had so far is of an "Ambient Music History and Appreciation" kind of thing, which sounds interesting in one way but also devastatingly dull in another. I've also thought of learning to play the guitar, or writing a comic of some kind, or writing songs in Reason, and while those might be fun I'm sure there are more creative ideas out there. Oh, also: I cannot get paid.

There are sponsored projects and team projects and things like that, but they haven't really started to be advertised yet. I'm asking this early because I've been thinking about it the last couple of days, and on the off chance there's some awesome program I have to apply for now, or what have you.

This is a really awesome opportunity, MeFites. Help me make the most of it. Thanks in advance.

Independent worker tax question

Macboy — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 07:24:13 -0800

My wife starts a new contracting job next week. I am looking for a good calculator to formulate how much should be set aside for taxes. I've Googled with no good solution. Is there a formula you use? If you are an independent contractor do you have any tips?

Where can I spread the word about my project to musicians who might be interested?

racecar — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 06:53:20 -0800

How can I reach independent musicians? My friends and I have built a great service for artists who promote their music online. The people who use it rave about it. But we'd like to grow to serve a lot more people in a more eclectic range of music. Right now, we're running AdWords, messaging similar artists on MySpace, and organically spreading the word through musicians and fans that already love our service.

I know musicians are busy people, but I'd like to somehow show more people what we've built. The service gets cooler for everyone as there are network effects involved.

How do you make your indie films?

seeminglee — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 15:13:50 -0800

What are the challenges that independent filmmakers + people working in the industry (actors, crew, etc) face today? What tools do you use currently for the different stages of your production? What do you like about them, what do you wish for? I am currently conducting research to understand the landscape of independent filmmaking, and where solutions / hacks exist for filmmakers in dealing with the problems.

I'll write a tipsy letter to a real good friend of mine

numinous — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:39:13 -0800

Darling-Letter-Filter: Where can I purchase attractive, design-inspired paper goods online? I am planning on hand-writing some letters in order to re-connect with people in my life (and to update them on my current whereabouts/endeavors, etc.). Thus, I am looking specifically for sheets of paper + envelopes for letter-writing. I really enjoy the design sensibility of current independent designers, so I'd like something that reflects this.

I'm well-acquainted with designers on Etsy, but I'm not finding what I'm after. Most of my other leads are from places like Creature Comforts and Oh Joy! (taking a look at those, you'll get a good feel for what I'm looking for). However, as with Etsy, most of the suggested designers are primarily invested in creating folded note-cards, and not singular sheets for letter-writing.

Can you suggest somewhere online where I might be able to find such stationary? I want links! Lot of links!

If there is a designer or online storefront that doesn't offer such stationary, but you feel shouldn't be missed, please feel free to post those links, too! I might find use for those later on. :)

Was my vote in Democratic California primary thrown out?

PostIronyIsNotaMyth — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 13:36:06 -0800

Was my vote in Democratic California primary thrown out? When I got my CA driver's license in August I registered as a Green Party member. So yesterday I went to my polling place to vote. When I showed up they had all my info, and it was all correct. Now when I checked in I was asked how I wanted to vote, which threw me off because I was under the impression I could only vote in the Green Party primary. But I asked, and with no problems, receveid a ballot for the Democratic party.

I've been reading online about many of the problems CA has had with "declined to state" voters who voted Democratic. I know it has something to do with the bubble on the first or second page of the ballot that independent voters are supposed to check off if they want to vote for a Democratic presidential candidate. I checked that off, so in that area I'm fine.

BUT was I even allowed to vote in the Democratic primary? I was not registered "declined to state" but as a Green Party member. Yet I asked for and received a Democratic ballot. In the book that had everyone's info the woman even crossed out my party affiliation of GRN and wrote something else (I'm not sure what). So did my ballot get counted or was it thrown out?

Which prosumer (ack) HDV camera should we purchase?

christopherbdnk — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 17:30:59 -0800

My friend and I are looking at HDV cameras and trying to decide right now between Panasonic's HVX200, Canon's XL H1, Sony's V1U, and JVC's HD110U (an upgrade of the HD100U, I believe). We're leaning toward the HD110U because of what we've seen of its picture quality, ability to switch lenses, and reported ease of use. Which one should we buy, what are the pros and cons? My friend and I are looking at HDV cameras and trying to decide right now between Panasonic's HVX200, Canon's XL H1, Sony's V1U, and JVC's HD110U (an upgrade of the HD100U, I believe). We're leaning toward the HD110U because of what we've seen of its picture quality, ability to switch lenses, and reported ease of use.

We plan to use miniDV first as P2 cards are too expensive right now for us and we'd rather invest more in the equipment than memory, but we'll probably move to P2 in the future.

We'd also like to be able to switch lenses and built-in zoom doesn't matter much to us, but an XLR mic input would be key.

We're going to be shooting feature-length independent (obviously) films at 24f/s and we're looking for something that will produce film-quality shots in 720p.

Considering that right now we don't have existing lens we need to support, what are the pros and cons of each camera? Our price-range goes up to ~$3000 for the camera

thanks everyone!

Because I can.

laughinglikemad — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 12:49:02 -0800

I am a geek, not a businessman. Help me sell my 'albums.' I thought to myself, "I'm how old? And I haven't put out a CD? That's not right." So I put out two.

The only twist is, it's not music - it's stories. People seem to like my stories, so why not? I've always been a big fan of oral history - StoryCorps, Speakeasy DC, my own friends' lives, etc. - so I simply read off prepared (non-fiction) stories in a proper recording studio.

Searching for a stolen kidney, getting mugged in a Turkish cemetery, living in trailers with crazy people, trawling for mesozooplankton in the Pacific, having an awesome transgender father, etc. Twenty stories total, ten per CD - Volumes 1 and 2. I think everyone can and should do it, actually.

I've read though this. But I'm starting cold: no MySpace, no cover art, and a fanbase that consists of enthusiastic friends and family. I'm not a friggin' poet, I'm not a performer with shows, I'm just an occasionally reckless nerd who likes decent stories.

Does CD Baby take 'spoken word?' Can I sell mp3s one at a time, and where? Is MySpace really worth the time - I shudder at the prospect of sitting in front of a computer, rushing to make on-line friends. Should I just wander around with a cardboard sign that reads, 'Stories for Sale'? What's the best route?

How should I release and distribute my album?

lukeomalley — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 13:15:07 -0800

How should I release and distribute my newly recorded album without a record label? I am finishing up my record and it is time for me to start planning the release. The more I read about the RIAA and record labels, the less I want to be associated with them. I am looking for an alternative route.

I am not averse to giving it away, but it is a lot of money out of my pocket. I figured that the hive mind might have some solutions that I am unaware of.

Where can I find out about new indie/foreign movies?

special-k — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 10:48:15 -0800

You know how Pitchfork is a great way to keep up on new indie music? Is there something similar for indie/foreign flicks? I love that Netflix has a ton of foreign/indie flicks but it’s impossible to find and add new cool releases unless you know the title. So I’ve given up on their dumb interface and would like to find a website that can tell me about new releases [both on the big screen and DVD]. It would also be cool if I could find lists by language. Any ideas?

Films with very small casts?

fire&wings — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 15:57:53 -0800

Engaging, quality films with very small casts. Recommendations? I've realised that I really like films with small casts. Moreso if they don't take part in confined stage sets (like Tape.) For instance Closer, and to a lesser extent Keane, have miniscule casts yet they never feel like theatrical plays forced onto the big screen. They are shot in various locations, indoors and out, and you don't fully realise there are only a handful of main characters until the credits roll. Looking for more of the same.

They need a job to support their dream

Brandon Blatcher — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 18:47:20 -0800

A person wants to be a superhero, but is not superrich. What kinda job can they hold to support themselves, assuming their expenses (Rent, food, utilities, retirement fund, single, no kids, no car or debt) are about $1400 a month? They live in a major city. This is for a piece of fiction. The superhero is not rich and has no rich friends/family etc. They're not in it for the money. They don't want to do anything illegal or even immoral. They don't want to use their powers to work for someone 'cause they want to be totally indie with their super-hero shtick (that and there was a bad experience doing suphero work for someone else). Part of their power is a fast healing time or invulnerability to cut down on those pesky doctor bills, visits and questions.

Please don't mention Spiderman and his freelance photography which consisted mostly of him taking pictures of himself. That was silly, as anyone with a lick of sense should have figured it out. I'm going for real life, something practical. The superheroing occurs during the night and day, so it can't be a straight 9 to 5.

This person wants to spend most of their time superheroing and as little time as possible working, but would like to be interesting work, if possible.

Major laymen meet major label

Slam I Am — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 10:09:01 -0800

Reasons for/against entering in to negotiations with a major label? Stories of effective and ineffective independent representation/promotion/publishing? Things to keep in mind during negotiations? Without going in to too much detail, I'm part of a group that has been approached by a major recording company. What's at stake here generally is a scene that's relatively untapped in terms of mass-produced records.

Personally my inclination is to tell them to get lost. If they think there's a market for what we do, we should organize and make it happen ourselves, keeping control and profits within the community, rather than helping some record company rep climb the ladder by breaking a new market.

But that's just me- overall, I'd love to hear arguments for and against such relations, stories of successful grassroots artistic community building, promotion and publishing, stories of unsuccessful same, advice and guidelines for both major label negotiations and independent label founding (and I realize the two aren't necessarily at odds), and any other thoughts/resources you have to offer. Thanks!