Location Scouting

I have officially put together three Raindance Montreal courses for this spring/summer and this week we begin knocking on the doors of the press to announce our official presence in Montreal! I have had quite a ride negotiating with tutors and venues. My favorite was definitely the church...which in the first discussions gave me the impression that renting the basement room would be free or realllllyyy cheap...NOT the case! I get an email from the lady who says it will be $50/hr plus a $87 insurance fee...wow...

Location scouting is location scouting, transferable to many industries such as event planning and of course film-making in all of it glorious forms!

 

There are a few valuable lessons that I am being reminded of...the importance of the following:

- a backup plan or exit strategy: plan as much as you can for the unforeseen circumstances, know cancellation policies, draft contracts, and always be ready to brainstorm a new idea or solution on the spot.

- perseverance: blood, sweat, tears, passion, and the drive to make things happen even if they feel like they are beginning to crumble in your hands. 

- things are not always as they seem: the church lady may not cut you a deal. Do your research and leg work, know that you may not always be welcomed by people, but also that you may stumble upon a great connection in the most peculiar place...try not to judge the process.

- phone calls: sometimes call even when you really don't want to, it will expedite the communication with the person you are negotiating with and not only can you have a better sense of them, but you create a bigger opportunity to build ongoing relationships!

Most often, the best way to find a venue/location is by asking for help...start with your inner circle of friends, family, co-workers, simultaneously do a bit of cold calling and connecting to interesting places directly.

I am heading into the press waters this week, should be some valuable lessoned learned along the way I'm sure,

Cheers

Kate

Katelynd Kuhar

Director Raindance Montreal

katelynd@raindancecanada.com 

Recognition

It is very true that everyone just wants a pat on the back and recognition for whatever it is they do. As I continue to develop Raindance Montreal, I've realized that an easy way to create an active community and bring people together is by recognition. I am going to begin profiling different local filmmakers, and taking submissions of 'filmmaking horror stories' so we can learn from each other, and learn from the peers that are doing the same kinds of things that we are. All of this stuff will be going out in the Raindance Canada newsletter bi-weekly.

Just like the stories we tell through our films, our own personal stories and anecdotes are great tools for learning. If we don't learn from the mistakes of others, we have to make all of the mistakes ourselves....and I don't know about you, but I don't have that kind of time!

The biggest new development with Raindance Montreal's Courses and Events is............................. Raindance Film Festival Presents: 48 Hour Film Challenge Montreal!


This has not been made OFFICIAL yet, I am very close to being done my proposal and marketing plan, but I am STOKED about hosting this! We are planning for the 12/13/14 of August. And if anyone knows what August in Montreal is like, they will agree with me that this is a perfect time to run this challenge! We will be holding an event after the challenge, an "AWARD's Night"...which brings me back to recognition! And competition has a driving energy too, I am VERY competitive and played organized sports growing up, so I know all about a good competition. I have never done one of these challenges before, but anyone that has gives the most amazing feedback about what a great experience it was, and FUN of course, and when you combine that with a hearty spoonful of recognition, well then you've got yourself a recipe for relationship and community building. 


Lastly, our very FIRST course in Montreal is now OPEN for registrations! 
WRITE! RIGHT! - a workshop on writing for Film and TV, May 7/8 & 10th http://www.raindance.org/site/write-right-screenwriting-class-montreal

If you have any filmmaking stories or advice to share, feel free to send them to me at montreal@raindancecanada.com

Cheers! Try giving someone some recognition today :)

Kate

Importance of Paper Trails!

 We often dis-regard the importance of contracts, receipts and book-keeping in general. PAPER PAPER PAPER. Especially as a filmmaker a large part of our work will include drawing up contracts and release forms that stipulate the specifics of monetary delegation and protect you from liability issues. Taking the time to draft up these kinds of documents with everyone we work with may seem like a burden, but the time you take to do this will inevitably save time and money down the line. The best offence is a good defense.

 Even if it an un-paying project, you will give your cast and crew piece of mind if it is clearly outlined that they will receive residuals if the project makes money down the line with a deferred payment structure, calculated by hours worked. Photographers must sign a release for their photos before they are taken, a location must sign a release before it is used for liability reasons, actors and extras have contracts that release their likeness and name to the production ect ect. 

There are many online resources that have templates for these types of releases. Contracts become even more specific when money is involved, including percentage negotiations and riders. When big numbers are in play, an entertainment lawyer is a must, which is important to keep in mind when taking your career seriously. 

Receipts will give you exact expense figures which can be used for tax breaks, and will give you a good idea about budgets for future projects. Projecting production budgets could be the swaying factor in receiving funding through grants or investors. It will strengthen your business plan and it will put you in the realm of being among other working professionals in the film industry. 

So do your homework, be prepared, and protect yourself and your projects! 

Kate

Groupon and Other Online Marketing Tools

As I am in Toronto right now doing some work with Raindance, I am getting a crash course on Groupon and how it works. As of right now, with more than 12 hours to go on our deal we have sold 359 tickets for our Introduction to Filmmaking Course...so if you are planning on doing a Groupon it is important to know that they day(s) your ad is featured you will be busy as hell! Which is what we all want, right?! I am still surprised at how effective it is, not so much from a revenue standpoint (obviously Groupon gets their cut), but solely from a exposure standpoint. It really works to drive people to your doorstep, and let's face it, we all want the best bang for our buck right? :)

Utilizing services such as this to capitalize on the online market is the way to go with ANY type of business. I think that Kijiji offers a similar promo deal as well (not sure of the details). Also, the analytics offered for these kinds of services provide information to the merchant that is kind of mind blowing. Yesterday we were able to look at a map of the GTA and see where all of our purchases came from, from a color-coded map viewpoint, soooooooooo cool!

My advice to all business owners is to get on this bandwagon, it is not a 'scam', it is SMART, and let's face it, as technology continues changing, we must be flexible and willing to learn and incorporate new tactics for reaching people. Isn't the internet a powerful thing?

Cheers!


Kate

5 Tips on Balancing Life and Art

I think that this is a topic that most artists face in their life. I know it very well myself, and balance is sometimes difficult to maintain when there are bills to pay. For me personally I feel the frustration when working 5 nights a week, when I could be filming, writing, painting, acting, producing ect ect ect.
How do we keep ourselves from going off the deep end and into the dark places of ourselves.

5 TIPS ON BALANCING LIFE AND ART

1. TIME MANAGEMENT
One thing that I have realized is that when being an artist/filmmaker your 'free' time needs to be managed in a way that you can continue to move forward on your projects as well as find time to do laundry and see friends. Staying organized and understanding the value of your time is an important attitude when keeping a steady momentum in an artistic career.

2. HAVE FUN!
Whether your are working full time or part time in an unrelated industry while pursuing an artistic career it is important to have fun, sounds very elementary I know but this is a big one! This will also keep you from feeling bitter and anxious about 'work'. I have taken it on as a duty at work to tell reaaaallllly bad jokes, even if I am the only one laughing at them! And when you are having fun, you are more likely to stumble upon a new idea for a project!

3. FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES
If you hang with turkeys, you won't soar with eagles. I have begun to discover that the people we surround ourselves with will impact us on many levels. Our personal and professional networks begin to intermingle, and 'hanging out for a beer' somehow turns into an impromptu photo shoot or short film, or a gig on your buddy's next feature. The hard part is recognizing that there are people in your inner circle that may throw off your balancing act. We must cut our losses, and make sacrifices that are selfish.

4. INTUITION AND GUT FEELINGS
Learn to trust your instincts. It is important to be aware of your senses. Acknowledge when an idea excites you and then act on it! That feeling of excitement (or on the other end of the spectrum, the feeling of dread) is a giant flashing arrow, steering you where you want to be, but if your radar is not on to pick up on these little signals, you may miss out on a lot of opportunity.

5. KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE PRIZE!
Your dreams will not be built over night, but you must continue to chip away at it with perseverance an dedication. Even if it is one small thing everyday, one audition submission before work, one blog, an e-mail to set up a meeting, one scary phone call you have been putting off. By doing a little bit everyday, you are less likely to become over-whelmed and at the same time you are constantly reminding yourself that you ARE actively pursuing your career in the arts!

Networking and Working from YOURSELF

I am beginning to discover more about the ART of networking. It really does start with you and your personal network. I have this image in my mind about reach outwards and trying to pull people in, as opposed to working from yourself and reaching out to those closest to you. When you begin with YOU, you begin to flash like some sort of beacon, and you send out a wave, like an audio pulse or like skipping a stone in water.
And if you are working from yourself with honesty and passion your limitations disappear, and this world becomes more like the vast ocean of opportunity that really is.

I guess I could then say that we should work FROM ourselves FOR ourselves, because the payoff to this is sheer joy. Also we must remember that energy is contagious, so awareness of where we are with ourselves is a huge factor when it comes to our interactions with other people. This limits projecting onto others and ego driven drama. It becomes easier to weed through interactions with negative people, stay grounded and focussed, and SHINE! :)

A book that I really love is "The Four Agreements" By Miguel Ruiz. They sounds simple, but these can make a great difference when it comes to networking and social interactions.

(from the inside cover of the book)
1. BE IMPECCABLE WITH YOUR WORD
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

2. DON'T TAKE ANYTHING PERSONALLY
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. What you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.

3. DON'T MAKE ASSUMPTIONS
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness, and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

4. ALWAYS DO YOUR BEST
Your best if going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgement, self-abuse, and regret.


Now if we apply these JUST to networking, think of the strong relationships we can all develop!

XOXO

Kate

Partnerships

This morning I am thinking about the power of partnerships. Whether its with big name companies, peers, or organizations, we are ALWAYS better off when we help each other out. Ok, so it may take time to stay in touch, to call, to organize meetings, but those formalities could never add up to the value of relationships! This is true in every industry, age, walk of life.
There are lots of people that I have come across in the last few years that are so complacent, and 'happy' with simple and predictable routine, they feel as if they've "missed their chance" and that their "ship has sailed" and all of the millions of cliches that only scream out "CHASING MY DREAMS IS TOO SCARY, TOO RISKY, AND I COULD NEVER DO IT!"
Today I would like to tell everyone that (just like they tell us on Sesame Street or Blue's Clues), you can do anything you want to do and be everything you want to be if you sincerely believe and commit! The part that gets lost in this translation is ACTIVELY believing, turning thought into action, limiting wasted contemplation.
I will be the first to admit that all of these things sound fine and dandy, but that day-to-day life does not allow it to be easy, but hey each day is an opportunity to take a tiny step in the direction of your dreams!
Challenge yourself, challenge your THOUGHTS about yourself, and you will be pleasantly surprised that most obstacles are internal, not external....especially if you know the right people ;)

Cheers, and DO ONE THING today that you have been putting off for 'some' reason!

Kate