Create corporate video content to initiate and promote my video production company.
This has been the trickiest element especially with the client I chose as they were not the most co-operative and pretty flakey in times of getting together and fully instigating the project. I am still aiming to create some work from them but with any more lack of pro-activity their end I will look elsewhere which I am avidly doing at the moment and chasing up some potentials currently. I still need some content and I have outlined the sort of work need on my website and to promote myself from the research and this will be my "to-do" list and I am aiming to have 4-5 pieces of good video content by Christmas. Currently I am chasing the Greenpeace work as well as some other companies and also bands with a look to working for them to create video content some of it paid. All of the research, planning and development I have carried out here has really informed me though as to what exactly the content is that I need to create moving forward and has been a real positive. It has stretched me to consider budgets, planning and greatly improved me professionally and where I can generate income from in the future.
Develop my own video production company branding/marketing. Web, online etc.
Good in-roads here and my understanding of all of these areas which was always a weakness is now progressing really well. I have spent a lot of time researching online promotion, social marketing, website design and other promotional and marketing areas. From this I now have a strong idea of my company ethos, place in the market and am also developing a website, SMM ideas and also marketing and promotional ideas. I need to complete the website and get the aforementioned video content onto it but huge in-roads have been made. I have set myself a deadline of the end of September for the website and as mentioned above Christmas to populate the site with video content. The branding, marketing and website design have also been something I have enjoyed and may be able to market to potential clients as a one stop shop for these as well as video content.
Develop installations, promos or direct action video work for Greenpeace.
Finally I instigated initial enquiries into working with Greenpeace and using connections within them. This highlighted that collaborating with them is going to be a long drawn out process, which I guess is the same with many large organisations and my naivety is possibly the best lesson learnt here. However I am on their radar and am familiarising myself with their processes and procedures. I am developing ideas for the next module of my course working within their campaigns and ethos and aim to work with them very soon.
Teaching on UCS BA (Hons) Digital Film Production, Film Studies & Screenwriting courses.
I contacted Alexandra Leaney who runs the BA (Hons) Film and Screenwriting courses at UCS and have negotiated some guest lecturing. This will be great for my C.V. and add to my experience of teaching within H.E. as well as establishing my skillset for any openings that may arise at UCS. These sessions need arranging and dates firmed up but hopefully by Christmas I will have at least one session under my belt.
Investigate opportunities within arts funding and residency opportunities.
I have also researched arts funding and residencies and how and where these are advertised and operate. This area needs a lot more hard work and targeting of opportunities available and right for me and my practice. The next step is to once i have considered these factors to actually start applying.
I have also rekindled contact with the Aldeburgh Documentary Film Festival and have spoken to them about working with them about curating a day for schools and education within the festival. This will incorporate video production workshops and education events to be integrated into this. I will stay in communication with Aldeburgh cinema and continue to work in partnership with this through to the festival in early November.
Devise, find funding for and create & run educational video production workshops.
This has been covered somewhat through the work with Aldeburgh above and the workshop sessions being planned for this. However I am also working on workshops that I could run for schools, youth groups and organisations. I have a huge amount of resources that I have developed for my teaching work that I am looking at repurposing for these. I will need to speak to my college about using some of their resources and ideally students for their work experience then start to look into marketing these.
All of the above are great opportunities I will continue to pursue into the future and all have helped me grow in an all round sense to develop me as a practitioner. They have also made me much more aware and savvy of the commercial sense of my practice as well as funding opportunities to enable me to make an income from my creativity, skillset and knowledge.
