the Sticks

[miker]

not sure if it will find it's legs, but i need a de-isolator event ....

http://www.thesticks.org.uk/

(placeholder for now)

[Nigel]

What are you planning on doing with it??

Tell us more...

Good Luck

[miker]

Networking and such, with a focus on the local area. Web presence will be periphery to the face-to-face event. Very early pre-planning and marketing stages right now (trying to fit this inbetween the day-job, the prod jobs, and moving home). The idea is to get everyone from accountants to entertainment lawyers to attend, as well as the usual crew calls etc. Maybe kick each event off with a 30 minute presentation, eg "why accountancy is important in moviemaking" and perhaps have some open-mic pitching going on.

If anyone has some strong ideas on what they'd like to see at such an event, or format or whatever, then feel free to contribute your opinion to this thread.

What would entice you to make the effort to turn up to such an event?

[Nigel]

There are a few groups in the States that do just that.

www.ifp.org (Independent Feature Project) They put our "Filmmaker" as well as offer pro bono advice from lawyers and have all sorts of gatherings. The Seattle chapter pffers a grant worth about $100,000 in donations for a short film. It is called the "Spirit Award". IFP also hosts of the largest film markets geared towards indie film in the world.

www.filmindependent.org split from IFP a couple years ago and puts out the "Independent Spirit Awards".

Both groups are well worth while and have a broad range of offerings.

What would it take for me to show up?? A ticket to Limey-Land.

It sounds like a great idea.

What has the response been??

These are the types of groups tend to be pretty helpful all around. The one thing that I will say is that typically two types of people show up to these kinds of meetings. 1--Wannabe film makers. 2--Real film makers that want nothing to do with wannabes.

Good Luck

[miker]

It's waaaay too early to say what the response has been, basically we don't even have a skeleton yet, that's kind of what we're building now. That will come when we are ready to launch "something" but before any final commitment.

In order to address the concerns with type 1 and type 2, that's one reason I intend to create this as a "co-operative". You must have a skill to offer somewhere from the spectrum, and you must have enough self-awareness to understand where your proficiency level in that skill is.

I also want to avoid it looking like a union meeting in the other extreme.

[Chance1234]

Well , Im officially in the Sticks Now.

Hoping to teach these yorkshiremen a thing or two , the moment they get electricity up in the north!#

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ June 09, 2007 07:10 AM: Message edited by: Chance1234 ]</font>

[Nigel]

Well??

Tell us what is going on.

Good Luck

[miker]

Don't expect too much too soon!

I am though beginning to wonder if I shouldn't just become a Free Mason and be done with it.

(also: I am currently going through a house move - this, on top of usual daily shenanigans is severely limiting how much energy I am putting into Sticks right now)

[miker]

I've yet to do my marketing blitz in the local media, but anyone who wants a head start and lives in or around the Portsmouth area (includes Winchester and Southampton) can do the whole Facebook thing much to my chagrin.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2539380635

http://www.thesticks.org.uk

[miker]

the Sticks membership on-line has now grown by 300%

perhaps it really does pay to advertise ....