US 

FROM THE FILM CO-OP TIME VAULT - FLASH BACK TO JANUARY, 2017

ENDINGS & BEGINNINGS - ASHLEY PHINNEY

After spending 6 months at the NB Film Co-op in 2016 on a 'one time only' job program through Post Secondary Education, I had a blast working with Cat, Tony and Matt, and miss seeing their beautiful faces everyday. 

During my time here I have had a lot of cool filmy opportunities that many people never get to experience. I have met a lot of talented people, gone "on tour with Tony and Cat to showcase member films shown at SWFF over the years" (Bathurst, Sackville, and Moncton), talked about local film legends & inspiring people on the radio for all to hear (Thanks CHSR and Mark Kilfoil for helping us promote SWFF!), watched a lot of New Brunswick films, tinkered with old film tech (thanks Tony for showing me  in great detail some pretty old film cameras and projectors), and, ate a lot of Milda’s pizzas (YUM!). 

I am off to the Northside for a new adventure and a new job in a completely different field, but I will still be around volunteering at the NBFC as a full member in good standing. 

I would like to give a huge thank you to Cat and Tony for giving me this incredible opportunity and for helping me realize how insanely awesome we all are as filmmakers here in New Brunswick and how lucky we are to have the Film Co-op.

Thanks to Matt Carr for teaching me how to take things apart, and then leaving me to figure out how they go back together and for helping me improve my Nerf game ten-fold. 

Thanks to UNB intern and SWFF sponsor Carlee Calver for helping me cut up an endless piles of viewer's choice ballots, and for our trip downtown to gather festival swag; without her I never would have made it! 

WHAT I'VE LEARNED (SO FAR) AS A FREELANCE VIDEOGRAPHER AND EDITOR IN NEW BRUNSWICK- ALEX VIETINGHOFF

It’s been about two years and half since I left my cushy full-time job as a videographer and video editor to go freelance. I’ve learned a lot about business and creativity along the way. As a freelancer I feel liberated in my day-to-day schedule -- getting to sleep in and work when I feel creatively motivated, and take breaks or procrastinate when I need to without pissing off a client, boss or co-workers. That said, it can sometimes be harder to focus or stay motivated when editing, or I would struggle with stress (and finances) when going through a period of little to no work. I’ve had my fair share of highs and lows, but overall I’m glad I took the plunge into the freelance world.

The landscape for video production in New Brunswick is changing. It feels like there are new video production companies and freelancers popping up every month, which means there is more and more competition for work. But I think everyone in the industry can agree that in New Brunswick, we all want to get along amicably and further the provincial film and video industry as a whole. People here aren’t afraid to share advice, equipment, workers, and sometimes even clients when the work required falls outside of our ability.

In that spirit, I want to share some tips for anyone who is just starting out as a freelancer. I wish I’d known some of these when starting out! I believe that this will help everyone; it will keep New Brunswick video clients’ expectations realistic when budgeting, it will aid people just starting out in deciding whether they’re making the right career choice, and it will help improve the overall quality of work, which can lead to a more professional industry reputation that will bring in even more outside work. Some of these tips apply no matter where you’re working, not just in New Brunswick.

-Most, if not all, of the gigs I’ve gotten have been through word-of-mouth or networking, not from advertising or LinkedIn. While it’s important to have a professional website and social media presence, don’t waste all your time polishing those pages. Connecting with old contacts who might need work and meeting business owners and handing out business cards is the tried and true method that actually tends to get me the most work.

- Always get the client to sign a contract, and *usually* have them pay half the budget upfront. This protects you if the client tries to get out of paying you later or pay very late.

Many employers and clients seem to want to have a “casual” relationship where the line between chill acquaintance and client can get blurry. The prospect of sending a contract might make you worried that you’ll scare them off, but in reality it helps prevent awkwardness down the road if they are asking for more revisions that weren’t agreed upon, or want to go out of budget. To ensure payments on time, include a clause that charges interest on late payments.

-You will have different rates depending on who you’re working for. I have a day rate when clients come directly to me, but that rate is lower for other production companies who hire me as extra crew. Where a client might do only one project with me, other companies tend to hire me frequently, so I know I’ll get more work down the road and build a working relationship. You will also likely be able to quote a higher budget to clients or companies that aren’t based in New Brunswick. The reality is that with our provincial economy the way it is, what is a fair day rate in Nova Scotia or Ontario can sometimes scare away potential businesses based in New Brunswick. That said, always value your work and don’t undersell yourself. Charging $600 for a five-minute video (or worse, doing it for free/“exposure”) means that that client now expects every video from you or other companies to be dirt cheap, and that harms the industry as a whole. If you’re unsure what you should be charging, there are many resources online that can help you calculate a rate based on what you need to survive each month. (ex: https://freelanceboost.com/freelance-hourly-rate-calculator/ )

-If you’re considering leaving your job to freelance, you should have an emergency fund of at least six months’ worth of living expenses saved up for any period of time that you might not get work/ want to go on vacation/ if you’re sick. There WILL be times where you aren’t getting work but you still need to cover rent and bills. Don’t put yourself in a situation where you could become homeless!

-It pays to have a variety of skills. I’m lucky to be a camera owner/operator, video editor, narrator, and I can create and animate effects and titles. This has afforded me more opportunities than if I was only a videographer and/or editor. In 2016 I was the narrator of Hemmings House’s big documentary The Millennial Dream, and I did some animation work for another freelancer who could shoot and edit but wasn’t fully comfortable with animation. It also means that if one of my client needs those things, I can earn more money by doing them myself rather than outsourcing that work.

-It pays to be an active member of the New Brunswick Filmmakers’ Co-op!

I’m not being paid to say this -- volunteering on film shoots and helping my fellow co-op members has gotten me camera and editing work from other members who referred me, and even from the Film Co-op when people approached them looking for someone experienced in guerrilla, one-man band style shooting. You also make friends and can learn new skills that will help your work improve.

There are so many more useful things to know, but I’ll cut it off here this time. Down the road I’ll have some more tips. Remember that these are things I’ve learned through my personal experiences, and yours might vary depending on your location and the types of clients you’re getting. Best of luck!

Alex Vietinghoff is a freelance videographer and video editor based in Fredericton, New Brunswick. For work enquiries, please email alexvietinghoff@gmail.com

PAYPAL LINKS ARE UP FOR NBFC MEMBERSHIP AND RENEWALS FOR 2018. 

Membership renewals are due in Jan/Feb annually.

The paypal links for memberships for 2018 are up on the co-op website for renewing members - http://nbfilmcoop.com/content/renew

Welcome bak to the following members who renewed and came back to us:

Billy Campbell (Patron) (LA), Gaetan Pelletier (Baker Brook), Nick Staples (Moncton), Jillian Acreman (Fredericton), Paul Erskine (Rothesay), Chris Giles (Fredericton), John Christenson (Fredericton), Peter de Niverville (Riverview), Colin Smart (Mount Hope), Kaitlyn Adair (Fredericton), Samson LeBlanc (Fredericton), Dale Strickland (Fredericton), Larry Collicott (Fredericton), Scott Brownlee (Saint John), Daniel Blustein (Fredericton), laura j turnbull (Fredericton), Scott Veysey (Fredericton), Dean Aubie (Fredericton), Stephen McKinnon (Riverview), Don Chapman (Patron) (British Columbia), Melony McCarthy (Fredericton), Gerard Bourque (Welshpool), Glen D Ross (Fredericton), Pamela Gallant (Moncton)

BUZZ

TELEFILM - 2018 TALENT TO WATCH PROGRAM

Recommendation Phase Application

Film Co-op Website: http://nbfilmcoop.com/content/talent-watch-program

The NBFC is now accepting applications from full NBFC members in good standing for another installment of the Telefilm Canada Talent To Watch Program (formerly the Micro-budget program). The deadline for all proposals is now February 5, 2018 with the possibility of a further extention if the Telefilm 2018 guidelines are not made available in the near future.

Telefilm's Micro-Budget Program is a production opportunity for first-time feature filmmakers, with an emphasis on digital and online distribution models. the NBFC is eligible to recommend one feature film application and one narrative web-based project for competition at the national level.

Telefilm Canada is putting in place measures to diversify its portfolio of projects, aiming in particular to achieve, by 2020, gender parity in each of the key roles of director, writer, and producer. Based on consultations held this year, Telefilm determined that its first action area for 2017 was to favour projects written or directed by women.

The Telefilm Talent To Watch will provide financing for the development, production, digital distribution and promotion of a first feature-length film or other format of narrative-based audiovisual content made specifically for online distribution. Once completed, the projects must be made available to the public through one or more digital platforms (e.g. web portals, video portals such as YouTube or Netflix, video on demand, mobile platforms/devices, etc.).

The NBFC is eligible to recommend one feature film and one narrative web-based project for competition at the national level in English and French.

The NBFC invites current NBFC members (any members who have outstanding projects not completed are not eligible for this program) seeking a recommendation letter from NBFC to forward a complete Recommendation Phase Application to the NBFC on or before February 5, 2018 at 11:59pm for review by an NBFC assembled peer jury from outside NB.

NEW DEADLINE: February 5, 11:59pm, 2018

Eligibility:

NOTE: You must already be a full NBFC member in good standing to apply for this grant for projects. You can't join and then apply.

Emerging - All the key members (producer, writer and director) of the project must be emerging talent i.e. they must already have produced, directed and/or written at least one short film (i.e. 30 minutes or less) but must not have produced, directed or written a feature length film (i.e. 75 minutes or more). NBFC Member - All the key members (producer, writer and director) of all recommended projects must be either current NBFC members (Full).

Please confirm your eligibility with NBFC prior to submitting your application (contact Cat info@nbfilmcoop.com). To submit, please email your completed application form, required documents (PDFs only, please) and a link to your video pitch, trailer and support material to: info@nbfilmcoop.com

Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

For more information:

Film Co-op Guidelines and Application Form (pdf): talent_to_watch_nbfc_app.pdf

Telefilm Guidelines (pdf): TBA (They have not put them online yet for 2018)

ABOUT THE NBFC:

Established in 1979 the New Brunwick Filmmakers' Co-operative (NBFC) is a non-profit Charitable Film Co-op for the production of creative films in a collaborative, learning environment.

The NBFC operates with generous support from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Province of NB as well as other supporters and sponsors

www.nbfilmcoop.com

MONDAY NIGHT FILM SERIES: JAN-APRIL, 2018

Dear Cinephiles,

The team at the Monday Night Film Series is excited about the line-up of films happening in 2018.

Half year memberships (Jan 2018 - April 2018) are $20 regular and $12 (students, seniors, NB film co-op members)

Admission prices: Members $5.00 and General admission $8.00
We will have programmes and posters available.

Please check out the NEW film lineup on our website for 2018:  http://www.nbfilmcoop.com/exhibition/monday-night-film-series
Email: info@nbfilmcoop.com concerning memberships please.

See you at the movies. Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year.

Tony, Cat, John and Trish