Are you a woman on the producing path? Do you work in business affairs, or as a production manager or coordinator? Are you an emerging producer or associate producer who wants to add more fuel to their fire?
The National Screen Institute – Canada (NSI) is seeking applicants for NSI Business for Producers – Atlantic Women’s Edition – a training program which fosters the growth of women producing professionals in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. The program is designed to enrich the region’s production community, and its position across Canada and globally.
During this six-week, part-time online training program, six women* based in the Atlantic region will expand their producing skills and receive customized, expert training from regional and national industry professionals, advisors and business experts to develop and pitch their projects.
The program covers topics such as role of the producer; pitching and packaging a project; process of development and working with your team; business affairs / contracts; labour and employment law; fundamentals of running a workplace under COVID-19 rules; building and managing a production team (working with unions and guilds and receiving an outline of the production process); production financing (understanding tax credits, finance structures, cash flows, waterfalls and private financing); production case studies through a producer’s lens; and sales and distribution.
“NSI Business for Producers – Atlantic Women’s Edition focuses on cultivating the skills of storytellers within the Atlantic provinces. Guided by a team of expert faculty and advisors both from the region and across Canada, women producers will receive relevant, hands-on training to take their careers to the next level,” says National Screen Institute CEO, Joy Loewen. “We hope this new program not only contributes to building a network of producers, but also works to bring Atlantic creators to the forefront of the Canadian film and television industry.”
Applications are open now. Deadline to apply is February 21, 2022
Participants will discuss the essentials of producing through interactive group discussions, presentations, relevant case studies, masterclasses and one-on-one consultations. These will take place as online ‘lunch and learn’ style sessions, held twice weekly for six weeks.
Each participant will also work with a content development consultant to prepare their pitch. The program will culminate in an online forum where participants will pitch their projects to a panel of industry experts for their feedback.
Program faculty includes National Screen Institute co-founder Jan Miller as program advisor and Amy Reitsma as program manager, both of whom are based in the Atlantic region.
* The National Screen Institute is committed to training participants from a diverse community of voices including Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, women, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning and two-spirit (LGBTQ2S+), people with disabilities, those outside large urban centres, those from regional and remote areas and various religious groups.
NSI Business for Producers – Atlantic Women’s Edition is funded by Program Partner Canada Media Fund (CMF); Strategic Sponsor Telefilm Canada; Provincial Sponsors Newfoundland & Labrador Film Development Corporation, FilmPEI; Industry Sponsor Nova Scotia Business Inc (NSBI) / Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA). NSI Core Funders are Manitoba Sport, Culture & Heritage and the City of Winnipeg through the Winnipeg Arts Council. More sponsors will be added as confirmed.