zeeBigBlog

Spotlight on PromaxBDA

PromaxBDA is the global leader for those marketing television and video content. The association represents more than 10,000 companies and individuals and is a resource for education, community, creative inspiration and career development in the media and media marketing sectors.

zeeBigBang spoke with PromaxBDA President/CEO, Jonathan Block-Verk to find out more about the organization, the role of mentorship in his professional life and their view of the future of transmedia in television.

imagineNATIVE Industry Panel - Music in Film & TV: Guide for Filmmakers and Musicians

The 13th Annual imagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival comprises a line up of thought-provoking films, New Media Art exhibits and an Industry series, which celebrate the works of Indigenous peoples who are at the forefront in film and new media.

zeeBigBang attended the Music in Film & Television panel, which connected Indigenous musicians with Indigenous filmmakers and mainstream professionals within the Film, TV and Music industries. The panel discussed the many sides of music licensing.

The panel was moderated by Denise Bolduc the Board Vice-Chair for imagineNATIVE and featured Brent Bain, manager of the Submissions Department at FACTOR; Elizabeth Klinck, Research & Copyright Clearance Specialist at E Klinck Research; Cris Derksen, Aboriginal Composer & Cellist; Paul Still, Account Executive for Film & TV at SOCAN; Jeremy von Hollen, Music Coordinator at Instinct Entertainment, and Geoff Morrison, Producer and Director at FilmCAN.

Here are the top tips we learned from these industry professionals, which can help you as a filmmaker, television producer or musician.

Planet in Focus Industry Series - The Funding Panel

The Planet in Focus Film Festival kicked off on Wednesday, October 10 with a full line-up of environmentally conscious films and an industry series.

zeeBigBang attended The Funding Panel earlier this morning, which gave emerging and veteran filmmakers the opportunity to meet the funders directly, learn about their programs and hear tips on what makes a successful application.

The panel featured Marcia Douglas, Program Manager for Bell New Media Fund, Martin Harbury, Film & Television Consultant for Ontario Media Development Corporation and Melissa Amer, Deputy Director of the English Market for Canadian Media Fund.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when applying for funding:

Spotlight on L.A.’s The Acting Center

This week zeeBigBang shines the spotlight on The Acting Center, a renown acting school located in Los Angeles, California.

The Acting Center was founded in 2006 by a group of seasoned stage, television and film actors and teachers. Since then it has quickly become one of the most respected places to study acting in Los Angeles.

We spoke with one of the founders of the centre, Tamra Meskimen and her husband, Jim Meskimen who is a seasoned actor as well as student at the Acting Center. We asked them what makes this school so different from other acting schools.

RocketFuel Media seeks to help TV Producers move into the Future

Stephen Ellis is the co-founder and president of the recently launched RocketFuel Media, which aims to assist television producers as they make the leap into convergent media.

Stephen Ellis, President and Co-founder of RocketFuel Media

zeeBigBang spoke with Ellis to find out more about why he started the company and how transmedia story-telling is changing the way people consume television.

Stage 32 builds network for film, television and theatre

“Stage 32 appeals to writers, screenwriters, actors, pretty much anyone who aspires to get involved with the film industry,” says Curt Blakeney, co-founder and COO.

The idea for the networking website came together when Blakeney and co-founder and CEO Richard Botto, saw how frustrating it was to put together film projects.

“We went out to the American Film Market, a conference in Los Angeles that brings together filmmakers, production companies and others in the industry who are trying to get their projects made. We saw how difficult it was to network with people in the industry. We thought it would be great if we could create an online network of people around the world who can network 24/7, 365 days a year and get their projects done,” says Blakeney.

How to Pitch - The Secret of the Sell

In the arts and entertainment industry, the art of the pitch becomes second nature when you want to bring your idea to fruition.

Photo via Tony Ratliff

But what makes a successful pitch? zeeBigBang had the pleasure of attending this year´s Innoversity Summit, where CBC’s Sandra Porteous offered some helpful tips on how to successfully sell your pitch.

Get Creative at this year’s Innoversity Creative Summit

zeeBigBang is proud to announce that we will be participating in this year’s Innoversity Creative Summit.

Join leaders and creators from culturally diverse backgrounds in Canada’s media industry, as they explore new ways to energize and “re-imagine” media.

The Summit will take place May 8-9 at the Appel Salon in the Toronto Reference Library.

Bridging the Gap between Film/TV and Digital Media

This past week, zeeBigBang attended a few industry panel discussions as part of the ReelWorld Film Festival. One discussion that really stood out for us was about bridging the gap between TV/Film and Digital Media.

We’d like to share with you how digital media, including zeeBigBang, can help you, as a filmmaker or TV producer, get your project off the ground.