Hi ,
Last Tuesday I attended the
Film Industry Town Hall meeting which was held in Stage 7 at the North Shore Studios. Thousands attended. So many people were there that they had to simulcast in Stage 1. It was great seeing so many of you.
There's been a lot of coverage in the media over the past week which is a good thing. One of the challenges we face is the fact that many in the general public don't understand all the ways the film industry benefits the province and its citizens.
There is, of course, concern that BC is and has been a great training ground for those who want to work in our industry, but then they need to move elsewhere to actually do the work (
Jan 25, Globe and Mail).
Semantics matter. If you say one thing, and it's heard as another, then it causes misunderstanding and confusion. There are many definitions of "subsidy" and "incentive" but the core of the matter has a clear underlying difference. If you don't know the difference, then you should read
Daryl Makortoff's article in the Vancouver Sun.
Charlie Smith, over at the Georgia Straight,
wrote his conspiracy theory about Adrian Dix and our industry. Quite amusing actually.
Back to the town hall meeting for a second. I talked to a number of people just after the meeting, and over the past week. Everyone loved the fact that the community came together. There was a level of solidarity. One of the key messages that evening was about having one voice. It clearly resonated with folks. The one area of concern, which could be used as a motivating factor, that most people I talked to expressed was around losing the momentum and having a clear action plan.
I agree.
It's easy to get your hungry friends to come to a restaurant to eat. But inevitably one friend doesn't eat meat, one friend doesn't like who they're sitting next to, one goes next door cause the restaurant's taking too long, and a few of your friends are confused because there's no menu but are willing to stay.
Well your appetizer has arrived. If you haven't yet checked out the new
We Create BC campaign, then you should. Not only does their Facebook page include some
Fast Facts about the industry and it's economic impact, it also has some good
next steps.
The main course and dessert are still on its way. MPPIA and the Save BC Film team are working hard. Things are moving fast and it's up to you to decide how informed you're going to be moving forward and how you'd like to articulate the issues this industry is facing to your friends, family and colleagues.
Kenji Maeda
CEO, Production Heads Network Inc.(credit for the #savebcfilm campaign image below goes to
www.shimonphoto.com)
