Latest posts from National Screen Institute - Canada (NSI)

NSI Features First producers reflect on boot camp training

Posted: 31 Mar 2016 12:45 PM PDT

NSI Features First is presented by the National Screen Institute in association with Telefilm Canada

Our NSI Features First producers recently attended their second training boot camp in Toronto. Below, they reflect on what they’ve learned.

NSI Features First is a development training launch pad for producer/writer teams looking to produce their first or second feature film with strong commercial appeal.

• • •

Kristin Elsley (producer, Judas Priest)

I had been eagerly waiting to attend this part of the program from the time Lee [Ventura, writer, Judas Priest] and I first heard that our project made it into NSI Features First.

Honestly, I can say the producer’s boot camp far exceeded my expectations!

Working mostly in television for the past two years, I had so many questions regarding feature film financing. The most important being: where and how do I find enough money to get my project off the ground and transform it into the movie the writer and I envision together? When you’re a first-time producer with a first-time director attached, this can be a pretty big challenge.

While Google proves to be successful in the simple search, find and answer model, nothing compares to learning from industry professionals who have produced countless successful features.

Every individual who spoke to us offered exceptional guidance and was so willing to answer our questions – for this, thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

From a scheduling standpoint, the program’s structure was also really well laid out because it created a domino effect on how to approach developing/financing a film. Hint: the key seems to be snowballing each aspect of your project to gain momentum.

Ultimately, having graduated from a university film program, I learned what it takes to be a creative partner working alongside key creatives. However, NSI goes above and beyond to help producers hone the business and marketing side of making their movie.

It’s not just about having a great story. It’s about knowing your market, putting together a solid budget, understanding financing and applications, and ultimately having enough knowledge about who and what is out there as a resource. All of these major points were hit dead on in the four days we attended the boot camp.

After taking the long weekend off to reflect on what I learned within the program, I feel so creatively charged to move forward with Judas Priest. There is a lot of work ahead for us in the coming months, but what we have now is a plan of action to take us closer to production.

Trinni Franke (producer, Rust)

Yet again, NSI Features First has exceeded my expectations and delivered more in a week than I thought possible.

Who knew panels with bankers could be fun?

As it turns out there are more financing options available to our (relatively low-budget) films than I’d previously thought. The panelists were illuminating as always and, with only producers in the room, we were able to dig deeper into the grit of business affairs and start producing the documents required for the many rounds of funding applications in our future.

One of the big highlights were the panels on financing your film – first with Jonathan Bronfman and Casey Walker and second with [NSI grads] Jordan Walker and Jeremy LaLonde.

Both teams offered very different scenarios of successful financing at different budget levels – information we know is recent and credible due to both team’s recent successes. Details at this level are hard to find in the industry.

Other highlights included budget breakdowns with [NSI grad] Paula Devonshire – so much to learn from her experience. And a detailed discussion with Telefilm’s Dan Lyon who genuinely cares about fostering Canadian talent and helping us with our films. While his answers were at times a little sobering, it was so helpful to get direct information. Reality is always better when it comes to producing.

Coming out of the week, the plan to move forward with my project is clear and detailed. The best part about the week, however, is getting to spend more time with the other fantastic producers in our group, and the tirelessly supportive and accommodating Shelly [Quade, program manager] and Melissa [Kajpust, program advisor].

They even added an extra distributor panel based on my request.

Being in NSI Features First means being part of a compassionate network of talented people. This makes a such a big difference as I navigate the ever-challenging task of producing movies in Canada.

Hugh Patterson (producer, SuperGrid)

The second segment of NSI Features First was just as enlightening as the first.

Melissa and Shelly are delightful to be around and full of useful information.

It was equally nice to see all my classmates. We all get along famously and I could definitely see us all working together in the future.

We had fantastic guest speakers like Jonathan Bronfman and Paula Devonshire to name just a couple.

Paula’s session was probably the most beneficial for me – although I learned something from every guest speaker. We covered a wide variety of topics from cinematography to insurance.

I made tons of useful contacts that will not only help me get SuperGrid made but also make it awesome.

Thanks to everyone involved in putting this program together. It truly is amazing.

Jason Arsenault (producer, A Small Fortune)

The producer’s boot camp focused on the nitty gritty of making movies: the business of film.

A number of guests with a wealth of experience spoke about a variety of things including casting, script clearances, insurance, funding, banking and financing structures for feature films – all areas that, on my own, would have been difficult to navigate but, with this help and guidance, now seem much more manageable.

Dan Lyon from Telefilm clarified what it is that Telefilm looks for in a financing plan and project, taking us through a past evaluation of an application. Seeing the inside process will surely help immensely when preparing my application for A Small Fortune.

It was also very interesting and useful to hear about the financing strategies from other relatively new Canadian filmmakers. Their experiences prompted a number of interesting questions. How much do you actually need? Where can you get it? What are the different routes to take and what are the repercussions of these choices? These strategies have certainly become the focus of discussion for our project within our team.

Probably the most exciting part of the week for me was getting to better know the other producers, spending more time and building those relationships. This, I’m sure, will be invaluable.

In the end, I came away with a clearer picture of producing films in Canada. While the reality is that it’s particularly challenging, I’m more determined than ever to see our project completed.

• • •

NSI Features First is funded by Presenting Sponsor Telefilm Canada; Program Partner The Brian Linehan Charitable Foundation; Supporting Sponsors Entertainment One, Super Channel, Corus Entertainment and Breakthrough Entertainment; Provincial Sponsors Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC) and Innovation PEI; and Industry Partner Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. NSI Core Funders are Manitoba Tourism, Culture, Heritage, Sport and Consumer Protection and the City of Winnipeg through the Winnipeg Arts Council.

Anthony Leo project Bruno & Boots: Go Jump in the Pool premieres April 1

Posted: 31 Mar 2016 11:48 AM PDT

New TV movie Bruno & Boots: Go Jump in the Pool from producer Anthony Leo (NSI Totally Television) premieres tomorrow, April 1.

Watch the film on YTV this Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT.

Produced by Aircraft Pictures in association with YTV and based on the book by Gordon Korman, the original movie follows Bruno Walton and Melvin “Boots” O’Neal, the most infamous troublemakers at Macdonald Hall – a supposedly prestigious school for boys.

NSI grads score Golden Sheaf award nominations

Posted: 31 Mar 2016 11:42 AM PDT

Congratulations to the NSI grads with films nominated for Golden Sheaf awards at this year’s Yorkton Film Festival. The fest runs May 26-29, 2016.

If we missed your nomination, let us know!

Apply for the latest edition of TELUS STORYHIVE web series, win $10K

Posted: 31 Mar 2016 08:21 AM PDT

STORYHIVE is now accepting pitches from BC and Alberta for their latest edition of web series. Intake is open until April 11.

Apply now through STORYHIVE for a chance to win one of 30 $10K production grants to bring a web series pilot to life.

Successful pilots could go on to receive a top award of $50K and individualized training from NSI to make their full web series.

Find out more about how to apply.

• • •

STORYHIVE is a community-powered funding program that allows members of the community to influence what projects will receive funding from TELUS.

The program allows content creators in British Columbia and Alberta to submit their story ideas to an online public platform. The community then votes for the project that should receive funding and go into production.

NSI delivers training for the selected projects and their creators once they’re chosen through the STORYHIVE process. The public chooses 15 projects from content creators in British Columbia and 15 from Alberta.

NSI grads get Bell Fund money

Posted: 31 Mar 2016 08:11 AM PDT

Congratulations to the NSI grads included in the Bell Fund’s latest production funding announcement. $5.4 million was distributed across 30 projects.