For over a decade, filmmakers have enjoyed the support of Flash Forward Institute, an education institution founded to nurture enterprising talent in every aspect of the entertainment industry. Producer Suzanne Lyons of Snowfall Films co-founded Flash Forward, leading hundreds of entertainment industry seminars to thousands of participants in the U.S. and Canada.
Last week, I was one of the participants in her workshop, "Produce Your Low-Budget Film."
One of the challenges was to formulate a definite goal and develop a detailed, step-by-step strategy to achieve it. Suzanne Lyons is an award winning film producer, and a former management consultant. She hasn't spent 25 years in the industry wishing she'd succeed. She's been doing it, step-by-step. Along with a little chiding for the creative whimsy that prevails in the industry, she offers tools and techniques to turn dreams into reality.
One of Suzanne’s strengths is putting the business back in show business. She asked our group of 30+ how many had made a business strategy for the year. Only a few hands went up. This is typical of creative types, she acknowledged, er, chided. Giving the example of a car dealer, she asked what that business would be like with no strategy or planning. --Well, I might order some cars and I really hope some people will come and buy them. Maybe we’ll have a special event later in the year.-- Oh, oh. Yes, we got the idea.
In this video – did you watch it? – Suzanne mentions that in Japan, businesses make a strategy for 400 years. When people got nervous about that, she reminded them that we are making small goals and then implementing plans to carry them through.
Step-by-step!
Yes, it's still a daunting idea to leap from screenwriter or associate producer to film producer. But there was so much guidance and proof of an ongoing support system that I'm feeling much more ready. The tools alone were worth the price of attendance. Just having a working template for a business plan would have been fantastic, but in addition to that, we got numerous (too many to list) operating agreements, forms, finance breakdowns, script clearance guidelines, project timelines, etc. See what I mean? I'm still absorbing all the info and yet, I'm truly absorbing it. It has become a part of my living, breathing day-to-day thought and function. Film producer, film producer, film producer.
Thank you, Suzanne, from all of us that you've shared your expertise and enthusiasm with so generously.
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An upcoming Flash Forward event will be "Launching the Future: 2009!" Dec. 7th in Burbank, CA.
If you're ready to create a new chapter in your life, you can boldly design a dynamic vision and blueprint for 2009 propelling you to immediate action and impacting results you'll achieve all year.
To register (limited seating) call 818-558-5917 or email: snowfallfilms@aol.com This is not limited to the entertainment industry!
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One of my favorite things about the workshop was meeting some great and talented people, also eager to move along with planning and prosperity. Here are a few websites to inspire you, too:
www.lisannafilms.com -- Lis Anna has produced 12 shorts and is gearing up for feature films.
http://www.trilliumfilms.com/fury/ -- Liz Lehmann, producer: look for her and FURY at AFM this year.
http://www.georgethomasjr.com/ -- This will get you to George's website for my favorite, The Sheila Chronicles, a series of poems that inspired the film, Faraway Sheila. Plus other great stuff!
More later as I continue the adventure!
