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Business Meeting
(June 2001) |
This month's column is going to be a little different. I'm going to talk about last month's Business Meeting - not only to get me off the hook of having to come up with a topic, but also because I plumb forgot to ask anybody else to cover the meeting for the newsletter (sorry, J'Amy). So this way, I get to kill two birds with one stone!
Anyway, back on June 9, about 80 hearty and loyal Network members braved the heat, foresook the beach and ventured to our little room at Universal for a fun afternoon of networking and brainstorming. Just as last year, attendees were seated at random tables to foster meeting new people, and everyone who attended got a free copy from our Script Library and a box of brass brads (leftovers from this year's Breaking the TV Barrier seminar, courtesy of Acco). After about an hour of noshing and networking (and dealing with an unplanned food shortage, which led to a rant by me on the subject of RSVP-ing), we got down to business. I talked about the State of the Network - how we're doing okay, but not as well as we'd like to be, due to various factors including increased competition for the screenwriter's dollar. Among the key issues we need to address in the next year are: Increasing our membership, keeping current members in the fold, enhancing the value of our existing programs, fostering volunteerism, and fundraising.
I then did a brief review of last year's business meeting and some of the issues/ideas that came out of it and how we're dealing with them. These included: Creating a members-only "Pitch Mart" (which we're working on); a Members-Only section of the website, where we can put the newsletter, create a chat room or bulletin board, and hopefully create ways to foster networking (we're close to getting this going); more E-Track sessions (which we've successfully done); expanded discounts on outside vendors (magazines, bookstores) and seminars (which we've accomplished); and more intensive training for potential Producers Outreach and Competition readers (which we are doing). There were many more good ideas that came out of last year's meeting which we have not implemented, simply due to manpower and time considerations. As I emphasized, it takes people to make things happen, and those of us currently on the Executive Committee are pretty much at our limit in terms of time and resources. For some of the more ambitious ideas, such as creating a Job Bank on the website, a database of members' expertise/experiences, mentoring programs and local neighborhood groups, we need more volunteers to step forward and take these on if they're going to happen.
We then tackled some of the same questions as last year, with each table coming up with its own answers. The key questions we addressed were: What programs/services/benefits (that we don't currently have) would you like to see us offer in the future? What programs/benefits (either current or potential) do you think would help get more people (including yourself) to volunteer for one of our jobs/programs? And Where do you see the Network in 5 years? Just as last year, the attendees came up with some imaginative and powerful ideas. Some of the possible new programs we came up with were:
- A major Industry Awards event (ala Women in Film's Crystal Awards) where we honor writers. This would act as a fundraising event for the Network and could greatly raise the Network's visibility in the entertainment community.
- Two members, Karol Silverstein and Ed LaRocque, volunteered to work on a proposal for a members-only Coverage Service (separate from POP or the Competition), where our best readers provide quality script coverage for a modest fee.
- Create a program which would allow members to visit actual movie and TV productions and get a feel for how words on a page are turned into a movie or TV show.
- Mentorship with a working screenwriter for winners of our Competition and Producers Outreach.
- Adding agents to our list of companies involved in Producers and TV Outreach.
- More informal networking events - Happy Hours, mixers, parties
- Videotape meetings and sell the tapes to both members and non-members as a way to raise funds.
Volunteerism enhancement ideas included:
- Expanded free membership for readers (currently it's 4 free months for every 8 feature/TV scripts or 12 sitcom scripts read - or a free POP entry)
- Expand the Reader Credit to other volunteer positions.
- More ways for volunteers to meet and form relationships with speakers and other VIP's.
- Volunteer-only parties or networking events (or let only volunteers attend our new Pitch Mart).
- More spreading of the word on how volunteering can help your career and build contacts.
Finally, as to the question of "Where do you see the Network in 5 years," the general consensus was for the organization to be bigger, better, on more solid financial ground, and recognized in the entertainment community as the premiere source and support group for emerging writers. We then segued into Steve Halpern's annual Trivia Game, giving away many Network T-shirts and baseball caps.
All in all, it was a lively, fun, and extremely productive afternoon. Rest assured that we will work as hard as we can to turn as many of these ideas as possible into reality. But we can't do it without your support. If any of these new programs/ideas appeals to you, and you feel you can contribute somehow to making it happen, please feel free to contact anyone on the Executive Committee. Remember, we're all in this together!
- Previous Network Meetings:
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