At the start of lockdown ScreenSkills approached me about a series of webinars to support Film freelancers whilst the industry was in hibernation entitled First Aid for Film Freelancers.
This became a series of 4 x 2.5 hour webinars each on a different theme:
#1 MONEY
Alison Grade, from Mission Accomplished, gives tips on money management in the Covid-19 crisis.
Questions freelancers in the screen industries need to address to make their money go further include:
- What do I really need to live on?
- How can I reduce my costs at this time?
- How can I get my financial systems in order?
Vanessa Kent, head of marketing, and James Trowell, accountant lead, from Coconut, explain the Government support available, with Sarah Brewster from Fresh Seed.
They cover the Government’s:
- Self-employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS)
- Corona Virus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS)
- Corona Virus Job Retention Scheme (furloughing)
Alison Grade explains the Directors Support Scheme, for film, TV and stage directors. The scheme is designed to offer short-term support to directors in acute need, has been extended in response to the Covid-19 crisis. For further information about the Directors Support Scheme go to the Directors Charitable Foundation.
This webinar is available for viewing here
#2 MIND
The goal of the session is to provide participants with a Lockdown Professional Survival Toolkit that will enable participants to put strategies in places to keep their mental health in good shape and to know the signs that they might need professional help.
The session will be led by Dr. Alison Kahn, Senior Fellow, Digital and Material Anthropology, Stanford University Overseas Program and supported by Alison Grade, author, The Freelance Bible.
This training will be supported by Solas Mind company founder Sarah McCaffrey who has extensive experience of working in film and high-end TV as a Training Manager and is also a psychotherapist (MBACP) and suicide first aid trainer.
#3 ME – What career do I want?
The goal of the session is to provide participants with a framework to create a marketing plan for their personal brand.
Part One: Building brand ‘me’
- What skills do I have?
- Where do I want to get to?
- What does success mean to me?
- Developing your own personal brand
Part Two: Articulating brand ‘me’
- Identifying clients you want to be working with
- Why do my clients hire me?
-
Creating my marketing materials
This webinar is available for viewing here
#4 WINNING NEW CLIENTS
The goal of the session is to provide participants with the tools and the confidence to grow their networks and win new clients ready for when the industry opens up again.
Part 1: Valuing myself
- How do I value myself?
- What is my rate?
- Overpricing and underpricing
Part 2: Growing your network
- Nurturing and leveraging my network
- Writing winning emails
- Getting meetings
- Pitching yourself
