WEBINAR AVAILABLE TO WATCH ON YOUTUBE
Q. What are some of the topics that Strength in Numbers will cover?
Curriculum: How to build a business
- Business Structure: How to bring people together in a way that works for creative businesses.
- Decision Making: How to make good decisions especially about the projects you back.
- Content: What are you making? Rights and Interests, how they are shared. Financing.
- Growth Strategies: How people grow creative businesses.
- Business Planning: The story of your business, what you tell funders, partners and investors.
- Pitching: How to pitch to win.
Q. Is there funding to support travel for the in-person hubs?
There is funding available to support travel to the hubs in Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland.
Accommodation will also be provided for those travelling from outside regions.
Q. Can more than one person from your business attend?
(We have 3x producers in our screen business and think this would be a fabulous opportunity for us all to be involved in.)
In fairness to all applicants we encourage the business to send in an application for one person. That person can then take the message home and work offline with their partners to develop the answers to the questions that are posed in the workshops.
** Please see the question below for more information
Q. What if your business is a partnership with 2 equal directors? (For a director to make strategic decisions in the moment would be against the value system of a business with 2 equal directors.)
You won’t be making decisions in the moment. We’re really framing questions and helping you work towards your own solutions. You will take these questions back to consult with people; stakeholders not just partners, but maybe life partners or, sometimes even employees or an investor if you have one, you know, there’ll be lots of people who need to be brought into the discussion.
**Additional information that was not part of the webinar:
Applications for businesses with multiple partners to attend will be considered on a case-by-case basis. With limited places available, we would like to benefit as many businesses as possible.
Q. What are you are looking for in an applicant?
- We’re looking for people who are at certain stage in their business life where they have something they want to try and solve.
Applicants will need to be open to the learning and possibility of things changing, and open to learning from others. - Track record of delivering projects – this may be a new business venture for you but you have experience in other businesses.
- Readiness. You have reached the point where you are questioning viability and sustainability for your business.
- Ambition for yourself and your business.
Q. A lot of film and TV business seem to get off the ground from either a commercial or critical success – for producers with funded projects and future ambitions but without a current regular cashflow is the course appropriate?
If you’ve had success with your business – this is a great stage to be in as it creates momentum to pick up more projects.
The course is appropriate if you are ready to engage with the business questions, they matter to you enough and you see them as a serious set of questions to engage with.
You have the ambition to build something.
Q. Will there be any focus on obtaining funding for films, getting sponsorship for films and/or marketing films?
No. Strength in Numbers is about the business that sits beneath the projects.
We are interested in the choices you’re making about what to make and how you’re making choices. Fundamentally, we’re interested in the day-to-day platform, the place where you conduct the making of the films.
Q. In the overview it says “Ideal applicants will have a screen industry business (at least three years old) with a slate of projects” Is it possible for people who have had experience running previous screen businesses to apply with a new venture in mind, something that is just forming / brand new?
There is a little bit of ambiguity in that three year specification. We are looking for people with some experience in business, this can’t be your first (brand new) business venture. We’re looking for people who’ve got at least some experience under their belt.
If your purpose is to come here and think about a new business altogether, then that’s absolutely in frame.
Q. Will you be going over things like chain of title and contracts?
The focus of Strength in Numbers is on the underlying business, not on the projects. Chain of title, production contracts and similar contracts will not be covered. Contracts relating to the underlying business may be addressed during the programme, depending on the needs of the group as a whole.
Q. Is there a possibility that you would suggest someone apply for Rainmakers or Strength in Numbers based on their application if they applied for one and weren’t suitable but was suitable for the other?
Apply for both. Please be mindful both programmes have the same deadline. The applications will be going through separate selection processes with different selectors.
Q. As someone who is interested in both Strength In Numbers and Rainmakers Aotearoa is it possible to be chosen for both programmes?
It is it is possible to be chosen for both. If we genuinely think there’s a compelling reason being accepted for both programmes would be considered.
