WASHINGTON FILMWORKS ANNUAL BOARD RETREAT

The WF Board of Directors and staff convened this month for our annual board retreat, including newest Board Member Juan Mas. This yearly gathering allows WF to assess the organization’s activities, prioritize action items, and develop a work plan for the coming year. Topics up for discussion included:

  • Applications and upcoming projects
  • Approaching summer shooting season
  • Return of the Filmworks Innovation Lab

There’s lots of exciting news on the horizon. Stay tuned for more details.

UFO MYSTERY & FILMWORKS INNOVATION LAB PROJECT IN SPOTLIGHT

Next Tuesday, April 1, is April Fools Day and Washington will celebrate the second annual Burien UFO Festival (aka BUFO). The event is spawned by the short film The Maury Island Incident, which chronicles an alleged UFO sighting in 1947 over Puget Sound, the subsequent involvement of the FBI, and the first purported appearance of the so called “Men in Black.” The Maury Island Incident is one of several projects WF committed funding assistance to through the Filmworks Innovation Lab.

  

The BUFO is equal parts community celebration and film based tourism, even before the movie is publicly available! “We’re stunned at the level of interest before our film has seen a festival premiere. We anticipated a strong science fiction, UFO, and conspiracy audience would be drawn to the material,” said director Scott Schaefer. “It turns out that our story has been of tremendous fascination to the region.”

The BUFO comes complete with a 3-D flying saucer, flash mob, cash costume contests for Best Man in Black, Best Woman in Black, and Best Alien. There will be live music and much more! Get an idea of the weird fun in store through the coverage of last year’s event from KOMO News.

Aliens, UFOs and Men in Black invade Burien – KOMO News

 

 

 

SURVEY SUCCESS – THANK YOU

  

Thank you to everyone who participated in the 2nd Annual Jobs and Vendor Surveys. We stomped our numbers from last year, with more than 500 Washington film professionals and over 100 vendors taking part! 

The information collected paints a picture of how our local film professionals create their careers and highlights the important contributions our industry makes to the larger creative economy. Once we have time to aggregate the data we will share it with the community. Thanks for your help and participation.

 

CONGRATULATIONS TO KEN HAGEN

  

Ken Hagen has been working with WF as an Accounting Assistant since January 2013. We are excited to announce he has joined our team full-time! Ken is a local Seattleite and a member of the Suquamish Tribe (Chief Seattle’s Tribe). He attended Seattle Public Schools, and went on to become a student at the University of Washington. At the UW he studied business, with a concentration in finance. Upon completion of his degree he donated time to the Native American focused nonprofit startup SpiritWolf Inc. 

 

Ken worked as a manager in retail for several years, honing his organizational and planning skills. Each spring he volunteers to coach a youth baseball team, ages 13-14. When the weather permits he enjoys the outdoors by fishing, hiking, boating, snowboarding, and playing pickup games. In the future he wants to further his experience in nonprofit accounting and finance, and bring those skills back to the Suquamish Tribe. 

 

 

 

 

RECOMMENDED READING

 

The WF Blog was packed with great resources for filmmakers this past month. We covered everything from fundraising to safety on set. Subscribe to get future posts via email. See recent highlights below.

Be Careful What You Wish For – The conversation on crowd funding continues, this time with a focus on rewards. This guest post from Steve Edmiston completes a trilogy, which addresses the challenges faced by entrepreneurs choosing to take their filmmaking dreams to “the crowd.”

Get Set for Grant Success – Considering applying for grants for your next film? Get set for success with these tips from filmmakers Tracy Rector and Lou Karsen, a Seattle filmmaking duo with an impressive grant writing track record.

The 12-Hour Work Day – Greg Smith (Key Grip, President of IATSE Local 488, and Washington Filmworks Board Member) chimes in on the realities of production, and the importance of embracing the 12-hour maximum day.

Looking For Locations on A Budget? – Washington has some stellar location managers, but sometimes their services aren’t an option. This resource for filmmakers includes tips on how to put your best foot forward when looking for locations on a budget.

Priorities of the Seattle Film Industry Caucus – The Seattle Film Industry Caucus agreed on a number of priorities that are now available online. These will be brought to the attention of Seattle Mayor Ed Murray in the coming weeks.

MARCH IS FOR MUSIC – HAPPY HOUR IS BACK

Film + Music + Interactive Happy Hour returns to Seattle this Wednesday, March 26. Seattle-based hip hop artist Sol will demonstrate how artists can use an effective web presence to connect with fans and enhance an artist’s brand. His independent album Yours Truly quickly rose to #1 on iTunes US Hip-Hop Chart (#4 worldwide) and debuted on Billboard’s Heatseekers Albums chart. Sol spent much of 2013 on a globetrotting hiatus with the Bonderman Honors Travel Program at the University of Washington. He has performed at SXSW, Bumbershoot, Sasquatch, and two sold-out shows at Showbox at the Market. Sol continues to tour nationally in support of his latest EP Eyes Open.

FMI Happy Hour happens the last Wednesday of the month at Spitfire. These events are the perfect opportunity to network with fellow industry folks and discuss collaboration across disciplines. All guests 21 and over are welcome. Things get going around 5 pm. The featured presentation begins at 6:30 pm.

About:
1411 Fourth Ave., Suite 420
Seattle, WA 98101
www.WashingtonFilmworks.org
(206) 264-0667