Monetizing Your Creativity - Pursuing A Career In Film, Television, Writing, Theatre, Music & Design With Your Talents

30 years in the business – almost always freelance – and 400 projects later (Disney, Nickelodeon, HBO, Cartoon Network, Discovery) - Jeanne Simon has sharp and specific advice for young people wanting to break into the media industry. What's her mentorship method? She's the founder and CEO of Sell Your TV Concept Now. Jeanne and husband Mark travel to numerous media-related conferences each year to teach budding film and TV writer / producers how to pitch their projects and make best use of their time in face-to-face meetings with buyers (i.e.: broadcasters, studios, Netflix, Amazon, etc.). We caught up with them at the Banff World Media Festival. We're not going to spell it out here. You'll want to hear it from Jeanne herself. About how to pack your bags, get in the room, strut your stuff ... and generate your own future! It begins with you. Listen and learn. Subscribe to the free Monetizing Your Creativity podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/monetizing-your-creativity/id1082894462?mt=2 Whil

Q: What are the two most sophisticatedly connected communities in the world as far as upload / download speed on the Internet? A: Singapore, of course, and … Vulcan, Alberta, Canada? Yep. And, as vTV Executive Director Vern Wutzke will tell you, Vulcan, Canada is also home to vTV Entertainment, a multi–channel platform to distribute the work of independent producers worldwide. Think Netflix meets YouTube meets Amazon! Vern shares the basics of global outreach. Go to www.vulcantv.ca for more details on how and when to submit content and earn money while gathering viewers to appreciate your work. What else is special about Vulcan? Well, 2016 is the 50th anniversary of the original Star Trek series. And Vulcan, Canada will present a special version of Vul-Con, a convention for Trekkies, on July 9 & 10. Vul-Con includes a variety of celebrities from various Star Trek series as well as a number of special sites and sights and sightings! Visit www.vulcanconvention.com for details. The original Vulcan, Leona

Thanks to the digital revolution / evolution, musicians can remain geographically apart but work together as if they’re in the same room. Julia Beattie and Dave Ronald are perfect examples of this new movement as they describe their successful and effective long distance musical partnership. This interview is a demonstration of how easy it is. Marvin and Julia are on location at the Tree House Café on Salt Spring Island (off the west coast of Canada) while Dave is a ferry ride and 10 hour drive away near Nelson, BC. Marvin patches Dave in via Skype. The musical pair exchanges ideas, notes, and musical interludes over the Internet as each continues to contribute to the creation of a new album. Julia refers to SOCAN in the interview. SOCAN stands for Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada. SOCAN is similar to its American cousin, ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers). SOCAN continues to fight for the rights of music creators and publishers to be properly compens

Russell Peters! He’s the man! If he can’t make you laugh – nobody can! According to Russell Peters (Jungle Book, Last Comic Standing, The Indian Detective), he’s just another 27 year overnight success! Russell shares how his career rocketed 11 years ago when fans posted snippets from one of his stand-up performances online, launching him into a whole new level of success and filling large arenas around the world. It happened after grinding it out for 15 years on the comedy club circuit. In this interview from the 37th Annual Banff World Media Festival, Russell explains: - What motivates him on a daily basis. - How he gets, keeps and polishes ideas into fresh material. - The essence of the “water battery”. - The phrase “No Finish Line”. - What's funny. This episode has two sections: Section One is a private conversation with Fred, Marvin and our silent but deadly editor / photographer Zach. Fred and Marv conducted this exclusive interview with Russell just after he finished presenting a master class i

You are growing sleepy! Sleeeeepy!! Relaaaxxx … And when I snap my fingers you will awaken and know – among other things – the difference between a hypnotherapist and a corporate hypnotist, how a motivational speaker can entertain, demonstrate and educate through hypnosis, how you can achieve success by harnessing positive energy, and how you can liberate yourself from your fears and perceived limitations to become the best you you can be. Whoever or whatever that may be. Wayne Lee is a self-taught professional with great stories to share about his own evolution as a teacher, entertainer and motivational speaker. In this Edmonton interview, Wayne shares with you a few secrets on exploring careers that would help you help others while helping yourself to a host of new adventures as you travel around the world in your career. SNAP!! BTW, speaking of travel, Wayne has a great acronym for TRAVEL: To Release Adventure, Vividly Experience Life! Subscribe to the free Monetizing Your Creativity podcast: http

Melanie Jones could write a book called "How to Produce and Direct an Award Winning Feature Film for $10,000" except for the fact that she's usually too busy DOING it! 10 years out from Vancouver's Langara College Film Arts Program find Melanie with 13 films and counting. Much of Melanie's work has been accepted on the global film festival circuit. And she still works with some of her former classmates on projects. Melanie recounts for you her lessons learned - hard and soft – along the path to production. Keeping promises to crowdfunding patrons and trying to do too many jobs on set come to mind. In fact, her advice on crowdfunding is priceless. Some lessons are only learned after film school as young producers and directors hit the pavement to gather resources for their projects. For more information on the Langara College Film Arts Program check out our future episodes of Monetizing Your Creativity, featuring Garwin Sanford. He runs the Film Arts Program at Melanie's alma mater, Langara College. ht

What do you need to know about self-publishing and the selling of your written work online? Dr. Robert Duff PhD (Psychology) is a successful creator / publisher / marketer of his own guides to dealing with depression and anxiety. In this California interview, Duff shares his "do it yourself" approach to self-publishing including a writer's options for making your work directly available to the public. Some traditional publishers still adhere to the older model where authors often get the short end of the stick as far as compensation for their work is concerned. That's the way many authors view the situation. Dr. Duff dishes on the decisions required to establish your own self-publishing presence online. Books are edited, amended, updated and printed as required so that 2,000 unsold copies of your latest adventures don't end up in storage in your garage. You'll learn how publishing entities such as Amazon set the terms for you and your books to get traction and engagement with the reading public. This is

Recycling in a most entertaining way! Classic epic poems and novels, comic books and graphic novels turn into films. Successful films turn into Broadway plays. Plays and songs and comedy sketches spawn print or online web series that later turn into big screen presentations. Circle of life, eh? Repurposing of a great storyline or series in different media formats pays off over and over. Who said: "there's no profit to be made in recycling"? Whoever they were … they were wrong! And Brandon Rhiness, founder of Higher Universe, film producer and comic book publisher is right in the thick of it. What does he love most about his business? The freedom to practice it anyway he wants. In this Edmonton interview, Brandon shares tips with you on how to raise funds for your own personal projects. And how he makes the best use of limited resources to ensure his international network of animators are paid on time. He also explains the do's and don'ts of pitching your ideas and artwork to a larger publishing entity.

Who are "The Sketchersons? How and why do they thrive? Brightening up a weekend's end With Sunday Night Live! Lisa Gilroy! She's a stitch! Scratching a yen for comedy itch! On air, off air, writing madly For stage and screen and we have gladly Invited Lisa back for a Round Two visit. That's not too much to ask for! C'mon now, is it? What's funny now? What will be tomorrow? From what classic roots Do comics banish sorrow? From YTV Princess to Comedy Queen All set-ups and punch lines in between… All polished and edited. Wrinkle free for you. Enjoy Lovely Lisa Gilroy in "Lisa - Part 2" Subscribe to the free Monetizing Your Creativity podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/monetizing-your-creativity/id1082894462?mt=2 While you're there, please leave your comments and suggestions for future episodes. We love your feedback! Or search for Monetizing Your Creativity on Stitcher, Google Play Music, Overcast or your other podcast app. SoundCloud: www.monetizingyourcreativity.com

"Some days it's ham and bacon; other days there ain't nothin' shakin'!" So claims globetrotting blues legend, Harry Manx. From his secluded back yard on Salt Spring Island off the Western Canadian coast, Harry creates and refines his unique fusion of Eastern and Western sound and song. Harry has refashioned classic Mississippi Delta Blues with the use of the Mohan veena, a 20-string instrument with the particularly haunting and mystical sound of the Indian subcontinent's regional legacy. Harry's fans around the world refer to the genre he invented as "Mystic-sippi Blues". He shares tips on creating your own "brand" in writing, composing, and performing based on how your life experiences make you distinctive. And what about marketing? Harry describes how he formed his own record label, found an agent, and his own delicate balance between composing / recording and touring / performing. This former roadie and "sound engineer turned musician" (Rush, Crowbar) has a treasure trove of quotable quotes borne o

You may not be familiar with the name, but you'll definitely recognize the face! Character actor Dennis Cockrum has played tough guys in various ways, shapes and forms for over 30 years in television, film and on stage. Raised on a farm in Michigan, this Hollywood actor brings a rugged look and blue-collar attitude to every cop, colonel or convict he portrays. Olympic athletes (whatever the event) and American Idols (whatever the music genre) typically spend several hours a day in training. How many hours a day do you devote to practising your creative talent? Just asking. This is the "job" part of your dream job. Many have the dream. Few show up for the job. Just sayin'. Dennis explains the slightly different, but complementary roles of the agent and the manager in a Hollywood actor's career path. And he dishes on the risks an actor takes performing his own stunts. Tips on support jobs that are flexible and allow for auditions or contracts to take place. Dennis suggests that every day you need to d

We often host our episodes from big markets like Vancouver, Toronto, Los Angeles and New York. But we also like smaller markets. Well, this one is REALLY small. Today, Marvin broadcasts from the legendary Tree House Café on Salt Spring Island off the west coast of Canada. The thing is ... there are amazing people hiding out on this artists' enclave. "Look beyond just becoming a star!" That's the advice of Mark LeCorre, a highly successful audio engineer and music producer who has worked with world famous bands on international live tours, as well as in-studio sessions. He's worked with headliners like the Tragically Hip, Avril Lavigne, INXS, Dan Seals, Dido, Jan Arden, 54-40, Lilith Fair ... the list goes on. Now, as the proud owner of the quirky Tree House Café, Mark the mentor provides a live venue for emerging musicians from Salt Spring Island and around the world to explore and share their original work with appreciative audiences. Mark's stories and advice from the international concert circuit will

If you could bottle and sell the Mia Cortez brand of attitude, a lot more people would be successful in whatever career they chose. The label on that bottle would read: Energetic. Effervescent. Effective. In this Hollywood interview, Mia describes for you her transformation from dancer to production assistant to postproduction supervisor and producer. She was hired in various positions not so much for the skills that she was about to learn on the job ... but for her well known reputation for reliability and high standards. Mia brings to each project she manages the same levels of discipline, strength and stamina that she learned as a dancer. She also brings her personal experience of dealing with harassment as a young, single woman in Los Angeles to causes that support women in the entertainment industry standing up for themselves and their sisters. Working on projects for Hollywood's major film studios and as a producer for Studio in the Sky Productions, Mia has combined certain skills and experience

Randy Berg is the Executive Director of Deluxe OnDemand, a global company with more than 2,000 employees. Deluxe OnDemand specializes in post production, the invisible industry that goes to work on images after they are captured in a camera on-set or on-location. The addition of music, special effects, or translation into different languages are all parts of the movie magic that engages and moves the hearts and imaginations of audiences worldwide. In this Hollywood interview, Randy reminds you that people don't need employment in big companies anymore now that technology helps them help themselves craft creative careers. Randy shares with you some specific tips on determining your own future. He firmly believes that if you don't like your current circumstances, you can change them. Build on your own interests! Who knows? You might turn out to be the new German Tom Cruise. Auf wiedersehen! Subscribe to the free Monetizing Your Creativity podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/monetizing-your-cr

Sherlock Holmes cries: "The game is afoot!" Tim Carter claims: "The game's a film!" Fred and Marvin ask: "How is Hollywood like a castle? Who are the barbarians at the gate? And how do they get inside?" Tim Carter, co-owner and co-founder of California's Contradiction Films, describes how he moved from corporate writing to script reading to screenwriting to video game writing to producing film adaptations of popular games! How do you build relationships in Hollywood? How do you become an insider? What can set you apart from all your competition? And how do you get the most out of the resources you already have? Writer/Producer Tim Carter will tell you how in this intriguing "insider" interview about leveraging your assets: personal, professional and potential. "Before the game is afoot, thou still let's slip!" - William Shakespeare (Henry IV, Part I) 1597 Subscribe to the free Monetizing Your Creativity podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/monetizing-your-creativity/id1082894462?mt=2 While

Attitude? Bury it! "Prudence" is a virtue defined as consisting of: "Being wise in practical affairs; the act of knowing how to avoid embarrassment or distress." True to her name, Prudence Olenik is one of the more grounded mentors on the set. She describes to you her path from performer to makeup practitioner to professor of application and attitude. In this Edmonton interview, Prudence discusses the need for a makeup artist to be part researcher, chemist, health and safety officer, painter, sculptor, and teacher. What do you need to learn? That learning is a lifelong activity. You'll quickly discover that Prudy's approach is: "You do what needs to be done for yourself in the industry and for those in the industry who provide you with work opportunities." If you only take away one concept from this first of several conversations with Prudence, let it be: "No heels on set!" Prudence is referring to shoes. Fred and Marv are referring to people. Bury the attitude! And get on with the job. Subscribe t

The great thing about creative careers is that you can become anything you want. For instance, did you grow up on Harry Potter books and movies? Fantastic. Become a magician. Seriously! Sheldon Casavant is a young entrepreneur who has taken his bag of tricks and bundle of talent all around the world, amazing crowds in venues and on the street with his blend of patter and prestidigitation. But how can you earn a living with magic and other performance art? One way is through corporate functions, either as single special events or as part of a larger annual conference. Corporate functions are the 21st century version of nightclubs. The entertainment provided to those gathered for an evening of fun after a long day at work generates lots of performance opportunities for comedians, musicians, dancers, motivational speakers, hypnotists and magicians. The instant feedback from a live audience is instant and priceless. And often results in additional bookings. In this first of several visits, Sheldon describ

The first universal language? Sign language. It still comes in handy when you and your film crew speak entirely different languages. So says producer Greg Fitzsimmons, back in LA after shooting a project in Japan. Greg entered the film business with university training in business. A decided advantage that has helped him avoid many basic errors in terms of generating work for himself. And distinguishing the “show” from the “business”. In this Hollywood interview, Greg describes for you the independent producer’s cycle: Work on somebody else’s project. Save your money. Work on your own project. Spend your money. Take some time off. Repeat as required. Greg challenges you to consider what you have to offer any potential engager of your services. What sets you apart? What’s your brand? How do you position yourself for opportunity? How do you demonstrate your trustworthiness and reliability to the point where you’re booked by word-of-mouth only? How do you get into a professional guild or union and w

Kerry Stauffer is the Executive Director of Media and Production Programming at the world famous Banff Centre. The Centre* (see below for Fred and Marv's lesson in Canadian spellings) perches on the side of a mountain in the heart of the majestic Canadian Rocky Mountains, smack dab in the middle of Banff National Park. Kerry oversees all aspects of Banff Centre TV, Banff Centre Radio, and Banff Centre Press. She describes to you the internal and external networks that broadcast and webcast performances and presentations on a global scale. Emerging, mid-career and senior artists in all forms of media arts and technologies from around the world come to study, collaborate, put finishing touches on their current compositions and mount live and film productions at a prodigious rate. The Centre is not a foundational training or degree granting institution. It’s a place for artists to hone their existing skills and talents. Participants push the boundaries in various arts and communication formats in residency p

To actually see the Maestro and hear the sweet sound of his tenor sax you’ll have to visit yazband.com. You might also have heard it live at the Apollo Theater, Lincoln Center or any of the many subway stations and public parks in New York City. Marvin caught up with Yaz just prior to a gig at Grand Central Station in NYC! Jazzy Yaz Takagi only began music lessons when he was 19 years old. Visited New York. Back to Japan. Back to the Big Apple. Practicing in Central Park. In the subway. The Yaz Band members are now the kings of subterranean sax in New York City. They're an underground sensation that's officially sanctioned by the transit authority. Did you know auditions are required to play music in New York's subway stations? Neither did Fred and Marv. Yaz describes being in the right place at the right time and being discovered. Over and over again. Apparently talent attracts talent and that creates opportunities. How can you apply that to your own situation? Does your community sponsor or support pu