Friday, April 30, 2021

Vancouver Film School

Jun. 20, 2020 Vancouver Film School:
Writing for Film, Television, and Games: Online Certificate Courses 

Evolve your skills. Get direct experience in screenwriting.

Every great film, television show, or video game starts with a great script.
 In our online certificate courses, you will get direct experience in 
screenwriting and be challenged to bring your creative ideas to life. 
These courses are designed for anyone interested in exploring what our 
Writing for Film, Television & Games program has to offer.
We welcome enthusiasts, high school students, mature students, and anyone 
looking to make a career change. When you finish an online certificate course 
at Vancouver Film School, you will receive a digital certificate of completion 
confirming your experience.
Regular rate:
$950 $475
Workshop Duration:
7-week course, every Thursday, 1–3 p.m. PST
Location:
Online

**Students must confirm they are at least 16 years old at the beginning 
of the workshop in order to register.
**Please note that courses may be cancelled at any time due to low 
enrolment. 
Upon cancellation, registrants will receive a full refund.

Screenwriting Fundamentals (online)

The Screenwriting Fundamentals course will teach you the concepts of story, structure, 
character, and theme, and how these elements are essential to the creation of 
your plot.

You will also work on two homework assignments where you will create short film 
scenariosand present them to the class. Finally, you will learn how to write dialogue 
and effective scene descriptions for your screenplay, the blueprint that must
 convey all that is necessary for a film to become reality.

By the end of the program, you will have created a complete short film script.

Learning Outcomes – Participants will:
  • Understand the fundamental knowledge of screenwriting: story, structure, character, 
  • and theme.
  • Gain confidence as screenwriters.
  • Create a complete short film script.
Requirements:
  • Paper, pen, pencil, and notepad
  • Computer, microphone, and camera (optional)
  • Stable Internet connection

*Students must confirm they are 16 years or older at the beginning of the workshop 
in order to register.

Every Thursday, June 18 to July 30, 2020 – **Sorry, this workshop is now full.**
Don't miss out when the next workshop becomes available. Save your spot by 
joining the wait list today!


Writing a TV Spec Episode: Part 1 (online)

In the Writing a TV Spec Episode: Part 1 online course, you will learn the art and craft of

coming up with an idea, 
pitching it, 
creating a beat sheet, 
and crafting an outline of an episode for a current television show of your choice.

You will learn what makes a successful TV spec script, and how concepts, 
character voicing, and story arcs are all essential components to writing a TV spec.
By the end of the course, you will have concepted and developed a complete outline for 
an episode of a current TV show.

Learning Outcomes – Participants will:
  • Gain confidence as a screenwriter.
  • Create characters and a story that enables you to write a spec episode of an ongoing 
  • TV program.
  • Write a full outline for a spec episode of an existing TV program.
Requirements:
  • Paper, pen, pencil, and notepad
  • Computer, microphone & camera (optional)
  • Stable Internet connection

*Students must confirm they are 16 years or older at the beginning of the workshop
 in order to register.

Every Thursday, Aug. 6 to Sept. 17, 2020 – **ONLINE workshop**


Writing a TV Spec Episode: Part 2 (online)

In the Writing a TV Spec Episode: Part 2 online course, you will take the outline 
you created in Part 1 and start writing your first draft of the episode.
In each live production session, you will review, edit and improve on the draft of 
the episode you have created, as well as discuss essential components of writing
 a script.
By the end of the course, you will have written a full-length script for an episode 
of a current TV show.

Learning Outcomes – Participants will:
  • Work on and edit a prologue and draft of a TV spec episode.
  • Write a complete spec episode for an existing TV program.
Requirements:
  • Completion of Writing a TV Spec: Part 1 course
  • Paper, pen, pencil, and notepad
  • Computer, microphone & camera (optional)
  • Stable Internet connection

*Students must confirm they are 16 years or older at the beginning of the workshop 
in order to register.

Every Thursday, Sept. 24 to Nov. 5, 2020 – **ONLINE workshop**



























A VFS Film Production Education


In 12 months you will graduate with:

  • A diploma in Film Production
  • A compilation of your work for your demo reel
  • Access to the VFS Alumni Directory + Job Board

  • Attain industry connections that will help guide your career

Film ProductionCurriculum
Specializations

Students explore the five key disciplines of filmmaking during their year VFS. As the year progresses, students choose to specialize in two of the following disciplines, giving their portfolio the kind of focus necessary to launch a career as a professional filmmaker.
  • Directing
  • Cinematography
  • Producing
  • Production Design
  • Post-Production

Term 01

Explore the possibilities of storytelling, giving you both the narrative craft and visual techniques necessary to bring a story to life on the screen.

Term 02

Expand your range of filmmaking techniques while you learn to work on larger sets and co-create with outside writers.

Term 03

Combine cutting edge techniques, like visual effects, with the ingenuity to solve production challenges.


Term 04

Specialize in two of five key creative streams to build yourself into a multitalented professional.

Term 05

Dedicate your time and energy to final projects, high-quality short films that will form the basis of your professional reel.

Term 06

Complete the filming of all final projects, and focus on employment preparation and advanced electives.

A VFS Writing for Film, Television & Games Education

In 12 months you will graduate with:
  • A diploma in Writing for Film, Television & Games
  • A diverse portfolio of your work, designed to open doors
  • Access to the VFS Alumni Directory + Job Board
  • Industry connections that will help guide your career

Term 01

Develop fundamental skills in visual storytelling, structure, character, format, and genre.

Term 02

Commit to story and character development for your first feature screenplay.

Term 03

Workshop the first drafts of your feature and TV scripts.



Term 04

Specialize in film, TV or games writing, and begin work on your final project.

Term 05

Electives include writing for comics, video games, and writing for commercials.

Term 06

Complete drafts of your final feature film script or TV pilot for your final project, and polish it through intense workshopping.



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"Screen time" (Edmonton Screen Industries and Josh Miller)

Jan. 13, 2018 "Screen time": Today I found this article by Fish Griwkosky in the Edmonton Journal.  It's about the Edmonton Screen Industries Office.  I have emailed Josh Miller my The Vertex Fighter script way back in 2009.  He read 2 versions of it and rejected it:
Last month, Josh Miller began his job as the first CEO of the new Edmonton Screen Industries Office — a rethink and update of the city’s film commission. Absorb the organization’s name to sense its new mandate beyond TV and film into the digital future.
The call for the inaugural screen industries office boss went out across North America, yet Edmonton-born Miller won its board over with his encourage-local vision and resume, which includes degrees in English and drama, film production and a fellowship at the American Film Institute. 

 This led to writing for TV in Hollywood, being director of development at Super Channel, a partnership at Minds Eye Entertainment and running his own indie production company, Panacea Entertainment.
With a laugh, 62-year-old Miller notes that before all that he was a keyboard player in an R&B band. “I used to play in the Grand downtown and the Klondiker in the basement.”
Although, he admits, “I plateaued. So I got interested in film. I was always pretty good at writing. And, this is such a nepotistic story,” he said, “but my dad’s secretary was Arthur Hiller’s sister.”
Hiller, also born in Edmonton, directed the 1970 international hit Love Story, and was shooting Silver Streak in southern Alberta, starring Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor — their first film together. Miller asked if he could hang out on set.
He recalls being inspired by Wilder, “a great guy. Every moment he wasn’t acting he was writing. I saw Richard Pryor one time between shots and went up to him and said, ‘Uh, I heard you started out as a standup comedian, and what made you get into movies?’ And he looked at me and said, ‘I’m kind of busy right now, kid — can you go away?’” Well, if at first you don’t succeed …
Given a $530,000 budget by the city for its first two years, the screen industries office so far is a board and Miller, who is figuring out the city’s baseline statistics and collecting anecdotes. Hoping to expand, the screen industries office will be housed for at least a year in the Edmonton Arts Council’s offices at the Prince of Wales Armouries, and it’s here Miller calmly talks about the landscape.
Q: Can you describe the kingdom within which you’re working?
A: Think about an airport lounge. Mobile devices, iPads, laptops. TV screens with CBC News and CNN and flight info. People are getting information, playing games, using apps, watching entertainment. 

 I’m looking for the unifying theory of the universe, but what’s in common is its companies and entrepreneurs all making what I call media products based on intellectual property, for screens. What we want to do at ESIO is help their businesses grow, give them a system with market intelligence. It’s all very business-y, not very art-y — although there’s my business in the arts council. My background is both.
Q: There are a lot of expectations and hopes pegged on ESIO.
A: It’s a startup, really. There were surveys, stakeholder meetings — I’ve read all of that. January is me meeting with companies, filmmakers and entrepreneurs, interactive digital media people. I want to sit down with them and ask what is it exactly that you need, and that you think we can do?
Q: There are broad, general asks, like “make a strong industry in Edmonton” — but you’re looking for specifics …
A: Right. And then I’ll meet with the association boards separately — that’s Alberta Post Production Association, Alberta Production Industries Association, Digital Alberta, the Walkthrough Society — and also the unions. Hopefully the middle of February we’ll have a social gathering, and we can all get together.
Q: What else do you think you’re bringing to the job?
A: I have a lot of experience with non-profits, I’ve sat on film festival boards, on AMPIA twice, Canadian Media Producers Association. I think that gave the board some comfort that I could handle the governance side of this, the really boring stuff. But it is really important stuff if you’re going to go ask people to support you, especially if you’re asking for money.
Q: I’ve noted occasional tension between the film and digital camps — everyone wants a fair share of your efforts.
A: Where my learning curve is, is on the interactive/digital media side, which I’m sure they’ll be the first to tell you. (Laughs.) There’s some really interesting stuff coming up with virtual reality, augmented reality, some of the 3-D development that’s happening. I had a great, three-hour conversation with Owen Brierley (executive director of Edmonton Digital Arts College).
Q: You don’t have to fire cannonballs, but what were we missing in the past film commissioner concept?
A: We were chasing an old paradigm, which is hire a film commissioner and get that person to bring business back by attracting film or TV to shoot here. We’ll always welcome guest production, but what we want to do is enhance and build up our local companies. 

 They’re committed to being here and working here. If they can grow, that’s more work locally. Here’s the most important part — the stuff we used to attract to shoot here was good for employment, but we didn’t own the IP. So it’s a longer game we’re working on.
Q: How do we start doing that?
A: The thing that’s right between my eyes is the Edmonton Film Fund. That was originally made to invest in features that would shoot here. (The city) did an analysis of it and decided to put the brakes on it. We just have to go in there with a strong proposal. They want to do something — they just have to feel like there’s a plan. They want outcomes.
Q: Can you say anything specific about that, or do you have to hold your cards close?
A: I’ll just say in general terms it’s going to follow the philosophy of having local, quality IP that attracts investment, so there might be a development component. The beforehand marketing you have to do — networking — you go to people’s head offices and show up not once, but five times. It’s hard for some companies to do that on their own, so if there’s a way we could support that. There’s skills development I think we can help with as well.
Q: When you were hired, the Forsaken movie production came up on social media. Can you talk about what happened?
A: After doing a lot of projects without any issues, I was a co-producer on that one, and my co-producer was bringing in most of the financing. My role was to bring in the Alberta grant and manage the relationship with the unions. Some equity partners we thought we had vetted just didn’t fund. 

 We actually had redundant financing in case one fell out, but they all fell out. We were able to raise bridge financing that got us almost to the end of production, but we had payroll failure. 

 It took us about a year and we paid off all the wages and benefits. There are investors and vendors that are still owed money, including me, and as the film generates revenue we’re slowly paying them down. I don’t blame people (for being upset), I’ve been not paid. Unfortunately we fell victim to a bit of a scam.
Q: Is there a lesson from this that informs this job?
A: Yeah, but not just that, from everything I’ve been through. I can say, ‘Here’s the pitfalls, here and there.’ Or bring in relationships with banks to help projects move. I want to be someone people can call and say, ‘Here’s the situation,’ and I can give that feedback.
Q: So if someone wants to talk to you …
A: Here’s my card. (Hands it over.) Send me an email is the best way to start, and we’ll go from there.
http://edmontonjournal.com/entertainment/movies/a-chat-with-first-ceo-of-edmonton-screen-industries-office-filmmaker-josh-miller

ESIO Josh Miller to retire: 

2020 has been a year of significant change and the ESIO is no different. Our CEO, Josh Miller, is retiring at the end of December. The Board and staff are grateful for his stewardship and fully support his decision to spend more time with his family after a long and distinguished career in the screen media industries as a screenwriter, producer and executive.

Josh is proud of what has been accomplished to date. “When I was hired in December, 2017, we were truly a start-up. Now we have a fully-staffed organization and our programs are all operational, most prominent among them the Edmonton Screen Media Fund. Having charted the first leg of this journey, it’s time to step aside and allow the organization to take its next strides under new leadership.”

The ESIO Board is currently undertaking a search for a new CEO. Those who may be interested in applying for the position should contact Rick Vogel at rick@thevogelgroup.ca for information.

ESIO CEO Josh Miller to Retire | ESIO (edmontonscreen.com)
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Friday, April 23, 2021

"How to haggle everything but the hydro bill"/ "Potential homeowners should weigh pros, cons when buying a preconstruction condo"

Nov. 14, 2016 "How to haggle everything but the hydro bill": Today I found this article by Aleksnadra Sagan in the Globe and Mail:

Pete Breese remembers seeing a leather jacket he wanted to buy – but not pay full price for – in a store when he was a teenager, so he asked for a discount and walked away with his new purchase shortly after.

“Ever since then, I realized that you can haggle just about anywhere,” he said – and he’s continued to do it “all the time.”

It may seem like haggling is confined to car dealerships, Kijiji sales and travels abroad, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Few prices are non-negotiable, say seasoned hagglers, and people shouldn’t fear asking for a discount almost anywhere so long as they follow the proper bargaining etiquette.

“There’s always room,” says Mohammed Halabi, director and founder of MyBillsAreHigh.com, which negotiates down the cost of individual and business phone, Internet and TV plans.

The only exceptions, he quips, are gas and hydro bills. All other companies – like furniture retailers, hotels or electronics dealers – are fair game, he said.

“There’s room for those places to, you know, either sweeten up the deal or get a reduction in cost,” Mr. Halabi said. Instead of a price cut, consumers could ask a hotel for a free upgrade or petition a telecom provider to add in more data without an extra fee. 

To secure any deal though, a customer must first ask and there are some ways to help ensure that goes smoothly.

The best way for someone browsing to start a negotiation is to mention how much they love an item, said Mr. Breese, who now owns Eclectic Revival, a vintage and custom lighting store in Toronto where it’s acceptable to bargain rather than just pay what’s scrawled on the price tags.

“When I see somebody being enthusiastic about a piece [it] is definitely going to soften my heart,” he said.

A polite demeanour is also a must. Recently, Mr. Breese stopped engaging with a man who repeatedly demanded he sell an item for $100 less than its price after Mr. Breese had already said the most he was willing to drop it by was $75.

On the flip side, trying to bring down the price by pointing out flaws on an antique is likely to backfire, he said, because it could offend the seller, who is likely aware of any nicks already. 

It’s also important to be knowledgeable, said Mr. Halabi, who believes his years of experience selling services on behalf of telecom providers give him an edge in securing the best deal.

If shoppers don’t see any success from speaking to a salesperson, Mr. Halabi suggests escalating the matter by requesting to speak to a manager, who may have more leeway. 

Customers must also be reasonable about what they’re asking for.

“Rule of thumb is ... try not to cut somebody in half,” said Mr. Breese, adding it’s acceptable to start by asking for a 20-per-cent to 30-per-cent discount.

But not everyone wants to start a negotiation, and anxiety around haggling is common. A recent survey commissioned by AutoTrader.ca found nearly one out of five respondents said they were holding off from purchasing a vehicle because they feared negotiating over price.

Mr. Breese said there’s little reason to feel nervous about haggling – a conversation that typically takes only a few minutes in his shop.
“The worst thing they can say is no.”




My opinion: I don't really haggle.  I go to a store and it's already 50% off or on sale, then I buy it.  I buy what I want like chips and cookies on sale at Shoppers Drug Mart.  I don't really buy anything to own.  I usually buy things to use like a bus pass and to consume like food.




"Potential homeowners should weigh pros, cons when buying a preconstruction condo": Today I found this article by Brenda Bouw in the Globe and Mail:

Liz Chan had a checklist when she went looking to buy her first condo: It had to be in an up-and-coming neighbourhood, include parking and be in a newer building to cut down on the potential for costly repairs.

Instead of scouring real estate listings to find the right match, and because she was living with her parents and in no rush to move out, Ms. Chan opted to buy a 500-square-foot pre-construction condo in Vancouver’s trendy Olympic Village neighbourhood.

Buying from a floor plan allowed her to choose what unit she wanted in her price range, as well as a few finishes inside the suite, such as wood flooring.

But there were also some downsides to the pre-construction purchase she made in 2012.

“It caused a lot of anxiety for me,” Ms. Chan, 29, recalls.

First, she couldn’t see exactly what she was buying. The model suite was about 150 square feet larger than what she purchased off the floor plan and a different layout.

“I had to imagine what it would be like,” says Ms. Chan, who was also used to living with her parents in a 1,500-square-foot home in east Vancouver.

After she bought her condo, Ms. Chan discovered that the 10-storey building across the street would actually be 15 storeys, and block her 12th-floor view.

Her move-in date was also delayed from April, 2014, to August, 2014.

“Whatever they tell you [about the move-in date], don’t have your heart set on it,” Ms. Chan says.

Ms. Chan’s positive and negative experiences with pre-construction condo buying are quite common. Experts recommend that buyers weigh the pros and cons before buying from a floor plan, and understand some of the risks.

For example, some buyers can be caught off guard by the occupancy fees that may have to be paid to the developer to cover the period between the time you move into your unit and take ownership, which happens when the building is officially registered. The time frame can last months, or more than a year depending on delays.

“No developer delays on purpose,” says Toronto area real estate broker and developer Brad Lamb.

He says developers want the building to get registered as soon as possible “so we can pay off our gigantic bank loans and take our profits out, if there are any, and move on to the next project.”

Mr. Lamb said some pre-construction buyers also get upset when they see deficiencies, such as paint marks, an electrical outlet that doesn’t work or a missing cabinet door, that aren’t fixed right away.

There are financial penalties if developers don’t fix the problems, “which we don’t want to pay,” Mr. Lamb says. But he says repairs can take weeks or months – depending on how many units are in the building.

“It’s a misunderstanding of what they’re getting when they buy,” he says. “They think it’s going to be pristine when they move in. There will be some mistakes that need to repaired.”

Mr. Lamb recommends that buyers use a lawyer experienced in condo law to help them understand the purchase and contract they’re signing, which should help cut down on any surprises.

Christopher Bibby, a real estate agent with Toronto-based ReMax Hallmark Realty Ltd., also recommends that consumers do their homework on the developer before they buy a presale condo.

“You can walk into a sales centre and obviously it will be very nice and a positive experience, but if the builder has a track record, go see some of their finished product … and get a sense of whether it works for you or not,” he says.

When in the showroom, Mr. Bibby says, buyers should also ask about what appliances and finishes are standard with the unit, since what you see on display is not always what you get.

Layouts can also change after you buy, he warns. He had a client who bought a unit with a bedroom window, but then lost it after the building design had to be changed.

Projected condo fees are usually lower than the amount when you eventually move in, Mr. Bibby says. “Maintenance fees will always go up,” he says.

Ms. Chan says her condo fees have increased by $50 to $240 since she moved into her Vancouver condo two years ago.

She also had to cough up funds for two special levies, something she had hoped to avoid with a new building. The first was $200 for lighting upgrades to increase security in and around the building and the second was $300 for a plumbing issue that she says wasn’t covered by warranty or insurance.

Still, Ms. Chan doesn’t regret buying pre-construction. “I love my place,” she says, and she is crossing her fingers that its value won’t dip amid new measures put in place to cool the city’s hot housing market.



My opinion: I wouldn't buy a condo or anything before it's built.  What if the construction company closes down during construction?  Do you get your money back?  Or will the money have went into the material and labor?



Apr. 17, 2021:

In 2006, I read the book Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki:


Poor Dad: Money is the root of all evil.

Rich Dad: The lack of money is the root of all evil.

I always side with Rich Dad.

I have written before about that young black woman who went on the Tyra Banks show in 2007 or 2008.  

Woman: I became a stripper to pay for my college tuition and living costs.
Tyra: Where did you tell your mom and grandma you were working at?
Woman: I told them I worked at the public library.
The audience laughs.
Woman: Yeah, well I really like to read and write so the job seems to be a good fit for me. 


This week's theme is about personal finance:

"How one 31-year-old paid off $220,000 in student loans in 3 years"/ "Free college, anyone?"


"Weathering the storm"/ "Tax-loss selling"





My week:


Apr. 21, 2021 "Armed robbery caught on camera": I found this on CTV news.  2 robbers came in and robbed a pharmacy at around 11am.  I was surprised that they were robbed "in broad daylight and police are everywhere."  I thought robberies mostly happened in the evenings.


The Simpsons: Do you remember the episode where Homer and Mr. Burn's son Larry (Rodney Dangerfield) fakes Larry's kidnapping?  This is at 4 min 23 sec:

Marge: I want you to take Larry to Mr. Burns right now before you get into a lot of trouble.
Homer: What?  But Marge, it's broad daylight and there are cops everywhere.

Kent Brockman on TV: Appearing in broad daylight with police everywhere, ladies and gentlemen, there is only 1 word for that: idiocy.



"Hudson's Bay Launches Beauty Recycling program": I don't wear makeup, but I like recycling.




Kate Houston's "How to Heal a Broken Heart: Be courageous, Bounce Back, and Find Extraordinary Love": This is free online event that I've been listening to and taking notes.  (I take notes on a lot of things like TV shows that I'm watching).  

If you go on my Facebook page, I have been posting each interview I listen to.  They're up for 48 hrs.  After the event is over, the replay page of all the interviews is on for like 48 hrs.

Dr. Gary Salyer is a transformational relationship mentor.  For the last decade, Dr. Salyer has been in private practice offering singles and couples heart-centered transformation so they can re-write the rules for love in their brains and create a love that lasts.  Dr. Gary speaks to a national audience as a featured expert on various celebrity TV and radio shows such as Hay House Radio and Coast to Coast AM.  He is the author of the ground-breaking book, Safe to Love Again: How to Release the Pain of Past Relationships and Create the Love You Deserve. For more information, go to www.garysalyer.com.



Do you feel like you second guess your choices with men now? Do you spend too much time in a head spin of whether that seemingly great guy is actually one of the good ones? Are you feeling unsure whether your heart has healed enough to get back out there? 

You are not alone. Lisa Copeland, Love Coach and Dating Expert, has been there too. Don’t want to miss our interview today where she reveals how to dip our toes back into dating but this time with these specific tips and tools to support us in reconnecting with ourselves and trusting our picker now.
 
Lisa shares that we can know if we are ready to date or not by getting honest about where we are with this one feeling. Don’t miss our interview to find out which emotion to watch for in you before you start dating again. 

Lisa Copeland is a leading internationally recognized Love Coach and Dating Expert for women over 50. She inspires and teaches women how to feel confident, empowered and joyful dating after 50. 




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