Overshoes and Business

If I came home from school and saw black overshoes on the kitchen rug, I knew my dad was around somewhere. Maybe out in the back yard moving the sprinkler, in the garage tinkering with his 1955 black hardtop convertible Thunderbird, or, more likely, in his basement officer talking up a storm with one of his customers.

Dad worked as a salesman and wore the overshoes when we went to meet with customers at their homes. This way, he could enter their houses and remove his galoshes, but keep his clean shoes on. I didn't understand why he didn't just remove his brown wingtips and go in his stocking feet. Maybe he would have felt exposed, too intimate that way. Or maybe it was about maintaining his professionalism while showing respect for his customers. I'll never know for sure now.

When I was too little to remember, my dad owned and operated a service station with a friend. My only memory connected to his work at that time was the ribbing he got when he went to the shop sporting a cartoon character Band-Aid covering a cut on his finger. He moved on from car repair when I was still quite young, but his love of cars never dissipated.

He had a bread route for a while. On rare occasions we were allowed to ride along in the truck. I don't remember there being seats, much less seat belts, but I do remember the smell of fresh bread and bakery. And we almost always scored a mini lemon pie when the work was done.

Dad sold a variety of products during my childhood - insurance, milking equipment, water purifiers, and vitamins are what comes to mind. We "helped out" in his office once in a while. I remember doing a little filing, but mostly, goofing around with my sisters and cleaning out the candy dish.

I think what my dad liked most about his work, and life in general, was interacting with people. He always had a joke and a smile, and truly loved to help. Finding the right solution for someone's problem seemed to be his greatest reward. He and my mom did fine financially, but that never seemed to be the biggest reason for doing what they did. It was more about helping other people.

I too love helping people, and have had my own business for over 20 years. Times have changed since my dad wore overshoes to his home appointments, but his lessons of respect for others and the desire to help have not. These are lessons I will never forget. Thanks Dad.

Comings and Goings

 

I may move forward but

echoes of my past frame

who I will be.

Star gazer,

Day dreamer,

Friend and lover,

Aunt and mother,

Wounded martyr,

Sound sleeper,

Secret keeper,

Raging bitch,

Gentle word smith.

All are parts of me and I am

all of them

past present future

wherever I go.

Always.

How to Fund Your Film or Video Project, reprise

Written by Susan Reetz, Rucinski & Reetz Communication, LLC

You may have a fantastic idea for a documentary, but unless you’re willing to donate all your time – and the time of your crew – you will need to do some fundraising to make that idea a reality. I have successfully funded a few doc projects on topics near and dear to my heart. Two years ago I wrote a blog post about funding a film project, but felt that some of the information was still relevant and useful. So, here is a lightly updated version of my original post. I hope you find it helpful as you plan how to fund your project.

Plan and Prepare

Before you start your quest for funding, you need to make sure you’ve given enough thought to what you want to do, who you want to reach with your project in the end, how you’re going to market it once it’s done, where it will be seen, and what amount of money you need to raise. Once you’re gotten those details worked out, you’re ready to look at possible funding sources.

Crowd Funding

www.Kickstarter.com and www.IndieGoGo.com are probably the most well known crowd funding opportunities for creative projects, including videos and films. Both sites allow you to set up your campaign, list your total project funding goal, set a structure for levels of funding and associated recognition or perks for funders, and fully explain your project concept. Some projects have 15 or more funding categories ranging from $1 to $500, while others might opt for a simpler structure of, say, four or six funding categories. I suggest you check out at least the two sites linked above to get a feel for how different people have used this method.

You need to understand that roughly 8% of your total budget goes to Kickstarter and Amazon, and that you need to plan incentives for multiple levels of donations, and then fulfill the incentives if you project is successful.

                                                                                                        

Grants

I have written and received grants for video projects. There are a ton of foundations and individuals out there who are interested in either supporting the arts or in improving communities (or both). Some states have an arts board which offers various grant opportunities to artists for a specific project or as a fellowship (for example, Wisconsin Arts Board http://artsboard.wisconsin.gov). Many foundations are looking to positively impact communities or improve the lives of specific populations. I have produced a series of videos over the years dealing with social issue topics and, by partnering with a nonprofit organization for each project (to act as fiscal agent) was awarded funding for production, duplication and distribution.

Be sure to read each grant application carefully and provide the specific information in the requested format. Also pay attention to funding cycle deadlines and how long it will take to hear back from the funder once you’ve submitted your grant. Ask up front of there are any restrictions on selling your film (if that’s your plan) when using grant dollars. When the project is done, you’ll typically need to file a report with the funder, and of course acknowledge them in the credits and any collateral material.

Corporate sponsorships

Corporate sponsorship is another way to approach funding for your project. As with grants, corporate sponsors will normally be looking for visibility on packaging and collateral materials, the film/video website, and of course the credits. You will need to look for an organization whose mission or audience is in line with or overlapping your project, or that will benefit somehow from being associated with the project. For example, I was raising money for a documentary about children of drug addicts. One of the places I approached for funding was a medical organization with sites throughout our state, and neighboring states. My topic was a good fit for their mission, and the area in which I planned to film and focus primary distribution overlapped their service area. It worked out beautifully. I offered them limited creative input, but they were most interested in securing copies that they could give out within their service area. In short, they provided a sizable chunk of funding, I got the project done, and they benefitted from positive PR and community goodwill in addition to increasing awareness of a serious subject.

Whatever your idea, be sure to develop a realistic budget, think carefully about which funding approach (or combination of approaches) would work best for you and your project, and then get to work. If you’ve got a great idea that you’re passionate about, it’s worth the effort to raise the funds to make it a reality.

Susan Reetz, of Rucinski & Reetz Communication, is a writer/director/producer for film, video and multimedia. Her scriptwriting and producing work has earned numerous local, national, and international awards. She also writes feature articles, brochure copy, news releases, and other promotional materials. She can be reached at 715-355-9159 or Reetz@RucinskiReetz.com.

www.RucinskiReetz.com

The Scarf

Polka music from the apartment upstairs drifts past my window. The oompapa is beginning to grow on me.

"Mom, where's my scarf? The one with the yellow flowers."

My fifteen-year-old's voice, hurled in my direction from another room, interrupts the frolicking music. She seems to think that bellowing from another room is the proper way to conduct a conversation.

Jill is a newly hatched fashionista and can not possibly be seen in public devoid of the necessary accoutrement, which, at the moment, is a scarf. Her closet, dresser, and floor are rife with them, a veritable cloth rainbow spread across her entire bedroom.

"I haven't seen it."

"Are you sure? It has the big yellow flowers with the bright blue centers. And the twisty green leaves."


"Have you checked your room?"

OK, so I can be a little passive aggressive when provoked. I know she had not thoroughly searched her room, because if she had, it would be at least next week. Plus, she interrupted my peaceful Saturday reverie and contemplation of the merits of the tuba as a musical powerhouse.

Muttering followed by muffled rustling is her only response.

"It's not here, Mom. Do you have any idea of where it might be?"

She speaks with exaggerated articulation, like I am somehow feeble because she can't find her scarf. I take a deep breath.

"It's not my day to watch it honey. Did you check the car?"

A blonde streak flashes past my line of sight followed by the slam of the screen door. When did this become our life? She and I used to be so close. All those special times when she wanted nothing more than to be near me, to sit on my lap and read a book, to pick dandelion puffs and watch as the seeds flew away to the four corners, to lay on the summer grass and watch the clouds...  It's been just the two of us for so long but lately I feel like I am in this life by myself. I know she has to grow up, but why do we have to grow apart?

"Found it!" She struts into the kitchen, scarf held aloft like some royal prize, a grin spanning her beautiful face. 

"Terrific!"

"Now, I just need a new shirt to go with it."

Jill pauses and looks at me.

"Want to go to the mall with me?"

"Sure." I am elated but choose to play it cool.

"Do you have a scarf I can borrow?"