In person networking that had all but disappeared, is now back . Virtual networking and webinars are still very much a thing and more widely accepted than they used to be. When possible, I personally like the opportunity to meet someone in-the-round, rather than a 2D shoulder up image through a computer screen.
In the summer, I joined a local meetup group for filmmakers who meet regularly for a drink and a chat. I have already made some friends including videographer Rhodes Farrell, who made my voiceover business video. This connection led to a link to a local film festival, the Tryon International Film Festival (TIFF).
Twist #1 - Turns out they had some educational workshops on offer, one of which was focused on Voiceover. Of course, I wanted to register for that!
Twist #2 - At about the same time my daughter took a theatre class locally at the Chapman Cultural Centre and it turns out two of the teachers (Ashley & Cruz Crane), were also involved in the Festival.
Twist #3 - A couple of conversations later and I had the opportunity to become the official sponsor for the Voiceover workshop.
TIFF took place this last weekend and seems to have been a wonderful success. I saw some impressive films, met the exceptionally talented Francesca Calo, connected with some film producers, agents, actors and my business benefitted from their prominent local advertising.
I had not previously thought about a film festival as being a place that my voiceover business might fit into but now I'm on the lookout for other local creative festivals that might be a good networking fit. I’ll most certainly be back to Tryon next year. If there are film festivals near you maybe, it might be worth checking out. And of course, if you have any interesting networking stories, I’d love to hear them.
