The 2019 Ontario Creates IDM Fund Futures Program will run from October 23-25, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Location: Centennial College, Story Arts Centre.

Participants must be prepared to attend all three days of this intensive program - Wednesday October 23, 2019 - Friday October 25, 2019 (inclusive).

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ELIGIBILITY

This program is targeted to:

• New companies that are led by individuals with LESS THAN three years of professional IDM content creation experience or with no previous digital media credits (e.g. a start-up company led by recent graduates); and,
• Established companies that are transitioning to IDM content creation from other industries (e.g. a film company exploring digital-first content opportunities).

Companies should have an interest in pursuing opportunities associated with proprietary content creation, and have an IDM Fund-eligible project that they would like to produce.

Candidates must meet all of the following criteria in order to be eligible for consideration:

• Ontario-based company (established company) or ordinarily resident in Ontario (new company);
• Screen-based professionals or entrepreneurs with less than three years of professional IDM content creation experience;
• Applicants must have an IDM Fund-eligible project that they would like to develop or produce; and,
• Successful candidates must be prepared to participate in ongoing evaluations and provide a testimonial on completion

WIFT-T members and non-members (all genders) can apply provided they meet the overall eligibility requirements.

Participants must be prepared to attend all three days of this intensive program - Wednesday October 23, 2019 - Friday October 25, 2019 (inclusive).

2019 FEES

Upon acceptance to the program, participants will be notified and provided with instructions on how to pay program fees.

$300 + HST per company (1 or both people are current WIFT-T Members)

$375 + HST per company (neither individual is a current WIFT-T Member)

Creating a Business Plan

A well-developed business plan is essential for any project to be effectively executed. In this session, participants will review successful business plans through case studies and examples, as well as workshop their own business plans through group exercises and discussion. Emphasis will be given to the criteria required in the Ontario Creates IDM applications.

Instructor: Jennifer McIlroy, Professor, SCMAD Lead, Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Communications, Coordinator, STORYWORKS, Coordinator, ACCEL, Centennial College, School of Communications, Media, Arts & Design

Business Operations

It’s not enough to be creative – it’s business. In this session, participants will get an overview of business and operational fundamentals (finance, business affairs, and human resources) and gain an understanding of how these elements work in tandem to support a company’s business and strategic plans.

Instructor: Karen Thompson, Senior Specialist, Business & Legal Affairs, Bell Media

Budgeting & Financial Considerations

Being able to clearly and concisely define the financial aspects of your project is paramount to showing responsibility for your project’s success. In this session, participants will get an overview of the budgeting and financial variables to be considered when further developing their project. Emphasis will be given to working within the framework of the Ontario Creates templates.

Instructor: Sasha Boersma (Co-Founder/Producer at Sticky Brain Studios Inc. and Possible Futures Studios Inc.)

Creating a Marketing Plan

Having a plan for marketing is not just about getting eyeballs to your project. It is also about understanding and showcasing how your project is in a unique position to satisfy your target audience and generate revenue. In this session, participants will review successful marketing plans through case studies and examples, as well as workshop their own marketing plans through group exercises and discussion. Emphasis will be given to the criteria required in the Ontario Creates funding applications.

Instructor: Deborah Day, CEO & Chief Strategist, Innovate By Day

Effective Pitching in the Digital Space

You know your story – now tell it and sell it! In this session, participants will learn the proper ways to “pitch” an IDM project for investors, channel partners and funding agencies. Using their own projects as examples as well as employing case studies, participants will see what makes a digital pitch different.

Instructor: Kevin Wright (Principal, The Optimal Pitch)