Funding is an ongoing issue for independent filmmakers. It’s the source of headaches and heartache, and a critical ingredient that can transform a solid idea into a bona-fide hit.
In Canada, the scant funding that’s available to filmmakers can be arduous to access – and there simply isn’t enough cash in the coffers to breathe cinematic life into all of the worthy ideas out there just begging to be born.
But independent filmmakers and their partners are getting creative. No one had really considered crowd funding as a viable financing source up until five years ago, and now it’s par for the course. Locally, filmmaking initiatives like Crazy8s are kickstarting creativity.
In 2014, TELUS threw its hat into the filmmaking fray with Storyhive, a community-driven competition that marries the crowd aspect of crowd funding with access to corporate cash.
Last year, Storyhive awarded 10 grants of $10,000 each to BC filmmakers so they could make their short films. The films ended up being broadcast on TELUS’ Optik network (and currently live at storyhive.com).
This year, Storyhive has set its sights on the web series world. In late 2014, more than 100 filmmakers pitched their ideas for a web series via the Storyhive web site. The community (AKA the crowd) voted; 15 were given $10,000 each to produce a pilot.
Now, it’s up to the crowd to decide which two pilots will each receive $50,000 to film a full season.
Coded is one of the 15 contenders.
The brainchild of educator Steve Neufeld, Coded tells the story of a new teacher (played by Jarod Joseph) tasked with teaching five students who have been coded by the school system for their severe emotional and cognitive disorders.
Coding is a practice that exists in various regions across the country, and while not an autobiographical piece, Coded does draw upon Neufeld’s experiences in Alberta classrooms.
Coded gives a voice to otherwise underrepresented children, says Joely Collins, the veteran actress (Madison) and producer (Becoming Redwood) who wears both hats in the pilot.
“There are a lot of kids really suffering with different things that get filtered through the education system without the proper support and care, and so I think as much as this is a fictional series, it also brings an important issue to the surface of something that we want to be addressing,” says Collins, who portrays a vice-principal hell-bent on making the new teacher’s life difficult.
Although the goal with Coded is to create episodic content akin to television, Collins and her team have had to adapt to the viewing habits of the World Wide Web.
“When you’re dealing with the web, you’ve got to grab people’s attentions quickly,” says Collins. “You don’t have the luxury of maybe developing something the way you would see it on TV. The slow build doesn’t work as well on the web.”
Not to say that they didn’t put their best foot forward just because it’s for the web. Coded’s pilot episode is directed by none other than renowned veteran director Gary Harvey.
“Gary puts so much thought into every detail, and when he directs, he builds these layers,” raves Collins. “He really knows what he’s looking for, and he cares so much. He brings so much to the table. It’s an absolute joy to watch him work.”
Coded wasn’t the first time Collins has collaborated with Harvey. “It’s funny, because I played the character of Rachael when we worked together on Madison back in the '90s, and now I’m back in school again with Gary, and my character’s name is Rachel,” laughs Collins. “We’ve come full circle.”
School and learning were big topics of conversation over the three days in February when cameras rolled on Coded, and not just because of the content of the script. The cast and crew sheets boasted a healthy mix of veteran and emerging talent.
At times, says Collins, it really did feel like school was in session.
“We got to bring together veterans in the industry and emerging filmmakers and creators in the industry, and it was a great opportunity for them to really learn so much more,” she says. “They say if you want to learn how to make a movie, go make a movie. The best classroom is being on set and doing it.”
• Storyhive voting runs March 16-26. View all of the pilots and vote at Storyhive.com/web-series.
