In my other
blogs I’ve mentioned various associations which a film/video professional could
join. Upon searching locally, I found another association that would benefit
Coloradoan filmmakers.
As a media
professional, joining various associations can increase your networks, bring
you more customers, help with marketing and help you keep up with industry
standards. Finding the right organization that meets your needs is important;
as they can help you gain experience and knowledge in your field.
Being in
Colorado, one of the more prominent associations is the Colorado Film and Video
Association (CFVA). “Formed in 1982,
CFVA is the oldest and largest media production organization in Colorado” (CFVA,
2011).
What I like
most about this association, other than all of their awesome benefits, is the
price of membership. It’s not restrictive and most filmmakers would be able to
afford joining. I give them high praise for keeping their fees down, therefore
giving start-ups a chance to benefit from their membership.
Speaking of
membership benefits, the CFVA publishes your company in the Colorado Production
Guide. This marketing and networking tool is a nice way to be seen and found by
other professionals. This comes in handy when trying to put together a local
crew for a film shoot.
Other
benefits include free admission to all CFVA events, education and training
workshops, access to CFVA business services such as health and accounting
services, and discounted admissions to co-sponsored CFVA events.
CFVA also
has committees which you can join to make a difference for the film industry in
Colorado. One of their past programs which impacted the film industry was the
support raised to help pass the House Bill 12-1286, which was written to
increase Colorado’s film incentives from 10% to 20%. CFVA created a matching
funds program for raising money to help lobby the bill. Success was reached
when this bill passed in May of 2012. Colorado’s film industry has been working
to bring more productions to Colorado and now they have a new avenue to help
increase the productions here. CFVA helped bring this success to the film
industry!
Overall,
CFVA is a great organization to be a part of in Colorado. I look forward to
getting involved and learning from the experienced professionals that make up
this association.
