Need input for starting a production company in Toronto - re: permits, licences, etc.
- Thread starter blake2404
- Start date
David W. Jones
Veteran
Good Luck with your business!
Toronto is swimming with production companies.
Toronto is swimming with production companies.
Assuming you have the equipment that you need, or consistent access to it, and a location to work out of, the only thing I can see that your missing from your list is a solid business plan.
How thoroughly have your researched your regional market dynamics? Whats the competition, what are the regional rates like? what do you need out of the business to be viable? are you carrying any debt load? what's your capital situation? Have you got a client base? If not, whats your plan for establishing one? have you set a marketing budget? What's your 12 month valuation projections? 24 months, 36 months? is there a demand for the type of work you enjoy/are good at? is it sustainable? what's your "hook"?
If you don't have SOLID answers to all of those, and many other similar questions, you're not ready for prime time yet. Do the research thoroughly; what David said is absolutely true...GTA has HORDES of production companies, and if you don't have a solid plan with a good' unique hook to get the clients in the door, you're in for some really tough sledding.
You may well find that what you want to shoot most is already at a point of saturation, and even breaking into that venue is prohibitively expensive and time consuming. It may not be, but you should be prepared for that possibility. The actual "shooting" part of the equation is about 10% of the overall "business" equation. I've seen several extraordinarily talented film makers relegated to B camera operators because while they were talented videographers they were crappy business people, didn't research their markets adequately, and ate through their investment before they could re-adjust and tackle the real market needs instead of their "vision".
Do it slow, do it smart, find your niche and then devote every waking SECOND to making it work. If you aren't ready for 18 hour days, 7 days a week for the foreseeable future...re-think. it is a HUGE amount of work, and very satisfying in the end if you think through everything first.
How thoroughly have your researched your regional market dynamics? Whats the competition, what are the regional rates like? what do you need out of the business to be viable? are you carrying any debt load? what's your capital situation? Have you got a client base? If not, whats your plan for establishing one? have you set a marketing budget? What's your 12 month valuation projections? 24 months, 36 months? is there a demand for the type of work you enjoy/are good at? is it sustainable? what's your "hook"?
If you don't have SOLID answers to all of those, and many other similar questions, you're not ready for prime time yet. Do the research thoroughly; what David said is absolutely true...GTA has HORDES of production companies, and if you don't have a solid plan with a good' unique hook to get the clients in the door, you're in for some really tough sledding.
You may well find that what you want to shoot most is already at a point of saturation, and even breaking into that venue is prohibitively expensive and time consuming. It may not be, but you should be prepared for that possibility. The actual "shooting" part of the equation is about 10% of the overall "business" equation. I've seen several extraordinarily talented film makers relegated to B camera operators because while they were talented videographers they were crappy business people, didn't research their markets adequately, and ate through their investment before they could re-adjust and tackle the real market needs instead of their "vision".
Do it slow, do it smart, find your niche and then devote every waking SECOND to making it work. If you aren't ready for 18 hour days, 7 days a week for the foreseeable future...re-think. it is a HUGE amount of work, and very satisfying in the end if you think through everything first.