The New York Networking Events Filmmakers Need to Know About
Building an enviably good career in film, entertainment or any creative industry requires resources and connections. You need allies, people to help you solve problems, and people who know other people in various facets of music, film, and business. Fostering the right relationships enables you get known by the very same people who can benefit most from your talent. Want to leapfrog your career? Work hard, be a person who honors their commitments, and build and maintain your connections.
New York is a terrific place to launch a career in music, film, or practically anything in the arts. Since we know the many networking events can be somewhat overwhelming, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to construct a list of the events where you’re bound to get some primo connection-building opportunities.
New York Film And Fashion Professionals
The world of cinema and fashion overlap more than you’d think. Funded by a media venture capital group, this Manhattan-based MeetUp is specifically geared towards facilitating cross pollination between film, fashion and media as well. Their fun events (including an 80s dance party on August 5th) make it easy to mix with fashion professionals, filmies, and the professionals who wade in both exciting, creative worlds.
Kaleidoscope NYC
Find yourself enamoured with VR? Want to get in and get to know the people who are on the cutting edge of creating immersive realities, crafting stories in a whole new way, or creating the next generation of video games and sound and visual effects? Kaleidoscope is a MeetUp group for creators involved in the Virtual Reality industry, from gaming to filmmaking, this is one industry that’s growing leaps and bounds. Get in and make the most of the opportunity to meet other creatives as well as those on the practical side of making the impossible possible. The VR movement is still all-new. Get in, learn, and get connected and entrenched in the VR Movement, a whole new facet of entertainment that many say is poised for greatness.
The Long Island Film and TV Foundation Filmmakers Connection
Founded in 1997, this networking MeetUp is exacly what the name implies–a group that’s all about connecting filmmakers and television professionals within the Long Island area. Hosted by Long Island’s oldest non-profit film group, this networking event is known to draw filmmakers from both near and far. With and independent film focus, this organization is the same group that runs LIIFE (The Long Island International Film Expo) that shows short and feature length indie films from all over the globe.
ActNow Film and Theatre Group for Artists and Black Professionals
ActNow is a non-profit film and theater organization for African and African American performers and entertainment professionals. Persons from all walks of life are welcomed to attend their meetings which often coincide with film festivals, theatre performances, and other social networking events.
Light and Shadow
Looking for a networking event with serious cinematic edge? Try Light and Shadow. This cinematography MeetUp centers around the art of capturing and utilizing light on film. A valuable resource for those who love to explore the visual magic of filmmaking, this is one event serious directors, DPs, cinematographers, grips and techs don’t want to miss.
Do not go the way of many a film-school-graduate and languish in the woe of existential crises. Do not suffer for your art, sweat for it. Build and maintain the connections you’ve made with your mentor while also connecting with other filmmakers and film professionals all over burroughs of New York. When the time comes to help lock down that crew or get that camera package, you’ll know who to call. One must always be proactively building their skills, talent, and relationships. Do that, and you’ll be in it, doing it professionally far sooner than those who choose to standby on the sidelines, waiting for permission to act. Develop a doing-mindet. Cultivate creative friendships. Get the pros to depend on you and be true-blue and dependable. Push forward, remember your goals and bring those creative visions to life. Plan for success, step-by-step. Work hard, damn hard, and thrive!
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