SCREEN AFRICA EXCLUSIVE: On 17 June 2016, at the 7th Durban FilmMart (DFM) held in conjunction with the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), Screen Africa attended a panel discussion between four industry professionals on how to sell your story using the Business Model Canvas. From Cape Town, Kenya and Canada, they were, respectively, Tina-Louise Smith, Fidel Namisi, Orla Garriques and Erica Shaw.
Local filmmaker Smith introduced the panel and the discussion for the morning, ‘Storytelling and story selling with the Business Model Canvas’. Invented by Alex Osterwalder The Business Model Canvas is a strategic management tool for content producers to make the transition to content entrepreneurs. The materials were co-designed and tested by content producers, content investors, industry practitioners and subject matter experts.
The discussion revolved around the business tool, were Garriques explained in detail how it works, and who it is designed for. Garriques, Canadian producer, called up ten volunteers from the audience who formed two groups to demonstrate the effectiveness of the tool. It aids creatives in taking a story from telling it to selling it. Using the “yellow pages’ method, these two groups had, in ten minutes come up with a new idea, a new concept, a plan for funding and a team to take it further.
This discussion showed how the canvas can be used to build a team of people to help take an idea completely through to fruition. The discussion shed light on how to get your story to the world, how to get your story making money, and how this canvas can ignite the passion you need.
Namisi, screenwriter and filmmaker, talked finance, the fundraising element of the tool. He talked about how to tap into the interest of the respective funders, and advised filmmakers and producers to use the DTI as the final pillar of a finance plan because the department provides a timeline regarding when to go into production. He emphasised that personal relationships are vital. He advised that a distributor is needed before one approaches the IDC, and stressed that the business model helps to garner the support of the right key partners, who have the strengths to build the business out of the creativity.
Shaw, media educator, advised that even without the tool you should talk to everyone, use the people around you as your team, depending on the genre, speak to as many of the people you know to get the same feedback, support and ideas. She encouraged the audience to do the full day workshop on the Business Model Canvas, where sign up is available immediately.
