Services

Martin Cuff Consulting provides a range of projects  and programs specifically for the support and development of the Film Sector.  Our principle clients are Film Commissions and Film Offices, Government  Departments considering Film as an Economic Development activity, and Film  Associations working in the sector. We operate as consultants, as project  managers, or even as mentors, depending on the requirements of the  client.

Services available include Film Office Feasibility, Film  Commission Establishment, Film Sector Reviews, Film Sector business planning,  Film Incentive development, Film Commission professional development, Film  Sector Association Management, Film Sector marketing and promotion, Project  Management and Film-Friendliness Programs.

Key Programmes  include:

Film Commission Feasibility
Should you develop a film  office in your area? What are your strengths and weaknesses? What does your  area have to offer? Who are your potential clients? Who are you competitors  and how do they rate? What services should such a film office offer, and to  what level? Where would it sit in relation to government and the private  sector? What would its budget look like and how would it be resourced? We can  help you answer these kinds of questions and help build you an appropriate  vehicle to meet your specific needs.

Film Commission Establishment
This really is our speciality. Film Commissions require a  strong administrative framework. We can help by developing your business  plans your program of activities, board management plans, corporate governance  materials, policies and positioning papers, reporting schedules, staff  management plans – whatever you’ll need to get your film commission  established quickly, successfully and sustainably.

Film Sector Reviews
So what does your film sector look like? Where does it sit in comparison to your neighbours? What did you set out to do with your commission when you started? Are you still working towards your original goals, or have those goals changed over the years? Where did you come from and where are you going?

Additional Opportunities  include:

Corporate Governance
Make sure your financial efforts are backed up by comprehensive corporate governance documentation. We can help you on everything from Reporting to HIV/AIDS policies to BEE/Transformation plans. We can also help you with the tools you’ll need to manage your corporate governance obligations in the most effective manner.

Fundraising Strategies
Work with us on creating  strategies, tools and action plans that can make a difference to your budget  and your cashflow. We have created and operated private-public partnership  film commissions and private film associations both in South Africa and the  USA, and we understand the financial implications.

Development Strategies
We can  help build comprehensive development programme for your organisation. We can  provide you with exciting and challenging workplans on the development and  distribution of local productions, increasing audiences for film product  particularly through your local film festivals, encouraging the study of film  and the acquisition of film related skills, and supporting a climate of  entrepreneurship.

Board Management Action Plans
Saddled with an unproductive Board? We can help you reinvigorate and reenergize your board – and we can create the formal frameworks by which you can hold them to their promises.

Film Policies For Film Offices
Battling with your local government about how to make them Film Friendly? We were involved in the creation of a comprehensive Film Policy for the City of Cape Town (Africa’s first), which clearly outlined the roles and responsibilities for the issuing of permits, and the processes required from productions in this heavily-used destination. We can create similar policies and processes for your location.

Building Tourism Linkages
Tourism may grow on its own, once there’s been an important film in  your jurisdiction. But then again, it may not. Don’t leave it to chance; we  can work with you to build dynamic and strategic campaigns to assist your  tourism bodies to get the most out of any production.

Marketing Strategies, Marketing Plans, Marketing Materials
Marketing is an integral  part of any programme of actions; we can help you create a focussed,  cost-effective and clearly targeted plan that’s based on a decade of  experience selling locations to the international market AND to local  communities. We can even project manage the creation of innovative new  marketing products for your organisation. Based on our experience running  national delegations to Film Events in Europe, Africa, North America and Asia,  we can show you how to plan for your attendance at key markets and  Festivals.

Film Incentive Programmes
Film Incentives are the  mother load of any location. They are what gets Film Makers interested, and  what keeps them coming back. But where do you start when you’re trying to  build your own? How do they work? What do other destinations offer? We can  build and coordinate a key team of advisors, draft documentation, marketing  plans, lobbying programmes and a layman’s explanation of the process and  progress – again, all depending on your specific  requirements.

Film Friendliness Programmes
Working with teams  of film professionals, (Scouts / Unit Managers etc.), Film Commissioners and  Film Commission staff, we offer a number of educational programmes where we  can teach your communities what to expect from a Film production, and how to  prepare themselves in advance. We also can provide detailed documentation to  help anyone from home owners to young acting talent get involved in the film  industry

Building Support Programmes For Home-Grown  Filmmakers
We have years of experience supporting the needs of home-grown  film makers, and we can help you build everything from local film funds, to  informal education courses on running a business, pitching a script, taking  part in a Film Market. These activities simply add to the creation of your  organisation as an invaluable part of the local  community.