With the partnership of the Rotary Centre for the Arts (RCA) and award winning storyteller/videographer Curtis Allen (Distill Media), we are prepared to explore the people and passions that have cemented RCA’s role in Kelowna’s art community. By utilizing a short film format (2-3 minutes per installation), our goal is to capture snapshots of the visual artists, performers, teachers, and musicians that RCA has partnered with in the past 20 years, and highlight the indispensable role RCA has played in connecting this community to the growing city of Kelowna.
RCA Stories
A series of 6 short films showcasing the impact of Kelowna's Rotary Centre for the Arts over the past 20 years.
“On its 20th anniversary, how can we both celebrate the Rotary Centre for the Arts’ storied history and acknowledge its future?”
The Project
We’re looking to create 2-3 minute short videos (6 in total) that highlight working artists with relationship with the RCA (past, present, and future). The videos will feature commentary from members of the community, b-roll, creative wide shots, thoughtful editing, and a delivered product that is expressive and emotive. Our goal is to distill the stories down to the RCA’s core values, and present a compelling, artistic series of videos that are congruent with the RCA’s vision and history.
- In our preliminary discussion with Tyler Morgenstern, we talked about featuring artists who have a long-standing relationship with the RCA. Stories included could feature Mission Dance Company, Sherman Doucette, Somos Colombia Dance Company, Tyler Keaton Robbins, Live Music, and even a large-scale Black History Month exhibition. Specific features are to be confirmed as discussion with potential collaborators continue.
- We are also interested in highlighting the different spaces of the RCA (Atrium, Mary Irwin Theatre, Workshops, Studios, etc.) and use them as set-pieces to tell stories that are visually distinct from one another.
Let’s tell these stories.
Potential Features
Specific applications and visualization plan to follow as details are available.
Act. 01
Dance (ft. Tanya Vadurova)
Tanya and Mission Dance have been engaged with the RCA from the beginning; their shows opened the Centre in 2002, and they created multiple performances in the Centre’s early years.
Act. 02
Blues ft. Sherman Doucette
Sherman is one of Canada’s pre-eminent Blues artists, and has been hosting the RCA’s community program, School of Blues, for years. It is one of the only regular Blues nights in the Central Okanagan.
Item No. 03
Paint (ft. Tyler Keaton Robbins)
Tyler as a tenant artist of the RCA, represents the younger edge of our artistic community. We want to showcase his production process, from tool fashioning to paint application through finishing details.
Act. 04
Live Music (feature TBD)
In order to emphasize the importance of live music performance at the RCA, we are interested in creating a dynamic feature of a local performer telling (and performing) their story of community and collaboration with the RCA.
Act. 05
Dance ft. Somos Colombia Dance Company
Somos Colombia create thrilling dance performances that celebrate Colombian culture and gather this diverse community together.
Item No. 06
Exhibition (ft. Trophy Ewila & Lady Dia)
As they curate a large-scale exhibition to mark Black History Month, Trophy Ewila and Lady Dia would be great representatives of the RCA’s future: more representative, more inclusive, and more focused on centering the work of BIPoC artists/cultural practitioners.
Distill Media
Curtis Allen
Background: Filmmaker, Journalist, Owner of Distill Media
Role: Director of Photography/Editor
Having produced multiple documentaries, Curtis Allen is an expert at creating compelling stories.
With 10+ years experience in video journalism (as a camera operator, editor, and reporter for TV stations in Kamloops and Vancouver), Curtis has incomparable experience telling stories that audiences can meaningfully engage with. He has produced documentaries in Haiti, Ethiopia, and Mexico–and in 2018, he was chosen to tell the story of Round Lake Treatment Centre in documentary form; a comprehensive, TV-ready story that has aired over 50 times on BC television. In addition to running Distill Media, Curtis has regular work as a freelance broadcast journalist for both CBC and CTV.
Curtis is also the recipient of two awards from the Radio Television Digital News Association, recognizing him for his documentary work in Haiti, as well as a piece he co-produced in Disneyland.
Advantages
Budget Projection
Estimated Budget
Given the nature of this project and the way its funding is sourced, we want to minimize needless expenses by compacting our shoots into a shorter timeframe. The RCA will also receive a 20% discount on all services. The RCA will retain ownership of all footage and interviews gathered in the creation of the films. This means that you can use the footage we capture however you want in the future, including using it to promote your endeavors online (as well as on social and traditional media).
Our pricing structure is based on the following numbers (depicted pre-discount): $1236 for a full-day shoot, $850 for a half-day shoot, and $850 for a day of editing. Further costs, such as hiring appropriate subcontractors, are estimates. We will estimate higher costs than may be necessary to ensure there are no surprises for the RCA in this process–the entirety of the budget may not be needed in totality.
An itemized estimate showing the breakdown of costs can be found by clicking here: www.distillmedia.ca
Subcontractors
Factored into the budget estimate, you will see “subcontractors” listed as a line item. These are not essential to the project, but they are preferred. Our regular rates already include a producer and production assistant. The work we would subcontract is:
- a second camera operator to help expediate and expand our shooting process
- an audio operator to capture sound design elements (brushes on canvas, feet on stage, ambiences, sound effects, etc.)
Having these subcontractors would allow us to add a lot more “sizzle” to the short films, but they’re also a candidate for subtraction if the budget is unable to accommodate them.
Option A: Compact Schedule
This schedule anticipates four back-to-back 10-12 shooting days at the RCA. This activates an additional discount of 15% (on top of the existing 20%) on all services outside of subcontractor fees. By saving us time loading gear and travelling, we can save you money. Estimate factors in $4000 for subcontractors, both of which can be subtracted to reduce costs (if necessary).
12160
Compact Schedule Estimate (20% & 15% discount applied)
Distill Media Rate
Producer and production assistant (bulk rate)
Subcontractors
Second camera operator, audio operator
Editing
10 days (bulk rate)
Total (Pre-Discount at 20%)
Bulk rates already factored
Option B: Mixed Schedule
This schedule anticipates a mix of flexible scheduling and bulk scheduling: four 8 hour days of shooting, and 2 half-days of shooting. Estimate factors in $4000 for subcontractors, both of which can be subtracted to reduce costs (if necessary).
14,275
Mixed Schedule Estimate (20% discount and editing bulk rate applied)
Distill Media Rate
Producer and production assistant
Subcontractors
Second camera operator, audio operator
Editing
10 days (bulk rate)
Total (Pre-Discount at 20%)
Bulk rates already factored
Option C: Open Schedule
This schedule anticipates shooting 6 full days whenever the RCA is available. Estimate factors in $4000 for subcontractors, both of which can be subtracted to reduce costs (if necessary).
16492
Mixed Schedule Estimate (20% discount and editing bulk rate applied)
Distill Media Rate
Producer and production assistant
Subcontractors
Second camera operator, audio operator
Editing
10 days (bulk rate)
Total (Pre-Discount at 20%)
Bulk rates already factored
Summary
If it can’t be done right, it’s not worth doing. Our reputation for precise and compelling visual storytelling is not unearned: we can get the results you are looking for. We are excited to share and celebrate the 20th anniversary of the RCA with the people in Kelowna, and we believe we are in a unique position to tell that story.
Let’s work together.
Curtis Allen
Next Steps
Call Distill Media
Email Distill Media