Kootenay Film and Video Cooperative

Date of Incorporation: August 2000

Membership:  60

Activity:  Facilitating film and video production by gathering resources under one co-operative umbrella

Organisational form: Service co-operative

Area served: Kootenay region, British Columbia

Background

When Carly Baker, an aspiring filmmaker from the Kootenays, decided to make a film, she requested assistance from a new organisation: the Kootenay Film and Video Co-operative.  Baker had never shot a film before, but she had plenty of creative ideas. The co-op assisted her by providing advice on how she could fulfill her objectives. For $500 she completed her project, a silent film with live accordion accompaniment, and presented it to an audience of almost three hundred people. The Kootenay region has a concentration of talented professionals who are eager to participate in this type of creative endeavor, and the Kootenay Film and Video Co-operative is determined to provide resources to assist them.

The Kootenay region has traditionally relied on the forestry and mining industries over the past few decades to support its economy, but the region has recently entered a period of economic transition. Kootenay residents are beginning to explore new business ideas, particularly in the creative arts industry; the region abounds with talent in the literary, visual and performing arts.  The provincial government had also been seeking to establish new industry in rural areas that previously depended on the forestry industry.

British Columbia (B.C.) had experienced a huge growth in film and video production. Between the late 1970s and 1999, spending in the motion picture industry rose from $12 million per year to $808 million annually.  Founders of the Kootenay Film and Video Cooperative (KFVC) recognized that there were favorable circumstances in the Kootenay region. They identified a distinct and growing desire to support local film and video production in the area, and noticed that the local economy was ripe for this type of creative change. The founders hoped to use this opportunity to develop an innovative film and video production resource for the Kootenay community¹.

Forming a Co-operative

The Kootenay Film and Video Cooperative began in 1999 when Selkirk College in Trail started contacting local filmmakers about a feasibility study to determine if the Kootenay area could support a course in film and production. The College held a series of meetings as part of the study, and local filmmakers began to discuss the need for a formal organisation to support filmmaking that was specific to the Kootenay area. Selkirk College supported the collection of filmmakers by holding workshops, conducting surveys, and generally encouraging the formation of an organized group.  By June 1999, the filmmakers had held their Inaugural General Meeting, and by November 2000 they had organized their first Annual General Meeting.

The filmmakers' next main focus was to organise their group using a more formal structure.  They considered various organizational models, including forming an association or a society.  Fairly early on in this process, one of the group's founders, Felicity Gerwing, introduced the filmmakers to Lyn Cayo, a local business planner and a member of DevCo (a provincial co-operative development organisation). Cayo explained the co-operative concept to the group. The filmmakers appreciated the shared perspective of incorporation; in an interview, members explained that "whatever happens, not one single person is responsible...the co-op is."

Objective and Goals

The intent of the Kootenay Film and Video Cooperative is to provide easily accessible resources to filmmakers in its region. The co-op defines "filmmakers" quite broadly: We understand the term to refer to anyone who plays an active role in the development, creation, production and completion of a project utilizing the medium of film, video or both to tell a story. This is intended to include the broad spectrum of administrative, creative and technical craftspeople within the industry, such as directors, producers, actors, editors, music composers, sound recording and production assistants (Kootenay Film and Video Cooperative 2000-2002 business plan, p. 4).

The goals of the co-operative are to:

• actively encourage, facilitate and advocate the development of the Kootenay film and video community
• provide filmmakers with access to a meeting place, facilities, equipment and essential resources
• act as an organization that advocates the production of films/videos in the Kootenay region
• attract and connect with filmmakers and film/video organizations from outside the Kootenay region
• develop healthy alliances and partnerships with local resources, business, organizations and individuals
• develop and facilitate communication initiatives to foster a sense of community among West Kootenay filmmakers
• identify and pursue market opportunities relevant to Kootenay filmmakers²

Resources

The co-op wants to participate in "promoting cultural understanding through empowering artistic expression by members."³ In order to make media tools accessible to its members, the co-op is building a Resource Centre, and a development called The Studios.  The Centre will act as "the central hub for KFVC members and operations"(Kootenay Film and Video Cooperative 2000-2002 business plan, p.18), and it will include offices, a screening room, and a library.  The Studios will be a large industrial space, and will accommodate a production studio, an equipment rental and storage area, editing suites, and a duplication centre. The Studios may be directly connected to the Resource Centre, or else it will be at a separate location, depending on physical space is available. This Resource Centre will be sited in Nelson, and the Studios will be located in either Nelson or Trail.⁴

There are also tentative plans for satellite offices to be placed elsewhere in the West Kootenay area, such as in Nakusp, Argenta, Kaslo, Castlegar, and New Denver.  These satellites would provide office services, library resources, reception, and a reception and multi-use area. The intention is to provide an organized space for producing Kootenay films and videos, and to support developing artists by linking them to work opportunities in the local and mainstream film industry,

Membership

To become a regular member, a person must purchase one member share at a cost of $25.  This gives them access to all resources, and entitles them to vote. In keeping with co-operative principles, groups and organizations are not eligible for regular membership because the co-operative only offers a voting membership (that is, one member - one vote); however, groups are encouraged to get involved as sponsors or allies. Provincial legislation regarding co-op membership is currently experiencing some changes and, if modified, the KFVC will be able to offer two membership options: Filmmaker's (voting) and Associate (non-voting) memberships.  A Filmmaker's membership would be the same as the regular membership, and would only be available to individuals who are permitted to access all the resources the co-operative offers.  An Associate membership is for groups, organizations and individuals who wish to support the co-op. This membership also requires the $25 fee, and entitles the member to involvement in co-op activities and attendance at member meetings without giving them the right to vote.

In order to help finance the future Resource Centre and Studios the co-op may decide to begin to charge an annual administration fee. Once the Resource Centre was open, Filmmaker members would pay an extra $50 each year and Associate members an additional $25 annually.  After the Studios facility is operating, Filmmaker members would choose between paying $50 annually for access to the Resource Center only, or $100 annually for use of both the Resource Centre and Studios.  Associate members would contribute $50 annually for the use of the Studio space.⁵

The co-operative also offers a Friends option for potential members and people who would like to be kept informed about the co-op's screening nights and upcoming projects.  The co-operative acts as an advisory board for any co-op Friend who needs advice regarding film projects. Currently the co-operative has sixty Members and nearly 150 Friends.

Governance

The Board of Directors sits at eleven members. It is elected by voting members, and subsequently nominates from amongst itself a President, a Vice-President, a Treasurer, and a Secretary.  The Executive Committee is composed of the President, the Vice-President, and the Secretary; this group also acts as the Personnel Committee, and is responsible for overseeing the co-op's senior management.  The Board also oversees an advisory panel of co-op members, industry professionals, and consultants. Management and staff are hired from within the co-op's membership whenever possible, although staff may be hired from outside the co-operative when necessary.

The co-op has five steering committees: Funding, Programming, Facilities, Equipment and Projects. Each includes one director and at least one other co-op member.  The chair of each committee reports directly to the Board through either the Secretary or the relevant steering committee. Other committees may become necessary as the co-op grows.

Community Connections

The Kootenay Film and Video Cooperative has developed a positive affiliation with the British Columbia Film and Video Commission Kootenay Region.  Co-op directors keep abreast of information and opportunities that come through the Commissions office.  In turn, the Commission knows it can access the co-op's  pool of resources if it should require film skills and expertise. Also, when large film projects come through the Kootenays, the film companies are able to approach the co-op. The co-op can then put the work out for bid to its members, who have varying degrees of skill, expertise, and interests that film companies can tap.

The co-op provides opportunities for post-graduate students and youth coming out of high school to explore potential jobs and careers in a creative local industry.  Also, the co-operative has developed beneficial associations with commercial production houses and production agencies in Western Canada; these alliances create additional networking resources for filmmakers in the West Kootenays.

The Kootenay Film and Video Co-op is quite active in the West Kootenay community.  In March 2001 they successfully hosted the Kootenay Moving Pictures Film Festival and participated in the BC Festival of the Arts, where co-op members played a large role in the film and video sections of the festival.  The co-op also holds regular independent film viewing nights.  Screenings are held at local establishments, and people gather to view emerging artists' works.  The grass roots quality of the Kootenay Film and Video Cooperative is an important part of its identity as a co-op and as a reputable partner of the Kootenay community.

Addendum (May 2002)

Since the original research and writing of this case study (2001) the Kootenay Film and Video Cooperative has expanded its member resources. As of February 2002 the co-operative has opened a Resource Centre in Nelson, B.C. through funding from Human Resources Development Canada. A manager and two coordinators maintain the Centre, which contains a library, and provides office equipment and computer access to members. This development will help the co-op meet its objective of advancing the film industry in the Kootenay region. For further information please contact the Resource Centre directly at 711 Tenth street, Nelson, B.C., or visit the Kootenay Film and Video Cooperative website at www.kfvc.bc.ca

Endnotes

¹ Described in the Kootenay Film and Video Cooperative business plan, p. 5

² Kootenay Film and Video Cooperative 2000-2002 business plan, p. 6

³ Kootenay Film and Video Cooperative 2000-2002 business plan, p. 6 ⁴ Kootenay Film and Video Cooperative business plan, p.18-19 ⁵ (Kootenay Film and Video Cooperative business plan, 2000-2002, p. 15

Case Study Information

This case study was developed for a report entitled Situating Co-operatives in British Columbia - 2000-2001, which was prepared for the Province of B.C. (Ministry of Community Development, Co-operatives and Volunteers) by the British Columbia Institute for Co-operative Studies, University of Victoria.  To obtain the information for the case study BCICS and the co-operative entered into a partnership agreement. BCICS is grateful to the co-op members for their contributions and time. The case study is published with the approval of the co-operative. Further information regarding this study includes the following:

Researcher: Colleen Shepherd

Date of research: 2001

Author: Colleen Shepherd

Date of writing: 2001

Editing: BCICS editorial group

Supervision: Kathleen Gabelmann, BCICS Research Co-ordinator

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