Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Mangan and Michael Fisk.
Hi Jennifer and Michael, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Jennifer: The Business of Creating Institute, now an official 501c3 non-profit, began six years ago when Michael and I teamed up for what we thought was going to be a one-off panel discussion for a completely different project.
I had co-founded and was producing the Women In Film Mini Upfronts (a red-carpet event showcasing female content creators via trailers and ripomatics for projects in various stages of development), and I reached out to Michael to be a judge. We had met the year before when I took a marketing course at UCLA Extension taught by Ken Markman, and Michael was one of the guest lecturers. Fast forward a year, and I’m calling him up, and he’s generously agreeing to judge. Goal achieved! Little did Michael–then the EVP of International Marketing for Lionsgate–know, as we were chatting and I was doing my best to sound professional in my “office”, I was actually on the side of the road with a dead battery, traffic whizzing by and the AAA guy asking me to “sign here”! Comedy like that practically writes itself, but it just goes to show—if you have a solid project and a desire to empower others, like-minded people will come on board to help.
Michael: When Jennifer asked me to be a judge to watch a bunch of trailers, I jumped at the chance. Not only because I did that already for a living, but it was Jennifer’s enthusiasm for helping our creative industry become stronger and better by encouraging more diverse stories to be told and seen that captivated me most.
I remember staying up late at night after work to watch and rank the trailers, sizzle reels and ripomatics. I took it very seriously because I know how much time and effort creators put into their projects. Also it also takes a lot of courage to put a piece of creativity out in the world to be critiqued. They deserve the attention.
Subsequently, we recognized that certain trailers required improvements in their structure and how they effectively “sold” the projects. This realization prompted the establishment of our inaugural panel titled “CREATING TRAILERS: That Sell Your Project.” The success of this initial panel laid the foundation for organic growth, leading us to create additional panels based on recommendations and requests from our attendees. We are always open to panel topic suggestions!
Jennifer: Michael and I noticed from watching the materials many participants had the enthusiasm and the desire to create exceptional work but lacked the practical knowledge to make it so. Since knowledge is power, we decided to organize what we thought was a one-off panel discussion hosted at the Oprah Winfrey Network. We brought in seasoned marketing executives and sales agents to give practical advice and action steps in creating a top-quality project. The response was overwhelming—over 120 people attended! That’s when we realized there was a hunger for practical information in the industry.
Michael: The success of the initial panel led to numerous requests for more. We created a mailing list and tapped into our network for potential panelists, and that’s how the Business of Creating Institute was born. It was a natural progression fueled by the industry’s demand for practical insights and advice.
Jennifer: The Business of Creating Institute exists to educate and empower underserved individuals and communities in the entertainment industry. We produce free panels with top executives, offering unprecedented access to seasoned professionals. What sets us apart is our commitment to creating an inclusive environment where attendees can network and learn from the best in the business.
Michael: We offer professionals in the industry opportunities to learn outside of the expensive universities and trade publications that offer classes or panels. Also, we offer tangible advice. It’s not about just telling “war stories” about the industry, as interesting as they are. Our panels are all about offering “next steps” in what a professional can do to make their project a reality.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Jennifer: The pandemic presented a unique set of challenges. Live, in-person events were no longer feasible. However, instead of seeing it as the end, we embraced the opportunity to pivot to a streaming format in partnership with the Writers Guild Foundation. Happily, we not only survived but thrived, reaching a global audience.
We also partnered with the co-working company Second Home in Hollywood to host the real-life panels. Their central location and beautiful space make it an ideal spot for those in our industry to meet up and learn from one another.
Michael: It’s great to see people in person again. For those who can’t attend in person, we oftentimes are able to tape our panel discussions and put them up a couple of weeks later on our Business Of Creating YouTube Channel.
The tech issues have been a challenge since we don’t have the proper audio and visual equipment at the moment, especially to live-stream. Therefore, we’re looking for sponsors to help with our mission and to donate funds for such things as proper equipment and the hiring of staff to work behind the scenes. If you’ve ever produced an event, you know it takes a village!
Jennifer: I always love that simile–producing is like a swimming duck. Floating serenely on top, paddling madly underneath!
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Jennifer: The Business of Creating Institute’s motto is Educate, Empower, Succeed. The more we can help and guide each other, the better off we all are. Our Mission is to educate and empower professionals who already possess foundational knowledge by providing up-to-the-minute useful information and practical action steps in order to create, finance, market, sell, and distribute top-quality projects. We are an all-volunteer non-profit organization.
The Business of Creating Institute provides unique opportunities and unprecedented access free of charge in order to truly provide an equal opportunity for all who wish to learn, grow, and succeed in the Entertainment Industry. We rely on donations and corporate partners in order to continue providing top-quality events open to everyone.
Our panels provide a unique platform where industry professionals come together to learn, network, and succeed.
Michael: The feedback has been heartwarming. Attendees appreciate the intimate and informative nature of our panels. They describe it as a tremendous foundation of information not typically learned in film school. Our commitment to providing top-quality insights has resonated well with the industry.
What matters most to you?
The most significant factor behind the success of The Business of Creating Institute is our unwavering commitment to adapting to our constantly changing industry.
Our focus on providing practical information, fostering a sense of camaraderie, and creating an inclusive environment through free panels with top executives has set us apart. The unique blend of creativity and business insights shared by our panelists has resonated with industry professionals, making our panels invaluable. The success is not just measured by our growth and positive feedback but by the impact we’ve had on empowering individuals and communities in the entertainment industry. The resilience demonstrated during challenges, such as transitioning to streaming during the pandemic, showcases our determination to adapt and continue providing valuable content to a global audience. Ultimately, our success is rooted in a mission to educate, empower, and facilitate the success of professionals within the entertainment industry.
Our focus this upcoming year is to grow and expand The Business of Creating Institute by working with corporate partners. With corporate partners, we look forward to growing our audience using more professional audio/visual so that our members from around the world can participate via live-stream and watch panels afterward via our YouTube channel, hiring staff to work behind the scenes, and for us to host more panels and events across topics critical to our industry.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.businessofcreating.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/businessofcreating/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BusinessOfCreating
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-business-of-creating-institute/
- Twitter: twitter.com/BizofCreating
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@businessofcreating
