November News from Creative Convergence

Hi Everyone,

We hope you enjoyed your Halloween weekend and
have some of our own tricks and treats for you:

*Media Brand Workshop: Set the Stage for 2011
*What is Tongal?  It's Where Creators Meet Brands
*New Media Film Festival in SF this week!
*Win Stuff: Join New Media Film Festival Online
*Upcoming Writer Events in San Francisco
*New Indie Publishing Contest
*Join Us at NATPE in Miami, January 2011

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MEDIA BRAND WORKSHOP: SET THE STAGE FOR 2011

Several of you on my list have already signed
up for our upcoming Media Brand Workshop.

If you are not an emerging expert author or
content creator in the process of creating
or marketing content across media platforms,
skip down to the bottom and enjoy the Mp3s.
If you are, then please read on...

I am really excited to share with you an
opportunity for what I know is going to
be a fun and productive couple of months
for all of our participants.

If you're not sure how having a Media Brand
applies to you as an emerging or established
content creator listen to Mp3 from 2010
San Francisco Writers Conference
“Building a Media Brand” at:
http://bit.ly/cFaGJH

I'd love you to take a minute to learn more
about the opportunities this upcoming
Media Brand Workshop will provide for you.

I know many writers, authors, experts and
content creators often struggle with aspects
of their branding, marketing, content
development, networking and general decision
making on how to prioritize.

They often look to representation, when in
fact there are a lot more complex facets of
their brand development that need to be build
out that typically need to be in place in
order to attract the right representation
and opportunities in the marketplace.

You can get all the info at:
www.yourmediabrand.com
Use coupon code: MyList

My role in this course is to create a
safe and supportive environment that gets
you to focus on your content, branding
and marketing.  You'll create a powerful
vision and a clear path to get from where
you are to where you want to go.

I see it as my job to inform, inspire &
challenge. Your job is to participate
contribute and connect. In the process
we look at the various aspects of
creating a powerful media brand.

A "brand" has everything to do with
being a successful writer, filmmaker or
content creator because you are creating
a file in people's brain and you have
to be responsible for the tags on it
and the information in it.

A brand is a promise that creates an
expectation in the mind of others and
is built by repeated interactions.
Everything you do, write or say is an
expression of your promise.  Your
media brand then delivered over
multiple media channels.

Suze Orman, Martha Stuart,
Dr. Phil, Donald Trump, Michael
Crichton, Harry Potter and The
Simpsons are just a few examples.

Whether you are writing fiction or
non-fiction we look at 6 areas of
opportunity & points of access for
you across:
*New Media
*Traditional Media
*Self Publishing
*Traditional Publishing
*Television
*Film

We also go over the 5 skills that it
takes to develop a media brand:
*Brand Identity
*Entrepreneurship
*Storytelling
*Tech/Technology
*PR/Communications

We'll meet on Monday nights and
Thursday evenings from
Nov 14 - Dec 16 at 5:30PM PT
on Mondays and 4PM PT on Thursdays.
There is also an optional session
Monday, Nov 8 if you sign up now!

We have office hours, private consults,
Mp3s and supplemental materials.

This is a content workshop so I will
read blogs, bios, websites, manuscripts,
screenplays and more...I also encourage
you to share your work and provide
feedback to others.

And as it is a Workshop we also have
limited enrollment.

If you're familiar with my
Screenwriting Career Intensive you know
how motivating and informative these
classes can be, but you'll find this
one take a more hands-on approach from
me with your creative and professional
development.

What will you get out of it?
For everyone that is a little bit
different.  We've had alumni with no
previous media experience get full page
stories about her non-profit in People
Magazine & Reader's Digest. Our alumni
Alexis Niki wrote & produced the
webseries "My Bitchy Witchy
Paris Vacation" - and another
alum kindly reviewed it
http://nblo.gs/9viSd
People have gone on to produce short
films, write & perform plays and put
together business plans and book deals.  

You can get the information and
register for Media Brand Workshop
at: www.yourmediabrand.com
Be sure to use coupon code:
MYLIST

So far for our Fall 2010 program we
have participants from Australia,
France, Michigan, New York, Los Angeles,
Texas & Virginia.  They are experts,
entrepreneurs, coaches, filmmakers,
storytellers, novelists, TV writers
and more...

They are all also people who've decided
they need some additional support,
insight and feedback to maximize both
impact and exposure. They also like the
idea of having an impartial view as this
is program is provided as an educational
resource.

And what's great about this course is
that it doesn't matter where you are in
the process or if you are interested
in writing a blog and building out your
social networks or building a platform
and developing content worthy of a major
publishing, TV and movie deal.

Plus we'll be bringing in 5 agents/managers
to talk to our group before the end of
the year.  It's a great opportunity to
explore finding the right representation
in film, tv or publishing.

If this sounds like the right opportunity
for you, I look forward to working with
you in this class!

And join us on our social networks
on Facebook & LinkedIn at:
Media Brand Workshop and on Twitter
@yourmediabrand

Here are some fun & informative
interviews we've done over the past
couple of months:

Media Brand Workshop Conversations

Chris Bruss, Producer at Funny or Die
– Download MP3 at: http://bit.ly/bFVT7U

Rick Polizzi, Producer on “The Simpsons”
– Download Mp3 at: http://bit.ly/aWUIVP

Mark & Jeanne Simon of
SellYourTVConceptNow.com
– Download Mp3 at: http://bit.ly/9P1APL

Ralph Scott of Credit the Edit
- Download Mp3 at: http://bit.ly/bwbuZg

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WHAT IS TONGAL?
IT'S WHERE CREATORS MEET BRANDS

We're excited to welcome Tongal as a
sponsor to the New Media Film Festival-SF
Bay Area. 

Tongal is an online platform that
facilitates the collaborative creation
of video content and media via
crowdsourcing in a multi-phased process.
They connect our global community with
the businesses that need them.
www.tongal.com

They are currently running a project with
Allstate Insurance. Anyone with any kind
of creative background can contribute.
These are short ideas about what insurance
will be like in 20+ years.  Even if they
can fly, are powered by liquefied garbage
and come standard with autopilot, twenty
years from now, people will still own and
operate personal vehicles. Thus, we will
still need insurance from a reputable
company with great customer service.
That’s why Allstate is asking you to
imagine life in the year 2030.

This project will be worth a total of
$15,000 and will consist of three
entry phases.  They’ve just entered
Phase 2 – Submit your ideas in 500
characters or less.  Use the 5 winning
ideas from Phase 1 as a jumping off point
or create your own.  Get the details
for this project at:
http://tongal.com/project/allstate

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NEW MEDIA FILM FESTIVAL IN SF THIS WEEK!

Friday Nov 5 & Saturday Nov 6 at
VizCinema

New Media Film Festival-SF Bay Area,
The Best of New Media: What's New,
What's Next...Honoring Stories Worth
Telling.

Meet award winning game, film, book,
show, web series & app creators!  It's a
dynamic program with panel discussion,
Q&A meet-n-greets, mini-workshops, demos,
screenings in these categories: Web Series,
Shot on RED, Animation, Documentary,
Feature and SRC-Socially Responsible
Content. 

Speakers include:

*Steve Perlman, CEO of OnLive.com, an
inventor and entrepreneur with over 80
technology patents.

*Will Wright, Creator of Bar Karma on
Current TV and original designer for
"The Sims" games series which, as of 2009,
is the best-selling PC game in history

*Jaime Wilkinson, Producer, "Star Wars:
Uncut" (2010 Primetime Emmy Award winner
for Outstanding Creative Achievement in
Interactive Media - Fiction).

Join panelists from: Producers Guild
of America-Northwest (PGA-NW), Writers
Guild of America (WGA, West), IndieGoGo,
San Francisco Film Society, Red Planet
Studios, Movieset.com, Academy of
Television Arts & Sciences, Code and Theory,
Larsen Pomada Literary Agency, Manic D Press,
Red Wheel/Weiser Books/Conari Press,
Women’s National Book Association SF Chapter,
AuthorsTeam, Credit the Edit, Flingo.tv,
Unity Technology, Babelgum.com,
Sharethrough, Tongal, Motorola, Magnicode
and more!

New Media Film Festival premiered in LA
in June 2010 and will be in SF Bay Area
with an expanded forum and line up of
industry executives & content creators.

FESTIVAL COMPETITION:
Judges are professionals from Industrial
Light & Magic, Pixar, Summit Entertainment
& United Talent Agency. There are World
Premiere and Northern California Premiere
screenings. Winners will be announced on
Saturday evening.

Location: VizCinema at 1746 Post St.,
SF, CA 94115
Dates: Friday, Nov 5 & Saturday, Nov 6
Time: 9AM - 7PM & 7PM – Midnight
Website: www.newmedifilmfestival.com
Register:  http://bit.ly/sfnmff

For 20% off use discount code: special20

Look forward to seeing you there!

Susan Johnston
Founder/Director - New Media Film Festival

Philippa Burgess & Brad Kushner
Co-Directors - New Media Film Festival-SF
Bay Area

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WIN STUFF: JOIN NEW MEDIA FILM
FESTIVAL ONLINE

Sign up on New Media Film Festival
Social Networks
On Facebook & LinkedIn: New Media Film
Festival and on Twitter @newmediaff
and nmfilmfest_sf to be eligible to win
New Media Film Festival Prizes.  Giveaways
each week. 

Upcoming giveaways include:

New Book - Coffee Break Screenwriter
by Pilar Alessandra

Steve Kaplan’s Comedy Intensive
Chicago, Nov 6 & 7, Winnepeg, Nov 21 & 22,
Los Angeles Dec 4 & 5.
More info at: www.kaplancomedy.com.
And get a $50 Discount when
you mention New Media Film Festival.
Email skcomedy@aol.com for discount payment
info.

Free Manuscript Evaluation by Ralph Scott
of Credit the Edit.

Free Anime Studio animation software from
Smith Micro Software.

Free Seats into Media Brand Workshop,
Online Program Nov 14 – Dec 17.
More info at: www.yourmediabrand.com
To register use discount code: MyList

Plus download now a great LA Free Resource
Guide "Did You Know LA?" EBook by
Director/Founder of New Media Film Festival,
Susan Johnston at:
http://bit.ly/diduknowla

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UPCOMING WRITER EVENTS IN SAN FRANCISCO

All About Ebooks, November 12 at Hilton
Financial
$20 Off.  Mail Your Check before 11/8
& Mention New Media Film Festival in
the Memo.
More information at: www.allaboutebooks.us
I will be speaking there on a panel
about enhanced ebooks.

San Francisco Writing For Change Conference,
November 13 & 14 at Hilton Financial
$50 Off.  Mail Your Check before 11/8
& mention New Media Film Festival in Memo.
Full Conference Details at:
www.sfwritingforchange.org

San Francisco Writers Conference,
February 18 – 20, 2011 at Mark Hopkins
Hotel – Conference Info at:
www.sfwriters.org

It's one of my favorite events and I
I've spoken there on Media Branding,
Selling to Hollywood and Book to Film 

Listen to 2010 San Francisco Writers
Conference Mp3 on Session “Building a
Media Brand” at:
http://bit.ly/cFaGJH

And if you are looking for a treasure
trove of content from writers conferences
around the country check out:
www.vwtapes.com.

For as little as $10 each you can listen
to any of hundreds of inspiring and
informative sessions with agents, editors,
producers, publicists and more.

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NEW INDIE PUBLISHING CONTEST

San Francisco Writers Conference has
just announced their new Indie Publishing
Contest where you can win up to $30,000.

Writers can begin submitting entries for
consideration immediately. The contest
is open to all American-based writers
who are invited to enter up to the first
5,000 words of an unpublished, finished
manuscript, short story, essay or poem
in the categories of: fiction,
non-fiction/memoir, children's/young
adult or poetry.

Cost per entry is $35 for fiction,
non-fiction/memoir and children's/YA.
Poetry entries are $25 each. Writers
can begin submitting entries for
consideration immediately.  The deadline
for entries is January 5, 2011.
Learn more at:
http://bit.ly/an286R

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JOIN US FOR NATPE IN MIAMI, JANUARY 2011

NATPE | Content First
Fontainebleau Resort, Maimi Beach
January 24 – 26, 2011
Early Bird Discount – Before Dec. 10th
Register at: www.natpemarket.com

We'll be there along with Mark & Jeanne
Simon of SellYourTVConceptNow.com
Learn more about the pre-conference
Hit Makers Summit at:
http://www.sellyourtvconceptnow.com/summit

Plus Free Mp3 Downloads from
LATVFest | Talent First
www.latvfest.net

Podcast #1:  Interview with Jordan Hoffner,
Director, Content Partnerships, YouTube
- http://bit.ly/latvfest

Podcast #2: Interview with Writer/Producer
Greg Berlanti
- http://bit.ly/latvfest2

Podcast #3: Interview with Emmy
Award Winning Executive Producer
Steve Levitan
- http://bit.ly/latvfest3

Podcast#4: Interview with CEO and
Founder of 3Ball Productions,
J.D. Roth
- http://bit.ly/latvfest4

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To your success,

Philippa

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Find us on Facebook at:
Creative Convergence & Philippa Burgess Course
On Facebook and LinkedIn at:
Media Brand Workshop
On Twitter
@creativecvg & @yourmediabrand
Blog:  www.creativecvg.wordpress.com