President’s Report 2012

Aug 20, 2012

I would like to begin with Thank You’s: to our members (and non-members) who volunteer to help at each event, at the door and  with promotion. Without them, the events could not be pulled off. Thank you to our Board Members who put in so much thought  and time to this organization – to Paul Day, Richard Schwadel, Dale Gagne, Nina Hirten, Gordon Burkell, and our Industry Advisor,  Jane Tattersall. Without them, the C.C.E. would not be working. I am very excited to have just hired our first Office Assistant, Diane Robb, who I am sure will help the C.C.E. run even better, in Toronto, Vancouver and in new cities too.

C.C.E. membership has grown considerably and our profile is reaching a wider audience (we now have over 200 members!). Our  growth is matched by the new website design and membership database this past year, and a great new logo to move us forward  from infancy to toddler-hood!!

It was another great year in Toronto, with less than stellar success in Vancouver. With a few screenings, Q&A’s, panel discussions  and pub nights, the vitality of the Toronto community continued. We had more sponsors for the awards this year, and found  fantastic support when Deluxe came on board as a platinum sponsor of the awards with a 2 year commitment. Next year’s awards  should be great again, now with film critic Richard Crouse as MC.

Vancouver on the other hand, has dwindled and we need to reach out and support this important community much more in the  next year. Diane Robb will be available (via long distance) to help re-kick start Vancouver’s interest in being a part of the Canadian  Cinema Editors. There have been one or two regular people who help plan the events, but they need much more help from within  Vancouver; they cannot carry the burden.

IMPORTANT: The C.C.E. was always set up as a volunteer organization, with the sole purpose of elevating our craft and it’s  profile. Any events are organized entirely by volunteers from within our membership (and now, with Diane lending some office  support – but the volunteer aspect will still be the far greater role for planning any events). We have no infrastructure with which  to have paid employees organizing events. Consequently it is up to each city to organize these events. If no one comes forward  to organize, then no events happen. The C.C.E provides the budget for all the events as allocated within our annual budget, but  beyond that we cannot provide office staff in each city.

So the question – what does the C.C.E. do for you: And the answer is, ‘nothing unless you help it grow’. Through the many  activities in Toronto, the C.C.E. has seen a greater respect placed on editing, with a new understanding of the craft (there is still  much more work to do, of course). Toronto has many volunteers who are willing to create and push forward events and create  excitement about the C.C.E. The result is that we are constantly contacted by students who are interested in editing and learning  more about it. We are now contacted by producers (semi-regularly) with requests for editors (we direct them to our database), and to learn about our events. Our awards are packed to the rafters, and our standard events are becoming more and more successful. Vancouver and any other city that we wish to support can create the same success. It just takes effort. So, we ask that you band together and help create a cohesive community. Get involved, and help us learn how we can better help the C.C.E. in Vancouver. We want the C.C.E. to properly represent the editing interests across canada. (And as for tangible benefits: Please keep in mind that the C.C.E. is a participant in the MAP benefits and that all events with admission or registration, C.C.E. members are given discounts (ie. our workshops have $20 rebates for members)).

Thank you very much for taking the time to read this, and we look forward to your support and a great 2012-13.
Regards,
Paul Winestock
President

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