Blue Collar Post Collective Funds Editfest LA for Five Emerging Professionals

Through community flash fundraisers and a financial aid program, five low-income post production professionals attended Editfest in Los Angeles this month The Blue Collar Post Collective (BCPC) provided five emerging post-production professionals the opportunity to attend Editfest LA, an annual series of panel discussions held in Los Angeles since 2008 by the American Cinema Editors (ACE). This year's Editfest LA featured editors from Breaking Bad , The X-Files , Star Wars , and more.

Through BCPC's Professional Development Accessibility Program (PDAP), Indiana native Hillary Lewis was selected by committee from a pool of applicants to travel to Los Angeles for the event. At least 80% of BCPC's revenue, generated through vendor and community donations, ticket sales, and other grants, is allocated toward this financial aid fund in order to make attending important industry events more accessible to everyone. Lewis was awarded airfare and hotel, as well as a ticket for Editfest provided through a partnership with BCPC board member Bobbie O'Steen and ACE.

Lewis, an emerging short-form editor in Indianapolis who graduated from Indiana University in 2013, explained she would not have had the opportunity to explore career opportunities in Los Angeles and make valuable connections without BCPC's financial aid.

As an emerging young editor, the opportunity to attend Editfest LA through the PDAP was invaluable. It exposed me new facets of the post-production industry, new people and positions I had not known, and a clearer sense of what it means to be a part of this industry's culture.This experience brought me into a strong, supportive community I would not have had access to in my hometown, and I hope BCPC can continue to fund people like me to attend these life-impacting events, Lewis stated.

Lewis also spent time touring short form, reality and scripted television and film facilities at Viacom and The SIM Group in Hollywood, shadowing offline and online editors, assistants, workflow supervisors, and camera technicians.

In addition to the PDAP recipient, BCPC's community of members passed the hat around to see if they could send a member to Editfest with Lewis. The flash fundraiser was so successful that four additional qualifying members local to LA were also provided tickets: Isabel Yanes, Luke Palter, Clarence Deng, and Joaquin Elizondo. Through a collaboration with community leaders Lawrence Jordan and Richard Sanchez, BCPC was also able to connect member Graham Palme to accept a donated ticket on behalf of Sanchez and Jordan's upcoming course Master the Workflow .

Opportunities like these can be a game changer for someone's career. They have been for mine. There are great storytellers and artists and technical geniuses all over the world. With the PDAP, we want to help some of them achieve things they couldn't in their current circumstances, BCPC West VP Chris Visser added.

The Professional Development Accessibility Program, which collects applications from full-time post workers whose income is below the median income for their city of residence, will continue to bolster Hollywood's efforts to increase inclusiveness in its below the line workers, creating a bridge between the industry and the diverse membership of the Blue Collar Post Collective. By bringing new faces to major events, we are reminding the wider industry that all professionals, including those who are low-income earners, have voices that are of equal value and importance to the post production community.

For more information contact the Blue Collar Post Collective

LINK:	http://www.hollywoodprofessionalassociation.com/?p=156055...
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