NationStates Jolt Archive

This probably won't go anywhere, but I got put as many lines out as I can to at least feel like I've tried.

So here's the deal:

I'm a freelance crew person for television and movies. So far that has meant Production Assistant, or as I like to call it, Fetch Monkey. It's actually not that bad a job, but I didn't need that damn advanced degree to get it.*

Anyway-there are two ways to improve my lot in life. I have a cargo style van that sometimes productions rent from me. I can wire it with auxilury marine batteries and ac converters to run 'video village' and small lights out of the van as a sort of secondary generator. This will help out on small films and productions, making me more hirable. The auxilary battery charger kit is @$80 and the ac converter is @$180. I have no idea the price of marine batteries.

The second is to get my own pro-sumer camera. The Panasonic DVX-100B 24P camera is the current standard at @$3000-4000. Though they just came out with a HD 24p camera for @$6000, but it records onto P2 cards that are $1700 and don't record much, so I don't know that it is going to be the standard that the DVX is. With a camera my day rate triples, not to mention being available for more jobs.

The problem is I'm a PA, which means I don't earn that much money so I can't get any of that. Right now there is a hole in the back of my van where a window used to be I can't even fix.

Also, getting through college was a bit of a trial and my credit is so trounced that friends shouldn't lend me five bucks. (they do sometimes, the dear well meaning folks they are...).

It was suggested that I should get some grants. I tried googling and poking about but I don't know what the hell I'm looking for, so I feel like I'm looking for a specific drop of water in the ocean.

So, I don't expect that anyone can lead me specificly to what I'm looking for, but at least help me narrow my search enough to find it on my own.

Can anyone help?


* (Note to all those trying to get into films, by the way. School is fine but understand what you're getting out of it. But to get in, just start answering ads-craigslist, mandy.com, whatever film society exists in your area. You might have to do one or two for free, but they don't want education they want hard workers.)

All I can tell you is that I got an email about this guy who's coming to my campus to talk specifically about grant proposals--his name is Dr. Bob Lucas of the Institute for Scholarly Productivity in San Luis Obispo, California. That might be a place to start looking. I know it's not next door to you in Santa Cruz, but it's closer than Florida. :D

All I can tell you is that I got an email about this guy who's coming to my campus to talk specifically about grant proposals--his name is Dr. Bob Lucas of the Institute for Scholarly Productivity in San Luis Obispo, California. That might be a place to start looking. I know it's not next door to you in Santa Cruz, but it's closer than Florida. :D
I'm willing to bet this guy has some articles or websites, so I'm going to look him up. Thanks, that actually helps a great deal.

I made an error in finally getting around to asking this question when Battlestar Gallactica came back on (the first 10 minutes have been very very tense) otherwise I would have already made the search. I'm going to right now though (during commercials...)

How about that Matthew Lesko fella.

He seems trustworthy.

Or the Riddler's geeky brother.

How about that Matthew Lesko fella.

He seems trustworthy.

Or the Riddler's geeky brother.
Yeah, I tend to be weary of people who look like Batman villians.

Having said that, I did flip through one of his books in a bookstore. But I had the same problem, I'm not sure what I'm looking for. Art grants are for individual projects. I don't know if I'm a business or what kind of expense that stuff is, so I don't know what catagory even to look through.

Yeah, I tend to be weary of people who look like Batman villians.

Having said that, I did flip through one of his books in a bookstore. But I had the same problem, I'm not sure what I'm looking for. Art grants are for individual projects. I don't know if I'm a business or what kind of expense that stuff is, so I don't know what catagory even to look through.


If you pay money for these things, in order to make money, then these are probably deductable as a business exspense.
Hell, a bank may even give you a loan for these items.

That Lesko guy is a loony, but the point he makes is that the government does indeed give these kinds of grants out all the time, and you simply have to know when to apply for them.
Theres a limited amount of cash, and likely a lot of people applying for it, so timing os probably everything.

If you pay money for these things, in order to make money, then these are probably deductable as a business exspense.
Hell, a bank may even give you a loan for these items.

That Lesko guy is a loony, but the point he makes is that the government does indeed give these kinds of grants out all the time, and you simply have to know when to apply for them.
Theres a limited amount of cash, and likely a lot of people applying for it, so timing os probably everything.
Banks barely let me have checking accounts. I need the money to spend in order to deduct it. I've seen a lot of the grants that are around, but there really are quite a bit of them, which is part of the problem. With so many it's hard for me to sift through them to figure out which one(s) I'm supposed to try for. I tried "Business grant" as a google search but it made my head swim. I need a narrower search. Even "personal business grant" was too much. It might be that I just have to keep doing that and chisel away, but I thought I'd send up a flare just in case.

http://www.truthaboutwealth.com/

Did some looking, most of these sites want your money, in order to tell you what to look for.

This one only wants $7.95.

Eight bucks....pfft...even if they give you nothing, your only out the price of movie ticket.

http://www.truthaboutwealth.com/

Did some looking, most of these sites want your money, in order to tell you what to look for.

This one only wants $7.95.

Eight bucks....pfft...even if they give you nothing, your only out the price of movie ticket.
But what if it's a good movie, and then I didn't see it????

Just kidding, thanks-I'll check that out.

This (http://www.missouribusiness.net/docs/no_free_money.asp) seems the most reasonable thing I've come across...and means I'm going to have to think of something else...
If you need to pay off your personal debts, want to start a small business or seek cash to sell your invention, the government has free money for you!

But it doesn't. It's a scam, and even though they tell you it's not a scam, it is.

"There are no government grants for the purposes these telemarketers describe," says Mary Paulsell, assistant director of the University of Missouri's business development programs.
The grants that are available for small companies tend to be focused on very specific purposes, such as providing childcare or working with disadvantaged children. Grants of that type may not be used for general business operating purposes.

"Unfortunately, there are some individuals and companies who take advantage of small business owners by selling them books and directories supposedly listing a myriad of grant programs for entrepreneurs," Paulsell says. "For $50 or $75, business owners are promised a comprehensive list of sources for 'free money.' Our business development counselors often have to spend a great deal of time convincing folks that the claims are untrue.

This really makes the most amount of sense. Even flipping through Lesko's book and looking at the grants that I did see, I think the reason I can't find something that fits my needs is that no such thing exists. If I want a camera or to wire my van I'm going to have to raise money and pay for it. Reasonable, if frustrating.