HONOLULU — Hoping to connect Hawai‘i creatives with entertainment-industry insights and world-class mentors, Creative Lab Hawai‘i is offering free public panels via Zoom beginning this Saturday, Nov. 14, and run through Dec. 12.
The CLH Fall 2020 Weekend Ideation Programs are developed through the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism Creative Industries Division.
The virtual CLH public panels are open to the community free of charge, and seek to illuminate the business side of the arts across acting, theater, virtual reality/augmented reality and indigenous storytellers.
Participants will get an insider’s understanding of the tools needed to better monetize themselves and their craft, and how to maximize their creative processes, with the guidance of entertainment visionaries and industry decision-makers, according to a press release.
“The caliber of mentors from the industry who will be on the public panels along with Hawai‘i professionals in media, theater and virtual reality are giving back in a way that is meant to put our creatives on a strong path forward in their careers,” said Georja Skinner, division chief of DBEDT’s CID and founder of CLH.
“They come at a time when preparing our local creatives for live-to-digital pivots is more important than ever due to the impacts of this pandemic,” she said.
“These professionals provide behind-the-scenes insights, trends and areas of opportunity that our working artists and emerging talent can employ to maximize their financial and creative opportunities in dynamic ways.”
Registration is available at creativelab.hawaii.gov/events for any of the following public panels, which will be hosted as webinar discussions via Zoom:
• Acting – Saturday, Nov. 14, 5 p.m.: Developed for actors of stage, screen and voice over who are ready to accelerate their careers by honing their business acumen, the discussion provides participants with insights into navigating the entertainment industry and what it takes to distinguish themselves from their competitors from a business perspective;
• Indigenous Storytellers – Saturday, Nov. 21, 5 p.m.: Designed to help emerging storytellers find a pathway for developing their stories for global media platforms while retaining the integrity of their distinct voices. Entrepreneurs who self-identify as members of an indigenous community, as well as individuals seeking to partner with these entrepreneurs on creative projects, will benefit from this workshop;
• Theater – Saturday, Dec. 5, 1 p.m.: The theater discussion focuses on those creative entrepreneurs who are writing and/or producing plays;
• Virtual Reality – Saturday, Dec. 12, 5 p.m.: Ideal for creatives who are planning projects on emerging VR/AR platforms, the webinar will explore how recent technological advancements in these fields have revealed exciting new enterprises.
These public panels are open to everyone.
CLH’s more-intensive Weekend Ideation Programs, which span an initial virtual weekend session followed by three months of online coaching, require a baseline of experience from participants.
CLH Executive Director Michael Palmieri curated the dynamic roaster of coaches and speakers, and many of the industry leaders have special connections to Hawai‘i. Coaches will participate both throughout the Weekend Ideation Programs and the public panel webinars, and the speakers will have a one-hour engagement focused on the fellows within the ideations.
