Benefits
National Director Member Benefits
Directors.ca Profile
As a DGC Director Member, you are eligible to sign up for your very own profile to be featured on our interactive Directors Database, Directors.ca, which actively supports both experienced and emerging Directors. This page will allow you to feature your reel, credits, social media links, and anything else that would be of interest to Producers and decision makers, who are actively using our site to hire Directors for their upcoming projects.
Click here to learn more, and contact pfuller@dgc.ca if you have any questions.
Online Workshops (Episodic Television, Pitching, TV Movie, etc.)
The DGC's National Directors Division hosts Online Workshops, featuring a panel of veteran Directors, to help you with your career development. Past workshops we've hosted include:
- How to Get Hired, Pitch & Sell Workshop (featuring Zach Lipovsky, Rachel Talalay, Vanessa Parise, Jem Garrard, Kaare Andrews, Shannon Kohli, Kyle Rideout & Aleysa Young)
- Episodic Television Director Workshop (featuring Warren P. Sonoda, Tim Southam, Ken Girotti, Molly McGlynn, Amanda Tapping & Michael Nankin)
- TV Movie Workshop (featuring Heather Hawthorn Doyle, Gail Harvey, Martin Wood, Monika Mitchell, Peter DeLuise & Jason Bourque)
- Indie Feature Workshop
Stay up to date on our "Upcoming Events" tab for future Online Workshops.
Meet Your Match
The National Directors Division hosts annual Meet Your Match events which pair Director Members with producers, agents, showrunners and other key decicion makers in quick "speed dating" style meetings to network and make professional and creative connections. Look out for future announcements from the NDD on upcoming Meet Your Match events.
Directors Clubhouse
Join us on Zoom every month for the Directors Clubhouse, a safe and supportive meeting place where Directors share stories, swap techniques and learn from each other. It is a place where Directors bring together their thousands of hours of collective experience to share, create bonds and lend a helping hand. Invitations are sent out via email to all Director Members.
DGC Masterclasses
The National Directors Division hosts virtual Masterclass discussions featuring veteran Directors, who share their stories and expertise with DGC Members. Past Masterclasses have featured Stanley Nelson, Heleven Shaver, Jean-Marc Vallée, and many more. Check the Members Calendar for upcoming Masterclass events, or go to the Past Events page to watch past Masterclasses.
Healthcare/Pension
Check out the Members page the DGC website at https://www.dgc.ca/en/members/ (login required) for a list of all your Healthcare and Pension benefits.
Feel free to contact your local District Council for other questions regarding DGC Healthcare and Pension benefits.
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DGC BC Director Member Benefits
›Demo Reel Reimbursement
If you have a body of work that supports creating a reel (e.g. professionally released feature and/or episodic) you can apply to the DGC BC for a 50% reimbursement of up to $500 maximum annually. This reimbursement can help fund your reel development (e.g. pay an editor to cut your reel).
You must submit original receipts and proof of the final product for reimbursement to directors@dgcbc.com.
Carole Kirschner 1:1 Session
Looking for 1:1 time with one of the industry's top entertainment career coaches to train you in your pitching skills? The DGC BC will subsidize up to 50% of the cost of a maximum one-hour solo coaching session with Carole Kirschner.
Book your session now with Carole via carole@carolekirschner.com and send a copy of your original receipt to directors@dgcbc.com.
Toastmasters Class
If you are looking for an opportunity to practice your public speaking skills and improve your communication, the DGC BC is offering to reimburse your membership fee with Toastmasters International.
Visit the official Toastmasters website to sign up for a club in your respective area. Please send us a copy of your original receipt to directors@dgcbc.com to reimburse your one-time administration fee, and monthly club fees.
Directors.ca Photo Fund
In order to ensure a level of quality and branding across all Directors.ca profiles, you can only be listed on the site if you have a photo that meets the following criteria:
- The photo appears to be on set, not a formal headshot
- The photo is in colour
- The Director is the main subject of the photo
- The Director is clearly visible in a flattering light and framing, and pose
- The photo is of a high enough resolution and quality
- That the DGC BC has the rights to use the photo
If you do not have access to a photo, the DGC BC is offering an incentive where we will pay for a professional 669 photographer to visit a set they are working on to take photos that the DGC BC can use for Directors.ca, and other branding as needed. For Members who aren't going to be on set, or are on sets where Covid protocols would require you to be wearing PPE, we can reimburse for a photographer (not necessarily a 669 member) to meet you somewhere outside, and shoot close up photos as if you were on set directing.
The reimbursement is up to $500 maximum. Please send a copy of your original receipt to directors@dgcbc.com.
Just Watch Us Chats
Every month, the DGC BC hosts in-person or online Q&A's with special Industry Guests like Brightlight Pictures' Shawn Williamson, BRON Studios' Aaron L. Gilbert, and Telefilm's Lauren Davis.
Keep an eye on our "Upcoming Events" tab for future Just Watch Us Chats.
LA Missions
A delegation of DGC BC Director Members are selected to take part in annual trips to Los Angeles to meet with various LA Senior Industry Executives in person to pitch themselves and their work.
Stay tuned for upcoming announcements on how to apply for the next LA Mission.
DGC BC Meet Your Match Events (Agents, LA Executives, Decision Makers, etc.)
Our Director Members are privy to a number of Meet-Your-Match Events, hosted by the DGC BC, where Directors have the opportunity to pitch themselves either one-on-one or in a group with your colleagues.
Past Meet-Your-Match Events have included:
- Canadian Representation (featuring Integral Artists, Meridian Artists, and Lucas Talent)
- LA Executives (featuring Starz' Daria Overby, One Race TV's Shana Waterman, and Lifetime's Tia Maggini)
- Decision Makers Dinner at the Shangri-La (featuring Jim O'Grady, Lisa Towers, and Ian Hay)
Stay tuned for upcoming announcements on how to apply for the next Meet-Your-Match Event.
Festival Passes
DGC BC Director Members have access to various film festivals, sponsored by DGC BC, including the Vancouver International Film Festival, the Whistler Film Festival, the Vancouver Short Film Festival, the Victoria Film Festival, the Vancouver Asian Film Festival, and many more!
The DGC BC Greenlight
The DGC BC Greenlight funds are available to two qualified DGC BC Members in Good Standing, and will provide the winning Members with both a cash award and in-kind services that will be needed to make a top-quality short film for the festival circuit.
Please contact directors@dgcbc.com if you would like to find out more about this annual initiative, and for a list of guidelines to apply.
Crazy8s Access
DGC BC Director Members have the ability to apply to Crazy8s for free, an 8-day filmmaking challenge that provides funding and support to emerging filmmakers to help them produce a short film.
More details are available on Crazy8s official website: crazy8s.film.
Directors Caucus Meetings/Elections
As an official part of the Directors Caucus, you have the privilege of attending Caucus Meetings, voting for representation, and the ability to run for office within the Caucus.
DGC BC Business Agent
Rob Larson, DGC BC's Business Agent, along with the Labour Team, is responsible for the management and administration of the Collective Agreement and is the chief negotiator of the DGC BC Collective Agreement.
Feel free to contact Alexis Hinde (ahinde@dgcbc.com) or Carmen Woods (cwoods@dgcbc.com) for any questions you may have regarding your Director contracts.
Event Selection Process
Following the Directors Caucus Meeting on December 18, 2019, the following policy was developed as a formal process to be used by the Directors Caucus Advisory Team when selecting Directors for events, when capacity is limited. Putting a motion on the books that adopts this process will ensure that the current and future Director Caucus Advisories will follow these guidelines.
Selection Process For DGC BC Directors Initiative Events
- Invitations for events will always be sent to all DGC BC Director Members.
- Every Member will have the opportunity to pitch why they should be selected for each event.
- The Directors Caucus Advisory will make all efforts to -
- Determine an appropriate mix of Members for the intended audience.
- Balance the diversity of the combined group’s experience.
- Balance the inclusivity of the group.
- Rotate all Director Members through events.
- A majority (3 of 5) of the Directors Caucus Advisory will need to approve the final selections.
- A prompt follow-up communication will be provided to those who aren’t selected for an event.
If you would like more information on any DGC BC Director benefits, please contact Coral Santana at directors@dgcbc.com.
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DGC Manitoba Director Benefits
›MDC Travel Bursary
Members can apply to, and receive funding reimbursement for travel related to professional development. Up to $750 per event, with funding allocated to cost of transportation and accommodation. Can be combined with National $250 bursary for total of $1,000.
DGC Manitoba Best Manitoban Director Award at Gimli International Film Festival
Every year DGC Manitoba partners with GIFF to present the Best Manitoban Director Award and a financial contribution to a Manitoba director with content at the festival, judged to be the best project directed by a Manitoban (note – do not need to be DGC member to be eligible).
MDC Business Agent
Richard Hines, the MDC's Business Agent, is responsible for the management and administration of the Collective Agreement. Contact him at rhines@dgc.ca for any questions you may have regarding your Director contracts.