This is a film industry led initiative to start an anti nepotism talent agency supporting entry level freelance employment.
We need the support of producers and production companies to create employment for grassroots talent from diverse backgrounds.
Just Runners is an anti nepotism talent agency for the film industry. We focus on pre-cv wannabe film makers, making their first steps into the professional industry. Namely runners.
We recruit from a talent pool of the best students from a wide range of courses that we have aligned with (BFI, Creative Skillset, Ghetto Film School, Westminster Council ). Many of these courses focus on diversity agendas. We run a boot camp and then selection process. From there we represent the best candidates for freelance employment. We represent these runners for 6 months and then they move on to the normal freelance market. And a new group of candidates move in. We act only as the first step into the freelance market.
It is our belief that many people from these courses and society at large struggle to get a foot in the door as a freelancer. This is due to the informal recruiting nature of freelance employment. Freelancing makes up 80% of film industry employment. Rather than try to change the nature of how the industry works, we would like Just Runners to be a conduit between the world and the freelance market. Supplying diverse background runners for the industry.
60% of the film industry got their start as a runner. It is a vital role in the industry. However due to the informal recruiting nature of the film industry these roles are often taken up by people knowing someone else in the industry.
We would like Just Runners to be there for all the people who have a passion for the film industry but do not know someone who works in it. We would like to vouch for them and help them get their first start in the industry.
So we are appealling to the film industry to give back a little and try and help those who are first starting in the industry. To come together and create a platform that is a level playing field for all, whether they know someone in the industry or not.
There are costs involved with setting up any company. Below for full transparency we have attached the full costing to run the company for 4 months, which we see as the time taken before the company can self finance itself.
Website: We currently have a holding page. The next step is to improve this site into an operational state for a booking agent. We do not require automative booking on this site. But we need to project confidence and respectability. Cost £2000.
Software: We require booking and accountancy software. I have sourced IE software www.inentertainment.com as most suitable. This would need to be visible to 3 people (bookings, accounts, MD). £300 per month (4 months £1200)
Computer: We require 1 computer for booking. £1800
Booking Agent: We require an experience booking agent to launch the company correctly. £2,700 per month (4 months £10,800)
Telephone: This will be a phone driven company. Line and installation costs will be around £400. We expect monthly charges of £200 (4 months £800)
Office rent: We will build from just one desk space at first within an office. £200 per month (4 months £800)
Admin: Banking charges, accountant, invoice templates, logos and letterheads. Again operating at low cost and minimal expenditure but this business model will have an admin heavy continual in and out payments. £500 per month. (4 months £2000)
Training/Selection Courses. We would be looking at a selection process from a boot camp of 80 candidates. We estimate this at being £45 per head. £3600
I also believe that the company will require some operational revenue. To help supply the odd emergency requirement to start people on their path; travel cards, sim cards, raincoat. £500
This project closed unsuccessfully on 23rd October 2017