A place to learn & connect
Lipskaia notes that CUTV is also a learning space where staff like Lara Sofia, the resident audiovisual technician, are around to help.
“If you’ve got questions about how to use the equipment or software, Lara is here to provide one-on-one training,” she says. “She’s also a great consultant in terms of what equipment is best for what purpose.”
Then there’s the weekly media workshops that are open to everyone, regardless of membership. These sessions run the gamut from scriptwriting to video editing.
“Beyond gaining new multimedia skills, it’s also a networking opportunity,” remarks Lipskaia. “Our teachers are all working professionals, so bring your own project along, ask questions and make industry contacts.”
CUTV also serves as a bridge to connect media-makers looking to expand their portfolios with relevant projects and funding. For example, if a non-for profit wants coverage but doesn’t have a budget for a videographer, the studio has an honorarium program through which it can pay one of its members to produce the content on the organization’s behalf.
“We’ve done this for Frigo Vert and a bunch of other independent organizations across Montreal,” explains Lipskaia.
“While it’s not industry wages, it's still something, and you get to expand your portfolio in a meaningful way,” says Lipskaia. “A lot of people start at CUTV and move into the industry, either thanks to the contacts they made or the work they created while they were here.”
On the horizon: industry workshops & YouTube archives
This summer, CUTV aims to launch a series of industry workshops that focus on grant writing, government proposals, ownership and taxes.
“Our community is composed of a lot of freelancers and recent graduates, and there’s a fair amount of confusion over how to do necessary things like taxes and invoices. Our hope is to bring people in who can clarify these murkier aspects of content creation,” says Lipskaia.
“We’re also working towards new collaborations with organizations that promote job search and integration.”
Another forthcoming item on the docket is a digital archive of CUTV’s lost footage. A couple decades’ worth of old tapes were hanging about the office, so a team of interns recently digitized the files, which will soon be uploaded onto YouTube.
“We’ve got footage of Tina Turner running away from a CUTV reporter and a couple of takes of a young Mutsumi Takahashi,” teases Lipskaia. “Stay tuned.”
Find out more about how to become an active member of CUTV.