Development Report Cycle 7

BY AYMAR JÈAN CHRISTIAN
Associate Professor, Northwestern University,
Co-Founder & Board Treasurer

&

ELIJAH MCKINNON
Co-Founder & Executive Director

2022 was a year filled with sustained growth and expansion. In addition to delivering all of our programs we streamlined our strategic priorities, refined our artist/community development pipeline, and engaged in a strategic visioning process & organizational development initiative — all while coming in under budget from our 2021 projections. Through all of these efforts we are primed to scale OTV’s business model at a deeper and more intentional level than ever before. As the organization continues to thrive we continue to adapt to the ever changing film/TV and media landscape while keeping our artists and their creative visions at the center.

Now in our 8th year, we have cultivated a balance between organizational efficiencies and our programmatic offering to creatives, filmmakers and storytellers. 2022 provided a great opportunity for us to streamline our artist development and community development pipelines, ensuring that we are identifying, activating and mobilizing the next generation of storytellers who are unafraid to embrace cultural difference and empowered to navigate complex systems to ensure their stories are told authentically. Through the continued support of our partners we have been able to exceed our goals and expectations during 2022. An overview of the highlights can be found summarized below:

#otvapp

ORIGINAL PROGRAMMING

Launched at the tail end of 2020, the OTV APP brings all of your fave intersectional stories from our catalog to a beautifully designed interface for your streaming pleasure via Apple, Android, Roku and Amazon Fire. Central to our mission of supporting narrative film/TV artists who have few other institutions to support them, releasing original programming also helps us attract new members/subscribers to our app.

In 2022, we expanded our distribution model by opening a content submission form to provide additional support to our ever growing national/international community and systematize our content acquisition strategy. Through popular demand and audience expansion, we increased our catalog by over 20%, with over 40% of the catalog representing national/international artists outside of Chicago. In addition to releasing over 50 titles in 2022 we released a free community membership tier alongside the monthly/annual paid subscription; this has helped to contribute to a 75% increase in our subscriber base for the OTV APP.

With a streamlined artist development pipeline and expanded budget in 2023-2024, we anticipate a larger slate of projects released and a 30% increase in our subscriber base. Content is released four times throughout the year and the acquisition portal is open year-round and reviewed every 4-6 weeks. In 2022 we received over 90 organic submissions and in 2023 we anticipate that number to increase by 25%.

LIVE PROGRAMMING

We expanded our live programming in 2022, increasing the scale and production value of our sponsored livestreams, which not only allow us to diversify and expand our revenue sources to include corporate giving but also give us additional opportunities to support storytellers in disciplines other than narrative film and television. In February 2022 we collaborated with lululemon to present an hour-long celebration of Black History Month, showcasing Chicago’s finest musicians, performers, writers and filmmakers. The livestream gave us the opportunity to showcase Black history and collaborate with artists, from comedians through the Black for a Hot Moment Comedy Troupe, and musicians, like Chicago’s rapper-library Roy Kinsey (we also debuted a collection of his music videos).

#otvfellows

Launched in 2019, the OTV FELLOWSHIP program identifies and activates emerging storytellers ready to create a sustainable career in the film/TV industry through stipends, mentorship and consultation. In 2022, we launched the fellowship in Forbes magazine as we sought to expand it nationally. For the first time, the fellowship was available to artists located outside of Chicago, and we received a record number of applications, double the year prior, selecting one from Chicago and three from elsewhere (New York, Seattle and Los Angeles). In addition to offering training to artists in the fundamentals of project and career development, we also offer stewardship as they embark on careers in the entertainment industry. Each fellow must identify with multiple communities that have been historically marginalized in the film & TV business because of their race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, class, disability or citizenship status.

Fellows receive $10,000 stipend to develop a pitch for their project, specialized assistance from OTV as they develop their projects and careers as well as an invitation to a mentorship intensive produced in partnership with the Sundance Institute. Participants are invited to attend a majority of the workshops, courses and masterclasses offered in the OTV Study Hall series and commit to exhibiting their work on the OTV platform.

As they grow in their careers it is expected that fellows will return to the OTV network to contribute to the community by attending OTV events, hiring from within the OTV community, serving on the jury to select future Fellows and offering their expertise back to the ecosystem in future OTV Study Halls. Applications are accepted in Q1 of each year and the program starts in Q2, ending officially by the end of the year but extending as long as the artist needs support.In 2022, we hosted three intensives, including one in partnership with the Sundance Institute. Two fellows are currently touring their work on the festival circuit, and one has received a development deal from Netflix and the final fellow is in the final stages of development / pre-production.

#otvstudyhall

Launched in 2020 with PCC’s support, OTV STUDY HALL is a masterclass-styled series of film/TV industry courses designed exclusively for intersectional writers, directors and producers that are hungry to expand their knowledge. These virtual classes are designed to develop strong writers, directors and independent producers who identify with multiple communities that have been historically marginalized in film and television. Coursework includes project and career development strategies as well as instruction on production, exhibition, and marketing skills. OTV Study Hall has been offered free to select community members but drives revenue as a product for sale on the OTV app.

The courses compete with the high cost of film school; it improves on university programs by offering courses about both art and business and by employing more diverse instructors who speak to how historically marginalized artists can navigate systems designed to exclude them. In 2022 we reformatted the model to switch to higher produced experience facilitated by key aspirational talent from the OTV community. Choosing larger, broader topics to be broken down into smaller, bite-sized content had increased audience engagement and retention. Since launching a course led by Chase Joynt in Q4 of 2022 and Dewayne Perkins and Q1 of 2023 we’ve seen a 35 % increase in our subscriber base.

#bravefutures

Launched in 2019, the BRAVE FUTURES FILM RACE is a 48-hour intersectional film competition that challenges creatives, storytellers and filmmakers to create a film that makes their world more brave. Using one intersectional theme, one prop and one action participants pre-register for free online for a chance to compete, with strong prioritization for intersectional identities. First held in Johannesburg, South African and Berlin, Germany, the race was held in the US in 2020 (Atlanta, Oakland and Brooklyn), Guadalajara, Mexico in (2021), London, England (2022) and Cape Town, South Africa (2023). Based on audience surveys, we hosted our 2022 installment in London. 24 artists participated and produced six films, aided by a partnership with six community organizations based in London, culminating in a screening at RichMix, an East London cultural hub and institution for film, performance and the arts.

This component of OTV programming functions on multiple levels; extending the breadth of outreach and community building to other markets both nationally and internationally, cultivating opportunity for creatives in a meaningful way who live beyond the scope of OTV’s Chicago based hyperlocal offerings, while furthering the brand and its visibility not only for audiences but artists in need of greater access to opportunity.

Brave Futures exports OTV’s values to other markets in need of alternative outlets where artists are ready to engage a platform designed to include and support them. Since its launch in late 2019, the Brave Futures program has empowered over 150 filmmakers across various levels of expertise to develop, produce and release 24 short-films; all films are distributed via the OTV App with many securing exhibitions in museums, festivals and cultural institutions.

#otvstudio

Located in the colorful neighborhood of Humboldt Park, the 3,000 sq ft storefront studio is located on the ground floor of a flex-use space and features 2 wheelchair-accessible bathrooms, kitchenette, two entrances, an editing bay, a shared washer/dryer, and a finished basement that includes a gear room and a 10-seat cinema room. Through the expansion of our team (two coordinator level positions in Q3) and the activation of a lottery-styled, first-come-first-served form we plan to make the space available to OTV’s robust community of artists and partners through low-to-no costs rentals and bookings.

The space will officially launch to the public Q2 of 2023. Currently the space is primaries and ideal for the following usage:

Table Reads, Rehearsals, Casting Calls or Relative Gathering
Team Meetings, Retreats or Co-working
Private Screenings & Intimate Gatherings
Micro-Productions (<10 people)

ONLINE ENGAGEMENT: Our social media following is growing, led by Instagram, where our followers increased by 27.4%, which was more than our goal of 25%.

PROGRAM EXECUTION: We executed all our proposed programs to the highest degree of quality based on past performance. Our programs are growing and maintaining consistent quality in terms of audience engagement, production value and critical attention.

INDUSTRY RECOGNITION – Working with a PR Consultancy specializing in philanthropy, Entertainment and LGBTQ this been proven to be quite successful in helping us bring our larger initiatives to the masses. Additionally, working with NY-based Courtney Creative PR has helped us prioritize leadership positioning strategies that have led placement in Forbes, GLAAD and Afropunk; Op-ED opportunities in Blavity; partnerships with global publications such GLAAD and FGUK Magazine; and our Executive Director being featured as a “2021 Visionary to Watch” via Obvious Magazine.

organizational development

Our executive director further developed our organizational sustainability, including staff retreats to further specify processes for determining internal capacity and a transition plan developed with the Arts & Business Council of Chicago as a precaution in the event of leadership changes as OTV approaches its 10-year anniversary. Additionally, the OTV Leadership team led a three-month strategic visioning process advised by five different film/tv industry professionals working in Hollywood to better understand how OTV’s theory of change is cultivating impact.

Opting out of the traditional strategic planning process, our ED led a several month-long strategic visioning process that included listening sessions with artists in the OTV community, members of the OTV Leadership Team, and key stakeholders from OTV’s Governing Body and Integrity Board. In addition to these key community members they also identified 5 industry professionals working at various sectors of the film/tv and entertainment to join the visioning committee to help better understand the market, align OTV’s efforts with trends emerging and ultimately identify key areas for intentional scale. The Strategic Visioning process concluded with an organizational development and succession planning engagement led by volunteers of the Arts and Business Council of Chicago. In preparation for new roles and expanded impact these processes and initiatives helped to identify core functions of the organization that needed to be fulfilled in order to build staff capacity, facilitate board development opportunities and encourage a manageable scale.

audience snapshot

We executed all our proposed programs to the highest degree of quality based on past performance. Our content library is growing—representing ways we support diverse storytellers with funding, training, career and audience development—and we are maintaining quality in terms of audience engagement, production value and critical attention. Our social media following continues to grow, led by Instagram, where our followers increased by around 10% from the previous year. Through our live engagements we showcased our work to over 750 people and through our app we engaged nearly 7,000 unique users. Overall, OTV’s subscriber base grew by 75% in 2022. We track several metrics to assess our annual performance

Numbers of artists supported via their projects:

Our total programming output continues to grow through original program distribution, live production and our short film race. We released almost three times as many projects than our goal of one dozen. We were also able to offer our larger fees for distribution due to this funding. In 2022, we supported over 375 artists directly and an estimated 1500 artists indirectly through our artist development pipelines which include project consultations, development programs and digital distribution. On the community front, we have served an estimated 750 community members in-person and 10,000 digitally through public activations, screenings & exhibitions and coalition building initiatives. A snapshot of our live engagements from 2022 at the local, national and international level can be found highlighted below:

Chicago community members engaged: In person in Chicago, OTV offers a space for storytellers and their teams to come together to celebrate completing a project. We host a spring and fall showcase to screen new works, bringing together different writers, directors, actors and crew members to enjoy each others’ works. We find these benefit our community by making new connections, which can lead to new stories about Chicago communities and job opportunities. Through this we engaged around 300 people (a sizable increase since scaling back our public programs in 2020)

National community engaged: Nationally, we hosted a picnic in Los Angeles for our “alumni'' who have moved from Chicago to pursue work in Hollywood. This brings capacity to the organization by securing relationships for peer mentorship and board membership while also reminding established writers and directors of their connection to Chicago and each other. In addition, we also showcased our work at the Allied Media Conference in collaboration with other media nonprofits in Chicago, Los Angeles and Detroit. Through these combined efforts we engaged around 150 people.

International community engaged: Internationally, we produced another installment of our “Brave Futures” short film race, this time in London, which was an incredible success, not only yielding new stories we can distribute but also support community/audience development in Europe. Additionally, we hosted community partner screenings throughout 2022 to help cultivate a more streamlined approach to building a pipeline for new artists to discover our programmatic offerings. These screenings were hosted in London (January 2022) and Johannesburg (June 2022). Through these efforts we engaged around 250 people.

closing reflections

We continue to believe that the regulation of media power in the United States, particularly the breaking up of Hollywood's oligopoly, would greatly benefit our organization, if history is any guide. Conversely, the increasing concentration of media through streaming platforms (e.g. HBO and Discovery merging, Showtime and Paramount+, etc.) poses an opportunity, long-term for independent platforms like OTV that serve underserved audiences. These gains, however, can take many years to take hold as our communities slowly realize the lack of diversity of storytelling and cultural representation on these platforms.

Outside of that, we hope that OTV's work with MMG concluded in 2022 our #LightCameraHarm report. Released in 2023 the 60+ page report includes many recommendations on how both corporations and independent producers can enact their own internal policies for addressing harm and support repair in production.

Our biggest challenge and learning opportunity was continuing to refine our operations to offer grace to staff in terms of capacity. After a summer retreat facilitated by a consultant, we determined the need for more funding, as OTV is run by only a three-person staff. Our executive director addressed this by successfully raising approximately $2 million in 2022 from foundations to sustain OTV through its 10-year anniversary; including increased giving from current partners as well as new partners. In 2023 OTV is currently hiring two coordinator-level positions to support the organization’s two department heads (Production and Artists Development & Marketing and Exhibition). Additionally, they aim to seek additional funding to support fundraising and business development through FY24 and beyond.

We continue to seek production funding, which serves several purposes: 1) supporting artists who for years have produced their projects by crowdfunding, raising money from already cash-strapped communities, or grant funding, where there isn’t much for narrative digital work, let alone for people of color and other marginalized artists; 2) increasing production value and the size our our library, which attracts and retains subscribers; 3) stabilizing operations and marketing, because if we can fund projects we can develop a story around a cohort of projects and more accurately time when they will be completed, allowing us plan campaigns around a set of series (this allows us to start and amplify conversation that may have more social/cultural relevance in particular moments in time). We are thrilled to be participating in conversations with the Surdna Foundation team about how we might achieve this goal and encourage foundations with impact investing arms to support this vital endeavor, which is key to our sustainability. Our ED has been a foundational pillar to the convening of this work where they serve as a Executive Committee Member of the Design Team that is helping to bring the nations first fund dedicated to BIPOC Storytelling across artistic mediums to life.

inside otv | 2022