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UpsyDaisy Productions Business Plan
Executive Summary
Product
UpsyDaisy Productions, LLC is a Black-owned filmmaking firm. Our storytelling focuses primarily on the lives and experiences of Black people and other marginalized or misrepresented individuals and communities. We produce documentary and narrative fiction films.
Audience
Our target audience is anyone who enjoys learning through film. We cater to anyone of any race who appreciates a good story. However, we believe that White people have the most to gain from our storytelling. Societies tend to easily consume films and videos that depict White people in a wide range of situations. The same is not true for Black (and other) people. We produce content which reinforces the fact that people of color are, at their core, no more or less human than their White counterparts. We explore the full range of humanity which exists among people of color.
Future of the Company
UpsyDaisy Productions is starting out as a small firm with one fully dedicated filmmaker and freelancers/contractors who will assist from project to project. The goal is is to quickly grow within one year into a full-time five-member team: A director, a cinematographer/editor, two production assistants, and an administrative manager. We aim to produce 2-3 high-quality films on a variety of topics per year.
Company Description
Mission Statement
To produce art which ignites love, empathy, and respect for Black people and their lived experience.
Principal Member(s)
Charlotte Moore — Founder, Director, Producer, Writer, Cinematographer, Editor
Legal Structure
UpsyDaisy Productions is an LLC, incorporated in Austin, Texas.
Market Research
Industry
According to industry research company IBISWorld, there are more than 6,000 movie and video production businesses in the United States. This is a multi-billion-dollar industry. The number of businesses in the industry has remained steady over the last five years. California, New York, and Florida have the most video production business in the country. Some of the biggest name in the filmmaking industry are Walt Disney Co., ViacomCBS Inc., NBCUniversal Media LLC, AT&T Inc, and Sony Corporation.
Detailed Description of Audience
Our target audience is vast. MovieGuide.org reported in 2017 that about 12% or 43 million people in the United States and Canada are frequent moviegoers (once per month or more.) Statista research says “Streaming services of all kinds have been seeing increasing usage all over the world in recent years, and for many consumers have become part of everyday life.” Every year, tens of millions of customers consume films via subscriptions to platforms like Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu. The audience exists. UpsyDaisy wants to tap into the segment of the audience which is:
• informed about current events and history
• loves to learn and is a consummate student of life
• cares about issues like racism, social justice, disparity, and inequality
• wants to make the world a better place where everyone’s experience matters
Company Advantages
McKinsey & Company (a global management consulting company which advises organizations, governments, and other groups in areas of diversity and equality) recently reported that “for Black professionals trying to build and sustain a career in film and TV, the industry has been, by many of their accounts, a relatively unwelcoming workplace.” It went on to say “By addressing the persistent racial inequities, the industry could reap an additional $10 billion in annual revenues—about 7 percent more than the assessed baseline of $148 billion. Fewer Black-led stories get told, and when they are, these projects have been consistently underfunded and undervalued, despite often earning higher relative returns than other properties.”
These sorts of facts drive UpsyDaisy Productions. We believe that there are talented Black storytellers and creatives who can tell compelling Black stories. The founder is a Black woman — an award-winning writer who has solid experience in the fields of journalism and marketing. This is a superpower. She intimately understands many facets of the Black lived experience, and she is passionate about helping subjects share their stories. The crews behind UpsyDaisy productions will, themselves, have lived experiences which will ensure that the content they produce is pure, genuine, free of manipulation, and resonant with viewers.
Marketing & Growth
Growth Strategy
UpsyDaisy Productions is a grassroots filmmaking firm. We launched with one principal member, founder Charlotte Moore. Within a year, we plan to be a five-member-strong team — a director, a cinematographer/editor, two production assistants, and an administrative lead. To grow our company, in the first year we plan to:
• produce 2-3 high-quality short and/or feature films.
• use social media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) to promote our company.
• boldly connect with similar, established filmmaking firms for advice and support
We plan to seek grants to fund our work, help us secure needed equipment, and compensate the team. And, we are hopeful that film-loving philanthropists and benefactors will appreciate our vision, and will offer both financial and moral support.
Content Awareness & Placement
UpsyDaisy Productions recognizes the power of both the film festival circuit and community screenings. We aim to submit our films to local, regional, and global film festivals. History has also shown us that the types of films and other content we plan to produce will be valuable resources for companies, churches, schools, and other institutions committed to the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
