About Focus:

FOCUS is delivered by Film City Futures in partnership with the Scottish Documentary Institute, and supported by Screen Scotland. The project was developed in response to feedback from the sector, which indicated that there was a lack of access to sector-specific business support for screen sector companies.

FOCUS supports independent micro-businesses and SMEs in Scotland’s screen sector – from emerging and new start-ups to established film, TV and animation companies – who require specialist advice in order to grow their business, but who do not have access to such support in-house. For screen companies, this is a rare opportunity to gain access to sought-after expertise in areas such as development, distribution, financing, legal, international co-production and business strategy.

FOCUS has engaged with over 300 companies in the past and our current cohort is made up of over 80 companies. We are always looking to support more indies and producers - find out how we might be able to help you below:

FOCUS ACTIVITIES:

Consultancies

FOCUS has a pool of industry consultants covering a broad range of expertise across scripted and non-scripted in TV, film and animation. This expertise is across creative and business and includes legal, sales & distribution, script development, finance, business strategy, and more. The process involves identifying the specific needs of a participating company and aligning them with the relevant consultant (duration and length of contract varies according to need). Consultants complete brief, written reports outlining the aims of the consultancy, how they plan to undertake it, the impact of the consultancy on the company and recommendations for the future.

Underpinning the Consultancies, FOCUS also delivers a programme of value-added activities that regularly includes:

  • Industry Events and Webinars, delivered online via Zoom and aimed at FOCUS screen businesses, but open to all operating in the sector.

  • Surgeries, 1-2-1 introductory meetings delivered by the FOCUS team and aimed at companies that are not yet part of FOCUS but who have sought information and advice.

  • Forums, aimed exclusively at the FOCUS cohort of companies and offering an informal meeting and networking platform with a guest speaker invited to explore specific topics.

  • Bootcamps, an intensive 3-4 day programme that aims to equip new/emerging screen companies with the skills, knowledge and contacts they require to grow and thrive by incorporating in-depth training sessions in key areas of business management, finance, development and markets. These also include short, 1:1 post-bootcamp consultancies.

  • Business Labs, an intensive 2-3 day programme that drills down into current industry issues or potential areas of growth for FOCUS companies.

Are you a Scotland-based indie interested in connecting with FOCUS? Book a meeting with us today via our contact us page.