Halftime

Chapter 5: Remember my (bonkers) one-year plan?

Last December I published a one-year plan for 2024 and promised I’d be back a year later to tell you how it went. But why wait a whole year? I passed the 6-months mark, I’m tired and it’s crazy hot in Tuscany right now. So let’s rehash an old post to make this founder’s life a little easier!

What worked out, and what didn’t in 2024 so far? You can find the answers below, scribbled in italics and bold in the roadmap I published last year.

Let’s jump right into that old post to see how we’re doing…

Where will Zenka Films be a year from now?

On December 31, 2024,

• Zenka Films will have produced and streamed the brilliant, fun, and thought-provoking pilot episode of Doing Good.

  Halfway there! Hurrah! The pilot is in the can. We are in post-production and… the show is called $HARE now.

  

• The Doing Good $HARE pilot will have found its target audience. Our fan base grows at lightning speed. People keep SCREAMING for more!

  Redefine lightning speed? But okay, still in time to make this happen. Will report back in December.

• People screaming for more led to a line-up of trustworthy investors who support our mission (forgot what we’re trying to do for film and women 50+? Read up on Zenka Films.)

  Hmm. Not halfway there with this one and the funds have run out. But don’t you worry - Zenka Films is not done yet!

• People screaming for more led to streamers and broadcasters fighting for my phone number.

  Okay, I got a bit carried away with this whole screaming thing… we’re not the Beatles (at least not yet).

• Streamers and broadcasters fighting for my phone number gave me the chance to give them a piece of my mind: where the %*&” are all the women above 50?

  But still looking forward to this one (-:

• The first live screening of our pilot episode was a huge success. It happened at the ex-cinema in Alberese. A big party with lots of dancing ensued.

  Post-production should be finished by October. I better book that cinema.

• Since I love dancing so much, further public viewings of the Doing Good $HARE pilot followed all through the year in places like Zurich, Basel, Pontresina, Cinigiano, Venice, St. Moritz, Berlin, Lugano, Chianciano Terme, and London.

  No budget, no party. Celebrations will have to wait as I have a hard time paying for my coffee right now - 1.30€ at my local bar, just so you get the idea. But hey, there is always 2025!

• Strike London. We went to Dublin instead. Less expensive and the Irish love to party.

  Turns out the editor of our pilot episode lives in Ireland. So this one could make the cut (-:

• The Doing Good $HARE pilot screened at countless festivals and won ALL of them (apologies, but no room for false modesty in a one-year-plan).

  Currently trying to find $$ for all those festival applications. But once that’s settled I don’t doubt the winning-them-all part.

• By the end of December 2024, 15 thousand viewers paid to watch the pilot online - wrong, 15 million viewers paid to watch the pilot online (apologies again, but remember, I’m writing this as a man.)

  Still in time for this (-:

Everything considered, the new year sounds promising so far.

So let’s contemplate how we’ll get there.

No startup without schedules, roadmaps, charts, timelines, and milestones.

The Zenka Films roadmap for 2024:

• In January, we jump right in with a test shoot on my favorite winter campsite in the Alps.

  DONE!

• In February, we come up with a new participation model for crew and cast. The film business has notoriously obscure payment schemes and utter disregard for equal pay. We are working on a fair approach for everybody involved. Expect to read more about this in a future Substack.

  DONE! Just need to find the time to write about it…

• In March, we’re be busy with our first pilot shoot. Hurrah!

  DONE. This is some crazy stuff so let me say it again: WE DID IT! And not just anywhere, but on a snowed-in winter campsite in the Swiss Alps.

• In April and May, post-production is in full swing and we keep working on a subversive, new distribution model. No point in telling a story if you can’t reach your audience. Expect another lengthy newsletter on this topic.

  Missed that mark. Post-production only just started as we had to push our last day of shooting in Zurich to May 19. It was worth the wait though as we found a fabulous location.

  

• All through summer, I have ample time to write the fun and thought-provoking screenplays for episodes 1.02 to 1.05 of Doing Good.

  I wish! All through summer, I’m working other jobs to pay off the remaining pilot shoot bills. Have $ and want to help? Drop me an email.

• I also have time to properly introduce you to Zenka Films’s fabulous advisory board.

  Okay, let’s get that one out of the way right now. I’ve got the best advisory board and I don’t think I would have made it as far without the support of these 11 incredible people. And yes, I wanted to write a post about how cool they are, but that’s when I still believed that I wouldn’t have to moonlight to pay the bills. So give me a hand here, head over to www.zenkafilms.com/advisory-board, and see for yourself.

• In autumn, we start dancing, streaming, pitching, and fundraising again. Yes, to all of these. Big crowdfunding in the planning for September and October. And can’t wait to start dancing again - way too hot for it right now.

• In November and December 2024, we’re FILMING episodes 1.02 to 1.05 on my favorite winter campsite in the Swiss Alps.

  Nope. Not gonna happen. But we might make it for April / May 2025. (A girl can always dream :-)

• All through the year, I keep you, dear readers, up to date about all of the above with a monthly newsletter and lots of reels and pics on Instagram.

  Monthly? Whose idea was that? Who’s got time to write and post when battling your way through pre- and postproduction? I need an assistant. I tried to get Xavier back, but he ran off with one of the characters in my script (more about that when you get to watch the pilot). To make up for losing my imaginary assistant, I’ve started working with Claude. He isn’t real either, but damn, he is good (frighteningly so).

• On December 31, 2024, I will return to this post, to check the boxes, and reveal Zenka Films’ five-year plan!

  Five? Seriously? But okay, I’m sure Claude will come up with something.

• But most importantly, all year long, I get out of bed daily to build a world where inspiring female heroes above 50 are the norm and no longer the exception.

  Hell, yes! STILL ON IT!