So....here we are again and I want to talk about angels.
Not the kind from the bible...but the real life living kind. The kind who have money and are not afraid of taking risks and have vision and fortitude and know how to make things happen.
I'm talking about ANGEL INVESTORS.
Canada needs these folks. Like Moses Znaimer. Anyone know/remember him?
He was a business man from waaaaay back who started his own network/channel called City TV. He put out one of the first music video shows to rival MTV (called Much Music). He supported original Canadian content and built an empire.
Canada needs him again, or someone just like him.
See, we are having a problem with getting quality Canadian content on TV. We have our own streaming service; Crave TV by Bell Media. But they don't have any money.
And we have to stop expecting the Canadian government to come up with the cash. We have to stop looking to a governmental agency to help us express ourselves. That way lies madness and frankly, I would rather my tax dollars were put to use for health care, education, social programs and infrastructure.
So, I ask you...where are the Canadian Angel Investors?
I found a website that has listings of Canadians who are willing to invest in film or television, but I'm not sure how well that's working. I wonder if there is a visionary, a Moses Znaimer, among them.
I know I would love to have a streaming service, a service I would gladly pay for over and above my Netflix account (which to be honest is limited at best), so long as they had quality programming to interest me.
We can do everything the US production companies can do, all we need is money.
That's where an angel investor (or investors) come in.
We need a business person who has both the know how, the ambition and the money to make this happen. Someone who knows how to create and sustain a successful business and can adapt to the arts, and I'm not talking about just artsy films, but all films, commercially viable films and web series and tv series and mini series and everything in between.
I've said this before, Canada has talent, lots of it, but a great portion of it goes south; our actors, directors, writers and so on. Which is fine, they have to go where the greatest amount of work is, and where they can be successful.
I want our people to be successful right here at home. I don't wanna go work in the States (for a wide variety of reasons - one of which is that I love being Canadian). I want to work right here at home.
What can I say, I'm a rebel with a cause.
So, if you know any business people with money who are Canadian and know how to take risks and believe in the validity of this kind of venture. Encourage them, propose this to them, hell, send them my way and I'll convince them. I'm a pretty good salesperson.
Calling all ANGEL INVESTORS!
...cut and print that...