Case Study with Katherine O'Toole
Title: Cinematographer
Pronouns: She/her
Location:Oakland, CA
Program: Private coaching package
Challenges:
Forming agreements + contracts with clients
Pivoting from producer to cinematographer
Extending networking and portfolio to increase gig opportunities
Financial decisions around upgrading gear + professional development
Strategizing the game plan to self produce feature film
Navigating a volunteer role with a social justice organization that was important and demanding
Proudest Success:
Created meaningful goals and achieved them step by step
Updated portfolio and website presence
Raising rates to bring in sustainable income
Refining client load to work with awesome partners
Working on well paid, value aligned projects
Stepping onto bigger productions, leading bigger crews
Making more beautiful and meaningful productions
Transitioned leadership within volunteer position with integrity and care
Launching self produced phase 1 of feature film
Built a beautiful garden & created restful moments for self care & community
Earning more money, having more pleasure, specializing in work
Well positioned to collaborate with amazing crews
Able to ask for what is needed to create a great product which leads to better work (better tools, paydown debt, buy a car, enroll support from community + clientS)
Built website
Drastically changed the way she approached her daily, weekly, and monthly workload - with more ease and grace!
When I first met Kat, it was the beginning of the pandemic and her role as a one-woman-band for video production was rapidly changing.
Producing video work solo was drainingher energy and felt unsustainable both creatively and financially.
We worked together to create a clear vision and strategy that allowed Kat to make a solid pivot to focus solely on cinematography.
With clarity about her role and purpose, Kat invested in the right things - she upgraded her kit, built strategic relationships, and highlighted key elements of her portfolio to land her on projects with values aligned teams and create beautiful pieces of art that have a huge impact.
Bonus pivot - Kat shifted a key role that had been an energy drain for her social justice volunteer organization.
She helped implement a team to replace the role from a single person into a group of people who could support one another to share the work and avoid burning folks out.
Shifting the work from a single person to a larger group helped make a key function of the organization more sustainable.
In Kat's words:
"Slam's gentle guidance has opened up a way of seeing a clear path forward. Each day I feel closer to my vision and more delighted to be on my way."

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