Oregon, networking/groups/meetups

[neuro]

Is anyone aware of any active groups/meetups in Oregon? I’m near Portland. I’m originally from Los Angeles, where needlesss to say there was an abundance. But being new to the area and with people still rattled from events over the last couple years, networking has been tricky, particularly for those that aren’t particularly outgoing to begin with.

Would like to meet other film makers, but I’m not turning up many results. Meetup.com isn’t showing much of anything. Considering looking for some entry level jobs to help on set to possibly meet and get into the fold. Uncertain whether to go for this really.

Thanks for any tips

 

[Nate North]

It's not exactly what you're asking for, but I've had better luck searching internationally and collaborating on films via teleprescence. It's not a great plan if you are a lighting guy, but it opens up a much larger playing field for musicians, post people, writers, and anyone who doesn't do physical jobs on set.

It's getting a lot more difficult these days to financially justify gathering large groups to make indie films, so something to look into is joining an existing prodco. It typically entails shooting commercials and other business projects, but it's also a way to learn and meet people on set without everyone having to work for free indefinitely.