Mercedes Grant

mgrantconsulting@gmail.com

Work Experience

 M. Grant Consulting                                                                                   July 2006 – Present

• Founder of M.Grant Consulting, an independently owned and operated consulting firm specializing in creative and business writing, research, film production, event planning and project management

Film and Television

• Released the Monaco International Film Festival Best Feature Documentary Award –Winning film, What If? The Movie www.whatifthemovie.tv  accomplishments include:

• Head of  writing and research: writing script, website copy, press releases, cast questions and extensive research into topics, negotiating music and footage licensing, cast members and cold-calling for interviews
• Production assistance on all levels to the Producer/Director/Creator
• Associate Producer responsibilities
• Post-production experience

• Producer, Co-Director and Writer of acclaimed short documentary film Breaking The Silence http://vimeo.com/14462438

• Performed creative writing for paper props for hit FOX television network show, FRINGE, as well as various other film and television productions in Vancouver, BC, Canada
•  Freelance VIP Sponsorship Coordinator and Canadian Representative of the  Monaco International Film Festival, The Angel Film Awards
• Outreach Coordinator for NFB supported interactive documentary The Sticking Place

Independent Writer

The Vancouver Observer                                                                     January 2009 – Present

• Part-time writer for The Vancouver Observer, an online editorial that provides investigative and feature coverage of the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
• Articles written include numerous feature articles, restaurant reviews and coverage of the DOXA 2010-2011 Documentary film festival

Yelp.ca                                                                                              August 2008 – December 2008 

• Part-time consultant (“Scout”) for Yelp.ca, an internet review site that is powered by reviews from city residents about local businesses
• Accomplishments include writing thirty-five business reviews per week, creating and updating pages with all current business information and maintaining relationships with the local online community

Freelance

• writing contracts and assignments for The Edge Publication, World Unity Designs, Tantra Fitness, Du Jour Boutique, Fringe and numerous personal and professional client requests

Event Planning

• Lead Organizer and Licensee of TEDxGeorgiaStrait, an independently organized TED event on The New Energy held on February 26^th, 2011.
• Skills involved contacting and organizing all speakers, catering and set design, as well as finding partners for sponsorship in excess of $4000.00.
• Utilizing social media applications for marketing of event (Twitter, Facebook, WordPress)
• Managing a team of 8 individuals

Skills and Education

• Completed both a Freelance Writing Intensive program as well as a Food & Travel Writing course from the University of British Columbia in 2009
• Attended the Journalism Arts program at SAIT in Calgary, Alberta, Canada (Southern Alberta Institute of Technology)
• Experience in utilizing social media applications (Twitter, Facebook, Vimeo, YouTube, WordPress, LinkedIn)
• Currently volunteer with The Looking Glass Foundation, a non-for-profit organization that supports young people in their recovery from eating disorders
• Completed a 5 week intensive documentary film-making course at Pull Focus Film School in Vancouver, BC, Canada
• Member of the Vancouver chapter of Women in Film and Television (WIFTV)
• 10 years of administrative and customer service experience in professional fields including law, oil and gas and  human resources as well as fitness, retail and hospitality