HIGHLIGHTS: Creative minds collide

You gotta hand it to Dayle Hoffmann. One minute she’s working a television show, the next minute she’s hosting a party at a downtown Sarasota nightclub for like-minded filmmakers, screenwriters, musicians and other entertainment industry professionals.

Hoffmann is an actress, writer, producer, publicist and ubiquitous girl-about-town. After working on the shoot for “Substructure,” the adventure/sci-fi series that shot earlier this month in Sarasota County, Hoffmann decided to organize an end-of-the-year networking event this month at Rhythm Night Club and Bassline Lounge.

“Our industry is growing so much right now,” Hoffmann says. “People don’t know where to find opportunities, and Craigslist isn’t the place to go, which is where people are going right now.”

Hoffmann, a tireless networker both on the Internet and in person, spoke about how to promote a project using social media. Guest speakers also included writer Austin McKinley, actress/filmmaker Sage Hall and actor Michael Markovina.

Says Hoffmann: “My goal is to get everyone in the know.”

She’s well on her way. The Creative Mind Soiree piqued the interest of so many local film and television insiders that Jeanne Corcoran, director of the Sarasota County Film and Entertainment Office, rescheduled her organization’s regular mixer.