Saturday, April 9, 2016

The INDEPENDENT FILM MASTER CLASS is back!! May 21st!






As many of you know, Filmmakers Alliance has supported the production of hundreds of independent shorts and features since 1993 and once again brings you the INDEPENDENT FILM MASTER CLASS - an A to Z, step-by-step seminar for independent filmmakers, providing you the KEY information you need to get your film MADE and SEEN. The INDEPENDENT FILM MASTER CLASS is a clear, concise and complete independent filmmaking blueprint for your film project that will allow you to sustain your life as a filmmaker!!

•    Concept, Story and Script Development - Developing ideas and concepts that work! How to write your script in a way that can increase its chances of getting made - without compromising your vision. 

•      Film Financing - Private Equity Financing, Grants, Crowd-funding, Tax Credits and the Legalities: where to find the money, what you need to do to get it and how to avoid any legal issues at any point down the road.

•    Pre-production and Production - How to get the most filmmaking bang from your budget - creatively and cost-efficiently managing your project. Also, how best to work with actors, crew, locations, unions, guilds, crafts to ensure your film not only gets made, but looks exponentially more than its cost.

•     Post-Production - New technologies and methodologies are making it easier to high end work with a low end budget. Find out what they are and what you need to do give a stunning, world-class finish to your film and how to prepare for it long before you reach post.

•    Festivals, Marketing Distribution - Understanding the festival circuit: how to use it to your film’s greatest advantage. Devising and executing a distribution plan that will give your film it’s best shot at success!

The seminar also includes filmmaker case-studies and open Q&A periods, so come prepared with your specific filmmaking questions - the ones that most have you stumped. We'll give you all that you need to take your film - and filmmaking life - to the next level.




GUEST SPEAKERS:

Roger Mayer has worn many hats in cinema - including film traffic controller (Sundance Film Festival) and Festival Director - but his most prolific work is as a film producer. His list of films include both the 2013 Sundance Film Festival psychedelic horror hit The Rambler and the 2011 Sundance Film Festival avant-garde horror film The Oregonian. He also produced the award-winning documentary Big River Man (2009 Sundance Film Festival), directed by John Maringouin and, most recently, Antibirth (Sundance 2016).

Cole Payne (Downloading Nancy, Errors Of The Human Body, Casual Encounters) launched his own film production, distribution, and talent management company Traverse Media in 2013.  He recently premiered their most recent film, AntiBirth, at Sundance 2016 co-producing it with Traverse Media partner Roger Mayer.


Valerie Weiss is an award-winning filmmaker and Harvard biophysicist currently directing her third feature film,The Archer for Mar Vista Entertainment.  Her other features include A Light Beneath Their Feet, which will be released theatrically by Emerging Pictures on Mother's Day weekend and on digital and cable platforms by Monterey Media, and Losing Control, which was released theatrically in nine cities and had a successful VOD run in over 100 million homes - subsequently appearing on iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, Google Play, and Hulu.


Liz Manashil currently works with distribution consultant Peter Broderick and marketing executive Debra Balamos. Liz spent the past several years as an on-air film critic for National PBS Broadcast Television and Hulu series, Just Seen It. Her debut feature, Bread and Butter, was released by The Orchard in September and can be seen on VOD nearly everywhere.



Sean Hood is a screenwriter, blogger and teacher. He has worked both on Hollywood tent-poles (Conan The Barbarian) and tiny indies. He currently teaches at USC's School of Cinematic Arts, writes the blog genrehacks.com, and develops projects for both film and television.



Erica Anderson is a Co-Founder and Head of Crowdfunding&Education at Seed&Spark. Erica brings 15 years of theater, film, and commercial experience to her role working with filmmakers to build audiences at Seed&Spark, where she has been responsible for the highest crowdfunding success rate in the business (75%!). 


Mark Stolaroff is an independent producer and the Founder of No Budget Film School, a unique series of classes specifically designed for the micro-budget filmmaker. He is currently in post production on DriverX, his fifth feature with director Henry Barrial.

Linda Miller served as Vice President of Physical Production at the Yari Film Group, overseeing such projects as: Nothing But the Truth, The Lonely Maiden, What Doesn't Kill You, One Train Later, The Accidental Husband, Resurrecting the Champ, Assassination of a High School President, The Illusionist, The Hoax and The Painted Veil. Recently, she has produced several independent films, and is presently developing a number of film and television projects.

Maureen Bharoocha is a Los Angeles based director and writer whose first feature film, Fatal Flip, aired on Lifetime (2015).  Her thesis film Abajee – filmed in Karachi, Pakistan – screened at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Palm Springs International Festival and Hamptons Film Festival.  She recently directed her 2nd feature, I am Watching You, an intimacy thriller which she also co-wrote.

Dianne Debicella is the Senior Program Director for Fiscal Sponsorship at Fractured Atlas. Dianne helps sponsored artists and emerging organizations find funding and other resources to support their work. Dianne is also the co-founder of Brooklyn Community Supported Art + Design (CSA+D) and serves on the steering committee of the National Network of Fiscal Sponsors.

Michael R. Blaha is an entertainment attorney, producer’s representative, law professor, arbitrator  and award-winning film and stage producer. He is one of the co-founders of Sci-Fest LA, the President of New Musicals, Inc. and on the Board of Directors of Filmmakers Alliance.

Meera Menon's feature directorial debut, Farah Goes Bang, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival; as the film's co-writer/director, Meera was awarded the inaugural Nora Ephron Prize for a groundbreaking woman filmmaker by Tribeca and Vogue. Her second feature, Equity, premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and was acquired by Sony Pictures Classics.

Nathan Ruyle (It Felt Like Love, This Is Martin Bonner) is the founder and principle designer, supervising sound editor, and re-recording mixer at This is Sound Design. He has an MFA in Sound and New Media Design from California Institute of the Arts, where he is currently an adjunct professor in the School of Film/Video and Center for Integrated Media.

Andrew Somers has over 30 years of experience in production and post production, with major television and feature film credits ranging from film editing, color grading, and visual effects supervision to sound design, mixing and editing (for which he received three Emmy awards.). He is presently the VFX and Title Supervisor for General Titles, a Hollywood-based title design and visual effects studio.

Amit Davé is Director of DI Operations at Light Iron, where he uses his strong background in problem-solving and business intelligence to oversee the Digital Intermediate team. Amit ensures smooth handoffs between the many post production artists and technicians working on each client project - such as Baskets, Ride Along 2, and Pride & Prejudice & Zombies.

Nami Melumad is an LA-based film composer and music producer whose credits include films, video games, commercials, and theatre. Naama's documentaries have screened worldwide, claiming multiple international awards. Naama has also worked as a symphonic arranger and her works were performed by the Revolution Orchestra, Be'er Sheva Orchestra and Haifa Symphony orchestra (Israel).

Cain Devore's (Mitzi and Joe, Interstate 5, Melancholy Baby, Pablo Ferro – Untitled) recent projects include the music video Memory Girl, the short films Rose Petals and Untethered, editing the dance film Disintegrate/Devour and co-screenwriting the feature film Cold Brook with actor William Fichtner, who will make his directing debut on it. He is a proud founding member of Filmmakers Alliance and currently teaches Acting for Camera and filmmaking at AMDA and Columbia College Hollywood.

Davidson Cole is a writer-filmmaker whose debut feature, Design screened at the Sundance Film Festival and whose current feature, Hollywood, is in the midst of navigating the mess that is indie film distribution. His WWII documentary feature The 95th: The Iron Men Of Metz premiered on PBS and is currently available on Hulu.


CLICK HERE to take your best first step to getting your film made NOW!


Use discount ticket code: FAfriendReg2016 thru May 20th.

Ticket Prices:
Regular: $99 ($75 with discount code)
At The Door: $125 (no discount)

WHEN: Saturday, May 21, 2016 from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM (PDT) - Add to Calendar
WHERE: Canon Hollywood Professional Technology & Support Center - 6060 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028 - View Map