2010 Filmmakers Workshop


Our inspiration for this workshop was to roughly simulate the entire development process, from the first pitch to finance and distribution.

2010 Schedule and Faculty

Concept Development
Courtney Balaker – Producer (America in Primetime, The Collector)
Josh Rader – Development Executive, MPower Pictures (Stoning of Soraya M.)
Jennifer Simpson – Producer (Legally Blond 2, Penelope)
Nicholas Tabarrok – Producer (Weirdsville, Defendor)

Our development panel kicked off our workshop with a dynamic Q&A before jumping into interactive group work with our participants.  Our  attendees pitched story concepts to our faculty, who provided extensive feedback.  Then the top concepts from each group were further developed before the next session.

Opening Night Conviviality

Our first panel was followed by a catered party with drinks and hors d’oeuvres, where attendees got to mingle with our faculty and each other, as well as other industry insiders who were invited.

Fastball Pitching
David H. Steinberg – Screenwriter/Director (American Pie 2, Puss in Boots)

Attendees presented the more fully-developed pitches from the previous session and David worked with them to further hone and flesh out the concepts.  David wore two figurative hats for this session:  The critical studio executive who tells you everything wrong about your concept AND the encouraging, experienced screenwriter who tells you how to fix your concept.

“This workshop definitely helps me to understand more about the market and filming.  It also helps me to change the direction of my future projects.” – an attendee

Execution:  Screenplay Development
Paul Guay – Screenwriter (Liar, Liar; The Little Rascals)
Before the workshop, participants were given the opportunity to submit scripts to receive detailed feedback.  Paul selected one of the submitted scripts and performed a deep analysis in advance.  Paul then walked our group through the script and his writing process, offering a window into the mind of a successful writer and story analyst.  (And yes, Paul gave his detailed notes to the lucky writer afterward.)

 

 

Development Doesn’t Have to be Hell
Adam Simon – Screenwriter/Director (The Haunting in Connecticut)
Craig Titley – Screenwriter (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Star Wars: The Clone Wars)
J. B. White – Screenwriter (Perfect Plan, The National Tree)

This session began with a Q&A, then like our producing panel, it broke up into interactive group work.  Our experienced panelists worked closely with our groups to show them how to bring a story concept to the next level of development.

In the TV Writer’s Room
Daisy Gardner - Writer/Producer (Californication, 30 Rock, South Park)
Lawrence Meyers – Writer/Producer (Crossing Jordan, Early Edition)
Glen Whitman - Writer (Fringe)

This panel of writers offered their insider’s perspective on the world of television writing, from personal anecdotes from the TV writer’s room to practical advice on how to break into the field.

 


Adventures in Finance and Production
Steve Bannon – Producer/Director (Generation Zero, Titus)
Matt Parker – Producer (Igor)
Leigh Scott - Producer (Transmorphers, The Dunwich Horror)
Nicholas Tabarrok – Producer (Weirdsville, Defendor)

In this session, our panel provided the latest battle reports from the front lines of film finance.  From studio to indie, from private investors to non-profits, Matt, Steve, and Nick covered the gamut of getting a film from zero budget to financed and in production.

“I definitely learned a lot, but meeting the people on the panels and in the group was spectacular.” - an attendee

Saturday Night Conviviality and Screening

Another catered party, this one a more laid-back affair.  We also watched the work of several attendees who volunteered to screen their shorts.


Documentary as Storytelling
Ted Balaker – Producer, Reason TV
Paul Feine – Producer, Reason TV

Paul and Ted walked our attendees through the development, writing, interviewing and post-production phases of new-media documentary filmmaking.  They used clips from their own recent work to illuminate their craft.

Distribution:  Getting Out There
Clay Epstein – VP, The Little Film Company (The Last Station)
Leigh Scott - Producer (Transmorphers, The Dunwich Horror)

Our final panel focused on the latest trends in the fast-changing world of distribution and how to get people to see your movie.  They also provided their frank evaluations of the story concepts that our groups had developed, offering the distributer’s and marketer’s perspectives.

If you’d like to apply to our 2011 Workshop, go here.