A Cinematographer's Guide to Making your Indie Film Look Like a Million Dollars
Reviews Average Rating: 5 out of 5
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Stephen Young-Chin Great class. Matt is a very comprehensive teacher who provides real-world, on-set practical knowledge.
Other education that may be of interest to you:
Stage 32 Screenwriting Lab: Outline & Structure Your Genre Feature Screenplay with Expert Guidance Over 8 Weeks
*12 Spots Available - 2 spots remain* Do you have a thriller, sci-fi, fantasy, or horror feature you’re working on? Or maybe you’ve been thinking about writing in this space, but aren’t sure where or how to get started? This is a persistently hot genre; but currently, there is a demand for new writers in this space for features that can be done under $15MM. It’s a really exciting time to break into the grounded genre space, but first it's important that you have the right script and know what it takes to sell a project in this genre. David Chien is a literary manager at Art/Work Entertainment whose clients include the writers of ARRIVAL, BIRD BOX, LIGHTS OUT, and THE THING. They have also had clients work for Netflix, The CW, Cinemax, CBS, NBC, FX, Starz, Nickelodeon, EPIX, and TBS, to name a few. For over ten years David has helped countless writers improve their scripts, get staffed on series, and pitch and sell their scripts to major executives. You will work one-on-one with David over 8 weeks as he guides you through identifying, developing, and structuring your own genre screenplay. This is an incredible opportunity to work closely with someone who knows how to pull great sellable stories out of his clients. He’ll work closely with you on drafting the right concept, building an outline, preparing a verbal pitch, and writing engaging character descriptions. You will wrap up this eight-week lab with fresh ideas and most importantly a solid and thorough blueprint to write a great genre script—one that’ll surely make decision makers notice you. Throughout the course of this exclusive online lab, you will have direct access to David as a mentor by email and via video conferencing. Praise for David's Previous Stage 32 Feature Lab: "David is definitely some kind of genius at what he does. He is able to get to the plot holes and potential problematic issues of a script within seconds. All while he’s able to come up with suggestions and ideas about the how and why things aren’t working and at he same time making observations about the how, what and why might work instead. I’ve never seen anyone able to do this as quickly, or as well as, David can. It’s really quite extraordinary!" - Sarah T. "I really enjoyed David's class. He was not another "industry professional" who just liked everything he heard and told everyone they were great. He really put us through our paces; made us ask ourselves tough questions. At the end of the course, I've got a solid outline for a unique story and a great starting place for the actual script writing- which is exactly what I hoped for." - Christopher G.
Netflix + Stage 32 Present: How To Write a TV Series To Budget
SEE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS BELOW: Netflix and Stage 32 have partnered on an exclusive global education series in an effort to democratize the worldwide entertainment industry. Together, over the course of 5 webcasts Stage 32's world class educators will bring their knowledge of what it takes to write, develop and produce today's television for the Stage 32 and Netflix creator community. In our second webinar in series, we are going to talk about how you can effectively write a TV series to budget. More television than ever is being made and consumed. With streamers like Netflix looking for new, exciting, original stories from all over the world to produce, you have to put yourself in the best position to make sure your story stands out. But, the truth is that an intriguing story in today's marketplace is not enough. You have to look at the practicalities of making your story into a television series, and with that, you have to think about how what you write will affect the budget. Getting a clear understanding of how to think about budget when you are writing will help give you the competitive advantage you need to get you closer to your greenlight. To help you is Jeanette B. Milio, a producer who has worked on over 500 hours of film and television content in the US, Europe, Dubai and South Africa. She produced the Netflix Original THE EXPERIMENT starring Adrian Brody and Forrest Whittaker and has worked with ABC/Disney, USA, Showtime, TLC, CW, Discovery, Lionsgate, Paramount and more. She has also consulted for the international co-production department of Warner Bros. in the U.S. and Germany, which was focused on producing local feature content in Europe. In this exclusive Stage 32 + Netflix webinar, Jeanette will go in-depth on how to think about your characters, locations and scenes when you are writing to give your script the best chance of being produced. She will go over how decisions you make at the script stage have a trickledown effect that affect an entire production and how you, as a writer, can be a valuable member of the team by thinking about these things as you are writing your story. She will break down writing exercises you can use to apply to your characters and locations and give you handouts that you can use to apply to your own script. You will walk away with a clearer understanding of how you can give your story a competitive advantage by thinking through characters, locations and scenes as you are writing. Some examples will be used from notable TV shows on network, cable, and streaming platforms including: ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING SQUID GAME MADMEN THE BOYS EUPHORIA QUEEN'S GAMBIT SUPERSTORE PLUS! you will receive the following worksheets to help you analyze your own script: Character Trait Breakdown sheet Location Sheet Note: You will receive the Zoom link to login by the morning of the webinar. If you are not yet a member of the Stage 32 community, we encourage you to join the community today at www.stage32.com, it is FREE! You will instantly connect with over 800,000 creatives and professionals in the entertainment industry from all over the world who use Stage 32 to network, find work, learn and develop their projects. YOU MUST HAVE A STAGE 32 PROFILE TO WATCH YOUR VIDEO.
New! Scripted Narrative Film Editing Certification
Get Your Scripted Narrative Film Editing Certification Exclusively Through Stage 32 Keeping you on the cutting-edge of the entertainment industry because we are the global online resource for creative professionals. Payment plans available - contact edu@stage32.com for details Ready to master your craft? Learn the principles of storytelling through an editor’s eyes with advanced editing techniques, often overlooked by even the most accomplished film editors. Stage 32’s online Scripted Narrative Film Editing certification is perfect for those beginning their journey and working professionals alike to boost their command of film editing while getting hands-on practice throughout our online certification. When choosing the best film editing training, you want the best showing you how to enter the professional market with confidence, and Stage 32 is making that happen for you. A Script Narrative Film Editing Certification from Stage 32 can help you expand your post-production career. In this 14-session course over four months, you will learn insider techniques for setting up your Adobe Premiere Pro workspace for your skills and needs, positioning you to best show your scripted narrative skills from the very first cut. This certification digs into essential and often overlooked editing techniques, organization, principles of scripted narrative, how to work with director and producers on live edits, and how to apply these techniques to projects of every budget. You will receive direct feedback on weekly assignments, receive templates and handouts for future use, and have the opportunity in and outside of the course to ask your instructor questions to ensure you walk away confident in your mastery of scripted narrative film editing. Stage 32 is the worldwide leader in entertainment industry education and is a marketplace that connects creators with content producers. After you finish your certification, you will earn an exclusive Stage 32 Certificate, and Stage 32 will provide you resources to help take your new skills into the professional marketplace, including a career development meeting with an industry professional. Get certified from a leading industry expert. With 15 years of experience in screenwriting and editing in feature films, commercials, and short form, Won Novalis is a master at honing the scripted narrative film edit. The awarding-winning editor leads his team at the production company, Cry, to deliver the quality polish of a big post-house at a fraction of the cost. Won is a fast-paced, meticulous editor who envisions the end goal and uses feeling and intuition to craft stories to their final stage. With his effective, customized workflows and open vulnerability, Won creates a final product that never fails to deliver. Won is experienced in editing film, television, commercials, and short films, working with such commercial clients as GE, United Way, and others. And he continues to master his craft as a storyteller as he earned an MFA in Screenwriting. He is also a co-owner, founder, and Head of Production at the New York-based, CRY, working with clients all over the US. Ready to take the next step? This exclusive certification was designed for your success by entertainment industry professionals. Exclusively through Stage 32 for less than $100 a week, you will become a certified scripted narrative film editor with the tools needed to enter the professional market. PLEASE NOTE: This exclusive Stage 32 certification course is limited to 10 people and will be booked on a first come, first served basis. The opportunity to work this closely and for this long with an expert in the field is an incredibly unique and valuable opportunity. If you are interested, please book quickly. Once the spots are gone, they’re gone for good. "Won is a mix of tech and creativity. Being able to work with an editor who is not only technically proficient but also understands the nuances of telling the story through the edit is invaluable. Won is all of that and more." - Tracy J. Trost, Writer/Director
Everything You Need To Make An Award-Winning Short Film
A New Exclusive Webinar From An Award-Winning Short Filmmaker Learn everything you need to know to make a short film that festivals will love and kickstart your filmmaking career! PLUS, receive exclusive handouts from your instructor to help make your short film. Whether you have a great idea that can be told in a several minutes or you want to create a proof-of-concept for your feature film, a short film is a fantastic way to get your foot in the door of the entertainment industry. But you don't just want to make a short, you want to make a short that grabs people's attention. That means getting accepted into festivals, filling up screenings, getting the word out, and more. And in this exclusive Stage 32 webinar, we're showing you how to make your short film - from concept through post-production - and get it the attention it deserves. This webinar is for any filmmaker looking to jumpstart their career or add to their portfolio with a short film. You'll learn all of the practical tools for producing a short film from concept through marketing and even festival debuts. You'll discover how to shape an idea into a short script, how to fundraise and access resources, what's required to produce a short film, and gain crucial directing techniques every filmmaker should know. Most importantly, you'll cover what it takes for a short film to get into a film festival and how to market your short so that your project gets seen. PLUS, you will receive exclusive handouts, such as a production resource guide and sample short film documents, including a script, shot list, lookbook, budget, and the final product. With so much to cover in a short amount of time, we brought in an award-winning short filmmaker, Tash Ann. Tash is a writer, director, and producer who launched her short film career with BIZARIA, which screened at Hollyshorts, was quickly licensed by ShortsTV, and aired for three years on DirecTV. Tash currently has a web series pilot, ABSTRACTION, making the festival rounds, and to date, it has won 22 awards and screened at 10 additional festivals. She has also directed 10 short films and produced 45 pieces of short-form content for Icon Media. In addition to the years of experience and knowledge Tash brings, she'll also be answering questions from you and your fellow filmmakers. Tash knows from experience how easy it is to get lost in making a short film when you lack previous hands-on experience. She'll show you how to avoid common pitfalls like writing without a budget in mind, creating a story that's too big or long for a short, not budgeting enough time or money, and hiring the wrong people. By the end of this webinar, you'll know what makes a good short film story, how to produce a short film, and how to get your short film into festivals and in front of audiences, all so that you can take your career to the next level. Don't miss out on your chance to learn from Tash's incredible experiences and kickstart your short film journey. TESTIMONIALS FOR TASH'S WORK: "Tash is very dynamic and extremely hard working. She is very passionate about her work and creating meaningful and powerful stories. She's an extraordinary talent with a beautiful vision for crafting and producing films and videos that truly impact her audiences." -- Aastha Lal Vice President of Operations, Icon Media
Producing Without Borders: International Co-Productions
In the world of independent film and TV, productions are increasingly crossing borders in search of funding, locations and ultimately a wider audience. But the difference between a successful international co-production and an international road-crash often lies in the details of choice of partners, structures and creative material. In this exclusive Stage 32 Next Level Webinar, Brendan Foley, an international producer (11 countries), writer and director with award winning feature films, TV series and best-selling books to his credit, will give an in-depth look at the pros and cons of international co-production. You will learn about different types of producing partners - creative, financial, public and private. You will also learn when co-producing makes sense for you or your project and when it should be avoided. You will leave this webinar with an understanding of not only what makes an international co-production work, but how to look for producing partners, co-funders and how to protect yourself and your project along the way. This seminar is useful to Producers considering a co-production as well as writers, actors and directors who feel their talent or material would work best on an international scale. PLUS - Brendan will have on two special guests: Ronni Coulter, SVP Business Affairs Sony Animation and top European co-producer Lars Hermann (CEO Copenhagen Film Festival and Danish state broadcaster DR, former Nordisk, Filmfyn Film Fund,) Special Guests: Ronni Coulter (SVP Business Affairs Sony Animation) Lars Hermann (Copenhagen Film Festival)
How To Recoup Your Film's Profits Through Collection Account Management
Nowadays many independent film and TV productions that have multiple parties involved are looking for the best way to recoup profits on a completed project. One of the best ways to assure the parties involved with your film (producers, investors, financiers, sales agents and talent) see their returns is to have a collection account in place. A collection account is an account in the name of a neutral third party who receives revenues generated by an independent film or TV project on behalf of the multiple beneficiaries from local distributors. This process is called collection account management and is an effective tool to guarantee that the beneficiaries receive their share of the revenues. The beneficiaries include producers, investors, financiers, sales agents and talent. Often times financiers, production partners and international sales agents put a collection account up as a requirement before even boarding project. During this webinar we will explain the functions and benefits of having a collection account in place for an independent film or TV project, how collection account management is set up and which parties should be involved in the entire process. We will further discuss the allocation and distribution of revenues, how to put together the Recoupment Schedule, and the importance of signing, or being a beneficiary to, the Collection Account Management Agreement.
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