Ultimate Guide to Getting Financing For Your Indie Film
Other education that may be of interest to you:
Stage 32 + Bondit Media Capital Film Finance Masterclass: From the Basics Through High Level Packaging
We’ve brought in the CEO of Bondit Media Captial, Matthew Helderman, one of the leaders in film financing today with over 200 financed films over the last several years. Matthew will be sharing the basics of film finance all the way through high level packaging tips, plus going over case studies on projects he’s financed and best practices to learn. As today’s film financing structures continue to be a labyrinth-like maze of confusion for most producers, this webinar will help break down that barrier through understanding how best to put a film together you can avoid pitfalls that plague the financing process.
Writers’ Room 100th Webcast Celebration: Member Spotlight
The Stage 32 Writers’ Room has just surpassed a milestone achievement - 100 webcasts! For the last year and a half it has been the honor of Director of Script Services Jason Mirch to act as the humble host, guiding webcasts that include script and screenwriting breakdowns, virtual pitch sessions to industry professionals, one-on-one conversations with some of the biggest names in the business, and writing exercises that challenge our imaginations and sharpen our skills. The goal of the Writers’ Room has always been to give writers all over the world the support, access, and education to thrive in their craft and career. Our recent Writers' Room guests have included Oscar-nominated Pixar writer Meg LeFauve, Billion Dollar Producer Amy Baer, AKEELAH AND THE BEE Filmmaker Doug Atchison, Universal Pictures Executive Ken Korba, A QUIET PLACE development executive Linsday Schwartz, GREEN HORNET producer Bradley Gallo, and many more - all of whom spoke and interacted directly with our members. Several of our members have connected with each other and have swapped scripts, collaborated on projects, produced projects they have written, and writers have even been optioned by producers largely because of the Writers’ Room! The Writers' Room is strong because of the incredible members who are serious about their craft and advancing their careers. So we are turning the spotlight over to some of our talented Writers' Room members who will tell us how they broke out in a highly competitive industry and achieved success during this Stage 32 Writers' Room Member Success Spotlight webcast! During this webcast, Writer, Producer, Actor & Stage 32 CEO Rich "RB" Botto and Writer, Producer, and Director of Script Services Jason Mirch shine some light on members who have utilized the power of Stage 32 and the Writers' Room to achieve tremendous success in the industry and learn the secrets they have discovered for breaking out! During this webcast the panel includes: Screenwriter, Martin Reese, who received a $5,000 option agreement from Glass House Distribution and Trick Candle Productions for a script he developed with the help of the Writers' Room! Screenwriter, Chris Torres, who landed representation with Manager Brooklyn Weaver of Energy Entertainment after being a part of the Writers' Room and being connected for a meeting by Stage 32! Author and Screenwriter, Christi Corbett, who developed one of her novels into a screenplay which was then optioned by producer Brad Wilson of Higher Purpose Entertainment!Screenwriter and Filmmaker, Chaun Lee, who used the power of Stage 32 and the Writers' Room to develop a short film which she then produced using local crew and cast in Atlanta just prior to lockdown!
Stage 32 TV Animation Lab: Build an Outline and Pitch Deck for Your Animated Television Show (June 2022)
**Only 2 Spots Remain** Payment Plans Available - Contact edu@stage32.com For More Information Work one on one with a director and producer of animated shows on Netflix, FOX, Disney and more as he helps you prepare and develop your own animated TV pilot. Animated television is currently experiencing a boom like we’ve never seen before. New shows like SOLAR OPPOSITES on Hulu, CLOSE ENOUGH on HBO Max, FINAL SPACE on TBS and BLOOD OF ZEUS on Netflix are hugely popular, and this is just the beginning. Scores of upcoming animated shows are in the pipeline and just around the corner. Considering this insatiable appetite for animated shows, there are more opportunities now for your own project to get noticed and get picked up than there have ever been. However, while doors are open and opportunities extra plentiful right now, you still need to have a dynamite show to present if you want to get noticed and make a sale. This means you need a great concept, a fantastic pitch deck, and a knockout pilot script (which always starts with a professional outline). Let Stage 32 give you the guidance to make your animated pilot as good as it can be and help you springboard your writing career with this essential class hosted by Mike Disa. Mike is an accomplished animation director, producer, writer, and artist who directed on shows like the hit Netflix series PARADISE PD and has been in the animation industry for over twenty-five years. Mike found success working with studios such as Dreamworks, Disney, Warner Bros., Paramount, and many others. Over a stellar career, Mike has worked with some of the top talent in Hollywood including Steven Spielberg, Eric Goldberg, Ralph Bakshi, Glenn Close, Steve Oedekerk, David Tennant, Amy Poehler, Adam Sandler, Jeffery Katzenberg and Roy Disney. In this lab, you will be working directly with Mike in a virtual class setting and also during one-on-one online sessions to hone your concept and build your pilot outline and pitch deck for a fantastic, market-ready animation pilot script. Whether you are interested in creating a “prime time” adult comedy series, action, dramedy, or children’s animation, Mike is here to help you. He will guide you through creating engaging characters, building your world, perfecting your structure, writing a world-class outline and building a professional bible or pitch deck to sell your show. If you already have a concept, or even a completed pilot, Mike will use the same tools to help you hone and sharpen your material. A favorite and fixture among the Stage 32 community, Mike is deeply entrenched in the world of animated TV and knows better than most what it takes to get an animated show off the ground. Throughout the course of this exclusive online lab, you will have direct access to Mike as a mentor by email and via video conferencing as you develop your animated series. Students who sign up for this lab with Mike will be eligible to participate in a Level 2 Lab where Mike will continue to mentor you in writing your animated TV pilot!
Stage 32 Private Pitching Lab: How to Master Your 5 Minute Pitch
**Only 15 Spots Available - 10 Spots Remain** Payment plans available - email edu@stage32.com Join a private, small virtual writers group, lead by VP of Production for Ian Bryce Productions, Will McCance -Finding 'Ohana (Netflix), Saving Private Ryan, Transformers: The Last Knight, Almost Famous, The Boys (Amazon), Preacher (AMC) Will will teach you how to form an outstanding five minute pitch for your own project & you will work one on one with him to perfect your pitch! If you've taken Pete Goldfinger's pitching workshop (writer of JIGSAW and SPIRAL - which was #1 at the box office) now you have the opportunity to work on perfecting your own pitch under the guidance of a top executive. Will McCance will show you how to pitch remotely and give you that mentorship you crave! Best of all, it's LIVE & INTERACTIVE! This is an amazing opportunity to fine tune and get advice on nailing your pitch from someone who knows how to do just that. The problem is, writing and pitching are two very distinct skillsets. Just because you’re a great writer doesn’t mean you’re also great at pitching. At least not initially. But like any skill, it’s something that can be honed, practiced, and improved upon. You may be missing out on opportunities right now because you struggle to get decision makers excited about your story, but this can be remedied, especially with the right one-on-one support and mentorship. Speaking of which… Will McCance is the Vice President of Production for Ian Bryce, producer of blockbusters like SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, ALMOST FAMOUS, the TRANSFORMERS franchise, and most recently Michael Bay's SIX UNDERGROUND and FINDING 'OHANA for Netflix. At Ian Bryce Productions, Will oversees the company's entire development slate. Before working with Ian Bryce, Will worked in development at Original Film's TV department, working on hit shows such as THE BOYS (Amazon) and PREACHER (AMC), as well as on SWAT (CBS) and HAPPY! (Syfy). Through his years working as an executive, Will has deep experience with working with writers and choosing to work with them or not based on their pitch. He knows exactly what needs to go into a successful pitch. In this exclusive 5-week lab you will: Be guided through the fundamentals of pitching, including a deep dive of the five minute pitch, how to distill your script into your pitch, and how to ultimately deliver it with aplomb. Work one-on-one with Will in understanding the intricacies and art of your pitch. Build your own five minute pitch for your specific project under Will’s guidance. Whether you’re working on a feature, a series, and no matter the genre, Will is here to help. Throughout the course of this exclusive online lab, you will have direct access to Will as a mentor by email and via Zoom as you develop your pitch document.
How to Master Query Letters & Cold Calls to Get Past the Gatekeepers (With Examples)
Wonderful class - simplified and helpful information that can be applied immediately for better results. The examples at the end are totally worth it. - Cate C. YOU WILL SEE EMAIL EXAMPLES AND HEAR MOCK COLD-CALLS SO YOU KNOW EXACTLY HOW YOU SHOULD APPROACH YOUR QUERIES! Talk to any executive and they'll tell you that they receive dozens if not hundreds of query letters a day. Because most of them don't have an attention grabbing subject line or little to no personalization, almost all end up in the trash. But, any executive will also tell you that if a subject line grabs them, or if the query letter shows the recipient that this was a personal, non-mass, attempt to get their attention, you have a very real shot of doing just that. The same holds true for cold calls. Having a solid, wise approach and knowing exactly what to say will give you the best chance of breaking the ice and securing the conversation you were hoping for. It's all about creating intrigue, interest, and value while approaching your subject from a place of selflessness and thoughtfulness. So, where do you even start and how do you even know if what you send will grab their attention? Wendy Kram has over 20 years of experience as an entertainment industry executive, consultant, and producer, developing and producing projects for Disney, Universal and Sony Studios, HBO, Showtime, Lifetime, NBC, ABC, CBS and USA Networks. Her credits include Mad Money with Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah, and Katie Holmes, the award-winning miniseries Sally Hemings: An American Scandal for CBS with Sam Neil, and current projects she's producing with Anonymous Content (the company responsible for True Detective, Mr. Robot, The Revenant, and Spotlight). With longstanding industry relationships, Wendy understands buyer and creative talent needs, and has direct access to principals at the major studios, networks, streaming providers and agencies. Throughout her storied career Wendy has knocked down many doors and she will teach you exactly how you can do the same! Wendy will show you how query letters and cold calling can become powerful tools in your arsenal + she will go through actual examples of letters and do mock cold-calls for you. You will walk away feeling confident the next time you query or call for your project!
How to Start a Career in Line Producing
Learn the essential skills to enter the lucrative career of line producing from an accomplished line producer with over 25 years experience producing blockbuster films. The job of a line producer certainly involves its fair share of number crunching and pre-planning, but it doesn’t end there. A large part of the job is to understand the ‘path of compromise’, which is especially necessary in the independent film and indie streaming worlds. The director will often have may have a vision or demands that exceed the resources and funding available, and it’s up to the line producer to find the middle line and retain the artistic vision without going outside of the project’s financial means. This is no easy task, and excelling in this area is what separates the great line producers from the rest. But how do you develop this skill? And how can you break into the field of line producing in the first place? For over 25 years, Michael Mandaville has worked as a line producer on countless projects, ranging from shorts and independent features to large blockbusters like the TAKEN, TAKEN 2 and TAKEN 3 starring Liam Neeson. His other producing credits include HAVOC with Anne Hathaway, THE KISS with Terence Stamp and Billy Zane and AMERICAN HISTORY X with Edward Norton. In addition to producing, Michael has directed commercials, shorts, a documentary and industrial films. He has also worked on MANAHI, an Arabic language comedy which was the first film shown in Saudi Arabia in 35 years. Michael’s long history in the world of line production makes him the perfect person to speak to this industry, and he’s keen to share what he knows with the Stage 32 community. Michael will walk you through the role of line producer, how to find opportunities and how to best to succeed in this position. He will begin by explaining the reason for the line producer position and how it differs from the role of unit production manager. He’ll go through common challenges of the line producer and how best to overcome, including mastering the “Line Producer Mindset”. Next Michael will explain what the career pathway looks like for aspiring producers and how you can find opportunities in the microbudget, independent and studio worlds. Michael will dive deep into the line producing process, going into scheduling, budgeting, and dealing with rates. Finally he’ll provide tips on how to find work as a line producer. Through Michael’s rundown, you’ll leave with a much clearer idea not only to how to find work as a line producer, but how to succeed and build a career for yourself once you do.
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