Filmmaker Stephen van Vuuren has written, directed, photographed and/or edited several feature films, over two dozen short films and many commercials, music video and other media projects. He currently is in final post-production on “In Saturn’s Rings”, a film for IMAX theaters and planetariums that will be globally released late next year. He runs SV2 Studios & SV2 DCP that provide digital production and post-production services to clients around the world. He has created over 150 DCPs – trailers, shorts and features in 2D and 3D including DCPs for IMAX theater playback over the past 6 years. He has also worked on many productions as a director of photography, Visual FX and Post Production Supervisor, editor, sound mixer, visual FX artist and sound designer. He lives and works in Greensboro, NC with his artist wife, Marie Stone van Vuuren and three cats. Full Bio »
We are well into the digital revolution in filmmaking. The least known and least understood aspect, but arguably the most important, of the digital revolution is the digital master of your film via a Digital Cinema Package. More than cameras or editing or access to great equipment, the one factor that allows the indie filmmaker to truly be on a level playing field is the ability to screen your film at festivals and any theater in the world via DCP.
In this Stage 32 Next Level Webinar, experienced filmmaker, Stephen van Vuuren, will teach you all secrets, tips, and best practices that everyone involved in film productions must know to end up with a quality digital master of your film. The information in this webinar is not available all together in one place anywhere on the internet until now!
Many film festivals, large and small, now require DCP screeners and nearly all theaters in the world require your film on DCP. A DCP is the single most important master of your film that you will ever make. However, many indie filmmakers have limited experience and understanding of how they must plan from the very beginning stages of a film to insure their film – short, feature, documentary – is ready for DCP.
You only have one chance with your audiences to make a great impression – and today that chance depends on your DCP.
Stephen van Vuuren
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Learn directly from the Director of Development for Ryan Reynolds' Dark Trick Films! Creating an independent film from scratch is daunting, but immensely rewarding, and can be done with any level of resources. Films under $1MM are especially a sweet spot for many independent filmmakers but certainly come with their sets of challenges. Stage 32 is excited to bring in the development executive for Ryan Reynold's production company Dark Trick Films & TV, Blake Goza, who has spent the last 7 years working projects such as Deadpool, Buried, The Change Up and RIPD. Even though Blake works on some of the most popular films & television of today, it's his personal project - a film entitled Escort - which he made independently for under $1MM that fuels his passion for being a creative. With this webinar, Blake will give you a producer’s perspective on building an independently financed movie, from start to finish, for under one million dollars. Using The Escort as a case study, he will walk you through each stage of the independent process: finding a script, packaging talent, determining a budget, acquiring financing, shooting, post production, and ultimately, distribution. Blake will discuss process specifics, like his decision to attach a sales agent in the early stages of development; what financing options he prefers - the benefits and risks of private equity versus foreign pre-sales; what talent he chose to attach first – the argument for finding your director before making offers to actors; and how to build a release strategy for your film that allows for success as you define it – whether your goal is critical acclaim, commercial exposure, or financial reward, begin with the end in mind, and build a platform that allows you to achieve that goal. If you’ve wanted to produce a film outside of the studio system on a responsible budget, then this class if for you!
Viviana Zarragoitia, the VP of Three Point Capital, explains how exactly to take advantage of tax incentives for your own project with a walkthrough of an online application. PLUS! With special guest - Philip Gilpin of the Duluth, MN incentive program It’s important for you to understand how various tax incentives work, because a lot goes into deciding where to shoot and how to piece together projects based on these incentives. They’re a big part of funding projects. Understanding the criteria, how to properly fill out applications, working with local film funds and associations, knowing what is due when, and knowing when money flows back to you are just some of the pieces that go into putting together a film or series as it relates to tax incentives. If your head is spinning a little, don’t worry. With the right guidance, this will all make sense to you and you’ll be on your way to making sure you make the most out of the appropriate tax incentives for your next projects. Viviana Zarragoitia is the Vice President of Three Point Capital, one of the entertainment industry's top financiers that specializes in senior lending on film and television projects. Through Three Point, Viviana closes the financing on every film that the company is involved in. She has been involved in the financing of over 100 independent films, and worked with such producers as Cassian Elwes (DALLAS BUYERS CLUB), Rob Barnum (MARGIN CALL), Anthony Bregman (ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND), James Schamus (BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN), Aaron Gilbert (JOKER), Kimberly Steward (MANCHESTER BY THE SEA), Nicolas Chartier (THE HURT LOCKER) and Kevin Frakes (HEREDITARY), among others. Before Three Point Capital, Viviana worked in accounting at Millennium Films and Bold Films, as well as in the finance division of Lionsgate, where she oversaw the preparation of multi-million dollar film and television distribution deals. Viviana has seen it all when it comes to film financing and knows intimately well how to take advantage of domestic and international tax incentives. In this extended on-demand class, Viviana walks you through the types of incentives and how to access them, domestic and international tax credits, and how to monetize incentives. She also discusses the effects of tax incentives in the entertainment industry and locally, as well as how to decide on a jurisdiction based on creative and financial elements. Plus! Viviana gives a workshop and goes over an online application for a tax credit. Viviana even brings in a special guest- Philip Gilpin of the Duluth, MN Incentive Program--to take part in a Q&A that answer questions on making tax incentives work for your projects. Praise for Viviana's Past Stage 32 Financing Classes: "As an experienced film and television producer and writer, Viviana's class was just the refresher - and inspiration - that I needed! Having been a completion producer for a bond company, I have seen too many producers who were let down in the producing process by so-called-professionals who offered support at the on-set of a production, but then failed to deliver when needed. Viviana and her company Three Point Capital have an excellent reputation, and her counsel provided in the class solidified that. I highly recommend both Viviana and Stage 32 Education!" -Patricia C. "Viviana was personable, professional, interesting, interested, and a wealth of knowledge and useful information. I will take every opportunity to learn from her. She was patient and polite with every question and always clear with what she knew, what she thought, what she believed, and what she didn't know. She painted pictures and delivered facts, outlining the paths she has seen successful producers take while still encouraging all to pursue their art with a greater knowledge of the business and understanding of the challenges and potential pitfalls." -Randy G. "As someone who was totally new to the world of film financing, trying to learn about the process by myself was intimidating to put it lightly. Viviana clearly explains the film financing process step-by-step and demystifies the complex, bespoke nature of pre-sales, tax credits, sales agents, and so much more. I feel infinitely more confident in my ability to produce a film thanks to this class. I give it the highest possible recommendation for any independent filmmaker looking to finance their film and take their projects to the next level." -Sean R.
The Script Supervisor. It's a role not taught in film school, yet it might be the most important job on set. From saving your production days and money, to director's notes, to continuity, and more. Its a a great way for you to break into the industry as there is more opportunity for script supervisors right now all over the world than there are people who know how to do the job. See how you can tackle this vital role! Filmmaking is a collaborative experience. So imagine the incredible frustration of getting to the project's release... and seeing a coffee cup that's not supposed to be in a scene sitting on the screen! Script supervisors keep coffee cups out of shots, as well as ensuring there are no other continuity errors. But this is just the tip of the iceberg of what a script supervisor does. From pre-production through post, the script supervisor can bring clarity and help avoid costly mistakes that will sink your small budget film or incur expensive reshoots to bigger budget ones. But, if this is the job you want, or want to hire, how can you understand its importance without training? Stage 32's exclusive webinar will show you how. Rachel Atkinson has worked on countless film, television, and commercial productions, and she's ready to give you everything you need to learn to be a script supervisor. Her recent credits include Hulu's DOPESICK, Apple TV+'s SWAGGER, Showtime's HOMELAND, AMC's THE WALKING DEAD: WORLD BEYOND and TURN: WASHINGTON'S SPIES. She's also worked on commercials with brands including Nike, Guitar Hero, and JC Penny. Every format has a nuanced version of script supervising duties, and Rachel will show you how to be a script supervisor in each. With so many years under her belt, there's no one better to teach you how to operate confidently in this role. In addition to her fantastic expertise, Rachel brings sample scripts, forms, and breakdowns for your hands-on practice! She'll also be available live for your questions. Can't make the live? This webinar will be accessible in your account for an entire year so that you can rewatch it to get the most out of this valuable knowledge! PRAISE FOR RACHEL'S TEACHINGS: Rachel covered exactly what I was hoping to learn. She clearly broke down the most important aspects; there is so much to learn about script supervision but she gave a very digestible start. -Kristen A. Very helpful, informative, and interesting. The instructor, Rachel did a wonderful job of really going into detail about her position. I attended a Script Supervising class via zoom a few weeks ago with a different organization and instructor, and it was nowhere near as great as this one was! -Shelley R. Rachel was great :) Thank you for making this possible. -Mickayla P. Thorough. Insightful. Generous. -Moitri G. Rachel did a wonderful job explaining the key concept and answering our questions. -Elizabeth V.
It makes sense why more creatives than ever before want to make the jump from film to television, ESPECIALLY writers. As a TV writer you can dive into longer form storytelling and explore characters more fully. And with the massive popularity of streamers like Netflix and Hulu, your work can likely reach more people in the TV space. And that’s not to mention the fact that TV writing usually provides a much more stable and long-running form of income. All this to say: the pilgrimage from movie writing to TV writing is no longer uncommon and can be an exciting or lucrative development for any working writer. This a switch that is more than possible to undertake, but you need to know how best to accomplish it first. The path from film writing to TV writing is absolutely doable, but that doesn’t mean the door is wide open. No matter who you are, breaking into television is no easy feat and your background in film can serve as an advantage OR disadvantage, depending on how you approach it. Instead of waiting for HBO or Netflix to roll out the red carpet for you, it’s important you tackle this transition with realistic expectations and an understanding of how best you can fit in. Tripper Clancy is a working writer that has found success in both film and, more recently, television. Earlier in his career, Tripper wrote the screenplay for the Kumail Nanjiani and Dave Bautista action comedy STUBER before deciding to make the switch to television. Since then, Tripper served as staff writer for the Netflix hit I AM NOT OKAY WITH THIS and VARSITY BLUES, a modern day reimagining of the original movie. Tripper also created and wrote the action-comedy series DIE HART, starring Kevin Hart and John Travolta. Tripper has found longevity and deeper success for his writing career by making the jump from film to television and will share exclusively with Stage 32 what goes into this transition. Tripper will teach you how you can expand your writing career by making the switch from film to television. He’ll go over his own journey from film to TV and then break down what writing for both features and TV actually looks like, including the advantages and disadvantages of each. He’ll discuss using your reps to make the jump and whether you can do so without a manager or agent and will give you advice on how you can sell your film experience to stand out when pursuing TV opportunities. Tripper will give you a sense of what expectations are realistic when making this shift and where you can expect to start out. He’ll discuss how you can find currency from your film background and what sort of unique challenges film writers might face in television. Expect to leave with a hopeful but realistic idea of what you need to do to find your next opportunity on a TV show. Praise for Tripper's Stage 32 Webinar: "Tripper Clancy was an awesome presenter who cut to the chase in a clear, understandable webinar." -Mark D. "Tripper's webinar was terrific - he's a great conversationalist and his open, candid, honest, accessible and very knowledgeable presentation & Q&A were very empowering." -Fran B. "Tripper was really engaging. The conversational tone was enjoyable. Sometimes a seminar can feel like a stranger reading me their powerpoint, just slower than I would read it myself. That wasn't the case here." -Nicholas G. "Tripper was phenomenal. Within 1 hour he gave us a whole course in something I knew nothing about before. Another Stage 32 phenomenal webinar." -Ricki L.
Producers and filmmakers of independent films and TV series deal with a multitude of parties regarding the production, financing and distribution of their films and projects. Many of these parties have a financial interest in the project and are entitled to a share of the revenues generated by domestic and international distribution of the film or series. In order to make the allocation and distribution of revenues manageable, it is important to design a recoupment schedule for your project. The recoupment schedule, also called “the waterfall”, combines all the single deal terms negotiated between the production and investors, financiers, talent, sales agents, co-producers, and service producers. Each project is unique, with its very own financing structure for example, and therefore there is no universal format for a recoupment schedule. However, there are certain guidelines to consider when putting together a recoupment schedule for your project. Understanding these guidelines will not only assure that there is no financial shadiness going on behind the scenes and no surprise lawsuits hanging out in the horizon. It also means that everyone who needs to get paid does get paid...and on time. And that can only raise your stature as someone who can deliver the goods and as a person people want to work with again and again. David Zannoni is consultant for Fintage House, the world's most respected company for revenue and rights protection for industry professionals and companies, and is the company's representative for the Americas. David negotiates agreements for films and television series, and he is involved in business development and relationship management specifically in the US, Latin America and Spain. David also runs a consultancy business through Xaman Ha Consulting and Zannoni Media Advisors, and has been focusing particularly on international service providers in the film and TV industries, and film and TV productions in Latin America, amongst others. As a film business specialist David is continuously present to make deals and speak at international film markets, festivals and conferences, including: the Cannes Film Festival, the European Film Market (EFM) in Berlin, the American Film Market (AFM), Ventana Sur, the Bogota Audiovisual Market (BAM), and the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), and travels regularly to the United States, the Netherlands, Spain, and all over Latin America. David will explain in easy to understand detail the world of recoupment schedules and why they are so important to your film or project. In an in depth, interactive presentation, David will discuss sources and allocation of film and TV revenues, the purpose of a recoupment schedule, the entitlements and obligations that are payable out of revenues, and the order and priority of payment for film and TV entitlements. He will discuss various territories around the world including distribution rights and assignments. He will show you which kind of projects use a recoupment schedule and the importance of a recoupment schedule as it relates to securing financing and attaching production partners. David will take away all the guess work that goes into the world of waterfalls/recoupment schedules and simplify the entire process to assure everyone on your team is taken care of and given the sense of security they (and you) deserve! PRAISE FOR DAIVD'S TEACHINGS: "I went into this one expecting it to be dry as a bone in the sun. I was so wrong. David is incredible and lovely and clearly knows his stuff." - Cynthia P. "Eye-opening information. A no-brainer approach that wouldn't be so obvious to the uninitiated." - Gary O. "By far, the best class I've seen on the subject." Kirk K. "David is a fantastic teacher. And what a voice! I could listen to him all day. More importantly, I learned so very much!" - Isabella T.
Sure, A24 is a top tier distributor with a crazy success record over the last few years, but they only distribute a small number of films a year!With filmmaking success now more than ever in your hands, there are so many other avenues to pursue. While the channels of distribution have never been more diverse and accessible, the education for filmmakers of how to best utilize those channels is often hard to navigate. We're here to help that. Is theatrical or VOD your best bet? Will the film festival circuit help you? What can a distributor do for you? And how much money are indie films even making these days?? With so many different opportunities and new platforms arising constantly, how do you choose the best path for YOUR film? Equally bilingual in the language of cinema and the lexicon of sales, Mia offers her knowledge of distribution to help filmmakers navigate their opportunities in the marketplace by understanding the rules that exist and the ways they can be bent and supplemented. In this exclusive Stage 32 Next Level webinar you'll learn how to go from praying A24 will pick up your movie to learning to love creative distribution!