Tash Ann has produced and directed nine short films before joining Icon Media, where she produced 45 pieces of short-form content varying from narrative to documentary to reality. Her web series pilot ABSTRACTION is currently making the festival rounds. To date, ABSTRACTION has won 22 awards and screened at 10 additional festivals. She directed her first short, BIZARIA. It aired at a Hollyshorts event at the TCL Chinese Theaters in Hollywood and was promptly licensed by ShortsTV, airing for 3 years on DirectTV. Full Bio »
A New Exclusive Webinar
Learn From A Producer Of 45 Short Films!
PLUS! Get A Production Resource Guide
When you start your career with your first short film, you may not have a full grasp of the how to approach the process to achieve the highest levels of success.
While making any first short film is an effective way of learning, making films costs a lot of money and every opportunity should be for your maximum creative experience and benefit.
In this exclusive Stage 32 webinar, award winning short filmmaker Tash Ann will help give young filmmakers an edge as she shares the four biggest things she wishes she knew before she made her first short film. Tash wants you to succeed so you now have a chance to learn from the mistakes she made when she was starting out.
For most beginning filmmakers, making your first short film can be a daunting concept. For some people it’s so daunting that they don’t even start. Even in many film schools, people aren’t taught a no nonsense, step-by-step guide to self produce their own small projects. So when you write (or get access to) that first amazing short script you want to make, you may be completely in the dark about what happens next.
Luckily, Tash has stumbled through her early producing experiences and has emerged with meaningful knowledge to share and she is here to teach you how to make the most of your opportunity when you set out to make your first short film.
Plus! Tash will provide her production resource guide and links to her early short films, which she will also discuss in the webinar.
Don't miss your chance to learn short filmmaking from one of the best in the business!
PLUS! You'll receive:
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
Early Mistakes and Pitfalls
Practical Tools to Avoid these Pitfalls
What to do When Things Go Wrong
Q&A with Tash
Tash Ann
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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
A New Exclusive 4-Part Class + Filmmaking Workbook & Handbook Payment Plans Available - Contact edu@stage32.com To Learn More Learn the STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS of making your short film that festivals will love and that will get you noticed! Every successful filmmaker has, at some point in their career, written, directed, and/or produced a short film. For filmmakers who are just starting out, a short film is the best calling card to showcase their unique talent and vision. It is important to remember that short filmmaking is different from feature filmmaking, with challenges unique to the process. Even so, producing a short film may seem daunting, but there are several key secrets to getting the most out of your project. This intensive 4-session course will give you the tools and techniques necessary to produce a world class short film. Each week will be dedicated to a different aspect of the short filmmaking process, including, concept and scripting, prepping as a director, producing and making your movie and even post-production and the festival circuit. Guiding you on your way is serial-short film filmmaker Tash Ann, who is an expert in short film filmmaking, having launched her short film career with BIZARIA (licensed by ShortsTV after screening at HollyShorts and airing on DirecTV), and has directed 10 short films and produced 45 pieces of short-form content for Icon Media. PLUS! As an added bonus - you'll get: Filmmakers workbook Production handbook Recommended film festivals You are strongly encouraged to come with an idea for your short film, which will be developed over the course of the 4 sessions, so by the conclusion of the class, you will have all the tools to make your idea into a reality! Whether you're a filmmaker, producer, screenwriter or actor, this class is open to anyone who wants to learn the step by step process on how to make a short film. By the end of these four sessions, you’ll know how to tell an awards-worthy story in a short film and have the action steps on how to produce it and get into festivals!
About this time in a normal year, filmmakers from around the world would be locking down their plans to travel to Santa Monica and attend the internationally renowned American Film Market (AFM). One of the biggest film acquisition, development and networking events in the world, AFM has provided a forum for thousands of films to find funding and acquisition deals since its founding in 1981. Yet this year will be different. Like most events right now, AFM has made the shift to virtual, and with that comes new rules, new expectations, and a new landscape. If you’re hoping to attend the AFM this year and leave with a deal in hand, it’s important you understand what the market will look like and how you can adjust your strategy to find success. With the AFM moving virtual, it will be even more competitive and challenging to access sales agents, buyers, and potential international partners. You will need to know who the players are and how to get their attention - all while working on different time zones and communicating virtually. Trying to understand this new way of doing business adds another layer of complexity as you navigate your market strategy, but don't worry. This new form of market is intended to be fruitful for all - and, most importantly, fun! Alexia Melocchi is a partner at Little Studio Films, and for over two decades has produced and sold award winning movies that have earned nearly $1 Billion dollars in box office returns worldwide. Her clients have bought and partially financed films such as LA LA LAND, PEPPERMINT, THE BOY, TWILIGHT, TEEN SPIRIT and THE BANKER. Amongst her personal producing credits are the DURAN DURAN documentary directed by David Lynch, SERVICE TO MAN released through Entertainment Studios, and SOL DE MEDIANOCHE released on HBO. Alexia is also the host of THE HEART OF SHOW BUSINESS podcast, where she discusses the behind-the-scenes of how Hollywood truly works. Alexia has built much of her success on attending major film markets and intimately knows what it takes to stand out and get the deals you’re after in these forums, whether virtual or otherwise. Alexia will guide you through how to work this virtual edition of the American Film Market to get the meetings you’re after and find success for your project. She will begin by outlining the cultural differences that you can expect at this year’s AFM and the global market shifts that are taking place. Then she’ll delve into AFM as a whole and what their new virtual format is going to look like this year, including their Industry Offices, LocationEXPO, On Demand Theatre, Conference, Networking Pavilion, and Advisor Network. She’ll provide you with a rundown of the specific sales agents, distributors, and producers attending AFM this year that you should know. Alexia will then teach you how to handle the virtual obstacles taking place at the market this year, including the online meeting landscape how to work Zoom like a professional, and how to handle time zones. She’ll give you tips on how best to prepare for AFM, how to make appointments ahead of time and select your target list, how to access your targets, and how to use database platforms to hone your plan, including AFM Connect, Cinando, IMDBPro, and Variety Insight. Next Alexia will explain how you should approach buyers. She’ll walk you through the perfect approach for buyers and how to get your message across in a limited time frame to the right person. She’ll also show you what you really need to have ready before AFM begins and other relationship building tips to keep in mind beyond AFM. Finally, Alexia will expand to show you current trends overseas. She’ll talk about production challenges and updates in a COVID-19 era and why you should be planning ahead for the good times. The path to success continues to alter, and the push to virtual is challenging for everyone, but with the lessons and tips that Alexia will provide, you will leave with a solid understanding of how to roll with the punches and find the opportunities you’re after. Praise for Alexia's Stage 32 Webinar "Really great. Actually useful, practical advice. Wasn't full of bullshit platitudes, Alexia shot straight with us, but was also positive and encouraging. All in all, really appreciated the way she gave an overview of AFM and how to best take advantage of it." -Max W. "Alexia did a fantastic job of making it all relatable and cutting through the noise." -Clint G. "I really did gain some needed information on how to address this film market online" -Craig H. "Alexia is clearing very experienced & she is so gracious in sharing her wisdom with all of us. I'm truly grateful that you all put on this webinar!" -Becca G.
Pitch decks are a mystery. Why? Because no two pitch decks are the same. But there are elements that are crucial that separate a professional deck from an amateur one. A solid pitch deck will get those executives on your side and show them how exciting and marketable your idea is. It can be what stands between you and that green light. But what does a great pitch deck even look like, and do different approaches work better for broadcast networks than streaming networks? What do streaming executives want to see and what should you steer clear of at all costs? To guide you on your process is Ewan Dunbar who serves in Development, Sales, and Acquisitions at Disrupting Influence, most recently announcing BERLIN, I LOVE YOU, starring Helen Mirren and Keira Knightley. Ewan has produced, developed and sold over 30 titles. Having been in many rooms with Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and other streamers, Ewan specializes in developing decks to best showcase a project and make it stand out. Plus, Ewan has insight into a streaming platform’s process once you pitch your show. Ewan will cover what executives are looking for in a deck, what you do and don’t need to include, presentation tips and how to keep acquisitions executives interested in your material. He’ll go over how to keep your audience entertained and simple formatting tips and tricks you can adopt that can make all the difference. Ewan will also discuss how best to present your plot, characters, and world, and how you should adjust your deck specifically for streaming networks as opposed to broadcasters, sales agents, or financiers, and ways to adapt depending on what genre your series most closely aligns with. He’ll also teach you how to bring all your materials together for your final pitch. PLUS! Ewan will go over successful example pitch decks and give you a handout that shows you a guide of what you need in your own deck. ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC! The presenter delivered more in 20 minutes than other presenters do in an hour, and it NEVER felt rushed and he was always easily understandable. I cannot wait to get the handouts! -Bob S. Ewan’s presentation was excellent I learned so much from him and now feel 100% confident in creating a pitch deck. He was truly an expert. -Margaret M. "Very good, very knowledgeable and very organized. Great presentation and webinar. I walked away with lots of ideas about polishing my pitch decks to make sure they stand out." -James B. "Ewan Dunbar's webinar was one of the best I have ever taken! Organized, filled with useful information, he sounded like he really cared about helping the audience be better at what they want to do." -Roberta P.
There’s only one way to get your audience to sit still for the story you want to tell: create compelling characters. As human beings, we are endlessly fascinated with ourselves and our interactions. When we find a character to whom we can relate, we lock in. Constructing relatable, entertaining and realistic characters is essential to a successful screenplay, not to mention critical to our own enjoyment of the writing process. But what separates the memorable personalities on the screen from the “which-one-was-that-again” types? Understanding the answer to that question and following some tried and true strategies while outlining and then writing your screenplay will give you a better chance of producing characters who not only engage your audience, but do the heavy lifting for your story and themes. Miss out and you’ve got page after page of shoulder shrugs. We all know the goal for any screenwriter is to get reads. But the challenge doesn't end there. You have to make sure your reader keeps those pages turning! To assure that your reader is engaged from the jump and stays engaged through the final page, your characters must be compelling and relatable. Whether you are trying to score big in a screenwriting competition, land a manager or agent, sell producers on your material, or secure financing, you must remember that your script is one of dozens your target audience likely reads each week. The competition is fierce and most readers won't go beyond page 5 or 10 if your story and characters don't grab them. Most writers simply do not know how to creative quickly established, well drawn characters. Those that do have an instant leg up on the competition. Roger S. H. Schulman knows a thing or two about writing compelling, complex and memorable characters. For starters, he co-wrote the animated feature Shrek for which won him a British Academy Award (BAFTA) and earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. Prior to Shrek, Roger co-wrote the animated feature Balto for Executive Producer Steven Spielberg, and wrote Mulan II and The Jungle Book II for Disney. Over his 30 years in the industry, Roger has also worked extensively as a producer and writer for television. He co-created the Disney Channel series Jonas; was Executive Producer of 2 Gether for MTV and was Executive Producer for Living Single with Queen Latifah. He’s currently co-writing a pilot for HBO with Tom Hanks. And now, he's teaching exclusively for Stage 32. Roger will teach you the function of character, specifically how character, story and theme work together. To help you understand why certain characters work, he'll give you a brief, insightful, and helpful history of character including how humor plays a part in almost all character building. He will breakdown American characteristics, Likeable characteristics, and relatable characteristics. He will dive into developing characters and show you how to discover and write your characters seen and unseen character traits. He will discuss the tools of character including dialog, action and behavior. He will break down the anatomy of your cast and where mirroring, complementing and conflicting strategies can come into play. Roger will use examples from Shrek, Breaking Bad, Phillips, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jaws, Guys and Dolls, Up, and Carl Jung (yeah, the guy). In addition to all this material presented in Roger's exclusive Master's of Craft presentation, he will give you 2 downloadable handouts related to developing and analyzing characters that you can return to time and time again. This is invaluable information and material you won't find anywhere else. A Word From Roger When you’re done with my webinar, you’ll know a lot more about what makes good characters tick, what makes bad characters just sit there, and just maybe a little bit more about yourself. And you’ll come away with a tool chest from which you can pick and choose the techniques you prefer to build unique characters so remarkable that sometimes they’ll write their dialog for you. Praise for Roger "A masterclass, plain and simple." - Phil C. "No joke, the best lesson on writing characters I've ever seen (or read). Nothing has come close. - Margot G. "Now that I understand how the sausage was made, I have to watch Shrek again. This more than lived up to its "Masters of Craft" label. What a winner, Stage 32!" - Elyse A. "Too many times in my writing, I'm so wrapped up in my main character, that I do short shrift to my secondary characters. Not after watching Roger. No how, no way." - Robin W. "I am going in for a second viewing immediately. I already have 5 pages of notes written out. Incredible information." - Stephen D.
Sometimes your story just can't be wrapped up in a neat bow with a perfect Hollywood ending. As a writer, you may weave a unique narrative and the idea of tying up all your loose ends into a neat resolution just doesn't seem right. Or, if you're a producer or filmmaker you might want to set your project up for a sequel, so you may want to have your characters riding off into the sunset once you get to the end. If wrapping up your story in perfect fashion doesn't appeal to you, why don’t you consider an Ambiguous Ending? Ask yourself: Is there an artful exit from your story that defies predictions and is both thought-provoking and exasperating in equal measure? Can you work your way towards an ending that people will argue about in the bar immediately afterwards and for months (even years) online? The Ambiguous Ending is a great storytelling trick to pull off, but it’s not easy. If you mess it up, you’re left with a confusing final reel that audiences are likely to dislike— and they’ll carry their loathing out of the theater with them. This webinar explores the possibilities and guides you past the pitfalls. The Ambiguous Ending can present major challenges for you as a storyteller: How do you lay a trail of plot breadcrumbs for your audience that seem to lead them in two directions at once? How do you develop characters who are simultaneously engaging while possibly lying through their teeth about the reality of the situation they’re in? How do you set up the rules of your narrative world so that one reality can peel off from another? How much misdirection is OK? This type of ending requires you as the storyteller to deploy a sophisticated toolkit out of the gate. Luckily, we have a story expert who served as the in-house story consultant for IM Global for nearly a decade and worked on developing films for Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman, Tom Hanks and Emma Watson. In this exclusive Stage 32 Next Level webinar Karina Wilson will look at some of the tricks and techniques you can use to create delicious doubt about the ending of your script in everyone but yourself. Praise from Karina's previous Stage 32 webinar: "Her presentation was well organized, her slides contained the right amount of information to digest and takes notes from. Her delivery was excellent." - Martha C. "I was so impressed!" - Loretta C.