On Demand Webinar - Available for immediate viewing and unlimited access.
On Demand Webinar - Available for immediate viewing and unlimited access.
Aimee Rivera is the Vice President of Motion Picture Development at Skydance Media. Skydance is a diversified media company founded by David Ellison to create high-quality, event-level entertainment for global audiences. Skydance released TOP GUN: MAVERICK, THE ADAM PROJECT, SNAKE EYES, THE TOMORROW WAR, 6 UNDERGROUND, and many more. Skydance has previously released a number of major motion pictures including ANNIHILATION, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: FALLOUT, GEOSTORM, TERMINATOR: DARK FATE, THE HITMAN'S BODYGUARD, and the 10-time Oscar-nominated, TRUE GRIT. Skydance Television's current slate includes Emmy-nominated shows on networks including Netflix, Amazon, AT&T Audience Network, ABC, and AMC. Skydance Interactive creates and publishes original and IP-based virtual reality experiences and video games and debuted its first original title, ARCHANGEL. Prior to joining Skydance, Aimee worked with Amazon Studios, SONY Entertainment, and Cindy Cowan Entertainment. Full Bio »
Top Gun: Maverick smashed box office records and received 6 Oscar nominations included Best Picture of the Year!
Now, exclusively for Stage 32, Skydance Media executive Aimee Rivera and Aimee in here to teach you how to develop a blockbuster movie of your own.
Aimee, the Vice President of Motion Picture Production for Skydance (which produced Top Gun: Maverick, and which Aimee was instrumental in developing) will walk you through what it takes to have a successful blockbuster. Skydance is known for its big stories in film and television having recently released THE ADAM PROJECT on Netflix, THE TOMORROW WAR on Prime, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: FALLOUT, TERMINATOR: DARK FATE, and the 10-time Oscar-nominated, TRUE GRIT.
Big blockbusters have always been a fabric of the creative community. Now with more movies being made in the history of cinema, buyers are looking for that next huge splash to hit the big screen. Do you have big ideas in your head? An outline of big action set pieces that captivate a global audience? Look no further, because we're going to teach you how to get it on the page, and what buyers look for when considering movies like this.
Only through Stage 32 - the global leader in entertainment industry education - can we get you this close to the executives that make the movies we love and the thought process to how and why they develop them.
Don't miss out on this chance to learn from one of the top executives working in the film industry today whose latest blockbuster garnered 6 Oscar nominations!
Aimee Rivera
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Learn from the VP of Motion Picture Production at Skydance Media, producers of blockbuster films such as TOP GUN: MAVERICK and the new hit film HEART OF STONE starring Gal Gadot which premiered as the #1 film on Netflix! Plus! You'll receive the screenplays for WONDER WOMAN, ATOMIC BLONDE, RED SPARROW, THE HUNGER GAMES, and more! In today’s marketplace, not only are more and more films becoming female focused, but the demand for screenplays and films with strong female driven lead characters is growing rapidly. With the success of blockbusters such as BARBIE, FEAR THE NIGHT, WONDER WOMAN, ALIEN: COVENANT and TERMINATOR: DARK FATE, the box office is proving that not only is there an appetite for female-starring films, but also that they can be enormously profitable. Everyone is looking for the next original idea with a powerful female lead that can be turned into a franchise. There are many misconceptions and challenges that writers fall into when it comes to creating female characters for a large, global audience. The most common is the gender flip, which is taking a male character and writing it as a female. It’s examples such as this that are most often believed to be the correct approach to creating a female character in a male driven genre when in fact it’s the opposite. This webinar will provide these kinds of examples and explain where the mistakes lie, how to correct them and the importance of creating authentic female characters. Teaching you everything you need to know about creating compelling female characters is Aimee Rivera, VP of Motion Pictures Production at Skydance Media. Skydance produces blockbuster films such as TOP GUN: MAVERICK, , MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: DEAD RECKONING, PART 1, GHOSTED, TERMINATOR: DARK FATE, THE ADAM PROJECT and THE TOMORROW WAR. Most recently, Aimee worked on conceiving the new feature film: HEART OF STONE starring Gal Gadot, which is currently the #1 film on Netflix. Aimee is focused on finding character driven blockbusters and franchises for Skydance's upcoming slate. In this information-packed Stage 32 on-demand webinar, Aimee will go over how the #MeToo movement has changed the way female characters are written and provide an overview on how female leads in today's world have evolved. She will break down WONDER WOMAN, ATOMIC BLONDE, RED SPARROW, THE HUNGER GAMES, TERMINATOR: DARK FATE, and THE MOTHER and look at the differences between these female characters and compare them to male franchise characters in films such as: MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, JASON BOURNE and JAMES BOND. You will learn what makes a great character, what are the tropes and common misconceptions and break down the types of female characters you can write. Aimee will discuss writing characters in male driven genres for today's market including whether there are boundaries you must be aware of when writing female characters, what the modern female character looks like in today's filmmaking world, whether male writers can write female characters, and what today's audience looks and connects with as it relates to strong, but flawed, female leads. Aimee will also get into her ultimate tips on writing female characters - not only in male-driven genres, but also in a post #MeToo world. She'll even share some writing exercises to assure that your female characters JUMP off the page. PLUS! You’ll receive exclusive handouts to help you develop your female characters. Downloads include the scripts for: WONDER WOMAN ATOMIC BLONDE RED SPARROW THE HUNGER GAMES TERMINATOR ALIEN MISSION IMPOSSIBLE JASON BOURNE JAMES BOND This is an incredibly rare opportunity to learn how you can develop, hone and, ultimately, write powerful female characters that not only will attract producers, financiers and reps, but ensure your script is as market ready (and perhaps, franchise ready) as possible. Praise for Aimee's Stage 32 Webinar: The webinar was great and so was Aimee! She's extremely knowledgeable about the movie industry and writing screenplays and provided excellent examples of strong female characters in action movies. -Lyle D. This was great - a lot of information talked about very succinctly, with tips and discussions on the different facets and difficulties that can present themselves. Very enjoyable! -Dawn P. A great theme about female characters. Needed this very for my story. I like the simplicity of the elements taught with the details of what's needed for films nowadays. -Mary M.
It is clear that this is the golden age of television with one incredible series after another coming out on cable, streaming and network. If you're interested in breaking into the world of television, there is one key position that you must know the ins and outs of in order to understand the set - a TV Executive. An TV Executive plays a huge role in a television production, serving as more than a key developer of story, but also a liaison between various departments on set. We've brought in veteran executive Stuart Arbury from Ramo Law (Ramo Law has worked on Netflix's Altered Carbon & Chef's Table, ABC's This Isn't Working, Hulu's Battleground and more). Stuart himself began his career at Captivate Entertainment, Dimension Films and Canvas Media Studios. Arbury was the on-set TV executive for MTV's Scream TV series for two seasons, which was based on the classic horror film franchise. In this webinar, Stuart will walk you through an explanation of the television eco-system and share war stories of his time during Scream. Having worked with various department heads, Stuart will also share tips on getting started in Hollywood on a television production. You will walk away with a clear understanding of a TV executive's role and how it relates to your part of the business, whether you're a writer, producer, director, actor or crew.
As a director, you have to oversee every aspect of production, but you can’t micromanage it all. You need to communicate your goals and listen to your cinematographer to achieve your vision. When do you start developing this relationship? How do you know you’re hiring the right person for this role? As a cinematographer, you have to take charge while telling a director’s story. How do you lead without taking control? How do you ensure this is an effective dynamic? When do you speak up to ensure the director has everything they need? When this dynamic duo is at their best, the results can be breathtaking. But if they’re at odds, it will always undermine the success of your film. Directors, cinematographers, and directors of photography can all gain invaluable information from this Stage 32 exclusive webinar, showing you exactly how to find the right people for your production and how to work with them to ensure a cohesive result built on solid communication and trust between the director and cinematographer. Taking you through the inner workings of the director-cinematographer relationship is Emmy Award winning director and cinematographer Charlene "Charlie" Fisk who has worked with networks including FX, Netflix, PBS, ESPN, Disney, HGTV, TLC, Discovery Channel, Travel Channel, Food Network, and OWN. In addition to the incredible wealth of information from Charlene, she will also answer questions for you using her years of experience about the roles of director and cinematographer, or your own feature or role in productions. You’ll walk away with the tools to find the right partnership and cultivate it to create a powerful experience, leading to a fantastic feature film.
Documentaries are more popular than ever. No longer are these films the world of small grants and shoestring budgets. Instead, demands are rising, so are the production quality and budgets. Filmmakers need to lay a solid groundwork in their finances to ensure they have everything they need for the long haul. Documentary filmmakers have a vital role in entertainment and social causes. The passion you have to tell an important story or bring awareness might be all that matters to you, but have you thought about what it’s going to cost to make it? As demand for documentaries grows, so do the quality and budgets. To stay competitive, you’ll need to create a budget that’s accessible without forsaking quality. In this Stage 32 webinar, you’ll walk away knowing every element you need to be accounted for in your budget and why it’s there. You’ll learn: How to construct a schedule Your essential story elements Your variable and fixed costs How to build a budget from the ground up How to budget against the schedule How to maintain your records and cost reporting And more You’ll also have foresight into the potential pitfalls to avoid in budgeting feature documentaries. From not paying yourself, to not planning for enough shoot days, to not understanding what you’ll need to get through post-production and marketing. Guiding you exclusively through Stage 32 is the acclaimed co-founder and co-president of CreativeChaos vmg, Ilan Arboleda. CreativeChaos and Ilan produce feature films, documentaries, and television rooted in social action. He is currently in production with Viacom on a documentary series, and he’s in post-production on THE GREAT DIVIDE and THIS IS PLANET Z. His most recent projects include KING OF COOL (TCM), THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING (Starz, Netflix), BLEED OUT (HBO), LOS TIGRES DEL NORTE AT FOLSOM PRISON (Netflix), THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE (Hulu), KEDI, and CASTING BY (HBO). Ilan’s films have been nominated for an Emmy award and have won the Latin Grammy, the National Board of Review, two Critics Choice Awards, three LA Press Club awards, and two Gracie awards. Most importantly, his films have inspired industry change, policy overhaul, and legislation at the state and national levels, with Ilan co-writing legislation with Congressman Seth Moulton that became part of the National Defense Authorization Act. Ilan’s ability to treat documentaries as both a business and art allows him to continuously produce fantastic projects that audiences love and lead to a larger impact. With Ilan’s guidance in this webinar, you’ll have everything you need to create an expertly made budget so that you can focus on telling the story you want the world to see.
This week the Writers' Room welcomes two very special guests into the Pitch Tank! Jason brings in Director of Development Rachel Crouch of Cold Iron Pictures, a production/financing company that most recently produced Being Frank starring comedian Jim Gaffigan and Anna Gunn. Previously Cold Iron produced Swiss Army Man starring Daniel Radcliffe and Paul Dano, as well as Marielle Heller’s directorial debut The Diary of a Teenage Girl starring Bel Powley, Kristen Wiig and Alexander Skarsgård, both of which premiered at Sundance. Previously Cold Iron releases also include Joseph Cedar’s political drama Norman starring Richard Gere which was released by Sony Pictures Classic, Don't Think Twice, and Lake Bell’s second film, I Do...Until I Don't.As a writer, Rachel has had articles published by The Mary Sue, TVGuide.com, EveryGeek.net, and co-founded the geek girl podcast and blog The Babes in the Woods. We are also joined by the Founder and CEO of Stage 32, Rich "RB" Botto. RB is a writer, producer, and actor himself, who is currently writing a biopic with a major company on board! During the Pitch Tank, Rachel, RB, and Jason give feedback on pitches a diverse set of project from members around the world!
Learn the most effective strategies on how to write and produce a romantic comedy feature from Matt Bierman, a producer and executive who has worked at Walt Disney Pictures, Paramount, Warner Bros., Village Roadshow, and more! In this exclusive Stage 32 on-demand webinar, you'll learn the fundamentals of creating a successful romantic comedy. This is your chance to learn how to craft a winning story, identify target buyers, and explore budgeting and monetization strategies to make your film a success. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting out, this webinar is a must-attend for anyone looking to make their mark in the world of romantic comedies. Your Stage 32 Educator is Matt Bierman, a studio executive and producer who has previously worked as an executive at Walt Disney Pictures, Paramount, Warner Bros., Village Roadshow, and more. Matt is an expert in the field of romantic comedies having produced Christmas With the Darlings, Love at First Bark, Love Under the Stars, Memories of Christmas, and more. Under Matt's guidance, you will learn how to map out your unique idea using his proven tactics and techniques. Matt will cover how to develop, write and produce a successful rom-com you'll gain a comprehensive understanding of the key elements that make for a successful film. You will cover the complete gambit of what makes a successful romantic comedy: understanding your audience, exploring the various sub-genres of this feature type and discussing rom-com script structure. You will also get key tips on current market trends and needs, valuable insight into who the buyers of such features are and what they are looking for and Matt will also walk you through the economics of romantic comedies including physical production considerations. Don't miss out on your chance to learn how to create and produce your romantic comedy feature! Praise for Matt's Talent & Knowledge: “Matt Bierman is one of the best movie execs and producers that I have worked with” – Brian Levant, Director of Jingle All The Way, A Christmas Story 2 "This lab was one of the best educational experiences I have ever experienced. I feel so confident in my work after getting guidance from Matt. Thank you, Stage 32!" -- Rebecca M. "Matt Bierman knows his stuff! I highly recommend taking any course he is teaching." -- Marcus E.