Film Arts
09-30-2006, 09:33 PM
DOCUMENTARY
Documentary Tune-up: Examining Ideas and Proposals
Friday Oct. 6, 10am–5pm
Can’t find funding? No one wants to invest? Get a doc proposal tune-up. This workshop can help you decide whether that dream doc is worth pursuing. Pitches or projects at any stage of development are welcome; submit proposal for review upon registration.
Mitchell Block has handled the distribution and marketing of hundreds of films, which have won 23 Oscars and received 52 Academy Award nominations. Since 1998, he has consulted on documentary projects for HBO/Cinemax, and he executive-produced HBO’s 2001 Oscar-winning film Big Mama. Block is currently executive producing the 10-hour documentary series Carrier and producing the companion documentary feature.
Limited to 20. $95 Filmmaker-level members; $145 others.
Financing and Producing Documentary Films and Videos
Saturday & Sunday Oct. 7 & 8, 10am–5 pm
Learn to design a successful documentary by looking at specific case studies. Explore the ins and outs of fundraising, distribution and marketing opportunities, learn how to best package your work to attract funding and select festivals, and more. Share your ideas or projects at any stage of production and have them evaluated as part of the class. For projects that are not ready to go public, the instructor provides a personal analysis of the work's possible markets and funding sources as well as advice on the marketability of the project. Cost of seminar includes course reader.
See Documentary Tune-Up for Mitchell Block.’s bio.
Limited to 20. $225 Filmmaker-level members; $250 others
History of Documentary
Mondays Oct. 9–Dec. 11, 7–10pm
Explore the history of documentary filmmaking. Examine its origins, forms, and goals, and contemporary styles. Issues covered include: documentary voices and styles, history and memory, the filmmaker’s relationship to subject and viewer, and the impact of technology on documentary techniques. Directors discussed include Leni Reifenstahl, Marcel Ophuls, Peter Davis, Barbara Kopple, Michael Moore, and Ken Burns.
David L. Brown is an Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker, who has produced, written, and directed more than seventy productions and nine broadcast documentaries. His recent works include: The Bridge So Far: A Suspense Story, Seniors for Peace, Surfing for Life, Bound by the Wind, and Digital Divide.
Limited to 20. $240 Filmmaker-level members; $265 others.
Reality in Three Acts: Applying Dramatic Structure to Documentaries
Saturday & Sunday Oct. 14 & 15, 10am–5pm
Learn the basics of story structure and strategies for adapting the classic three-act structure to the random rotations and messiness of real life. Examine how veteran documentary filmmakers retain journalistic integrity while incorporating dramatic devices such as catalyst, back story, reversal, conflict, climax, and denouement. Share your clips and ideas for plotting your own documentary works-in-progress.
Karen Everett has produced five documentaries, including the PBS biography I Shall Not Be Removed: The Life of Marlon Riggs. Her trilogy of personal documentaries about lesbian relationships, My Femme Divine, Sweet Boy, and her latest film Women in Love, have screened worldwide on the LGBT film festival circuit. She teaches editing in the documentary program at UC Berkeley.
Limited to 16. $125 Filmmaker-level members; $190 others.
Making Your 1st Documentary: From Conception to Distribution
Saturday & Sunday Oct. 14 & 15, 10am–5pm
Interested in making your own documentary, but aren’t sure how to get started? Get an overview of the entire process of creating a documentary. Learn the basics of pre-production planning, locating subjects for your film, interviewing and shooting techniques, work-in-progress screenings, grassroots fundraising, post-production, and outreach and distribution strategies.
Sheila Ganz wrote, directed, produced, edited, and shot the documentary Unlocking the Heart of Adoption, which is used as an educational tool in over a hundred adoption agencies around the world, dozens of universities and was picked up by the National Educational Telecommunications Association in 2005 for public television broadcast. Ganz is currently working on Moms Living Clean, which profiles six mothers living with their kids in a residential substance abuse treatment center.
Limited to 20. $125 Filmmaker-level members; $190 others.
EXPERIMENTAL
Film by Frame: Optical Printing
Wednesday Oct. 18, 7-10pm
Discover the art of “low-end” special effects in this hands-on introduction to the JK optical printer. Learn to manipulate transparent film images using Super-8, 16mm, and film slides. Watch examples of work and discover how avant-garde and B-movie filmmakers create sophisticated special effects. Leave with a good understanding of the technical aspects of the printer, exposer correction, blow-ups from Super-8 to 16mm, 16mm film reproduction, and more.
Angel Vasquez’s films incorporate the use of multi-image replication and duplication produced using optically printed found footage and material originating on Super-8, 16mm, 35mm, and slides. His films have been broadcast and screened internationally.
Limited to 7. $65 Filmmaker-level member; $90 others
PRODUCING
The Business of Filmmaking
Tuesday Oct. 24, 7–10pm
Get an overview of the motion picture industry from a business perspective. Learn what it takes to raise money from private investors for feature and documentary projects. The dynamics of the studio system and its relationship to the world of independent film are also discussed.
Steven Ramirez is a consultant and producer who has held executive positions in marketing and distribution at Warner Bros., New Line, and Fox. He currently runs Sharp Angle, a consulting firm serving entertainment and technology clients. He teaches film business at UC Berkeley Extension and is currently on the board of Film Arts.
Limited to 20. $45 Filmmaker-level members; $65 others.
PRODUCTION
23 Ideas About Making Short Films
Thursday Oct. 5, 7–10pm
Give your film its best shot at success. View excerpts from documentary, animated, and live-action films, learn what specifically makes a short film work and how to avoid common mistakes. Leave with new ideas for crafting short films that can win awards, make money, and get you work as a filmmaker.
See Documentary Tune-up for Mitchell Block’s bio.
Limited to 22. $45 Filmmaker-level members; $65 others.
Building Buzz Around Your Film
Monday Oct. 23 and Wednesday Oct. 25, 7–10pm
Publicity and marketing are some of the most crucial steps to ensuring the success of your film. Unbeknownst to most independent filmmakers, this process should begin as early as pre-production. Learn effective and inexpensive strategies for building critical buzz and community around your film. Topics covered include: building a grassroots following around your film, creating press kits, how to effectively use the web for promotion, and how to get your film covered by the press. Students will also have the opportunity to workshop their own press kits.
Liz Nord heads the Public Relations Committee of the Bay Area Women in Film & TV. The director of Jericho’s Echo: Punk Rock in the Holy Land, she is an internationally-recognized documentary filmmaker, the Youth Coordinator at the Ninth Street Independent Film Center, as well as a writer and lecturer.
Limited to 12. $65 Filmmaker-level members; $90 others
Gorilla Software
Thursday Oct. 26, 7–10pm
Producing a movie doesn't have to be difficult! With Gorilla, all of your information can be stored in one place: Budgeting, scheduling, crew, cast, profit-sharing, editing notes, and even film festival submissions. When it's time to create reports, Gorilla can generate over 70 industry-standard reports, from stripboards to breakdown sheets, budget top sheets to variances, your entire production can be run from one program. Gorilla is the only software package built with the independent producer in mind.
Unlimited. $45 Filmmaker-level members; $65 others.
SCREENWRITING
Beginning Screenwriting
Mondays Oct. 9–Dec. 11, 7–10pm
The journey of an emerging screenwriter begins here. Learn the art, craft, and technique of structuring storylines, developing characters, creating dramatic tension, and unifying thematic concepts. Select one story concept and develop it into a detailed treatment for a feature-length screenplay. Please bring three one-sentence ideas to the first class.
See Intermediate Screenwriting for Michael Feit Dougan’s bio.
Limited to 16. $270 Filmmaker-level members; $320 others.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Setting Up Your Own Non-Profit
Wednesday Oct. 11, 7–10pm
Get the nitty-gritty on setting up a nonprofit corporation, learn about the pitfalls and advantages, and discuss strategies on how to do it. Learn all about the new federal exemption application and how to set up the proper business framework for your production company. Should you produce as an individual, a business corporation, a limited partnership, or a nonprofit corporation? Explore the advantages and the difficulties of setting up your own nonprofit entity for producing films and discuss issues regarding tax breaks, credibility, and funding eligibility.
Richard J. Lee helped set up Film Arts Foundation. He has been assisting independent media makers in the Bay Area for 30 years, and has extensive experience setting up nonprofit corporations and LLC's.
$45 Filmmaker-level members; $65 others.
ff on your film career we can help you get on your way!
Registration Information
Register by phone: (415) 552-8760 x311
Documentary Tune-up: Examining Ideas and Proposals
Friday Oct. 6, 10am–5pm
Can’t find funding? No one wants to invest? Get a doc proposal tune-up. This workshop can help you decide whether that dream doc is worth pursuing. Pitches or projects at any stage of development are welcome; submit proposal for review upon registration.
Mitchell Block has handled the distribution and marketing of hundreds of films, which have won 23 Oscars and received 52 Academy Award nominations. Since 1998, he has consulted on documentary projects for HBO/Cinemax, and he executive-produced HBO’s 2001 Oscar-winning film Big Mama. Block is currently executive producing the 10-hour documentary series Carrier and producing the companion documentary feature.
Limited to 20. $95 Filmmaker-level members; $145 others.
Financing and Producing Documentary Films and Videos
Saturday & Sunday Oct. 7 & 8, 10am–5 pm
Learn to design a successful documentary by looking at specific case studies. Explore the ins and outs of fundraising, distribution and marketing opportunities, learn how to best package your work to attract funding and select festivals, and more. Share your ideas or projects at any stage of production and have them evaluated as part of the class. For projects that are not ready to go public, the instructor provides a personal analysis of the work's possible markets and funding sources as well as advice on the marketability of the project. Cost of seminar includes course reader.
See Documentary Tune-Up for Mitchell Block.’s bio.
Limited to 20. $225 Filmmaker-level members; $250 others
History of Documentary
Mondays Oct. 9–Dec. 11, 7–10pm
Explore the history of documentary filmmaking. Examine its origins, forms, and goals, and contemporary styles. Issues covered include: documentary voices and styles, history and memory, the filmmaker’s relationship to subject and viewer, and the impact of technology on documentary techniques. Directors discussed include Leni Reifenstahl, Marcel Ophuls, Peter Davis, Barbara Kopple, Michael Moore, and Ken Burns.
David L. Brown is an Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker, who has produced, written, and directed more than seventy productions and nine broadcast documentaries. His recent works include: The Bridge So Far: A Suspense Story, Seniors for Peace, Surfing for Life, Bound by the Wind, and Digital Divide.
Limited to 20. $240 Filmmaker-level members; $265 others.
Reality in Three Acts: Applying Dramatic Structure to Documentaries
Saturday & Sunday Oct. 14 & 15, 10am–5pm
Learn the basics of story structure and strategies for adapting the classic three-act structure to the random rotations and messiness of real life. Examine how veteran documentary filmmakers retain journalistic integrity while incorporating dramatic devices such as catalyst, back story, reversal, conflict, climax, and denouement. Share your clips and ideas for plotting your own documentary works-in-progress.
Karen Everett has produced five documentaries, including the PBS biography I Shall Not Be Removed: The Life of Marlon Riggs. Her trilogy of personal documentaries about lesbian relationships, My Femme Divine, Sweet Boy, and her latest film Women in Love, have screened worldwide on the LGBT film festival circuit. She teaches editing in the documentary program at UC Berkeley.
Limited to 16. $125 Filmmaker-level members; $190 others.
Making Your 1st Documentary: From Conception to Distribution
Saturday & Sunday Oct. 14 & 15, 10am–5pm
Interested in making your own documentary, but aren’t sure how to get started? Get an overview of the entire process of creating a documentary. Learn the basics of pre-production planning, locating subjects for your film, interviewing and shooting techniques, work-in-progress screenings, grassroots fundraising, post-production, and outreach and distribution strategies.
Sheila Ganz wrote, directed, produced, edited, and shot the documentary Unlocking the Heart of Adoption, which is used as an educational tool in over a hundred adoption agencies around the world, dozens of universities and was picked up by the National Educational Telecommunications Association in 2005 for public television broadcast. Ganz is currently working on Moms Living Clean, which profiles six mothers living with their kids in a residential substance abuse treatment center.
Limited to 20. $125 Filmmaker-level members; $190 others.
EXPERIMENTAL
Film by Frame: Optical Printing
Wednesday Oct. 18, 7-10pm
Discover the art of “low-end” special effects in this hands-on introduction to the JK optical printer. Learn to manipulate transparent film images using Super-8, 16mm, and film slides. Watch examples of work and discover how avant-garde and B-movie filmmakers create sophisticated special effects. Leave with a good understanding of the technical aspects of the printer, exposer correction, blow-ups from Super-8 to 16mm, 16mm film reproduction, and more.
Angel Vasquez’s films incorporate the use of multi-image replication and duplication produced using optically printed found footage and material originating on Super-8, 16mm, 35mm, and slides. His films have been broadcast and screened internationally.
Limited to 7. $65 Filmmaker-level member; $90 others
PRODUCING
The Business of Filmmaking
Tuesday Oct. 24, 7–10pm
Get an overview of the motion picture industry from a business perspective. Learn what it takes to raise money from private investors for feature and documentary projects. The dynamics of the studio system and its relationship to the world of independent film are also discussed.
Steven Ramirez is a consultant and producer who has held executive positions in marketing and distribution at Warner Bros., New Line, and Fox. He currently runs Sharp Angle, a consulting firm serving entertainment and technology clients. He teaches film business at UC Berkeley Extension and is currently on the board of Film Arts.
Limited to 20. $45 Filmmaker-level members; $65 others.
PRODUCTION
23 Ideas About Making Short Films
Thursday Oct. 5, 7–10pm
Give your film its best shot at success. View excerpts from documentary, animated, and live-action films, learn what specifically makes a short film work and how to avoid common mistakes. Leave with new ideas for crafting short films that can win awards, make money, and get you work as a filmmaker.
See Documentary Tune-up for Mitchell Block’s bio.
Limited to 22. $45 Filmmaker-level members; $65 others.
Building Buzz Around Your Film
Monday Oct. 23 and Wednesday Oct. 25, 7–10pm
Publicity and marketing are some of the most crucial steps to ensuring the success of your film. Unbeknownst to most independent filmmakers, this process should begin as early as pre-production. Learn effective and inexpensive strategies for building critical buzz and community around your film. Topics covered include: building a grassroots following around your film, creating press kits, how to effectively use the web for promotion, and how to get your film covered by the press. Students will also have the opportunity to workshop their own press kits.
Liz Nord heads the Public Relations Committee of the Bay Area Women in Film & TV. The director of Jericho’s Echo: Punk Rock in the Holy Land, she is an internationally-recognized documentary filmmaker, the Youth Coordinator at the Ninth Street Independent Film Center, as well as a writer and lecturer.
Limited to 12. $65 Filmmaker-level members; $90 others
Gorilla Software
Thursday Oct. 26, 7–10pm
Producing a movie doesn't have to be difficult! With Gorilla, all of your information can be stored in one place: Budgeting, scheduling, crew, cast, profit-sharing, editing notes, and even film festival submissions. When it's time to create reports, Gorilla can generate over 70 industry-standard reports, from stripboards to breakdown sheets, budget top sheets to variances, your entire production can be run from one program. Gorilla is the only software package built with the independent producer in mind.
Unlimited. $45 Filmmaker-level members; $65 others.
SCREENWRITING
Beginning Screenwriting
Mondays Oct. 9–Dec. 11, 7–10pm
The journey of an emerging screenwriter begins here. Learn the art, craft, and technique of structuring storylines, developing characters, creating dramatic tension, and unifying thematic concepts. Select one story concept and develop it into a detailed treatment for a feature-length screenplay. Please bring three one-sentence ideas to the first class.
See Intermediate Screenwriting for Michael Feit Dougan’s bio.
Limited to 16. $270 Filmmaker-level members; $320 others.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Setting Up Your Own Non-Profit
Wednesday Oct. 11, 7–10pm
Get the nitty-gritty on setting up a nonprofit corporation, learn about the pitfalls and advantages, and discuss strategies on how to do it. Learn all about the new federal exemption application and how to set up the proper business framework for your production company. Should you produce as an individual, a business corporation, a limited partnership, or a nonprofit corporation? Explore the advantages and the difficulties of setting up your own nonprofit entity for producing films and discuss issues regarding tax breaks, credibility, and funding eligibility.
Richard J. Lee helped set up Film Arts Foundation. He has been assisting independent media makers in the Bay Area for 30 years, and has extensive experience setting up nonprofit corporations and LLC's.
$45 Filmmaker-level members; $65 others.
ff on your film career we can help you get on your way!
Registration Information
Register by phone: (415) 552-8760 x311