Berklee College of Music's 3rd annual Audio for Film Networking Event
Thursday, April 10th 5:00 - 9:00pm
150 Mass Ave, Boston

Register now!
:at:   http://learningcenter.berklee.edu/audioforfilm/

The Learning Center at Berklee College of Music is pleased to present the 3rd annual Audio for Film Networking Event. The event is free, and there is a lot going on. Meet and mingle with talented composers, sound designers and audio engineers at the Audio for Film Expo, and be a part of live panel discussions between composers and filmmakers. Check out the finalists' scores for Berklee's 4th annual Film Scoring Contest and stick around to meet the winners.

Event details:

5:00-6:00 Registration, Audio for Film Expo and Networking
(you will be able to register after event begins)


6:00-6:30 Composer's Presentation
• The composing process, various approaches and technology available for low budget productions
• Obstacles experienced in communicating with filmmakers during the scoring process
• Questions for filmmakers


6:30-6:45 BREAK (refreshments, audio for film expo, and networking)


6:45-7:15 Filmmaker's Discussion
• Obstacles going into the scoring process and finding a composer
• Previous Experiences with composers-successes and frustrations
• Questions for composers


7:15-7:30 BREAK (refreshments, audio for film expo, and networking)


7:30-8:15 Break down to smaller focus groups (will depend on what topics are of interest to artists)

Both of these presentations will start off with some of these ideas as a rough outline, but we are encouraging genuine ideas and issues to be explored as they arise. So the outcome will depend very much on who speaks up.

After that, we will see what topics have raised the most interest and break down into a couple of focus groups where people can explore the ideas touched on in more depth.

8:15-9:00 Film Scoring Contest finalists' showcase

9:00 RAFFLE

Register now at http://learningcenter.berklee.edu/audioforfilm/

We want to have a really diverse group of brains in the room to take advantage of the organic structure of this event.


Please e-mail Chris Fitzgerald at cfitzgerald@berklee.edu with any questions.

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Distributing Your Short Film: A Symposium for Filmmakers
	Distributing Your Short Film in the Global Marketplace 2-5pm Friday, Nov. 9 | The Bordy Theatre | 216 Tremont Street, Emerson College Free of Charge to Emerson Students & Members of the Public! So you’ve made your short film.  Now what?  With the agonies of fund-raising, shooting and postproduction behind you, how do you best get your film out into the world?  The good news is that more avenues for distribution and exhibition exist today than ever before.  The bad news is that the bewildering number of options that face the short filmmaker can often be paralyzing. “Distributing Your Short Film in the Global Marketplace” is a three-hour symposium designed to demystify the processes of short film distribution and prove that talented and motivated student filmmakers can take their work beyond the classroom and reach audiences around the globe through film festivals, television and the Internet. Moderator Sue Biely is the Director of Business Development & Social Responsibility and Co-Founder of The Nimble Company, a multi-platform media company creating and managing media brands for the post-tv generation, including the beta interactive community hip hop site RapSpace.tv.  Sue will be joined by an expert panel of industry professionals, including: Derry O’Brien, founder and director of Network Ireland TV, an Irish-based TV program and DVD distributor which has specialized in short film distribution internationally for the past 12 years Shane Smith, Director of Programming for Movieola The Short Film Channel, an online provider of cutting edge short films Megan O’Neill, Vice President of Acquisitions and Production for AtomFilms, a leading entertainment provider of short content via internet, broadband services, and mobile devices Cara Longo, Manager of Acquisitions & Programming for the Sundance Channel, formerly Director of Scheduling for the Independent Film Channel Acknowledging that shorts constitute a unique genre with specific modes of distribution and exhibition, Sue and her panel will discuss what makes a good short film good and how making the right decisions can maximize your film’s exposure and get you established.  Discussions will approach distribution from a global perspective, addressing festivals, television, and online video streaming.	Distributing Your Short Film in the Global Marketplace will take place at the Bordy Theatre, 216 Tremont Street in Boston's Theatre District. Members of the public are advised to arrive there at least 20 minutes ahead of the scheduled start time to ensure a seat. Supported in part by the Ireland Funds. The Ireland Funds is the largest worldwide network of people of Irish ancestry and friends of Ireland dedicated to raising funds to support programs of peace and reconciliation, arts and culture, education and community development throughout the island of Ireland. Supported in part by Network Ireland Television an Irish-based TV program and DVD distributor which has specialized in short film distribution internationally for the past 12 years.

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Actors, an Acting Teacher and a Casting Agent Share Their Experience at the acting panel on this past Saturday as part of the Northampton Independent Film Festival

Pat Mc Corkle:  As one of New York's most respected casting directors, Pat McCorkle has amassed an impressive list of credits in all genres. Her expertise ranges from feature film to Primetime TV to Broadway Stage and Regional Theatre. Her numerous credits include: Broadway productions of "Thge Lieutenant of Inishmore,: "Cat on A Hot Tin Roof" with Ashley Judd; "Bobbi Boland;" and "Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All" with Ellen Burstyn; 3lbs. "Chapelle's Show;" the "Jamie Kennedy Experiment;" CBS-TV's "Hack" and "The Education of Max Bickford;" numerous feature films such as " "Rollerball;" Showtime's "Ruby's Bucket of Blood" with Angela Basset; TNT's "Monday Night Mayhem" starring John Turturro' MGM/USA's "The Thomas Crown Affair" and many more. She has also cast for The Arena Stage, The George Street Playhouse and The Guthrie Theatre.

Peter Berkrot:  Peter has taught acting to adults and children, written for the stage, and has run acting workshops throughout New England.  He wrote and directed several short films about teens and AIDS for New Hampshire public television.  As a director he has staged SARAJEVO: VOICES OF THE SEIGE, ROMEO AND JULIET, WAITING FOR LEFTY, and THE BREAKFAST CLUB FOR NEW VOICES.

Leslie Kendall:  Leslie was born in Los Angeles and began performing at the age of ten, creating the title role in L.A. Chamber Ballet's adaptation of the children's classic THE LITTLE PRINCE, Leslie co-starred in NBC's NUTCRACKER: MONEY, MADNESS AND MURDER, playing Lee Remick's daughter, and has guest starred on television series such as CLUELESS and STAR TREK DS9.  She was also a regular on CHARLIE HOOVER.

Robert Gomes:  Robert has had roles on SEX AND THE CITY, ED, LAW AND ORDER and ALL MY CHILDREN.  His extensive theater background includes roles on Broadway (including the Lincoln Center Theater) off-Broadway, and major regional US theaters.

Independent vs Studio Productions

Leslie Kendall:  As an actor in an independent production, you have more involvement.  You see more, you learn more.  When there is more of a bonding process and openness that comes with more involvement-The performance is better as a result.  When you are a part of a studio production, you are waiting in your trailer to be escorted to the set.  This leaves the performance colder from the get-go.

Getting to The Core of a Character

Peter Berkrot:  The key to getting to a character's core is to examine what the character wants.  What is the character's ultimate goal, and how does this affect the way they interact with people.  How do they interact with people of different status?  Children, their boss, their wife?

Peter recommends the books "Black and White" by David Mamet and "Acting For the Camera" by Tony Barr 

Robert Gomes:  On the short film BODY/ANTIBODY Robert came into the audition trying-out for one character and left the audition with the news that he would be trying-out for an entirely different character with much less preparation than the first.  Robert read Michael Caine's book "Acting on Film" cover to cover.  Since the new character was afflicted withobsessive compulsive disorder Robert watched as many documentaries as possible before the next audition.  He found that these were not nearly as helpful as one film which documented a woman afflicted with the condition while she was put into an environment she had no control over.  The difference was that he was studying the woman from a behavioral standpoint as opposed to a psychological standpoint.  Looking to the reaction under stressful conditions such as the movement of the hands and the breathing were the key to playing a character with the condition than just understanding the reasons the person acts the way they did.

 Make sure to catch the panels this coming weekend at the second installment of the Northampton Independent Film Festival

Saturday, November 10th 10:30 am-Women Filmmakers' Panel

Saturday, November 10th  1:00 pm-Florentine Films/Hott Productions Retrospective

Visit www.niff.org for full festival listings 

 

 

 

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What is a media brand and why is it so important for a content creator in today's marketplace? It starts with your signature story and its core message. To thrive, you need to create content with a strong hooking interest and a brand promise. There are simple, effective ways to extend your media brand across multiple entertainment and media platforms.

These are the opening thoughts before Philipa Burgess (Partner, Creative Convergence) begins her panel entitled Creating Value With a Media Brand. Philipa shared many of her inside tips on how to use available resources to make yourself and your product visible, memorable and in turn profitable. There are now many internet tools you can use to create awareness about yourself and your product. Social networks are a relatively recent phenomenon which breaks down the population into regions and interests. This is extremely helpful in tracking the behavior of the audience you are selling to.

Philipa urges you to "know your audience" See who you are directing your energy and products to. Where do you find them? Where can you find out about them? What do they spend their time doing? What do they spend their money on? Using social networks, blogs and searches, you can find out much of this online (for no cost).

Next, do everything that you can to get your name out to this targeted audience. Create "top of mind awareness" through speaking, interviews and guess appearances. Cross promote with people who hold similar or desired audiences. When people become aware of your name, they make associations with that name. What are they coming to you for? What do they know to expect from you as opposed to your competition? These are just a few pointers from Philipa. She has a course: Your Signature Story:From Content Creator to Media Brand. Check it out at www.creativecvg.com

Philipa Burgess is a partner at Creative Convergence, Inc. The Los Angeles-based entertainment firm represents writers and directors such as Cassandra Taylor (XY) and Chjad Beguelin (Frankenteacher) and consults with entertainment and media brands. Most recently it sold two television projects based on books to the major networks, two projects as cable movies and a book to a major studio currently being developed as a feature film. Burgess started her career at International Creative Management (ICM) before establishing a boutique literary management firm that subsequently evolved intoCreative Convergence. She is a speaker, teacher and writer on the subject of marketing for writers and content creators.

 

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The Independent Television Festival-Development Panel: From Pitch to Production.

"The process of development to many people is a mysterious underworld reserved for the priveleged. In this panel, development executives and development gurus will simplify the process, outlining and explaining what to expect, how to protect yourself and how to move your project up the ladder." -ITV Fest team

Panelists included: Brian Volk-Weiss (Head of Production for New Wave Entertainment; check out our video interview with him in the Beanywood blog.), Stefani Relles (Head of Creative Writer Development branch at Fox international), Brandon Riegg (Director of Development and Current Programming for ABC's Alternative Department), Jake Johnson & Jeremy Konner (Their pilot "This is my Friend" won the Audience Award at last year's ITV festival and was commissioned to be developed into a pilot by NBC.), Richard Schwarz (Manager of Development at Conaco Productions), Sandy Chanley (Founder of Production Partners, Inc.), and Dan Luabetkin (Head of Television Development at Avalon Television)

Many issues and concerns were casually discussed with the audience of producers but here are some tips that seems to ring true for everyone:

When Pitching a new idea or show:

-Do not be rigid, be flexible and willing to work with the executives to make the show happen.

-Be confident and organized; If you seem capable of conducting yourself professionally and effectively in a pitching environment, the executives will take you much more seriously. Also, even if they do not have an interest in that particular idea or show that you are pitching, it will be much easier to get in the door to pitch the next time if you have made a good impression.

Know all the answers-What happens in season 4? You have to be prepared to answer these questions, but still be open to suggestions.

-Some executives say that you should bring a tape if you have a lower budget pilot or highlight reel. Some disagree. This is because some executives are not able to see the idea for what it is worth because of the low production value. Sometimes it could be better to leave it to their imagination after you deliver a solid verbal pitch and have the good writing to back it up. In the event that you have an idea that would be more effective shown (even with low production value), you should get advice before bringing it along to your pitch.

Making the Deal

-Many writers are concerned that their idea will be stolen. Many are so worried about this that they hold on to the idea too tight, and before you know, that ship has sailed.

What is the balance here? Shouldn't you be concerned about how many execs you tell your big dreams to?

The answer is that you need to shift your perspective if you are asking these questions.

Execs do not have any interest in stealing one idea, if they think that you have a good idea, they want to know what else you have got. They think big picture and want the goose that lays the golden eggs, not just the first gold egg that comes into view.

What you need to do to secure your idea, and your own standing in the project is to have something that attaches you to the idea that nobody else can provide. Whether it is your personality, a personality that you have attached to the project, etc. (ie: If you are pitching a show about poker and you have a poker start attached to you and your version of the show, you have much more to offer personally than the next guy that comes in with just an idea.

What about $$$ What about %%% ???

So, they want your show!!! Now what? How much money do get? How much money do they get? Am I getting screwed? I must be getting screwed!!!

Okay, so the big picture is that your show has gotten picked up-good! In negotiating you may feel like you are getting screwed, and I am sure that you are not getting the deal that seasoned writers are. Why??? Your idea is good, right? The answer is simple-You have an idea, ideas are cheap. They have a studio and will turn your idea into a money making reality. I think they have a bit more leverage. You really just need to have somebody educated (a lawyer) by your side to make sure you are not signing your house over and hope your show makes it big.

Again we go back to the shift in perspective-The first deal is nothing! If you are confident in the fact that you are a good-idea-machine, (which you need to be to make it in TV), the execs will work with you over time, and the deals will improve.

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Sam Weisman: A Wolf in Directors Clothing
Written by a Sheep in Wolfs Clothing (Susan H. Davis)

    Last week I traveled down to Woods Hole to hear Sam Weisman speak about
directing. Three hours there and back, from the north shore, through Bourne
bridge traffic.
"This better be good", I thought.
Honestly, I was open to anything. Why else would I be there, stuck in
traffic, sucking in fumes?  Under the guise of a producer to hear a
director¹s point of view, I wanted to hear why a "Hollywood² or studio
director would come back to his roots to settle here in Ma.

Disclaimer- All information into the writers mind is subjective and diffused
through a myriad of lenses, so my apologies upfront, Sam, as I had my
selective filter on, but here were the things that stuck in my mind:

    Sam on basics: Sam started the workshop by recapping what a director
does on set- Directing 101. The main ideas being that the basics are ever
changing, wavering a bit here and there depending on the size of the
production. Hidden in the technical details were personal anecdotes, gems of
Sam¹s personal experiences. These were what I wanted to hear, what I had
come for, for even though one can find the technical details of directing in
a book, the life experiences of one who spent years in the trenches are, to
me, what's invaluable.
    
    Sam on actors: The director has to understand how to get the best acting
out of the actor. Even if this means cheating the actor into believing the
cameras are turned off as the film rolls away capturing the perfect moment,
unbeknownst to the actor.
The purer the actor is the one who at least tries, take after take.
The bigger the celebrity is the one who repeatedly says 'No' to trying out
the director¹s suggestions.
The best actors are the ones that state the positive when requesting
changes. The best way to get the best performances are to get the best
actors, and according to Sam, the best world is where the director has the
pleasure of being the audience, as the actor does his/her magic.

    Sam on the Assistant Producer/or the UPM: Often hired by the Line
Producer or studio, the 1st Assistant Producer helps to control the money,
who in turn controls the director. Try to hire your own, if you can.

Sam on diffusing the negative: The director has to be a psychologist,
friend, father, mother, dictator, etc., all these things on set. The
director has to eliminate the negative as quickly as possible between
essential creative crewmembers by cutting to the quick. If problems get
debated five minutes or more per take, or hour, one loses an hour or two a
day for shooting.

    Sam on unruly outsiders on location, who are disturbing the shoot: Let's
just say that after a myriad of tries to get folks to shut up who insisted
on blabbing through a shoot, (but who had every right to be next door to the
shooting location because they owned the property, but were paid already for
the inconvenience), sometimes one has to fake a commotion to get the unruly
bastards taken away by the NYC cops on location. Guts. For this Sam gets the
ŒWolf in Director¹s Clothing¹ award.

    What I came away from this workshop with was that one of the successful
traits of a good director is someone who can diffuse a negative situation
immediately, thinking on his/her toes...for time is money, and time is
creative energy spent, rarely to be regained, or regained at quite an
expense. At the end of the workshop Sam was concerned that he was being too
negative, maybe because his experiences were tainted with overcoming the
daily problems and pitfalls of directing. On the contrary, the reality of
overcoming the minutiae as positively as possible under the ever-changing
daily landscape of filming shows the ability to be flexible, and more
importantly to get the job done at all costs. Thanks, Sam, for the reality
check. Isn¹t that why I was there? There is nothing sugar coated about a day
of hard work, and much to be learned from his experiences. And why was I
there under the guise of producer? Because I was the sheep in wolfs
clothing...a first time producer, learning to build up guts. Why did Sam
move back east? He answered this right up front..."to have a better life".
With all the benefits for filmmakers in the MA. film industry right now, and
all the amazing talent, locales, and crew, I couldn't agree more.

Written by Susan H. Davis

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