09.11.13 | Erin Hallagan
The Independent Filmmaking Track is continuing this year at the Conference with discussions taking us through all stages of pre-production, production, and post. These sessions will feature filmmakers from the 2013 Film Program alongside other panelists, so you can hear about their work by day and see it on the big screen by night.
A sampling of The Track:
The State of Independent Filmmaking
In an ever-changing industry, the independent filmmaker is required to concurrently adapt and change. Of course, with change comes opportunity, and between the rise of fundraising outlets, digital filmmaking, and innovative distribution models, indie cinema has become a creative forum in more ways than one. Join a few of the leading “opportunists” as they discuss their roles and responsibilities as independent filmmakers.
Featuring Richard Kelly, David Lowery, Jeff Nichols
The Short Film
It’s hard enough to compose a script that has character development, rising action, intelligent dialogue, and a clear beginning, middle, and end when developing a feature film. Creating a film that lasts less than a half-hour, however, can bring forth its own set of challenges. Representatives from the 2013 Shorts Program will share tips on the process of making a short film and how to create a compelling narrative within its parameters.
Financing Your Indie Film
As our world becomes more connected and technologically developed, filmmakers are finding numerous avenues to get their projects off the ground. From wooing and hounding to campaigning and persuading, finding ways to finance your indie film can be a draining, but necessary, process. Learn how not to waste time and money, but rather how to spend both wisely, while creating a viable business plan to help bring your film to life.
Directing Your Own Script
The prospect of directing your own script is an exciting one. Though it hands you the creative reins of the project as a whole, it also presents a new set of obstacles and responsibilities to navigate. After all, writing a script is free, but shooting a film can cost an exuberant amount. So how should your roles as writer and director affect and inform one another? Writer-directors will share their own experiences and constructive advice crucial for aspiring multi-taskers.
Keeping the Vision Big with a Limited Budget
The biggest obstacle to getting your film made can be the budget, and a lot of that work can fixed in the script itself. But what makes every film special is the larger world around story, the one of which the audience may only get a glimpse. How do you pack your pages with depth that won’t frighten a producer. And once the cameras roll, how do you fill out the edges of the frame with a fully-realized world.
DIY Distribution
In an industry that refuses to quit and continues to redefine itself, filmmakers are being required to reinvent the wheel in order to get their films noticed. Many traditional distribution methods have become more difficult to navigate, and the price of access much higher. As a result, filmmakers are finding their own unique ways for audiences to see their work, through new forms of distribution and through the old standbys, hard work and tons of phone calls, paving the way for the new future of indie film: do-it-yourself distribution.
This panel is co-presented by Art House Convergence
Gone to Texas!
The phrase “Gone to Texas” was once used by 19th century Americans to announce their immigration to the Lone Star State. Now, join this panel of producers and writers who’ve successfully completed their projects in the state—and Texas Film Commission director Heather Page—to learn about the financial and creative incentives that brought them here.
This panel is co-presented by the Texas Film Commission
Packaging Your Film
A creative mind is not always a business mind. But for the independent filmmaker, there needs to be an understanding of how to actually sell their work. In order to do so, a script needs to be packaged as a product that is marketable and appealing to investors. What kind of talent attached to your work will help your cause? How should you approach distribution? What sort of things should you prepared to compromise? Film producers will share vetted advice on how to best approach packaging your independent film.
Pre-Production: The Nuts and Bolts
The script is done, the money is raised (or as much as it will be), and it is time for the real fun to begin: shooting schedules, casting, permits, putting together a production team, and resetting the entire film in an apartment. Learn how to make the tough decisions now so you can open the door to creativity once you are on set.
Storytelling Through Production
Scripts can spend months in pre-production, and films can spend months in post, but in actual production, directors, producers, actors, cinematographers, sound recordists, and designers all come together for a few days to fill the screen with the most exciting material they can. A great director brings out the best in their team, while still making the film completely their own. And what does a writer do on set?
Storytelling Through Editing
Film production takes many hours and many minds, but one of the most important roles often goes under-recognized: the editor. The editor’s job is akin to that of the screenwriter as they are required to shape the story based on the condensing many weeks of footage into something cohesive and succinct. Join us for a conversation about the critical questions all editors must ask and answer during the syncing, bridging, and splicing phase of any film, and how their role as a storyteller is pivotal to the post-production process.
Be inspired to get past the script and make your film! Stay tuned for weekly Conference updates and announcements. The schedule goes live on September 26th!