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EVENT DETAILS |
Learn how to transfer your vision & passion for what you're making to potential collaborators, supporters & funders.
There's no magic formula to get your first independent feature film off the ground, but the essential first step is being able to transfer your vision & passion for what you're making to potential collaborators, supporters & funders. This interactive workshop will help you learn the skills needed to put your project's best foot forward, so you can find the right team & stakeholders to take the journey with you.
We'll cover generally applicable advice like what a realistic timeline & scope might look like for a first film, what potential early supporters like labs or grantmakers will look for in your script & written descriptions, & how you can convey your creative intentions & ability to execute them through elements like your sample work, lookbook & budget. We'll also discuss how to leverage the relationships & resources you may already have (like access to talent, a key location, equipment, or your own investment) to build momentum, when & how to identify & approach a producer & other key creative team members, & how to target relevant gatekeepers & opportunities for critical support or financing like labs & conferences.
Bring your questions and/or any written or visual promotional materials you may have to the first session so that the workshop can be tailored to participants' specific needs & opportunities for improvement. If you are looking for a more general course on how to pitch, check out The Reel Pitch: Selling Your Project on the Page, Screen, & in Person.
The course is taught by Reva Goldberg, an independent film & documentary professional with extensive experience identifying & supporting films & filmmakers with works in progress on behalf of funding organizations, developing & producing fiction & nonfiction films, & promoting films to audiences through creative content strategy.
This workshop will be most beneficial if you are a director or producer working with at least a first draft of a screenplay in-hand, whether or not you are the screenwriter, or the rights to a specific book, story or other pre-existing property being adapted for the screen.
CURRICULUM PLAN:
Session 1: Bring any specific challenges, questions, & promotional materials you have so far, & receive an overview of the elements you should be generating (like budget, synopsis, lookbook & sample work), how to make them as persuasive as possible, & what to expect on the difficult journey to launching a first feature.
Session 2: Based upon questions & materials shared in the first session, Reva will hone in on key materials in depth, & help participants strategize how best to achieve them.
Session 3: This session will give participants tactics to identify potential collaborators & sources of support & funding that could make sense for their projects, & strategies for pursuing them. This process is usually more a marathon than a sprint, so we'll also discuss how to cultivate relationships & resources over time, & what to do if you keep getting no or not right now.
This class is part of ClassWork Film Track: Indie Producing, a sequence of classes that can be taken over a three-month period with experienced instructors guiding you through the ins & outs of producing your film.
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What You Will Learn
Start with realistic expectations, & essential tools, to set up your first feature project.
Identify what is important for you to focus on at this early stage if your time & resources are limited.
Develop the essential materials you need to get potential collaborators & supporters excited about your project.
Start building a team that can help you achieve your goals.
Identify potential sources of support & funding that make sense for your project, & a plan to connect with them.
REVA GOLDBERG
Producer & Communications Strategist
CONNECTOR
FILM
FILM
Reva Goldberg is a creative producer & content strategist based in Brooklyn, NY. She has been on both sides of the film funding equation - as a filmmaker seeking support, & as a long-time staffer at the major film funding & production company Cinereach, which is most recently known for SORRY TO BOTHER YOU, WE THE ANIMALS, & SHIRKERS.
During her tenure at Cinereach, Reva's many roles included serving as Head of Communications, designing & running Cinereach's (former) Reach Film Fellowship for emerging filmmakers, & evaluating narrative & documentary feature films for potential support.
Reva has worked as an independent producer of feature films, documentaries & branded content. She produced & directed the documentary short AN IMAGINARY THING (2012), produced the Showtime documentary ALL OF US (2009), & co-produced the feature film TOE TO TOE (Sundance 2009).
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