2009 Panels and Workshops

 

1:00-2:30pm

3:00-4:30pm

In Post Production there is LA and NY and then there are the rest of us. Getting a gig from one of the biggies is the brass ring for a local independent. But what do the local posties do until the big time hits if it ever does. Do we slowly go loco or is there a way to survive. Most film festivals would like to quietly sweep this topic under the rug due to the passions that are aroused but not us. Bringing together survivors and hearing their tales may help to tame the loco in local Post. Panelists include:
Courtney Jones – Managing Partner, Cheeky Monkey Studios
Katie Peters – Owner, Muse Media and HD Solutions
David Aubrey – Owner, Lightningwood Pictures
Luca Ceccarelli – Owner, HDNM
Moderator: Michael Horton – Founder and Head, Los Angeles Final Cut Pro User
Group

 

 

10:00-11:30am

Many indie filmmakers can give chapter and verse on the tax rebate and film loan programs, but what resources are available beyond that? You might be surprised. Have you tried to tap many of these recently: contract awards, free equipment rentals, scholarships, screenwriting awards, producers academies, writers labs, documentary programs, mentorships, free workshops? The list goes on. Some are competitive, others have a nominal fee, but many are open to whoever signs up. Few places offer so much to the motivated indie producer and our panelists from key non-profits are here to walk you through some of what’s out there. Panelists include:
Trish Lopez - NM Filmmakers Program Director, New Mexico Film Office
Octavio Marin – Signature Programs Director and National Conference Director, National Association of Latino Independent Producers
Cara Mertes – Director, Documentary Film Program, Sundance Institute
Angelique Midthunder – Executive Vice President, New Mexico Women In Film
Moderator: Michael Hare – Independent television and film producer

1:00-2:30pm

Film and digital media are the acquisition tools of our industry and each are a means to an end. What are the benefits and shortcomings of each in the context of a given objective? A panel of distinguished cinematographers and media experts will explore the pros and cons of capturing in different formats, with various cameras, and discuss why they choose the tools they do. A technical dialogue will examine how employing different options impacts the entire filmmaking process, from pre-production and principle photography to editing and distribution. This is a “must attend” for any filmmaker planning a new project. Panelists include:
Ericka Frederick – Commercial Production and Independent Features, Kodak
Courtney Jones – Managing Partner, Cheeky Monkey Studios
Ford Austin – Cinematographer
David Garcia – Creative Director, Halflife Digital
Moderator: Bill Mitchell – Cinematographer/Owner, Blue Sky Stock Footage

 

3:00-4:30pm

Ideal for producers/filmmakers who are preparing to raise private equity from angel investors, this presentation focuses on key business plan elements, including research, structure, and design.  It also provides insights on the ethics and psychology of selling high risk investments, tools for making deals more attractive, tips for identifying the best investor prospects, and suggestions for maintaining long term relationships with financial partners. The class is taught by filmmaker Stu Pollard.  His producing credits include True Adolescents, Ira & Abby, Dirty Country, Keep Your Distance, and Nice Guys Sleep Alone.  His film business plans have raised more than $7 million.
Presenter: Stu Pollard - Producer/Director (NICE GUYS SLEEP ALONE, TRUE ADOLESCENTS, IRA & ABBY)

 

 

10:00-11:30am

Recent events such as the rise of reality programming and Leno’s move to a coveted prime time slot had many predicting the demise of dramatic television. Others argue that the genre is stronger than ever, with some of the best writing and acting opportunities in the industry. Three of these shows – BREAKING BAD, CRASH, and IN PLAIN SIGHT – are filmed right here in New Mexico. Producers from these shows will explore current trends in the field, discuss the core elements of creating scripted television, and talk about some of the many approaches to developing and producing within the genre. Panelists include:
Ira Behr – Executive Producer / Showrunner, CRASH
Kirk Ellis – Emmy and Golden Globe winning writer/producer (INTO THE WEST. JOHN ADAMS)
Stewart Lyons – Producer, BREAKING BAD
TBD – IN PLAIN SIGHT
Moderator: Nick Smerigan – COO, Albuquerque Studios

 

1:00-2:30pm
Online/Mobile Distribution: Indie Dollars or Indie Delusions?

The reality of traditional distribution can be daunting. Few indie films see a significant theatrical release. Some get on TV, but then mostly as “fungible goods” (that is, your magnum opus is only slightly more valuable to the network than a test pattern). DVD deals are relatively easy, but selling physical copies of anything is on a downward spiral. So how’s an indie gonna make that investment back? How about distributing your content online and/or via mobile devices? Our panel explores the landscape of the marketplace, online/mobile release strategies and tactics, as well as the economic realities of this approach. Panelists include:
Rob Markovich – Senior Director of Original Programming, Starz Media
Chuck Goldman – CEO, Apperian; formerly Director of Field Engineering and Professional Services for Apple
Madeline Herdrich – VP, Mobile, Paramount
Suzanne Stefanac – Director, AFI Digital Content Lab
Moderator: Eric Renz-Whitmore – Program Coordinator, ARTS Lab, UNM

 

 

10:00-11:30am
The Actor’s Panel

Always an audience favorite, this panel is a discussion of the art, techniques, and business of acting with some of the most respected talents in the film and television scene. Panelists include:
Dabney Coleman – actor
Wes Studi – actor, producer, writer
Anna Gunn – actor
John Carroll Lynch - actor
Moderator: Mark Rydell – director of On Gold Pond,

1:00 - 2:30pm
Kodak Presents: Conversations with Ellen Kuras

 

Join Matt Mauro as he sits down for an entertaining and informative conversation with Ellen Kuras, unprecedented three-time winner of the Best Dramatic Cinematography award at Sundance for SWOON, ANGELA, and PERSONAL VELOCITY. Ellen is a director of photography whose stylized work has become the standard for documentaries of late and who has demonstrated a keen lyric and impressionistic feel. She has been a working cinematographer since 1987, dividing her time between documentaries and features, and has collaborated with a broad range of accomplished directors, from Jim Jarmusch and Spike Lee to Mary Harron and Douglas Keeves.
Host: Matt Mauro – Anchor, "Hollywood Dailies" on ReelzChannel

4:00 - 5:30pm
Kiva A

Aston Kutcher has ramped it up and invited us to “iParticipate” on issues of concern, to volunteer, roll up your sleeves and get to it. In this time of “reality bites”, twitterers, texters, and the one line lifestyle, is this affecting what we become involved in? Is film the new medium to get people activated and charged to take action?
Panelists include:
Renee Scheltema -
Dr. Larry Dossey - Dr. Larry Dossey, Author and participant in the film "Something Unknown ..."
Emmanuel Itier - filmmaker, film journalist and consultant in acquisitions in French distribution companies. His film, The Invocation, is screening at the Festival.
Moderator: Melinda Hess - documentary filmmaker, Lucas Studio animator, Convival Studios, iParticipate Activismo Cinema Project.

 

4:00 - 5:30pm
Kiva B
How to Get Your Independent Film into Distribution

A panel of veteran industry insiders will discuss the inner workings behind film and DVD distribution. When should you license it to a major label and when shouldn't you? What's up with Digital distribution? What's the future look like for indie filmmakers? With more than 50 years combined in marketing of independent media, these experts know what works, what doesn’t, and where distribution is headed. Panelists include:
Ann Elizabeth Church – SVP of Marketing for KIDS FIRST!
Chris Kientz (Cherokee) – American/Canadian animator, television producer and director
Jere Rae-Mansfield – Managing Partner, Monterey Media
Margaret Tritch – President, Maitland Primrose Group
Moderator: Ranny Levy -  Founder and President, KIDS FIRST!

 

WORKSHOPS
Hotel Santa Fe
Kiva A

 

Thursday, December 3

 

The Synapse to Screen 1.0 2-Day Conference:
All things Pre-production in the making of movies, with panels,
demonstrations, and lectures, including techniques and modern tools used in
brainstorming & mind-mapping, outlining, plot & character development, screenwriting,
story-boarding, budgeting, production reports, and scheduling a movie. This will be a
live event with audience interaction, and also streamed on the Internet to a select
audience.

9:45 to 11:30 am ~ Brainstorming & Mind Mapping

There are tools that help the creative process along. From the first spark of an
idea, these tools help capture, but also allow for the creative explosion without the
critical blockage. This session will include a presentation by Gideon King, creator of
NovaMind, on mind-mapping for the screenwriter, hands on demos and discussions,
and contrast and comparisons between various software available for this phase of the
pre-production process. Software discussed will include NovaMind, FreeMind,
Compendium, WikkaWiki, and XMind.

 

To take any idea from spark to screen the outlining step can be crucial. The tools
discussed in this session bridge the gap between brainstorming and the more formal
structured scripting phase. This session will include demonstration, discussion and
compare and contrasting of different outline applications. Contour, Scrivener
OmniOutliner, Final Draft, CelTX, NovaMind, FreeMind, Compendium and Storyist

 

Asking questions about your story will help make it the best possible. The tools
discussed in this session help ask those questions. Demonstrations and comparisons,
along with discussion of Dramatica Pro, Contour and others.

 

Whether you use a multi-step process or go straight to the script form to write,
your screenwriting software should not get in the way of your story. Even with industry
standards to consider, there are many helpful screenwriting applications available. Here
are some we will demonstrate, compare and discuss ~ Montage, Scrivener, CelTX,
Final Draft, Movie Magic Screenwriter 6, and MS Word.

 

Friday, Dec. 4th
Kiva A

 

Moviemaking is the only art that includes all the other arts. Working with artist in
so many disciplines can be daunting. That’s where good storyboarding can help. These
tolls help any storyteller visualize their tale in order to express it to others. Software
discussed will include Scrivener, Toon Boom Storyboard, CelTX, Storyboard Artist,
and Storyboard Pro.

 

Ok, so it’s not the sexiest topic ever, but bad organization will kill a good project.
From working out what the budget is to scheduling call times, good breakdown sheets
make it happen. These applications will help make your shoots better ~ CelTX,
Montage, Final Draft, Gorilla Pro 4.5 and Movie Magic Screenwriter 6.

 

1:15 to 3:00 pm ~ Budgeting
With limited resources a good budget means the difference between success and
failure. We’ll demonstrate a few software package that help crunch the numbers,
including; Movie Magic Budgeting 6, Gorilla Pro 4.5

 

3:10 to 4:40 pm ~ Scheduling
Finally, your movie has gone from a spark of an idea and is about to be shot. If you want
every shot you imagined, all the coverage and every cut away, you better have a good
schedule. In this session we will compare and demonstrate some of the following
applications; CelTX , Movie Magic Scheduling, Gorilla Pro 4.5, and Showbiz
Scheduling 8.

 

Saturday, Dec 5th
Kiva A

 

1:30 - 3:30 pm

 

Music, sound design, audio fx, foley & ADR can make or break your project.  Talk to pros & learn about what works & what doesn’t from a creative, technical & production perspective. Topics include Original Score, Licensing Music, Sync, FX, Foley, Music Libraries.  Technology includes Final Cut Pro, Pro-Tools HD & Sony Vegas Pro.

 

Gordon Free (aka Soulfood's DJ Free) is a composer/producer who has scored music for DISNEY, IMAX, PBS, ESPN, National Geographic & UPN. He’s released 27+ CDs, won “Best IMAX Score” & charted on Billboard and has licensed music & scored for hundreds of media outlets including film, television, commercials & the web.

 

Duncan North (Writer/Producer, The Tao of Steve) a kindergarten teacher till 2000, he then began writing full-time. His work includes a romantic advice column The Tao of Love, some magazine articles & two screenplays (The Tao of Steve, Hell Can Wait).

 

John Kurzweg is a major label producer, recording artist with the Sean Healen Band and is a multiplatinum producer who has worked with Creed, Puddle of Mudd, Eagle Eye Cherry, Sean Healen Band, Jewel, Big Head Todd & The Monsters.  Hit songs produced by John have been heard on the feature films End of Days, Scream & A Man Apart.

 

Shalimar Krebs attended Berklee College of Music before heading to LA, where he got his first experience in the film industry. He later moved to New Mexico where he earned a degree in Documentary Studies at the College of Santa Fe, specializes on independent & short films, Cinematography, Editing, Sound & DVD production. He teaches media arts & film at the Santa Fe Community College.