Imaginox
Inspiring Creative Minds | Developing Creative Possibilities
First Feature Producing
Course brochure
Overview:
An intensive and invaluable Programme for all FILMMAKERS (writers directors producers, line producers etc) developing their first feature film, or who need to ‘skill up’ on specific areas of film and documentary production in order to advance their careers within the industry.
Learn the 5 basic tenets of producing: Development, Budgeting, Finance, Sales, Distribution & marketing, from some of the top professionals in the business and develop your project at the same time in live, interactive forums and with the help of a wide range of marked assignments throughout this Creative Programme.
Aimed at film professionals at a feature film packaging stage as well as those who are serious about moving from shorts, corporates or music videos into full length feature film financing and production, this intensive five-week programme will guide you through the current practices of the UK European and global industry and build your project, step by step, piece by piece into a comprehensive package.
With over 25 hours of specific Masterclasses with Script Developers, Tax Accountants, Entertainment Lawyers, Sales Agents, Distributors, and Marketing experts, this will change your view of how the film industry works and what is required in order to guarantee success in this field. These sessions are packed full of practical documents that you can download and follow.
With accompanying exercises and dozens of self-reflective questions as well as invaluable 'insider' industry materials and resources, designed to not only build a portfolio of information and knowledge of the industry but also, shape your own project, this is a course that first time feature filmmakers can not afford to miss.
Course numbers are limited to ensure maximum online contact time with the Industry Mentor, who will be leading the seminars, so apply quickly.
Course Outline:
SESSION 1 - OVERVIEW
- How the UK & Global film business functions
- The Role of Creative Producer in the process
- The current UK climate & landscape for making films – PLUS, a set of ‘quiz questions’ to assess your current knowledge!
- British ‘brands’ - films as a product made and sold out of UK
SESSION 2 – DEVELOPMENT - FROM SCRIPT TO SCREEN
- What story are you telling - genre and style?
- The 7 classic stories and where they come from
- Working with a writer
- Script Editor Masterclass
- Script writing terminology and Short documents
- How to Option material (Masterclass with Top UK Entertainment Lawyer)
- Pitching Notes and examples
SESSION 3 – FINANCING A FILM PROJECT
- UK Film Tax credit and qualifying as a British film
- Tax accountant Masterclass
- Sources of current funding
- Global sources of funding – how money works together
- Finance plans and how films recoup money
- Packaging a film for financiers
- ‘Closing the deal’ and how to work with co Production partners - their duties, responsibilities and how to select the right partner
(the entire course cost is less than the normal rate for 2 hrs with a the top Entertainment Lawyer in our masterclasses!)
SESSION 4 - PRODUCTION
- Setting up as a Production company
- Masterclass with Entertainment Accountant for Private individuals and companies
- How to start your budget parameters
- Staffing and crewing up
- Low budget shooting
- Delivering a film / Post-production terminology Masterclass with Molinare UK
SESSION 5 - SALES DISTRIBUTION MARKETING
- Overview - how sales drive the film market globally
- The role of the International Sales agent – Masterclass AV Pictures UK
- What happens at a global marketplace and selling your film at festivals
- Digital Distribution and online marketing – Masterclass with UKFILMCOUNCIL Distribution Executive
- Audience awareness and marketing techniques
- Throughout each session course leader and creator Anita Lewton will explain and demonstrate the forms and documents referred to by experts
- Build your own Workbook based on exercises and tasks for YOUR PROJECT
- Demystify even the most baffling film business terms such as 'corridor', 'waterfall', ‘costs off the top’ etc.
Our ten detailed and practical MASTERCLASSES filmed as in-depth interviews with ANITA LEWTON include:
Ludo Smolski, Script Editor and Developer - looking at development within the UK and how it works, the role of the script editor and a detailed analysis on what a script report consists of and what happens when you send in material to a production company
Damien McGee, Entertainment Accountant in UK (looking after individuals in theatre and film, working or Self Employed and also companies set up to produce) He talks about How to set up a Production Company, payment options, VAT, National Insurance Contributions and setting up a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV).
Christine Corner, Senior Partner Media Department, Grant Thornton Accountants - Christine takes us through the terms of the current UK Film Tax Credit in depth as well as how to qualify as a British Film. She also discusses the use of the EIS Scheme, additional sources of finances and how your stakeholders and financiers recoup their investment in your project.
Andrew Sturcke, Associate Entertainment Lawyer from Lee and Thompson Media Lawyers (director Michael Winterbottom and Revolution Films is one of their clients) who takes you through optioning agreements, paying for script drafts and the acquisition of original IP content.
Lee Stone, Partner with Entertainment Law firm Lee and Thompson - discussing co-production agreements as well as how to find a co-producer, what countries we have co-production agreements with and what responsibilities each partner will hold. Lee will also talk about the legal implications of rights, finance share and international conventions.
Lincia Daniel, Independent Producer (Freestyle) tells us her experiences of producing a film as part of Film London's Microwave scheme in 2009. Lincia will talk about the difficulties and challenges of working within a micro budget on a complex and exciting basketball film,as well as the more practical aspects of how she was chosen on the scheme in the first place and how the film was sold to the USA.
Michael McMahon, Producer of Post production from Molinare (one of the UK's top Post-production houses) analyses in detail post-production workflows across a film - all the way through to the final delivery of the film to buyers and distributors (client films have included London to Brighton, The Kings Speech and Moon).
Anna Krupnova, VIP Sales from AV Pictures talking through her role in the industry, how sales agents select material, calculate deals, work out their own costs and work alongside the Producer in order to deliver the best possible marketing for the film to international distributors.
Julia Short, Independent Distributor (founder Verve Pictures) talks through a specific presentation looking at the particular challenges a UK Distributor will face when releasing their films both in the UK and Internationally. Julia will talk about Distribution Strategies, different windows of release, research that can measure the success of a film's campaign and also, the key relationship with the Exhibitors. This is an invaluable presentation from one of the best distributors in the business.
Alex Stolz, former Distribution Executive at the UK Film Council (now the BFI) will talk about Online and Digital Marketing Strategies for films by illustrating several innovative examples selected by the then UKFC for financial awards. Alex will talk about the need to understand your audience as well as how you communicate your film's message out to the relevant groups across the world. This is a superb tutorial for any independent producer looking to use new digital marketing tools to sell and promote their film.
INFO ON COURSE LEADER
ANITA LEWTON is a Producer and Screenwriter, trained at UCLA, USA and in UK. Until 2010 Anita was elected Vice then Co Chairperson of the New Producers Alliance Board of Directors and throughout her time there mentored and taught over 500 – 1000 emerging talented filmmakers including : C4’s ‘4 LIONS’ Producer Darren Schlesinger, Giacomo Ciametti – Winner Trailer Made 2010, Venice prize winning Italian director, Ed Aldridge, writer director finalist Microwave 2009 and SOS Scriptwriter award, Ed Tull, Producer Ana Begins, Malcolm Moore, Producer & Business Affairs Consultant Planispheres UK, Andrew Green, Director Distrify (Digital distribution), Scotland, Hsinyi Liu Producer, Short film winner at countless festivals, Kids Might Fly & Release the Flying Monkeys, Koutaiba Jumaia, Director/Producer The Return, Anita Ondine, Producer and partner with Lance Weil, Transmedia projects NYC... the list is endless. Anita has tailor made the best of her 10 years tuition in First Feature producing based on the feedback and content preferred by filmmakers like the above.
Assignments & Live Sessions:
Marked Assignment One: Writing your initial Project Information and Project Vision plus information about yourself and your company.
Live Session One: Discussion around your Professional Biographies / Project Vision / What certain projects require to move to the next stage of development ? / Discussion around the scope of the projects on offer and the ‘ issues’ they raise (such as financing and budget limitations)
Marked Assignment Two: Writing your Project One-pager for presentation to the industry
Live Session Two: Discussion around One-Page documents / Presentation to the group from several participants / A further analysis as to what makes a good one-pager and what mistakes are often made
Marked Assignment Three: Write and deliver a Finance Plan or sources of Finance for your film
Live Session Three: Discuss different finance plans in the group from micro and low budget productions through to co-productions and foreign shoots. Mentor to lead several Role Play exercises in various Financing situations: Development, Equity, Investor and Government Body
Marked Assignment Four: Write one page on your project Scope and Budget level – giving your reasons for these figures
Live Session Four: Discussion around the Scope of various projects as well as Budget Proposals at different levels, from no-budget through to micro and low budget productions. The Mentor will lead on several Role play exercises, where small groups are given a set budget to spend on different elements of the production process. Groups will have to present their answers back to the entire online space.
Marked Assignment Five: Write out your Sales, Distribution and Marketing Strategy for your film
Live Session Five: Discussion around several Sales, Distribution and Marketing Strategies. Role Play exercise, where different participants within the group pose key questions, as a Distributor, Sales Agent and a Marketer.
Marked Assignment Six: Prepare and write out your 3 - 5 minute presentation. About you, Title of your film, Genre, Synopsis or Log Line, Budget Level, Scope of the Project, Ideas for Distribution and Marketing.
PITCH (Live Session Six): Participants will have to prepare and deliver a 5 minute presentation around their project. Title, Genre, Synopsis or Log Line, Budget Level, Scope of the Project, Ideas on who is the audience, ideas for a Distribution and Marketing campaign, will all have to be pitched to our panel of top executives. See Prize below.
Course Competition:
The Programme will culminate with a Live Online Pitch in front of a panel of top Industry Executives, where each person, either privately or publicly, will pitch their project and not only receive valuable feedback but also the opportunity to win some serious one-on-one development time with a senior executive who will be able to give you some tailored, in-depth advice and support.
For international professionals or those unable to make it physically to our panelist's office, this one-on-one time can be conducted online on the Imaginox platform.
Minimum requirements:
This course is aimed at all filmmakers who have already produced a short or a feature film or corporate or music video and are now looking to develop a fully packaged and financed project.
Suitable for:
Filmmakers (Producer writer directors line producers etc) - who have made any kind of short
MA or BA level Media student who really wants to understand the next step up - making a feature film
Promo or music video maker - corporate director / prodcuer again who has a first feature idea doc or fiction and is looking to skill up
First feature makers who have made a 'no budget' on credit or Equity film BUT who havent encountered the industry contracts sales or distribution side of the business
First feature or development participamnts who do not know / have not been trained on the legal financial and sales aspects of how a film product is sustainably made and managed
It is also ideal for those looking to make the leap from prize winning or funded or sold Shorts to feature filmmaking: documentary or fiction.
This course will expire after One Year: Please make sure that you have all your notes, exercises, reflective questions and assignments as well as all downloaded documents saved on your own computer.
