International Co-Productions

WIFTI Summit 2012 and ScriptDC
University of California Washington Center in Washington, DC
December 2, 2012 4:15-5:45 pm

Writer: Faith DeVeaux, Writer/Producer/Director, member of WIFV DC

Ms. Schwartz is the founder and original producer of Washington, DC’s Helen Hayes Awards.

The number one tip given during the WIFTI Summit 2012 panel on International Co-Productions was to get out there and make contacts. Meg Villarreal, of U.S. Independents, moderated an informal discussion on the subject, with panelists Bonnie Nelson Schwartz, Producer at Cultural Strategies, a U.S. producer with extensive international experience,  and Helene Granqvist, CEO/Producer of Good Film and Postproduction, based in Sweden. Valeria Richter, a Danish producer who is Head of Studies at the Torino Film Lab, also contributed to the discussion.Bonnie stated that there are many different models, and referenced earlier panelist Peter Hamilton, who advised to go to the markets, and research the subject matter particular to each producer.Helene concurred, and noted that a lot of time is spent mingling and making connections. All noted that you will always have to pay in some way for this type of funding – there is no “free money.” Costs include having to spend certain amounts of money in the country providing the funding, and legal costs.

Helene advised not to try this type of partnership strictly for the money. Go for the people you’d like to work with, and the creative competence available. Bonnie listed where the story is set, and content, as additional reasons (besides money) to form an international co-production.Several markets were discussed, such as Cannes, Cinemart, Toronto, Berlin, Trieste, and the New Cinema Market as recommended to attend.

About the Writer: Faith DeVeaux, Writer/Producer/Director, member of WIFV DC

Faith DeVeaux is the author of When Duty Calls, and the  Writer/Producer/Director of the short films The Visit and Life and  Time. She is currently in post-production with her WWII documentary  Double Victory: Two Warriors in the Fight for Civil Rights During WWII.

The Social Network: Using Social Media to Pitch and Finance Your Project

WIFTI Summit 2012 and ScriptDC
University of California Washington Center in Washington, DC
December 1, 2012 4:15-5:45

Writer: Faith DeVeaux, Writer/Producer/Director, WIFV DC Member

Using social media as a way to raise money for your project was presented by Rachell Shapiro, Director of Development and Senior Producer at Rock Creek Productions and Laurie Scheer, Associate Faculty and Associate Writer Mentor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Ms. Shapiro presented information on the most common social media sites, and presented a case study based on her own production of From Hell to
Here.

Rachell Shapiro is an award winning producer and director who has been producing top quality media content for ten years. She is currently the Director of Development and Senior Producer at Rock Creek Productions, Inc.

The most vital piece of information was to visualize the back end from the beginning of production. The benefits of using social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Linked-In include that they are free, you can build an audience and reach people that you can’t by normal networking, engage readers, learn from others, and raise funds. It is recommended to begin engagement prior to finishing your film. Rachell recommends to post two to three times a day on Facebook, but at least 5 times a day on Twitter, and to ask your followers questions. She also provided a comparison of Indiegogo versus Kickstarter.Tips are: set a fundraising goal, tell people about your project, set up contribution levels, create perks, and make a pitch video of about 2-3 minutes long. Be prepared to put in a lot of effort into the online campaign, let people know it’s a passion project, make as many connections as possible before starting your campaign, and keep in mind that campaigns 30 days or less are more successful than other lengths of time.

Laurie Scheer is a former vice president of programming for WE: Women’s Entertainment. She has worked as an assistant, d-girl, and producer for ABC, Viacom, Showtime, and AMC-Cablevision.

Laurie Scheer added to Rachell’s comments by stating that you do not have to be on all of the social media sites that are on the Web.  Development people are looking at campaigns for possible material. She then continued the discussion by listing and  showcasing sites where one can pitch projects virtually. She particularly recommends tvtracker.com to get started researching studios and their needs. On virtualpitch.com, you can post a short video of yourself pitching your idea. Other pitch sites listed include inktip.com, querytracker.com, and triggerstreet.com.  Event and conference sites include pitchcon.org, nytvf.com, moviepitch.com, fadeinonline.com, and pitchfest.com. For all of these sites, Laurie reminds us to have your work registered with the WGA and/or have the copyright before posting your project, and there is no guarantee that your work won’t be stolen.  In addition, make sure your script is ready to go if someone should contact you, and have some pre-production planning complete. Resource sites include donedealpro.com, cynopsis.com, adweek.com, ypulse.com, deadline.com, gawker.com, and mediabistro.com.

Lastly, both speakers noted that both online and traditional fundraising options can be held at the same time. A new site, seed & spark.com, which incorporates both crowd funding and distribution, was introduced.

About the Writer: Faith DeVeaux, Writer/Producer/Director, WIFV DC Member

Faith DeVeaux is the author of When Duty Calls, and the Writer/Producer/Director of the short films The Visit and Life and Time. She is currently in post-production with her WWII documentary Double Victory: Two Warriors in the Fight for Civil Rights During WWII.

Need Funding?

WIFTI Summit 2012
University of California Washington Center in Washington, DC
November 30, 2012 4:15-5:45 pm

Writer: Faith DeVeaux, Writer/Producer/Director, WIFV DC Member

Maryanne Culpepper, Woman of Vision 2011, President, National Geographic

Do you need funding? Of course! Maryanne Culpepper,
President of National Geographic Television, and Nina Seavey, Director of the Documentary Center at George Washington University, gave insights on this subject, and noted that this session was important because funding allows us to make a living at this craft, instead of it being a hobby. Both television and independent film funding options were discussed. Cable network commission opportunities are wide open, but producers must be sure to be familiar with network and the demographics
of those networks. The networks will determine the budgets and have editing control. Independent filmmakers have a tougher road for financing, but greater creative control. Dealing with investors requires legal advice. Independent filmmakers also have the option of crowdfunding sites and grants. Independent films picked up by networks  are usually acquisitions. International co-productions were highly recommended, and was described as being easier to put together as may seem. It is recommended that producers put together a one page pitch, a sizzle reel trailer of two to two and a half minutes that covers the story and key characters, and any extra material that reveal the characters, as well as a target budget and a target delivery date before making  presentations.

About the Writer: Faith DeVeaux, Writer/Producer/Director, Member of WIFV DC

Faith DeVeaux is the author of When Duty Calls, and the  Writer/Producer/Director of the short films The Visit and Life and  Time.  She is currently in post-production with her WWII documentary Double Victory: Two Warriors in the Fight for Civil Rights During WWII.