Ojai Film Festival Announces Professional Development Seminars
Four sessions designed for people who are or want to be film professionals
Left to right, Laura Caulfield, Ellen Kuras, ASC, John Branagan, and Emily Best
Access and who you know are key to advancement in almost any business, but especially film. During the first weekend of the Ojai Film Festival, four seminars will be held by film professionals for those new to the industry or filmmakers trying to learn more about the business. Each seminar will address a specific area such as legal and raising money or the craft of cinematography and stunt coordination. The seminars will be held in the Art Center Theater Gallery.
The first seminar on Saturday, November 3 at 11 am covers the topic of “Business and Legal Affairs.” Moderator Laura Caulfield, President of Entertainment Solutions, and her panel, will guide people through the complex minefield that is entertainment law. What do all the terms mean? What’s the best way to arrange a deal? The more knowledge a filmmaker possesses, the better prepared they are to achieve prosperous outcomes. Ms. Caulfield has gathered the following outstanding panelists: Michael Grizzi, Executive Vice President, Motion Picture Legal, Paramount Pictures; Scott Kanyuck, Sr. Vice President, Motion Picture Business & Legal, STX Entertainment; Rosalind Read, Vice President, E-One/Global Film Group; and, Romy Schneider, Director, Business & Legal Affairs, Activision/Blizzard Studios.
During the next seminar at 1 pm, Stuart Crowner will interview the Festival’s 2019 recipient for Lifetime Achievement in Cinematography Ellen Kuras, ASC. They will recap her career, explore her cinematic techniques in clips from her films, delve into her methods of achieving special images, and discuss her career transition from documentaries to features. She will go through the various techniques she uses to create her cinematic vision. A Q&A will follow the screenings and discussion. Ms. Kuras is a pioneer best known for her work in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
Emily Best, CEO of Seed&Spark is the leading online fundraiser for filmmakers. At 4 pm, she will speak on “The Art of the Pitch.” If you convey the specifics about your project in a dynamic, succinct way you will land not only investors, but collaborators, audience members, and more. Ms. Best founded Seed&Spark in 2012 after experiencing firsthand the struggles of crowdfunding for filmmakers while making the feature film Like the Water. Seed&Spark quickly expanded to offer comprehensive crowdfunding education. She is now the leading online fundraiser with the highest campaign success rate in the world (80%). Emily has raised millions of dollars in traditional funding, equity crowdfunding, and rewards-based crowdfunding, and contributed to over 300 crowdfunding campaigns to date.
On Sunday, November 4 at 4 pm, “Action in Film – How they really create breathtaking film stunts,“ is the topic with stuntman and stunt coordinator, John Branagan, who is the winner of a 2008 Taurus World Stunt Award for Live Free or Die Hard. With over 100 films and television shows on his resume, John continues to work as a stuntman/stunt coordinator. John will show clips from films illustrating various stunts and explain how the actors achieved them.