How to Shoot a Feature Film in 15 Days
Webinar hosted by: Stephen Mitchell
Director, Producer, Author
About Stephen Mitchell: In 1980, Stephen founded an entertainment industry think tank labeled The New Hollywood Studio System in the guise of a repertory company for film and television. He authored the Action/ReAction technique for actors and founded a film school with curricula for writers and directors. Stephen supervised the group until 2001. In 1985, Stephen launched his cable TV series (Interview). The series, lauded by critics, attracted a cult following that included Oscar, Emmy, Peabody and Grammy winners. It attracted buyers for Stephen's story ideas and generated a first-look deal for him with TriStar Pictures. In 2001, Stephen wrote How to Start a Hollywood Career Without Having to Go There: An Instruction Manual For Actors with Kathi Carey. He was a CableAce Awards judge for nine years. Over the years, Stephen has made a dozen independent movies none of which are on IMDB, but that's a story for a blog post and will be part of the discussion in his webinar for Stage 32. Stephen is producing a documentary on the Ferrari 250 GTO, one of which he used to own. He produced Carrera Panamericana (1950-54) and was a co-producer on Addiction Incorporated with Charlie Evans Jr. (The Aviator). He is currently producing a DVD series Elys'ee Wednesday: Drive! and a TV series Tennessee Long Haulers. Last year, he wrote his first novels, Ignorance is Bliss, and Ray D. Shosay's Journal: Dispatches from a (junior) suite in Paris and is now writing a book about his Ferrari GTO which is worth forty million dollars and is currently owned by Ralph Lauren. Full Bio »
Webinar Summary
Stage 32 presents a webinar by Stephen Mitchell on how to make movies using a logical, if unconventional, approach that will establish your brand as a filmmaker and accelerate your career.
There is nothing like having a movie producing credit to separate you from the crowd. Whether you are a writer, director or actor, the quickest way to move your career forward is to produce a movie. Find out how to get it done while everyone else is waiting for Divine Intervention.
Stephen Mitchell
This is an special webinar event exclusively for Stage 32 members.
What You'll Learn
What You'll Learn:
- Why 'If the mountain will not come to Muhammad, there's no point to being Muhammad" should color everything you do as a filmmaker
- How to use an actor's brand in order to make your film more compelling (or how to brand the actor if he or she doesn't appear to have one)
- Why you must film your truth rather than your story
- How saying you're sorry is better than asking for permission applies to the art of independent (and not-so-independent) filmmaking
- Why it is better to film out of town regardless of where you live?
- How to get impossible-to-get locations for your film shoots
- Why are budgets extraneous
- What to do when you discover that your leading actor a) gets a much shorter haircut a week into production or that b) he can't act
- Find out why a book on marketing will be the most important book you ever read about advancing your film career
- Why the senior dictate in Hollywood isn't "It's who you know" but rather "It's who knows about you."
- Why you should know your own brand as a filmmaker before you shoot your first scene
- That everything you put on the screen sends a message and how to make sure it is your message
About Your Instructor
Stephen Mitchell
FAQs
Q: How do I watch my webinar live?
A: If you received a confirmation that your webinar is on Go to Webinar, you will receive an email from Go to Webinar with further instructions for participating in the live webinar. You can also access your webinar link in your purchase history located under settings in the top right-hand corner of your Stage 32 profile.
If you received a confirmation that your webinar is on Zoom, you will receive a separate email from Zoom with further instructions for participating in the live webinar. Your login link will not be in your Stage 32 profile. If you did not receive your link via Zoom please email support@stage32.com.
Q: How do I watch my webinar on demand?
A: You will be able to watch your webinar on demand as many times as you’d like inside your Stage 32 profile. The recording is processed and posted between 24-48 hours after the webinar concludes. You can follow the instructions below.
YOU MUST HAVE A STAGE 32 PROFILE TO WATCH YOUR VIDEO – STAGE 32 IS FREE TO JOIN
If You Already Have a Stage 32 Profile:
- Log into your Stage 32 profile
- Click "Settings" in the top right-hand corner (gear icon)
- Click "Purchase History"
- Choose this webinar and click the link to view
- Go to www.stage32.com
- Create a profile using the SAME email address you used to sign up for this webinar. The email addresses must match in order to watch the webinar.
- Once you have your profile set up, you can view the webinar by clicking "Settings" in the top right hand corner (gear icon)
- Click "Purchase History"
- Choose this webinar and click the link to view
Q: What is the format of a webinar?
A: Stage 32 Next Level Webinars are typically 90-minute educational broadcasts that take place online using a designated software program from Stage 32. Your webinar will be taught by a working industry professional with in-depth teaching on a topic. If you are able to attend live you will be able to ask your Stage 32 Educator questions during Q&A.
Q: What are the system requirements to watch my webinar live?
A: You will need to meet the following system requirements in order to run the webinar software: Windows 7 or later Mac OS X 10.9 (Mavericks) or later.
If you have Windows XP, Windows Vista and Mac OS X 10.9 (Mountain Lion): The webinar software does not support these operating systems. If you are running one of those operating systems, please upgrade now in order to be able to view a live webinar. Upgrade your Windows computer / Upgrade your Mac computer.
Q: What if I cannot attend the live webinar?
A: If you cannot attend a live webinar or purchase an on demand webinar, you will have access to the entire recorded broadcast, including the Q&A.
Q: Will I have access to the webinar afterward to re-watch?
A: Yes! Like all Stage 32 education, after the purchase of a live or on demand webinar, you will have on-demand access to the recording.
Q: How do I get a copy of the handouts provided?
A: If the webinar you take included handouts you can find them as downloads underneath your on demand video. You must be logged into your Stage 32 profile to view the video and get the handouts by clicking settings in the top right hand corner, then clicking purchase history.
Q: What if I need accessibility and accommodations?
A: Email support@stage32.com to request accommodations.
Thanks for your loyalty to Stage 32 Education. We value having you in the Stage 32 community.
If you have any further questions, we are always happy to help. Please contact Stage 32 support at support@stage32.com.
Testimonials
Testimonials:
"I originally started working with Stephen as an actress, but he very quickly decided that I needed to learn writing, producing and directing. I protested, at first, but boy am I glad he insisted. Under his guidance and mentorship I learned everything I use today in my career as a filmmaker. To date, I have had two films go out worldwide on the festival circuit that I wrote, produced and directed, both of which won numerous awards and accolades and the second of which was in the pool to be nominated for an Academy Award in 2011. I currently have two more films that are just starting their festival journeys, along with several projects in development. Stephen's approach combines real-world practicalities with proven techniques, so you're not just learning a methodology taught from a book or a classroom, you're learning practical, useful tools that you can immediately apply to your own work." - Kathi Carey, Stage 32 member, Actress/Writer/Producer/Director
"I had the opportunity to work with Stephen on EW:Drive! and really enjoyed the way he approached directing. His natural ease behind the camera put all of us in front of it at ease while driving some very expensive classic supercars. Stephen knows how to bring out the best in a moment and let the performer's personality shine through, while highlighting the important points in the storyline. I think I speak for all of us involved when I say that I look forward to filming the next episode with him!" - Kira Gurnee, Stage 32 member, Actress/Producer/Director
"Stephen Mitchell is a lover of cinema . From my chats with Stephen, I have learned so much about the magic of cinema, especially about the subliminal on the screen and breaking down scenes that make audience members swoon--from acting, directing, producing and writing. He has enriched me with breakdowns on blocking, cinematography, actors actions and reactions, to branding and why is important and how to connect with as many constitute groups in the audience as possible. Stephen is an encyclopedia about movies, from old Hollywood to the new and beyond, mixed with interesting stories about the industry and the stars themselves! Take a webinar with Stephen and you will walk away much wiser and entertained!" - Rachael Wegener, Stage 32 member, Actress/Producer/Director
"The gift of being around and working with Stephen is not only to witness how his brilliant, avant-garde mind works but to also be the beneficiary of his innate filmmaking intelligence." - Tom Gurnee, Stage 32 member, Actor/Writer, author of Moving to L.A. for Acting
Relevant Tags
Share with friends:
Questions?
Other education that may be of interest to you:
How To Find Distribution For Your Indie Film
When making an independent film, finishing the film is only half the battle. You need people to actually see the film you’ve worked so hard on. When it comes to distribution, it’s important to know how to get your film into the worldwide marketplace. Once it’s there, you need to know how to generate interest toward it so the film can make its money back for the investors and back-end participants. Distribution comes in all shapes and sizes, but what kind of distribution is right for your indie film? Sometimes it means getting your film distributed by a studio; sometimes it’s creating a self-distribution path. Sometimes —- most typically — the distribution lands somewhere in between. Every film is different and therefore requires a different marketing plan, release strategy, and team behind it that have the passion and drive to get the most out of its release amongst the myriad other movies available. In this on-demand Stage 32 Next Level Webinar, host Tiffany Boyle will get into the details of what the independent distribution process looks like. She will go over how to get the right representative, foreign sales agent, and domestic distribution, and the different options for each based upon the size, genre and execution of a film. She will also discuss what the key points are to look at when reviewing a foreign sales agent and/or domestic distribution deal. Filmmakers should be making an informed decision when choosing who will be handling the licensing of their film for the next 3-25 years, and Tiffany is here exclusively for Stage 32 to help you navigate the ever-evolving world of indie distribution. Tiffany Boyle is the President at Ramo Law and works with producers, financiers and writer clients to bring their new material to life. Having been a Director of Sales at Crystal Sky Pictures, Tiffany has an extensive background in foreign sales. She now works with the attorneys to review, collaborate, develop, submit and supervise creative materials on behalf of clients within the firm. Tiffany has worked on over 100 features including, Stuck In Love, Pawn, Gimme Shelter, Maladies, and I-Lived. She has been to AFM, Berlin, Tribeca, TIFF, Sundance, and Cannes and is constantly expanding her knowledge of how to match films with production and distribution companies.
How To Turn An Initial "No" From An Investor Into Money For Your Film
Learn how to secure money for your film even after an investor says "no" from a producer whose raised over $15MM for her own projects and whose films have been in theaters, on HBO, Hallmark, Starz, Showtime, and more. Plus! You will receive an Investor Pitch Flow Chart, Sample Sponsorship Tiers, Sample Wish List, and a Sample In-Kind Letter of Intent to use on your own projects! Many filmmakers run into the same problem over and over again during their careers: they write a great script or find an exciting piece of IP, finish development, set up a meeting with an interested investor to fund the project then…the investors passes for any number of reasons. At this point, many filmmakers stop trying with that investor, curl into a ball and question why they chose this crazy industry, indulge in a pint of ice cream or bottle of wine, and threaten to quit the business. However, this does NOT need to be the case! There are steps that you can take with the investor who said "no" that can lead you to money for your film and we archer to show you how it's done. So, what exactly do you do when you get the dreaded "no" from a potential investor? This exclusive Stage 32 webinar will help you to make a little mindset shift and see every “no” as a wonderful opportunity to still finance your film…which oftentimes becomes the case! Here's how it's done... More often than not, the investor is excited about the project (they did take your meeting after all) but the financial ask is a bit too steep for their capabilities at the moment. So, it makes sense to approach them again with a new strategy. The strategic shift you need is simple and involves thinking as creatively on the business end as you have on the artistic end. When you are in this critical phase of raising money for your film, you are relationship building; you need to think about how you can reposition the deal, create partnerships, or potentially find "soft costs" to cut your budget to save money thus sweetening the deal. Working these types of angles with the potential investors who say "no" starts up fresh conversations and can lead to the success you're looking for. You’ll find that with the right tools and mindset at your disposal, the investor who initially told you "no" will become the perfect resource to help finance your film, expand your network, and get your film closer to a green light into production. Teaching you how to turn a “no” into actual financing for your film is producer and executive Sara Elizabeth Timmins, founder of Life Out Loud Films. Sara Elizabeth has raised over $15MM for her own projects using the tactics she is sharing in her webinar. Her films have been seen in theaters, on HBO, The Hallmark Channel, Starz, Showtime and internationally. She has worked with talented actors like Josh Lucas, Jane Seymour, Ellen Burstyn, Chris Cooper and Mackenzie Foy and writers like NY Times Best Selling Author David Baldacci. Sara Elizabeth has found success on numerous films by leveraging people who initially said "no" to an investment but whose connections, resources, and passion helped her save hundreds of thousands of dollars in in-kind, sponsorship, donations and connections. PLUS! Sara Elizabeth will provide you exclusive handouts you can use throughout your financing process. Downloads include: Investor Pitch Flow Chart - This Is A Step-By-Step Guide On How To Navigate An Investor's “No” Into Multiple Options That Can Lead To Money For Your Project Sample Sponsorship Tiers Sample Wish List Sample In-Kind Letter of Intent What you learn from Sara Elizabeth today can help get your movie financed and made tomorrow! Praise For Sara Elizabeth's Previous Stage 32 Webinars "Sara Elizabeth is just phenomenal. She teaches through her experience and successes, which really helped me learn how to navigate my filmmaking process." -- Mary S. "I've taken a handful of filmmaking and producing courses and none have compared to working with Sara Elizabeth. She is not only knowledgeable, but also cares about her students and offers help in any way she can!" -- Amanda B. "Sara Elizabeth really impressed me across the board. Her expertise, personality, and approach to the business and art of making movies is really top notch." -- Nick L.
Producing Class: How to Budget & Manage a Production
Learn How To Budget and Manage Your Film or TV Project from an Emmy Winning Producer Whether you’re a producer, director, or a department head, budgeting and managing your production is the key to creating a successful film. In this exclusive, on-demand 4-session Stage 32 class you’ll learn how to identify and determine your budget needs and learn tips and tricks to keeping on budget and making the most of each dollar. You’ll find out how to not only plan for each day, but to execute with the end-game in mind. Whether it’s a film festival premiere, distribution with a streaming platform, awards, or a theatrical release, you need to know where you’re going in order to pave the road to success. A poorly planned film can derail quickly and the budget can balloon out of control. If you don’t have the right tools, resources, and foresight, you’ll end up with a film that can’t be completed. This class and assignments will help you identify the budget level that’s right for your film, point you to the tools to manage it, and provide you with tips for building relationships and resources to support your efforts. Class take-aways prepare you for creating and managing a company of crew, cast, and stakeholders. You’ll come away from this class with the knowledge to ask the right questions and build a solid plan for your next film. Sharing this invaluable information for you exclusively through Stage 32 is Allison Vanore, an Emmy Award-winning producer with projects at Amazon Prime, NBC Universal, Canvas Media Studios, Facebook Watch, and more. She produced the six-time Emmy-winning series AFTER FOREVER and directed the follow-up special RILEY'S UNFORGETTABLE SCHOOL PROJECT, for which she was awarded the Television Academy Chairman's Pillar Award for getting the production back to work safely during the pandemic. She also produced the award-winning series DARK/WEB and currently produces digital content for Mattel's doll brands, American Girl and Barbie. She was previously the Head of Production at Canvas Media Studios. Having produced films during these significant union, health, and safety changes, Allison is uniquely equipped to highlight the obstacles you're about to face and show you how to circumvent them. WHAT MAKES THIS CLASS UNIQUE How to identify essential elements in your script during development. Practice assignments for creating a plan for a crew of 60 people And more great resources!
How to Start a Career in Independent Producing
There aren’t a lot of jobs more challenging than that of an independent producer, but there also might not be any job as rewarding. It’s the producer who turns a bunch of ideas and dreams into reality and a singular product that can be enjoyed by people all over the world. What can be better than essentially creating something out of nothing? From conception and pre-production through distribution and beyond, the producer is with the film from beginning to end, builds the team, and makes the decisions that ultimately make the project a failure or success. This role is an enigmatic one, though, since it covers so much. This can also make it feel difficult or overwhelming to break into. So how does someone actually start off a career in producing in the first place? There is no one correct way to become a successful producer, especially in the indie space. However there are three main paths that most working film producers have taken to get to where they are today: the executive path, the production path, and the independent path. Each path comes with its share of obstacles, but each can also provide the education, connections, and wherewithal to spark a successful career making movies. Better understanding how to find success through these tracks can help you turn your aspirations of becoming a working independent producer into a reality. Jim Young of Animus Films is a leading independent producer, with almost two dozen films under his belt. Jim has created a successful career producing true-story films such as THE CATCHER WAS A SPY with Paul Rudd, LIFE OF A KING with Oscar-winner Cuba Gooding Jr., THE MAN WHO KNEW INFINITY with Oscar-nominee Dev Patel, LOVELACE with Oscar-nominee James Franco and Amanda Seyfried, and the upcoming film, THE PEOPLE VS. VEGAS DAVE. Jim has a long history of producing critically acclaimed features and documentaries including YEAR OF THE BULL at Showtime, THE WORDS with Oscar-nominee Bradley Cooper and Zoe Saldana. Through years of successes and challenges, Jim has learned what it takes to be a working full-time producer and is excited to share what he knows with the Stage 32 community. Jim will explain what it means to be an independent producer and the three main paths you can take to become a full-time producer of your own. Jim will first talk about the main skill set and duties of an independent film producer and give you an honest explanation of what this job really looks like. Next he will explain cow you can start your career as a producer through the three most common career paths: the executive path, the physical production path, and the independent path. For each, Jim will talk about how to get your foot in the door and how best to use these opportunities to learn what you need to get yourself ready to become your own producer. Jim will then teach you how to find longevity as an independent producer and share with you some of the biggest lessons he’s learned through his career. If you’ve ever been interested in starting a career as an independent producer and making the types of films you’ve always been passionate about, Jim will give you the tools and tips you’ll need to make that actually happen. Want to work more closely with Jim? Send your script to Jim and speak with him for an hour by clicking here.
The Step by Step Process of Developing a Book Into a Film or Television Series
Join A Prolific Producer Of Movies Based On Books Including THE CATCHER WAS A SPY and THE MAN WHO KNEW INFINITY Some of the most well regarded recent feature films and television shows were based on books, including the Oscar-nominated Little Women, JoJo Rabbit, The Two Popes, The Irishman and the Emmy-nominated Game of Thrones, Chernobyl, Fosse/Verdon, Sharp Objects and many more. Authors spend months, if not years, formulating characters and worlds that make it onto the printed page. This creativity serves as great source material that would translate greatly to the big or small screen. If you're an author who's written a novel and are looking to get it adapted, a screenwriter that's written a script based off a book you have (or would like to obtain) the rights to, or a producer or financier who has the rights or are circling securing the rights to a property you believe would make a great film or TV show, you need to understand the steps to take to obtain the rights, protect yourself legally, and make the development process a smooth and enjoyable ride. Discovering an adaptation-worthy story can be as simple as stumbling across an interesting book or article at a bookstore, library or newsstand. Understanding how to obtain the rights and develop that material effectively is the harder part. It takes meticulous planning and approach to be able to get the rights to the desired intellectual property and successfully adapt and develop the material. Many factors go into getting an adaptation to the screen including negotiations, legal hurdles and making sure you're staying authentic to the source material. Once misstep and it could derail an amazing project. You need to be prepared. Jim Young has produced films adapted off of books and intellectual property such as The Catcher Was a Spy (starring Paul Rudd), Lovelace (starring James Franco, Sharon Stone, and Amanda Seyfried) and The Man Who Knew Infinity (starring Dev Patel, Jeremy Irons, Toby Jones, and Stephen Fry) and Life of King (starring Cuba Gooding Jr.). He's had his films premiere at Sundance, Tribeca, SXSW and has earned himself a reputation of being an expert in adaptations. Through years of working with authors, publishers, talent, financiers and distributors Jim knows how to adapt a book into a film and TV series from start to finish. Jim will teach you how to acquire the rights to a book you're interested and go over where to look for title, how to approach the author and publisher and how to close the deal. He'll give advice on the story development process and how to engage the author during that time, as well as tips on how to avoid liability. You'll learn two essential people you must have in your pre-production phase and how to work with the cast, crew and author on set. You will get insider tips on what to do before your film or TV show hits the screen to gain momentum for your project. And, finally, Jim will give you six legal elements to have in place prior to your project's release. PRAISE FOR JIM'S TEACHINGS: "Thanks Jim, your insight was invaluable" --Michele E. "I listened to this from the perspective of a comercially published author. I learned so much. Many Thanks" -- Lucy S.
Storytelling in the Metaverse
A New Exclusive Stage 32 Webinar Learn about the Metaverse from a writer-director who works in virtual reality, video games, and immersive entertainment around the world. One of the biggest opportunities (and buzzwords) to appear in the 21st century: The Metaverse. So what is the Metaverse? Where is it? And are we in it now? How does gaming, filmmaking, and XR fit into this space? Will it really "change everything?" And if Disney appointed a Chief Metaverse Officer, what does that mean for our industry? All these answers and more await you in this webinar! If we don't understand what Web3 means and all its opportunities, we, in the entertainment world, stand to lose out to corporations and big studio productions. Web3 is here and as entertainment professionals (from producers to writers) don't grasp the meaning of it you risk losing out on the biggest advancement in the entertainment biz since YouTube and streaming. Blumhouse ran an immersive experience in 2021 and Netflix regularly has immersive launches for their content. Here's the great news... you do NOT have to be a computer wizard to understand this space or create in this space... it's one of the greatest level playing fields today in entertainment. But you DO need to understand the basics of what it actually IS and the basics of immersive storytelling. Stage 32 has exclusively brought in Christopher Morrison, a multi-talented writer-director-educator who has worked on VR, video games, and immersive entertainments all around the globe. His VR branching narrative “The Werewolf Experience” is currently in festivals after winning multiple pitch contests and being in the Stereopsia Booster program. His next VR project “Drunk Zombie Duelists'' received a grant from the Dutch government to shoot its proof of concept in 2021. It was also selected for the Stereopsia Booster program the same year. His feature film ‘The Bellwether’ was released in 2019. He has written and directed 360° films and recently added “Narrative Designer” to his credits as he’s written and designed for the multiple videogames. Cirque du Soleil called him “A huge asset to the creative process.” He frequently speaks on storytelling in WEB3.0, recently addressing the House of Lords in England, and he will be a guest speaker at the LEAP conference in Saudi Arabia in February of ’23. Not only will this webinar explore what the term "Metaverse" means, but also how it is being actually applied by businesses and the entertainment world alike. Finally, we will also address how we can tell stories in these brand-new immersive spaces (some of which already exist). You have metaverse questions... the answers are here. PRAISE FROM CHRIS'S TEACHINGS: "I am very excited to be working with Stage 32, I love what they have been doing for the industry, in fact I use Stage 32 quite frequently!” -Christopher Morrison "Fantastic, meaty, fast-paced entertaining class." -- Brenda K.
Register / Log In
