Education Series
Pre-Festival Education Events
New Generation Filmmaking Workshop
For middle and high school students
Saturday, October 27, 2007
10 AM to 2 PM. Bring a bag lunch
Pre-registration required: Free!
Call 828-251-6731
Screening of Past Year’s Award Winning Films
Saturday, October 27 and Sunday, October 28
012 Karpen Hall UNCA Campus
Free!
Authorized Apple Final Cut Pro 6 Training Course
Tuesday, November 6 through Thursday, November 8
Pre-registration and participation fee required
818-970-7708 http://www.weynand.com
Festival Education Offerings
All educational offerings are free to the public. Seating is limited and on a first come, first served basis.
Apple Sponsored Workshops
Session Leader: Francis Shepherd of Apple, Inc.
Friday, 11am-5pm and Saturday, 10 am-1pm
Pack Place Gallery
Introduction to Final Cut Studio 2
Friday, November 9: 9:00 am-10:30 am
Discover the intuitive power of new creative tools designed expressly for Final Cut Pro editors. Rapidly move through editing to motion graphics, audio editing and mixing, color grading, and delivery using Final Cut Studio 2.
Introduction to Motion
Friday, November 9: 11:00 am-12:30 pm
Create stunning 2D and 3D motion graphics in real time with Motion 3, the fastest and most intuitive way to animate and express your creative vision.
Advanced Final Cut Post-Production
Friday, November 9: 1:30 pm-3:00 pm
Final Cut Pro is at the center of integrated post-production workflows with Motion 3, Soundtrack Pro 2, Compressor 3, DVD Studio Pro 4, and Color ï¿_ a brand-new application for professional color grading. This session explores advanced roundtripping techniques with Final Cut Studio 2.
Introduction to Color
Friday, November 9: 3:30 pm-5:00 pm
Give your production a signature look or create a consistent feel for shots from different sources. Color is the newest member of the Final Cut Studio family, offering professional color grading that can elevate the quality of any production.
Introduction to Final Cut Studio 2
Saturday, November 10: 10:00 am-12:00 pm
Discover the intuitive power of new creative tools designed expressly for Final Cut Pro editors. Rapidly move through editing to motion graphics, audio editing and mixing, color grading, and delivery using Final Cut Studio 2.
Advanced Rich Media Production with Final Cut Studio 2
Saturday, November 10: 1:00 pm-2:30 pm
Final Cut Studio 2 is at the heart of a complete rich media production environment. Join us as we explore techniques for podcast creation, device delivery, media asset management, and integrated media production for Web 2.0 solutions.
Sound Design for Independent Film
Session Leader: John Sisti
Friday, November 9, 9-10 a.m.
The Ritz Building, 2nd Floor
Investment in good sound design pays huge dividends by increasing the emotional impact of motion pictures and expanding the screen. This session will explore production sound, construction of sound motifs, and utilizing inspiration in sound design.
John Sisti is Professor of Sound Design at the Savannah College of Arts and Design. His expansive list of credits includes Golden Reel nominations for his work as ADR Editor on Bram Stoker’s Dracula and as Supervising Sound Editor on Mad About You. Dracula won the Academy Award for Best Sound Effects Editing, and Mad About You won multiple Emmys for Outstanding Achievement in Sound.
“Coffee Talk” – Documentaries
Friday, November 9, 9:30-10:30 a.m.
The Ritz Building, 3rd Floor
Join a discussion forum for local, regional and visiting documentary filmmakers and documentary enthusiasts. The focus will range from a general discussion of the genre to specifics about budgeting, production, planning, shooting, editing, post production, marketing and legalities.
Filmmaking for Beginners
Session Leader: Don Diefenbach
Friday, November 9, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
The Ritz Building – 2nd Floor
Do you want to be a filmmaker but lack the training and experience? This session is designed to get you started on the road to creating your own motion pictures using digital video technology. Participants will explore the fundamentals of story structure, the visual language, and survey the tools and techniques for putting your ideas on the big screen.
Donald Diefenbach is Associate Professor of Mass Communication at the University of North Carolina at Asheville and Author of “Video Production Techniques: Theory and Practice from Concept to Screen.” His professional credits include educational, corporate, and broadcast television programming.
Success in Writing and Directing
Session Leaders: Don Mancini, Tim Kirkman & Jack Sholder
Friday, November 9, 1-2 p.m.
The Ritz Building – 2nd Floor
Don Mancini, Tim Kirkman and Jack Sholder will share their experiences, successes and pitfalls in the industry. The audience will have ample opportunity to ask specific questions of this knowledgeable panel.
Tim Kirkman, A N.C. Native, Tim Kirkman made his feature film debut in 1997 with the documentary DEAR JESSE about N.C. Senator Helms. DEAR JESSE earned an Emmy, GLAAD, Gotham and Independent Spirit Award Nominations and was named Best Documentary of the Year by the Boston Society of Film Critics. His debut feature film, LOGGERHEADS, premiered at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival and was released in 2006. He recently completed KITTY HAWK, a screenplay for a feature film about the Wright Brothers.
Don Mancini created the Child’s Play franchise, the phenomenally successful series of horror movies featuring “Chucky” the killer doll. Mancini wrote the screenplay for all five films in the series, and made his directorial debut with the latest, 2004’s Seed Of Chucky.
Jack Sholder, after a career as an Emmy award winning editor, directed his first feature in 1982 for New Line Cinema, Alone in the Dark with Martin Landau, Jack Palance and Donald Pleasance. He then wrote Where Are the Children for Columbia, and directed Nightmare on Elm Street II. Sholder’s other feature and television credits include The Hidden, By Dawn’s Early Light, 12:01, Tales from the Crypt, and Twelve Days of Terror.
Creative Distribution
Session Leaders: Greg Gardner & Adam Birnbaum
Friday, November 9, 2:30-3:30 p.m.
The Ritz Building – 2nd Floor
Picture this: Your film has been on the market for a year. You’ve been to all the festivals, got some awards, received great feedback from the audiences but you still don’t have a distribution deal. This panel will explore the creative ways to go about getting distribution.
Adam Birnbaum is the Director of Business Development and Film Programming for the Avon Theatre in Stamford, CT. Adam spearheaded the effort to revive this shuttered downtown cinema into a 2-screen not-for-profit art house. He is also the President of Nova Theatre Circuit, an independent film buying and programming service for over 30 art house screens in the United States, including the Fine Arts in Asheville, NC. He serves as a part-time consultant for Shadow Distribution and Double Exposure LLC.
Gregory S. Gardner is the product division manager at Laemmle Theatres, and has been with the filmmaker friendly Southern California chain for almost 20 years, booking films and special events. Recently he has formed C*ME (Cinematic Media Events) a distribution source that coordinates booking, publicity, marketing and advertising services for the independent producer and director looking to open their films theatrically, especially geared toward AMPAS eligibility for feature documentaries. Gregory has spoken on panels at various film festivals and film forums, and has been at the forefront of independent cinema through out his career.
“Coffee Talk” – Narrative Features
Saturday, November 10, 9-10 a.m.
The Ritz Building, 3rd Floor
Join a forum for local, regional, visiting narrative filmmakers and enthusiasts to discuss all aspects of narrative film from finding cast and crew to production, post production and marketing. Guerilla filmmaking is also a potential topic to explore.
The Art of Editing
Session Leader: Jack Sholder
Saturday, November 10, 9:30-10:15 a.m.
The Ritz Building – 2nd Floor
A film has three lives: in the script, in front of the camera, and in the editing room. Jack Sholder will discuss what he’s learned about the art and craft of editing.
Jack Sholder, after a career as an Emmy award winning editor, directed his first feature in 1982 for New Line Cinema, Alone in the Dark with Martin Landau, Jack Palance and Donald Pleasance. He then wrote Where Are the Children for Columbia, and directed Nightmare on Elm Street II. Sholder’s other feature and television credits include The Hidden, By Dawn’s Early Light, 12:01, Tales from the Crypt, and Twelve Days of Terror.
New Generation Screening
Saturday, November 10, 10-11 a.m.
Fine Arts Theatre – Lower presented by The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa
Middle and high school students from Western North Carolina teamed up with mentors at the University of North Carolina at Asheville’s Mass Communication Department to produce these awesome short films. Come to our world premiere! The filmmakers will be there to share their experience and address your questions.
Distribution Panel
Session Leaders: Rebecca Lipman and Michael Tuckman
Saturday, November 10, 10:45-11:30 a.m.
The Ritz – 2nd Floor
Ask the experts what it takes to get a distribution deal with Thinkfilm or Seventh Art Releasing. Michael Tuckman, Thinkfilm and Rebecca Lipman, Seventh Art Releasing will answers your questions on acquiring the most lucrative deal for your film.
Rebecca Lipman is the head of theatrical distribution and marketing at Seventh Art Releasing, a theatrical, foreign sales and specialized marketing company for independent films. 7th Art’s films have received numerous awards, including an Oscar and seven Academy Award nominations (all documentaries). Currently in release are “Steal a Pencil for Me” (with Netflix) and “Oswald’s Ghost” (with PBS).
Michael Tuckman is the Vice President of Theatrical Sales for THINKFilm, serving in this position since the inception of the company over six years ago. He has constructed and implemented the release plans and successful theatrical platforms and rollouts of all of THINKFilm’s titles, including Oscar winner Born Into Brothels, Oscar nominees Murderball, The Story of the Weeping Camel, Spellbound, and Half Nelson, the box office smash The Aristocrats, and the upcoming Oscar hopefuls Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead and The Walker. A veteran of the industry for nearly ten years, Tuckman previously held a similar position with The Cinema Guild. A graduate of Rice University, Tuckman also studied at the prestigious Film Academy in Prague (FAMU) and began his career in the film industry through various film festivals.
Success in the Industry
Session Leaders: Robby Benson and Andie MacDowell
Saturday, November 10, Noon-1 p.m.
The Ritz – 2nd Floor
Industry veterans Robby Benson and Andie MacDowell will be on hand to take questions from the audience.
Robby Benson’s full bio is listed under festival judges.
Andie MacDowell’s career as a model and actress spans two decades with such credits as Michael, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Groundhog Day, and Sex, Lies and Videotape. Andie has worked with such industry veterans John Travolta, Diane Keaton, Bill Murray, Drew Barrymore and Steven Soderbergh. Andie also serves as the honorary chair for the Asheville Film Festival.
Great Beginnings: Starting the Screenplay
Session Leader: Terry Curtis Fox
Saturday, November 11, 1:30-2:15 pm
The Ritz Building, 2nd Floor
It’s arguable that the single most important scene in any script is the opening scene. Not only do opening sequences set the tone and pace of the following film, they are arguably essential for getting the script sold and the movie made.
Film and television screenwriter (and WCU associate professor) Terry Curtis Fox will lead a lecture demonstration utilizing great opening scenes – how do they work? What do they do? How do they influence the story and characters of the film?
This workshop is both for those who wish to write screenplays and those who want a peek at how the professional writer works.
Terry Curtis Fox is a screenwriter, playwright, and journalist. His screen work includes the Miramax feature Fortress, the HBO feature Perfect Witness, and the forthcoming UGC feature A Very Simple Crime (co-written with Nicholas Kazan and to be directed by Barbet Schroeder). Among his more notable television credits are Hill Street Blues, The Marshal, and the Showtime series The Hunger, for which he served as co-show runner. His plays have been produced by the Organic Theatre of Chicago as well as New York’s Playwrights Horizons and the Performance Group. His play Cops was recently revived in Los Angeles and has been performed throughout the country for more than two decades. He served as a critic for both the Chicago Reader and the Village Voice, has taught at USC and WCU, and was a member of the Board of Directors of the WGA west for nine years.
ART, BEAUTY, FILM (and Business...)
Session Leader: Ken & Beth Eisen
Saturday, November 11, 2:45-3:45 p.m.
The Ritz Building
For those of us in the business of making, distributing and/or showing movies, the excitement and monetary pressures attending what we do can often make us almost forget why we’re involved in this medium in the first place: Film has the ability to move us, to shake us, to stimulate us as no other art form. If you’re going into film for fame or fortune, you’d have a better shot as an investment banker or wild animal trainer. But beyond that, you’re likely to betray a truly wondrous art form. Beth and Ken Eisen, President and Vice-President for Acquisitions of Shadow Distribution, the Maine-based specialized film company whose releases include the indie phenom “The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill,” Oscar nominee “The Weather Underground,” and Laurent Cantet’s “Heading South” with Charlotte Rampling, will discuss the intersection of art and commerce in the film world.
Beth Eisen is Vice-president for Acquisitions for Shadow Distribution. She is also co-Founder and co-Programmer of the Maine International Film Festival.
Ken Eisen is co-founder and President of Shadow Distribution. He is also the co-founder and President of Waterville, Maine’s Railroad Square Cinema, and co-founder/co-Programmer of the Maine International Film Festival. He teaches film at Colby College and the University of Maine at Augusta, was film critic for the Maine Times, and a contributor to Film Quarterly and Cineaste.
Technical Exhibits
In between the fantastic films and educational seminars browse through the variety of technical exhibits that will be displayed. Be sure to swing by Pack Place where there will be a collection of products, equipment and contact information for local production crew for your next film project. Pack Place will house a variety of locations that are film-friendly and have been used in multiple productions.