50 Years of Filmmaking: Tricks I’ve Learnt
A masterclass with Phillip Noyce
Saturday, March 2nd
3:00-4:30pm Masterclass / 4:30- 5:30pm Reception
Hosted at The Australian Embassy
Tickets here – only available in advance / $22 (limited seating)
Join award winning Australian Filmmaker Phillip Noyce (bio below) for a Masterclass and Conversation on the art and craft of film-making. He has directed over 19 films including: Clear and Present Danger, Newsfront, The Quiet American, Salt, The Saint, among many many others.
Join us for an up close and personal masterclass as he traces his enormously successful career spanning over fifty years and gives you some insider tips about the film industry. A highly engaging speaker, Phillip Noyce will make this event one to remember. You name will be at the door. ID is required for entrance into the Embassy.
ENTERTAINMENT LAW 101:
Contracts, Intellectual Property and Beyond
Sunday, March 3rd
1:00pm – 2:30pm
At The Fridge Art Center
$15 in advance here or at the door (students/WIFV/TIVA $11)
Join Washington Area Lawyers For The Arts (WALA) attorneys Brian Frankel, Sandra Aistars, and John Mason for a macro level discussion about contracts, copyright, fair use, work for hire, licensing, registration, releases, trademarks, and other legal topics of importance for filmmakers and creative professionals. Moderated by John Mason, Copyright Counselors, WALA Board President.
John D. Mason of Copyright Counselors, LLC is an art, entertainment and intellectual property attorney, and literary agent. He is based in the Washington DC/Maryland area. His practice focuses on copyright and trademark transactional matters, litigation, publishing and media issues, contracts, and commercial matters. In addition to his law practice, Mr. Mason is adjunct faculty teaching Entertainment Law at UDC Law School, past adjunct teaching Art and the Law at George Mason University, Board President of Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts, and past Advisory Board member of the Art Directors Club of Metropolitan Washington.
Brian A. Frankel is an attorney and producer who represents film & video producers, media distribution companies, screenwriters, Fortune 50 companies, technology startups, government contractors, online retailers, marketplaces, social media & marketing firms, a professional athletic team, consultants, freelancers, podcasters, live event producers and talent. He serves as the Chairman of the Education Committee for WALA, the Executive Director of D.C. Filmmakers & D.C Media Makers, and the Festival Director for the Wheaton Film Festival. Brian is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia, Florida, and before the D.C. Federal Court.
Intellectual Property Drop-In Clinic
Sunday, March 3rd
2:30pm – 4:00pm
At The Fridge Art Center
Free, all welcome / Sign up for slots on arrival or reserve a time by emailing: dcindiefilmfest@gmail.com with the words LEGAL CLINIC in the subject line please
Drop-in clinic on Intellectual Property with team of IP law students from the Antonin Scalia Law School, George Mason University. IP Law Students under the supervision of Sandra Aistars, Clinical Professor of Law, will conduct intake interviews to help filmmakers: (1) determine the scope and nature of legal help they might need; (2) determine if they might need a referral to an attorney within WALA’s system; and (3) explain qualifications for pro bono and low bono legal services from WALA.
Sandra Aistars is a Clinical Professor at Antonin Scalia Law School, George Mason University, leading the law school’s Arts & Entertainment Advocacy Program. She also serves as a Senior Scholar and Director of Copyright Research and Policy at the law school’s Center for the Protection of Intellectual Property (CPIP). Aistars has nearly twenty years of advocacy experience on behalf of copyright and other intellectual property owners. Immediately prior to joining Scalia Law, Aistars was the Chief Executive Officer of the Copyright Alliance – a nonprofit, public interest organization that represents the interests of artists and creators across the creative spectrum. Aistars has also previously served as Vice President and Associate General Counsel at Time Warner Inc.
BALANCING ART AND BUSINESS:
How casting directors collaborate with producers, directors and actors
Sunday, March 3rd
4:00pm – 5:30pm
At The Fridge Art Center
$15 in advance here or at the door (students/WIFV/TiVA $11)
Moderated by Kimberly Skyrme: Casting Director, Producer, Writer and Director. Kimberly’s casting collaborations include: the Emmy Award winning Netflix original series House of Cards – Seasons 1-3, Unsolved Mysteries; Deep Impact; Hearts in Atlantis; Beloved; The Pelican Brief; True Lies; numerous Independent Feature and Short Film Projects. Selected Commercials and Government Projects include include Enfamil, McCormick, Washington Post, UMD-UC, Bud Light, USDA, FBI and DNI.
Scott Goodhue is a casting director and owner of Taylor Royall, the foremost talent casting agency servicing the MD/DC/VA region for over 40 years. His agency provides on-camera actors, print models and voice over artists. Client projects include: Adidas, Coca Cola, Apple, Papa Johns, Marriott Fairfield, Carefirst, Under Armour, CACI, MD State Lottery, Nike, Comcast, Astra Zeneca, Carmax, Johns Hopkins University, Sylvan Learning, M&T Bank, CDC, Bloomberg LP, Gillette, Ocean City, Erickson Retirement, Geico, “The West Wing”, Pepsi, Lilly Pharmaceutical, “America’s Most Wanted”, Laureate, Toyota, Bank of America, Yeungling, USDA, Shire Pharmaceuticals, USMC, T. Rowe Price, MASN, Sprint, National Aquarium, Subway, DHS, Capital One, Verizon.
Vanessa Meadows is an American actress and professional story teller. She has performed in more than 50 productions and in 2002 she won Syracuse Stage’s ‘Young Playwright Award’ for her one-man show, “Urn.” In 2003, she stage managed “The Diary of Anne Frank” at Syracuse Civic Theater. From 2001-2004, she studied classical voice under accomplished opera singer, Patti Thompson. Since 2012, she has been involved in the award winning indie film, “TRI”, the Netflix drama, “House of Cards”, embraced lead roles in films such as “Mother & Son” worked with casting director Kimberly Skyrme, and has produced, directed, filmed & edited her own work.
Yehuda Goldman has his hands in everything creative. He draws on his experience of producing, writing, and directing award-winning content from the sea to the sky and to space. He enthusiastically approaches each project with a fresh, curious, and open mind. Yehuda consistently delivers world-class media, digital activations, live events, and immersive experiences — all through maximizing the imaginative strength of client collaboration with seamless teamwork.
His diverse career has taken him from producing underwater films with the legendary Jacques Cousteau to filming rocket launches at Cape Canaveral to creating notable television series to interviewing presidents, politicians, Fortune 500 executives, and military heroes. His television work has been seen on all the major networks, PBS, and several Discovery channels. He visualizes high quality media content, provides creative/production management services, directs, writes script and winning proposals with a high rate of success.
Yehuda is a multidisciplinary creative leader and strategic thinker with effective presentation and pitching skills. Yehuda is driven to make ideas better and is passionate about tapping into emotion to bring stories to life.
Interactive Workshop (no experience needed!): TOCHKA – Animated Light Magic from Japan
Wednesday, March 6th
5:45pm
At The Velo Cafe
$10 in advance here or at the door (children/students/WIFV/TiVA $7)
PAINTING WITH LIGHT: Join Tochka, the brilliant creation of Katsue Monno and Takeshi Nagata from Japan, for a fun workshop of lifesize interactive animation in which you use light and your creativity to make animated works captured on film. Using the backdrop of the Velo Cafe and the shapes around you, you will be both animators and actors. Tochka’s dynamic, human scale animation has received international accolades.
This presentation is supported by The Japan Foundation, New York.
FILM FINANCING WORKSHOP:
What You Need to Know Today to Make your Film Tomorrow
Thursday, March 7th
4:50pm – 6:20pm
At The Carnegie Institution for Science
$12 at the door only
Join us for an informal film financing workshop and clinic where you can share your own needs and interests in a discussion with two people who have oodles of experience in raising money through investments, sales and tax incentives.
With Carol Bidault de L’Isle, Mediafusion Entertainment https://www.mediafusionent.com/
and Bailey Kobe, Double Entente Films http://doubleententefilms.com/
Interactive Workshop (no experience needed!): TOCHKA – Animated Light Magic from Japan
Friday, March 8th
8:30pm – 10:30pm
At The Carnegie Institution for Science
$18 in advance here or at the door (students/WIFV/TiVA $15)
PAINTING WITH LIGHT: Join Tochka, the brilliant creation of Katsue Monno and Takeshi Nagata from Japan, for a fun workshop of lifesize interactive animation in which you use light and your creativity to make animated works captured on film. Using the backdrop of the beautiful architecture of the Carnegie Institution for Science, you will be both animators and actors. Tochka’s dynamic, human scale animation has received international accolades.
This presentation is supported by The Japan Foundation, New York.
CHANGING THE LOOK OF REALITY:
Integrating Animation and Digital Effects into Documentaries
Saturday, March 9th
4:00pm – 5:30pm
At The Carnegie Institution for Science
$15 in advance here or at the door (students/WIFV/TiVA/DocsinProgress $11)
Presented in Association with Docs In Progress
Arwen Curry‘s latest documentary feature film Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin, uses animation and motion graphics to bring the legendary fantasy and science fiction author’s invented worlds to the screen. As an associate producer, Arwen’s projects include EAMES: The Architect and the Painter (2011), American Jerusalem: Jews and the Making of San Francisco (2013), Regarding Susan Sontag (2014), and five 30-minute science and technology documentaries made for the PBS member station KQED between 2012 and 2014. Arwen is a former chief editor of the seminal punk magazine Maximum Rocknroll and has written for print, radio, and film.
Erica Ginsberg (moderator) is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Docs In Progress, a nonprofit incubator for emerging documentary filmmakers headquarted near Washington DC. In addition she is a host of The D-Word, an online documentary filmmaker community with more than 15,000 members from around the world. She is currently at work as producer and co-director on California Dreaming, a project about the American Dream from the perspective of people who live in small towns across the United States named California.
Elyse Kelly is an award-winning animation director, creative producer, and educator based in Washington DC.. In 2018, she directed Mass Incarceration: An Animated Series for the ACLU—a documentary series about three people whose experiences show the toll that an abusive and unjust criminal system takes on individuals, families, and communities. The series was a finalist for the Tribeca X Award. Elyse has over a decade of experience in animation and film, working on documentary series, commercials, and short independent films for clients such as the ACLU, The Atlantic, Upworthy, ESPN Films, USAID, and EMILY’s LIST. She is currently Adjunct Faculty in the Art & Art History Department at Georgetown University.
Getting Started in your Media Career
Saturday, March 9th
5:30pm – 7:00pm
At The Carnegie Institution for Science
$5 at the door only, free if attending the high school film competition.
Presented in association with TIVA
Join us for a fast-paced “speed-meeting” to have your questions answered on all things media and career in a workshop format where small groups have a chance to learn from the experts and each other. Participants get to talk with a producer, director, post-production expert and cinematographer.
Carol Bidault de l’Isle is an award winning producer, specialized in international motion picture/television financing, distribution, media asset acquisition and management. She brings with her 30 years of industry experience in the United States, Europe and Latin America.
Sam Cascells, cinematographer is the Founder of Castle Ward Media, with experience on professional video/film productions ranging from feature length narratives, to commercial advertising, to music videos, corporate events, micro-budget short films, and everything in between.
Todd Clark is Founding Director at ONANON Productions, an independent Video Production and Gala Event production company in Washington, D.C. Client list includes non- profit CBO’s; local, federal and International governments; state and county health departments; national trade associations; a wide range of renowned arts organizations, local businesses, government agencies.
Conrad Weaver is a producer and director of documentary and feature films and is the owner of Conjostudios, LLC, a video production company based in Emmitsburg, Maryland. His work includes the documentaries Great American Wheat Harvest, Thirsty Land and Heroin’s Grip. Conrad is also the executive producer on the feature film Scars of an Orphan.
THE GAFFER KNOWS BEST:
Creating Exceptional Lighting In Any Situation
Sunday, March 10th
2:30pm – 4:00pm
At The Carnegie Institution for Science
$15 in advance here or at the door (students/WIFV/TiVA $11)
The intention of this workshop is to help identify the essentials of studio lighting and how to achieve the look you want. Learn a few secrets, preferred lighting techniques, and hands on usage of lighting equipment from a panel of professional film and TV lighting experts. Have your questions answered with practical advice from some of Washington DC’s most renowned Chief Lighting Technicians- Mike Wilson, Kenneth Harper Harris, Louise Hernon and Jason Hubert. Moderated by IATSE Local 487 President Eddie Hohman and Business Agent David O’Farrell and presented in association with Redstar’s The Washington Source.
The program focuses on: Basic operation of tools/lights, working with multiple lights, hard light sources/soft light sources, lighting background/subject, balancing light.
Edward Hohman is the President of IATSE Local 487 Studio Mechanics and Broadcast Technicians. Representing the mid Atlantic including Maryland, Washington DC, and Virginia. President Hohman started in the industry working in the art department. Discovering that his talents lay in other areas decided to pursue a career in the grip department. He has over 15 years of experience as a key grip on projects ranging from ultra low-budget independents to blockbuster superhero movies and a wide variety of episodic television covering network, streaming, and pay tv.
Washington DC native Kenneth H. Harris has been working in the entertainment industry as a set lighting technician for nearly 35 years. From the moment he graduated college with a BA in Communications, Mr. Harris set out on a journey to work in this industry. From local internships, to the local rental houses, all manners of political entertainment, and a long career in broadcast television; Kenny Harris has left his mark on studio lighting.
While his childhood dream of playing the son on a family comedy never panned out, Jason Hubert remained interested in the entertainment industry. Given the opportunity to work at the Washington Source For Lighting, Jason Hubert honed his skills in both the grip and electric departments working alongside some of the top technicians in the U.S.A., on some of the largest productions ever made. Having decided to stay local, Jason spends most of his time providing his expert eye and technique while in many of our federal buildings.
Drop-In Grant Writing Clinic
Sunday, March 10th
3:00pm – 6:00pm
At The Carnegie Institution for Science
Free, all welcome / Sign up for slots on arrival
Meetings in 15-minute intervals
Have a question about grants, foundations, and everything in between? Then… come on by for a 15 minute session with Paul Marengo, the CEO of Promethean Fundraising and ask away!
Paul Marengo will be in the ballroom.
PRODUCTION WORKSHOP:
Introduction to Volumetric Filmmaking
Sunday, March 10th
4:00pm – 7:00pm
At The Carnegie Institution for Science
$15 in advance here or at the door (students/WIFV/TiVA $11)
Join Scatter for an introduction into volumetric filmmaking, a growing movement in immersive (AR/VR/MR) content and film. Participants will be welcomed with a brief discussion about the medium followed by a hands on demonstration of Scatter’s volumetric video software, Depthkit. Here attendees will explore what it means to create volumetric video with a chance to try their hand at their own volumetric recording.
The workshop will be led by Jillian Morrow, a Depthkit support specialist at Scatter. Scatter is a Brooklyn, New York based creative technology company directing and curating immersive experiences and building creative tools. Their mission is to democratize volumetric filmmaking and empower a new generation of creators to tell the stories of our time.
Details about the Depthkit software and capture techniques can be found at https://www.depthkit.tv/. If interested in bringing your own PC laptop to try Depthkit, please view our recommended minimum specifications at https://docs.depthkit.tv/docs/equipment#section-computer-requirements.
For questions, please reach out to support@depthkit.tv.
Presented in association with Scatter
