Case Study: Swim Team, A Doc from Soup to Nuts
No documentary journey is the same, but every documentary faces similar challenges from concept to community engagement. Producer/Director Lara Stolman had her own ups and downs as she made her way through the process of making her film Swim Team. The film chronicles the rise of a competitive swim team made up of teenagers on the autism spectrum. For this case study, Stolman will highlight for us the key moments she experienced in proposal writing, budgeting, fund raising, selection of production team, post-production, film festival launch, broadcast rights and community outreach. In conversation with Marcia Rock, Chair of NYWIFT's Documentary Committee and Director of News and Documentary, NYU Arthur Carter Journalism Institute.
READ MOREAdaptations: The Business of Translating Source Material to the Screen – 2018
Agents, Hollywood producers and publishers are always searching for the next great story, but not all writers start from scratch. Oftentimes, ideas come from the things we see, read, write and hear. The challenge for many is how to transition these materials from their original form of a book, article, and story into a full-fledged viable screenplay and adaptation material for another medium. Savvy industry professionals love to leverage their time and efforts by capitalizing on a story that can be adapted into many forms. Learn from this experienced panel about ways to locate common sources for your story or script and the power and pitfalls of working with adaptations for your project.
READ MOREMaking Motherhood Work in the Film & TV Industry
This panel will address obstacles faced by moms working in the film and television industry. It will be a candid conversation about the challenges our panelists have personally dealt with as well as strategies they use to overcome them including how they organize and manage their time as a working moms.
READ MOREInnovation Series: The Power of Blockchain Technology for Filmmakers
The question that everyone is asking is “What is Blockchain”? The technology behind cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, is now finding its way into different sectors, including media and entertainment. In essence, the blockchain is a programmable, distributed, cryptographically secure trusted ledger in which no single user controls and which can be inspected by anyone. How...
READ MOREFrom the Vault: Introduction to Archiving and Preservation for Film and Video
The Women’s Film Preservation Fund (WFPF) and UnionDocs (UNDO) wraps up the the film series From the Vault: Women’s Advocacy on Film with a panel discussion devoted to the preservation of film. CLOSING PROGRAM Introduction to Archiving and Preservation for Film and VideoThursday, June 21st, 2018, 7:30pm Now that you’ve finished your documentary feature and it is a file on your...
READ MORE2018 Film Financing Day: Documentary Features
Learn how successful documentary filmmakers can get their documentary feature films financed in this intensive all-day seminar. Hear from industry professionals who have successfully funded documentary features, as well as filmmakers who have successfully and creatively financed their projects. During intensive panel sessions, panelists will provide insider perspectives and frank advice on what it takes...
READ MOREBeyond Room Tone: Creating Sound Design for Your Documentary
Beyond Room Tone: Creating Sound Design for Your Documentary The sound design of a film can set up all sorts of interpretations, expectations and emotions in a listener. And with the growth of documentaries using animation and archival techniques, the sound design of a film is becoming a larger character in a story. This panel...
READ MORERethinking the Film Festival: Strategies for Documentaries
Filmmakers are constantly asked to have a festival strategy. But, beyond submitting to the broadly-known film festivals, collecting press clippings, and hoping to sell your film, what constitutes a sound festival strategy? What are the options for films that don’t seem like easy film festival fare and how do you structure your outreach to find...
READ MORETrue Crime Stories: Relationships and Responsibilities
There is no doubt that the “true crime” documentary genre is thriving and that such film and television projects are enjoying unprecedented buzz. Studies show that women are their biggest audience, and broadcasters are taking notice. We will explore this phenomenon through an in-depth conversation with creators who make crime stories that matter. By the...
READ MOREThe Business of Adaptations for Film and TV – 2017
Agents, Hollywood producers and publishers are always searching for the next great story, but not all writers start from scratch. Oftentimes, ideas come from the things we see, read, write and hear. The challenge for many is how to transition these materials from their original form of a book, article, and story into a full-fledged...
READ MOREA Practical Plan to Creating Podcasts: Developing the Listener’s Experience
A Practical Plan to Creating Podcasts: Developing the Listener’s Experience Join podcast producer Christina Kotlar and recording studio engineer Yuri Turchyn for the second installment of the series A Practical Plan to Creating Podcasts: Developing the Listener’s Experience. An experienced audio engineer ensures the best recording, top notch editing and high end broadcast quality for the end result – a...
READ MORESerial Documentaries … Changing the Rules of Documentary Filmmaking
Serial Documentaries … Changing the Rules of Documentary Filmmaking Serial documentaries now pepper our visual landscapes. Everyone from Netflix, to Showtime, from PBS to HBO, has jumped on-board with nail-biting crime dramas, and in-depth historical storytelling. They have engaged audiences with an almost cult-like following with each cliff-hanging episode. But can these mini-series documentaries work...
READ MOREFilling in the Gap: Using Visual Metaphors for Documentaries
Filling in the Gap: Using Visual Metaphors for Documentaries Documentary filmmakers are often challenged to create visual metaphors when retelling past events. This panel discussion will examine the imaginative ways that makers use to build the world of their film with animation, re-enactments and various other visual devices. Join filmmakers Julia Bacha, Eliza McNitt, Amanda Zackem and moderator Marcia...
READ MOREImmersive Storytelling: Women Taking the Lead
Immersive storytelling is poised to be a billion dollar industry that offers a unique opportunity for women to create gender parity and to establish an even playing field as it evolves from it’s infancy into a new era of storytelling. NYWIFT is working to create a supportive community and build a robust network for women transitioning...
READ MOREA Practical Plan to Creating Podcasts: A Decade of Podcast Love – Getting Started
A Practical Plan to Creating Podcasts: A Decade of Podcast Love – Getting Started Podcasting is a trend that has become more accessible. It can be the next best thing to showcase and promote that short film, feature or a project that is seeking financing. NYWIFT is pleased to announce the new series A Practical Path...
READ MOREMember Screening: Adam Fuss, A Landscape of Imagination and The Invisible Writer Becomes Visible
Member Screening: Adam Fuss, A Landscape of Imagination and The Invisible Writer Becomes Visible Join us for this month’s NYWIFT Member Screening Series featuring Adam Fuss, A Landscape of Imagenation by Svetlana Cemin (Director/Writer/Producer) and The Invisible Writer Becomes Visible by Edith Stephen (Director). The filmmakers will be available for a Q&A immediately following the screening. The screening series provides members with the opportunity to show their work...
READ MOREMotherhood & Filmmaking
Motherhood & Filmmaking. This discussion will explore how parenthood can affect a filmmaking career. In recent years, the attempt to reach gender parity in the film and television industry has focused on hiring practices, mentorship, and training initiatives. And yet, it is no secret that child-care responsibilities overwhelmingly continue to fall on mothers. Simply by...
READ MOREDiverse Voices in the Global Film Industry
Diverse Voices in the Global Film Industry In association with the Nordic International Film Festival (NIFF), this panel focuses on the challenges and opportunities arising from an increasingly globalized film market, with a specific focus on the issues of diversity and inclusion. Gender equality needs to be highlighted, but in what other areas do we...
READ MORE
