Matthew Seig informs of a helpful new program for New York Filmmakers. Don’t miss out on it!
Filmmakers can have a tough time finding professional guidance on new work or works-in-progress. The critiques they attract before reaching their audience are usually limited to acceptance or rejection letters, perhaps accompanied by a few brief comments. Filmmakers’ written material, social-media and distribution strategies, and sometimes the films themselves, are often created single-handedly by the artists and could be improved with a little professional advice.
For those who can be in New York on November 10, New York Foundation for the Arts has developed a unique consulting program for filmmakers. It was modeled after one of NYFA’s signature services for visual artists, called “Doctor’s Hours,” which provides one-on-one consultations with museum curators and gallery owners. Similarly, Doctor’s Hours for Filmmakers will offer an opportunity to meet with fundraisers; social-media producers; festival, art house and television programmers; and grass-roots and theatrical distributors, many of whom are familiar names in the indie community.
During each private one-on-one twenty-five-minute session, filmmakers can present a work sample or trailer, written material, or web content.
There is a fee of $35 for each consultation, and a filmmaker may have up to three consultations during the evening (6:00 PM to 9:00 PM). Registration opens on October 25. Further details, a list of the consultants and their bios, and registration pages can be found at nyfa.org
Consultants: Thursday, November 10th, 6-9pm
Caitlin Boyle, Grassroots and advocacy-driven distribution, community screening initiatives, grassroots marketing and communications, audience outreach and engagement.
Jim Browne, Distribution, festivals, exhibition, digital distribution options
Anne del Castillo, Submitting work to television and navigating PBS
Amy Finkel, Websites, interactivity, documentary production
Eliza Licht, Social media, community outreach, developing audiences
Victoria Linchong, Proposals, grants, written materials
Lynn Lobell, Proposals, grants, written materials
Michael Tuckman, Distribution, festivals, promotional campaigns
Chris White, Preparing work for television, website content, trailers and editing
*If you will be requesting feedback on a grant application or written material, please be prepared to provide it to us at least one week in advance
For consultant bios visit our website
Perhaps best known for its programs for visual artists but serving all disciplines as well as other arts organizations, NYFA’s Fellowship, Professional Development and Fiscal Sponsorship programs have served thousands of filmmakers, including Barbara Kopple, Joe Berlinger, Todd Haynes, Reginald Hudlin, Tamara Jenkins, Nathaniel Kahn, Spike Lee, Mira Nair and Kimberly Price. A series of presentations for filmmakers on subjects such as social media; grass-roots outreach; DIY and split-rights distribution; transmedia; and new technologies; some now available by podcast, was begun in 2009 (with an inaugural presentation by Ted Hope) and has now led to the development of Doctor’s Hours for Filmmakers.
In the era of multidisciplinary art and transmedia, NYFA is a unique resource. The email list for notifications of future Doctor’s Hours for Filmmakers is at nyfa.org > Email List > Artist Learning.
Matthew Seig is a Media Specialist for New York Foundation for the Arts.
