A Message From Kathy Berardi on This Saturday's Class
Kathy Berardi wasn't always a short film production extraordinaire. See what she learned and why she wants to pay it forward this Saturday in part three of a four-part series.
"When I produced my first comedic short film in August 2007, I was taking on a bigger feat than I could possibly imagine. For one, my focus up until then had been on screenwriting at the UCLA School of Theater Film & Television. I found myself falling into the producer role as I had previous corporate experience in project management and pretty savvy organizational skills. What I didn’t have, however, was experience with making a short, nor did I make it a point to invest in any course on actual short filmmaking.
So, when the director asked me to line up resources like a “grip” and a “gaffer” and to get estimates on a “gennie” (film crew lingo for “generator”) in addition to helping line-up casting, get sponsors, and balance the budget, I wondered: a) just what these foreign sounding resources and equipment were and b) how these assignments had anything to do with creative storytelling, which, as a producer, I assumed my role would be since I was also a co-writer on the script.
These things were just the tip of the iceberg. The calamities that befell both me and the production—caused by relying on too many low-budget or no-budget “favors"—were immense. Combined with my sheer inexperience, these aspects made the production itself as laughable as the subject matter should have been.
What I learned from that crash-and-burn experience in attempting to make a short film that, ultimately, never saw the light of a post-production day, let alone the lofty screens of a film festival, was invaluable to me. I later went on to produce professional-grade short narrative films that won awards and helped establish my film career. These were completed with Emmy Award-winning crews, budgets that were larger than the cost of a starter house in the metro Atlanta real estate market, and by obtaining support from major sponsors like the Director’s Guild of America, Panavision, and Kodak. While I have since stopped grieving the loss of that first project, I use those hard lessons from it to help me instruct aspiring filmmakers in those key areas in which I should’ve better prepared myself.
"My quest is to save future first-time filmmakers from the lost energy, time, money and resources that I squandered in my first production. In truth, that first painful production actually was an achievement for me in that it was my first lesson in short filmmaking. I advise my students that learning from others’ experiences before making their own films is of foremost importance. I also recommend starting with low-budget or no-budget films. Use friends and family as volunteer cast members, shoot with a smart phone, and download inexpensive or free editing programs and apps to get the final version produced. The goals of your early short films should be to learn the process and the key roles and responsibilities of all involved. Have several of your own low-budget films underway and volunteer to work on others’ short film sets (which differ significantly from features and television). Only then should you invest your time and money or that of others into producing a short film of substance. It will provide the gateway to your filmmaking career.
If you sincerely strive to make to get noticed as up and coming Hollywood talent with your next short film, I’d love nothing more than to guide you in the best and proven practices used by the industry’s top professionals. Join me for the “PRODUCING YOUR SHORT FILM--Someone's Got to Do it & Why It Should Be You” this Saturday, October 10 from 12:00-3:30."
Members get 20% off this crucial workshop! Not yet a member? It's never too late.
Producing Your Short Film: Why It Should Be You
Think you have what it takes to produce a short film? Kathy Berardi agrees! Learn why on Saturday, October 10th at The Lovett School.
We're approaching Step 3 of 4 in Kathy Berardi's series of Short Film Workshops! Saturday, October 10th, from 12pm-3:30pm, join fellow filmmakers in all stages on their journeys from idea to completion. Read Kathy's thoughts on what makes you valuable as your own producer:
"If you’re a writer with sound organizational skills, you should seek out the opportunity to learn and lead and be one of the producers on the film as well. If you’re a lead actor or director whose name and reputation are riding on the film, you should definitely be involved in a key producing capacity on the film. If you’re strictly a well-organized, go-getter producer looking to deliver an amazing short film, partnering with talented writers, actors and directors is the key way to landing future positions and projects."
Kathy's led two successful, dynamic workshops already this fall, but you're not too late for the last two! Snatch this opportunity to learn from the best and advance your dream.
And did you know Members get 20% off?
SATURDAY: Ready to Shoot Your Film? Learn the Fundamentals of Production from Film Master Linda Burns
Tomorrow, October 3rd, Linda Burns offers a coveted course on the basics of indie production. Take your relationship with your project to the next level and reserve a space today! ATLFF members save $30 (20%)!
"I read scripts, provide coverage and develop projects. I breakdown, budget, schedule, pitch, propose, close, negotiate, spend, reconcile, research, network, strategize, market, collaborate, consult, wheel, deal and deliver. I face challenges, solve puzzles and plan ahead. From script to screen, digital to film, union to non-union, large to small, I do it all! Always on time. Always on budget."
Whether you’re stepping up and producing your first film, production managing or ADing an indie, or looking to step up your game on the next one, this class is for you. From pre-production to post, this class walks you through the basics of production on an indie film.
Topics include but are not limited to: What should be completed before pre-production? What’s the first step of pre-production? What paperwork and contracts are necessary? What is a breakdown and schedule? How do I properly budget? How does product placement work? When should I consider a union contract? How do I find good cast and crew? Is insurance necessary? What kinds do I need? How do I keep the set safe? What’s involved with shooting on location? What are the priorities of production? How do I keep things moving on time and on budget? How do I track tax incentive spends? What are the daily priorities? What does post production entail?"
This Production Basics of Indie Filmmaking workshop is part of the Atlanta Film Festival's year-round slate of programming curated and presented to our Atlanta audience in service of our mission: to lead the community in creative and cultural discovery through the moving image. Linda's five-hour intensive will show you what it takes to bring your project to the next level. Admission is $150, but members receive a $30 discount!
It All Starts and Ends With the Story
The second workshop in Kathy Berardi's Short Filmmaking Series is this Saturday, September 26th. Members get a discount!
So you still want to make a short film—but how do you tell your story most effectively? Next up in Kathy Berardi's series of short filmmaking workshops is "It All Starts and Ends With the Story." This Saturday, September 26th, graduate from "So You Want to Make A Short Film" and take that pen by the horns.
Learn collaborative tactics to garner and embrace valuable feedback, screenwriting tips for script formatting and structure, and the key elements needed to develop characters and a plot that quickly engage your short film audience.
Berardi is a graduate of the UCLA School of Theater, Film & Television with an MFA in Screenwriting. In addition to penning eight feature-length screenplays and a drama television pilot, Berardi has also written and produced several award-winning short films with budgets ranging from less than $2,000 to hundreds of thousands of dollars. "If your next short film is one that you sincerely strive to make you get noticed as up and coming talent for Hollywood to pay attention to, I'd love nothing more than to guide you in the best and proven practices used by the industry's top professionals."
A seat in this three-hour crash course is only $50. ATLFF Members receive $10 off! Like the sound of discounts and access to year-round special screenings? Join the club.
Learn the Business Basics of Indie Filmmaking with Linda Burns—This Saturday!
Pick the brain of a production extraordinaire this Saturday from 10-3 and get the tools you need to turn your next project into a reality!
Looking for ways to move forward with your feature film? Longtime producer and production supervisor Linda Burns has the information you need. Education Programmer for the Georgia Production Partnership and executive member of the Atlanta Film Festival and Core of Culture boards, Burns is a seasoned production ally ready to teach you the importance of development.
Learn the following and more this Saturday at The Lovett School:
- What is development and why is it so important?
- When do I create a marketing and distribution plan?
- How does financing work - from grants to crowd-funding to private investment?
- How does product placement work?
- What content goes into a business proposal?
- What is a breakdown and schedule?
- How do I craft a budget?
- When do I need an entertainment attorney?
- What contracts are important?
- How do I find good cast and crew?
- Is insurance necessary?
- What kinds do I need?
- How do I find financing and distribution?
- What do finance and distribution deals looks like?
- How do the GA tax incentives work?
- How can attending festivals help?
"By doing your homework before financing begins, you can mitigate your risks before production starts, increasing your chances of a successful production," says Burns.
This Business Basics of Indie Filmmaking workshop is part of the Atlanta Film Festival's year-round slate of programming curated and presented to our Atlanta audience in service of our mission: to lead the community in creative and cultural discovery through the moving image.
This five hour intensive is offered to Members of either ATLFF or GPP for $30 off the regular price!
Our Coverage & Analysis Program Will Help You Polish Your Screenplay Before You Shoot it and Submit It!
We have some screenplay savants and industry professionals that will meticulously read and dissect your project, offering notes, criticisms, and ideas on how to make your project successful and more sellable.
"How do I break into Hollywood?" That’s what every scriptwriter wants to know, right? "How can I make it happen?" Well the answer is simple, really—you write a really, really good script. And now, we’re here to help you do that.
The Atlanta Film Festival is now offering Coverage & Analysis on feature length screenplays. Believe us when we say that we want you to succeed.
Here at the ATLFF offices, we have some screenplay savants and industry professionals that will meticulously read and dissect your project, offering notes, criticisms, and ideas on how to make your project successful and more sellable. Sometimes, all it takes is a fresh, unbiased pair of eyes to discover what your script needs to make the jump from good to great. We want to note that this isn’t for the faint of heart. We’re going to work hard to make your script better; our notes will be honest and constructive and thoughtful.
We guarantee a 60-day turnaround. We charge $50 a submission, and we want to clarify that scripts entered into ATLFF Coverage & Analysis are still eligible to be entered into our Screenplay Competition, which is one of the reasons why we guarantee that 60 day turnaround. In addition to script coverage, we’re willing to help you with your logline—to help you write something that’ll really snag your readers attention.
This Weekend: So You Want to Make A Short Film?
Writer/Producer Kathy Berardi can introduce you to the most important steps in the filmmaking process.
The first installment in our short filmmaking workshop series takes place this Saturday at The Lovett School. Writer/Producer Kathy Berardi began her own filmmaking journey with Atlanta Film Festival classes (then the IMAGE Film & Video Center) in 2003; she's now an award-winning short filmmaker, founder of Red Clip Video, and eager to teach you the finer points of collaborative efforts, storytelling, production, and process steps.
You can attend one workshop ($10 off for ATLFF Members) or reserve your Series Pass to all four ($25 off for ATLFF Members)!
You are invited to the Green Room Purple Sparkle Carpet Event this Saturday Night!
You're invited to join us for the world premiere of The Green Room's music videos made during our summer camps! FREE and open to the public, the event begins Saturday, August 8th at 7 PM at The Woodruff Arts Center's Rich Theatre.
You're invited to join us for the world premiere of The Green Room's music videos made during our summer camps! FREE and open to the public, the event begins Saturday, August 8th at 7 PM at The Woodruff Arts Center's Rich Theatre.
We will premiere 13 music videos made this summer by youth from around Atlanta who worked at Georgia Tech School of Music, Camp Twin Lakes, and MASS Collective.
The Green Room is a program of the nonprofit, re:imagine/ATL.
ATLFF Celebrates Women in Film with New Mavericks Film Series at Synchronicity Theatre
In partnership with Synchronicity Theatre, the Atlanta Film festival is proud to present the 2015 New Mavericks Film Series, aimed to support women involved in various aspects of the Atlanta film community to achieve a strong voice in the local industry.
In partnership with Synchronicity Theatre, the Atlanta Film festival is proud to present the 2015 New Mavericks Film Series. The film series stems from our year-round program that supports women involved in various aspects of the Atlanta film community to achieve a strong voice in the local industry. Expanded from the festival’s acclaimed female-directed shorts block, New Mavericks meets on the third Wednesday of every month at Java Vino to provide networking opportunities, educational programs, opportunities for professional development, and more.
The upcoming film series will feature opening and closing night films, an animation workshop, an educational film screening on the history of the female filmmaker, and a block of local short films—all directed by women. Purchase a series pass below to get a discount on admission, access to all screenings and hangouts, discounts from area restaurants, and opportunities to win prizes!
AUGUST 21st & 22nd
OPENING NIGHT Friday, Aug. 21st @ 8pm
CHILDREN'S ANIMATION WORKSHOP & SCREENING Saturday, Aug. 22nd @ 12pm
THE HERSTORY OF THE FEMALE FILMMAKER Saturday, Aug. 22nd @ 2:30pm
FEMLANTA Saturday, Aug. 22nd @ 5pm
I BELIEVE IN UNICORNS Saturday, Aug. 22nd @ 5pm
(Q&A Director Leah Meyherhoff)
Georgia Lawyers for the Arts Offering a Free Seminar on How to Produce a Film Using Union Actors
Learn the basic how-to's for handling SAG-AFTRA contracts in order to work with union actors and non-union actors on the same production in this FREE seminar!
SAG-AFTRA Contracts in a Right to Work State: How to Produce a Film Using Union Actors
July 27, 2015, 12:00 -1:00 p.m.
King Plow Arts Center
887 W. Marietta St. NW Suite J-101
Atlanta Georgia 30318
Presented By: Laura Powell, GLA Summer Intern
Given the recent boom of the Georgia entertainment industry, Ms. Powell will be discussing the basic how-to's for handling SAG-AFTRA contracts in order to work with union actors and non-union actors on the same production. Ms. Powell has experience in the entertainment industry producing and working as an actor under SAG-AFTRA contracts.
Laura obtained her Bachelor of Science from The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and her Juris Master from Emory University School of Law. Laura begins her second year of law school at Vanderbilt University Law School in August and plans on returning to Atlanta after graduation.