NEWS!

I've been gone a bit from this blog and I have to come clean: I've been cheating on you with ANOTHER BLOG! (dramatic music) I'm sorry, she's just...younger and newer than you. (literally, I only just made it a few months ago) this blog of which I speak is my NEW FANTASTIC THESIS FILM BLOG FOR THE ANIMATED SHORT FILM STAND and you should check it out HERE.

Stand is about a garage band finding the strength to fight off a barrage of missiles armed only with their music. The self-reflective piece begins as rough visuals and sound ramping up to polished, full-color 2D animation as the band strengthens their fight.

I will be posting progress updates on this blog as well as progress tests. I will also be live streaming work sessions to give an in-depth look into production. This film is about self-reflexivity so I will be as transparent with production as I can. I will also talk about the thesis paper which will accompany the film, "Self-Reflexivity in Animation."

I will also make note of such updates and opportunities on this blog so feel free to cross pollinate. There's other news on the horizon I can't quite talk about yet but stay tuned as thing are in development and I can't wait to share the news with all of you! (6 people)

ATL FILM FEST: Dialogue to Be Inserted Later: Writing and Constructing Treatments for Pitching

with Todd Cappello, Matt Harrigan, Brandon Barr, and Chad Crowley

• having a pitch reel is a must
• when you're pitching an idea, the executive's first thought is, "Are you the guy that's gonna lose my job for me?"
• don't make your pitch materials too fancy, fancy commonly means the pitch isn't good
• only pitch projects you are willing to commit to
• be prepared for all questions more than anything else
• executives will try to contextualize your idea as much as possible
• don't over-pitch (read the room)
• for features, make a book of aesthetics to really show how the film will look and create a pitch reel with director/writers/producer interviews and images to help visualize and sell the film
• found-footage materials can help to sell a non-fiction pitch and make them feel like they're discovering it
• don't shoot pilots-just sizzle reels
• don't shoot trailers for feature pitches-waste of time and money
• overall, your idea should fit on a poster and you can use such a visual aid to pitch and idea
• be ready to pitch your idea to anyone at any time

ATL FILM FEST: Group Think - Inside a Television Writers' Room

with Kevin Collins

• Hiring season begins after the holidays for pilot season
• the hierarchy: Staff Writer/WGA Trainee < Story Editor < Senior Story Editor < Producer
• showrunners hire writers but networks can prevent writers from being hired
• hour-long dramas have and A, B, and C storyline

ATL FILM FEST: Can You See the T-Shirts and Dolls? Pitching Animation

 with Keith Ingham, Craig Hartin, Charles Askew, and Stephen Mank

• research what they are looking for
• always pays to meet in person whenever possible
• know your market
• know who will be at the meeting and research them-this can help with small talk at the beginning to find common ground and relax the room
• be able to roll with other ideas on the fly
• try to warm-up pitch to other places you're not serious about to hone your pitch
• make them feel like it's partially their idea-let them have input
• do not be married to any one idea-be flexible-it's collaborative
• be very open to feedback
• grab their attention within 5 seconds
• remember:networks want something completely new and examples of where it has worked before
• don't over-develop
• a pitch is a dialogue NOT a monologue
• if you're green, partner with a studio or someone who has developed shows and pitches before-this will instill confidence
• remember-you're pitching YOURSELF as much as your idea

ATL FILM FEST: How to NOT be Unemployed

with Charles Askew, Neal Holman, Matt Jenkins, Ashley Kohler, and Todd Redner

• keep checking in with studios and connections - VIGILANCE!
• always be a student-never stop learning (I cannot stress this enough-it's the main theme of this entire blog)
• ask how often and when studios hire-be sure to schedule your check-in by this information
• keep a log of who you checked with and when so that you always know where you're at with each connection (this is a fantastic piece of advice from Matt Jenkins)

ATL FILM FEST: Crafting Well-Rounded Characters

with Melanie Schiele and Ya'Ke Smith

• research.
• create bios for absolutely everyone from main cast to minor players
• DO NOT give your bios to the actors, let them come into the character more organically
•  hook and audience through empathy with characters (this is basic up can never be overstated)
• facts about characters can be open-ended but lead the audience through visuals and wardrobe
• write everything, do not be afraid of making a script too long-you will be going back and making cuts anyway, cutting down to only that which serves the story
• research how people speak (YouTube, eavesdropping, etc)
• dialogue is about observation, pay attention to not only what is being said but how it is said and what is not being said

Atlanta Film Festival Panels: First Up-Screenwriting for Animation

The Atlanta Film Festival is up and booming this year with the majority of panels happening at 7 Stages in bustling Little Five Points, Atlanta. I attended a few panels this year so I'll be making a few posts covering them. I'm not promising a complete overview-you kinda had to be there, BUT I'll be able to emphasize the major points from my notes.

First Up:

Screenwriting for Animation 

with Matt Jenkins and Stephen Mank

• we start with possibly the most important factor to take into account when considering animation for a project: "Why is it animated?"
• second most important factor, driven home throughout the panel by Matt Jenkins: it's all about the budget
• every animator has a pet project-keep that in mind because it might lead to favors and you-owe-me-ones in the future
• the last 10% of all projects is the most grueling but no matter what, even if you have to scale back a project, GET IT DONE! 
• crowd scenes and multiple locations cost money-use sparingly and only if absolutely necessary
• there is a constant push and pull between story and budget (if you haven't already gathered that)
• the more you can handle all aspects of the production simultaneously-the more organic the process becomes
• funny writers are the best to work with-keep it light
• funny scripts make animators excited about a project
• solicitation of scripts is a big turn-off THOUGH giving them visuals and storyboards, something visual, isn't that frowned upon--it's a lot easier and less painful to read visuals than a script
• trading work is the law of the land, like I said-every animator has a pet project and throughout film and animation you can trade work on someone's project for work on your own
• when pitching an idea-know who's paying for it and where the money is going
• you should also know in a pitch where the end result is going (syndication, film festivals, internet, etc)
• as emphasized in an earlier post-it is not uncommon to work on projects for free when you first start out to gain experience
• just to drive this point into the ground-get someone to think you're FUNNY!
• internships are the best way to get into the business
• voice-acting helps with the writing and pitching process because you can help others visualize