MediaMasters Series

Our popular series of MediaMasters professional development workshops for Iowa filmmakers is back now for another trio of webinars. Each 2-hour, interactive class will take place on Zoom and be led by industry professionals. This round of classes is free for Iowa filmmakers and artists who are listed in our Media Production Directory. (So if you're not listed, you know what to do: Sign up today!) If you aren't in our directory, you can still participate by paying the workshop fee of $25 per class.
   
Even though the classes are virtual, we're limiting enrollment to promote meaningful interaction with the presenters. So we encourage you to register early. If you have questions about registration, please contact EJ Philby at emily.philby@iowa.gov.

   

Documentaries are a unique style of filmmaking that require their own hyper-specific budgets. Join us in learning how to construct your own documentary budget, including: what to include (and not include) in your budget, how to format your budget to industry standards, whether or not to pay yourself, what potential sponsors are looking for, key items that separate an amateur budget from a professional budget, and more.

Jilann Spitzmiller is director, writer and producer of fiction and nonfiction films with over 20 awards for her feature documentary work. Jilann was Head of Nonfiction at Meow Wolf, where she made the feature MEOW WOLF: ORIGIN STORY and also directed two fiction shorts for Meow Wolf’s newest exhibit in Las Vegas as part of the in-exhibition, immersive storyworld content. Jilann has been supported multiple times by ITVS, The Sundance Institute, the Open Society Institute and many other foundations for her documentary work. Additional credits include the cult favorite SHAKESPEARE BEHIND BARS, the award-winning features STILL DREAMING and HOMELAND. Her work has also appeared on NBC, BBC, POV, Al Jazeera, CBC, Canal+, VH1, Discovery and many more around the globe. Jilann has mentored at labs and festivals such as NALIP’s Latino Producers Academy, AFIDOCS, Berkeley Advanced Media Institute and Oregon Doc Camp and is a featured instructor at desktop-documentaries.com.

You have the set, gear, and crew ready to go. Now how do you decide to set up your shot? Blocking is more than just the choreography of the actors during a scene -- it also includes the placement of the camera and key props. Learn during our workshop how to best block your scenes so that your production is a success.

   

   

   

Set Design is a large of filmmaking that encompasses everything seen by the camera, including the location or backdrop, costumes, props, and so much more. As a filmmaker, how do you approach the task this large and find artists to handle it? As an artist, what types of jobs exist within set design that might be relevant to your work, and how do you jump the hurdle into the film industry? Join Produce Iowa and the Iowa Arts Council as we once again welcome both Iowa filmmakers and artists of other varieties to take this workshop and learn how they can work together on a film set.