2023 Workshops, Master Classes and Panel Discussions
MASTER CLASS
Monday, July 31, 12 pm, Woods Hole Community Hall
Master Class with Allison Otto, WHFF Filmmaker in Residence
Character Driven Storytelling in Documentary Film
A character-driven story is one of the compelling and engaging ways to drive a documentary, but it can be a complicated process to navigate—and one that is totally different from a traditional expository documentary. In this masterclass we’ll examine how to find characters that will make your story “pop,” how to make use of storytelling tools traditionally used in the narrative space to craft a story arc, how to remain flexible with the story, and how to bring it all together to create a memorable character-driven story that captivates viewers.
SEED&SPARK workshops with Meghan Ross, the Head of Creator Success at Seed & Spark, a film centric crowdfunding and SVOD platform.
Monday, July 31, 2 pm Woods Hole Community Hall
Stretch That Buck: Film Budgeting 101
How much should you crowdfund for? As much as you need to move your project forward! In this workshop, you’ll learn how to build a budget, utilize loans to make up your budget (conceptually as well as literally), navigate the ask, break down your script, and get creative with ways to cut costs without sacrificing your vision.
Tuesday, August 1, 12 pm, Old Woods Hole Fire Station
Crowdfunding to Build Independence
Seed&Spark’s cornerstone class lays out the steps toward a successful crowdfunding campaign, as well as a career-long action plan most likely to create a lasting, flourishing, direct relationship with an audience. Attendees learn how to find your audience, structure your crowdfunding campaign, pick the right goal and incentives, and much more.
Tuesday, August 1, 1:30 pm, Old Woods Hole Fire Station
Short Form Distribution Down Low
So you’ve made a short film or web series, and now you want to share it with the world (or a more specific audience than that)! But what comes next? We’ll break down the current landscape of distribution for independent short films and web series, including the economics of different avenues to take, the right questions to ask potential partners, and other information to arm yourself with as you enter negotiations.
WORKSHOP
Wednesday, August 3, 4, and 5 | 10 am | Workshop is over all 3 days.
COMEDY ON THE PAGE – AND EVEN ON THE STAGE! with Steve Young
Are you an experienced writer looking to push ahead with a comedy project? Or maybe you’ve got an itch to try your hand at funny writing in a fun, supportive environment? If so, this Woods Hole Film Festival writing workshop is for you! Over three days in beautiful Woods Hole, participants will read, discuss, be inspired, make new friends — and write funny stuff. Whether you’re interested in writing monologue jokes, sketches, longer comedy scripts, humorous fiction, or even song lyrics, veteran comedy writer Steve Young (leading his third Woods Hole comedy workshop) will help you make progress. Participants will collaborate on a comedy piece that will be performed live on Saturday evening as part of the Awards Night festivities. An opportunity to perform (if you want) as well as write!
About Steve Young: in addition to 25 years on the Letterman writing staff, Woods Hole alum Steve has written for The Simpsons, Lorne Michaels’ variety show Maya & Marty, Harry Connick Jr.’s show Harry, and more. He recently wrote and starred in two comedy short films which have toured the film festival circuit, winning multiple awards, and his growing portfolio also includes performing his own songs.
PANEL DISCUSSION
Thursday, August 3rd, 2 pm, Woods Hole Community Hall
WOMEN IN FILM & VIDEO NEW ENGLAND
HOW TO MARKET YOUR FILM
First impressions matter! Knowing when to start marketing yourself and/or your project is crucial to its success. Before you launch an endeavor, learn how to identify your marketing audience, the timing for your outreach, and how to present yourself with best industry practices. We’ll touch upon AI and how to use this tool to your advantage. WIFVNE Board of Director Kristen Falso-Capaldi will moderate this panel discussion with experienced professionals in the business. Christine Merser, Managing Partner of Blue Shoe Content; Gia Galligani, Executive Producer/Showrunner and Development Executive; and John Edginton, Documentary Film Director/Producer/Executive Producer.
Christine Merser (Managing Partner of Blue Shoe Content)
Gia Galligani (Executive Producer/Showrunner and Development Executive)
John Edginton (Documentary Film Director, Producer, Executive Producer)
Friday, August 4th, 2 pm, Woods Hole Community Hall
THE ROLE OF FILM CRITICS IN THE AGE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND STREAMING
Join Moderator Tribekah Jordan, Tim Miller, Allyson Johnson, Sarah G. Vincent, Tim Jackson and Tom Meek, members of the Boston Society of Film Critics for a spirited discussion about the changing role of film critics in the age of artificial intelligence and streaming.
