NYWIFT Blog

Innovation Series: The Promises of Artificial Intelligence in Media presented IBM and WarnerMedia

Join IBM and WarnerMedia for an evening exploring the intersection of technology and media. IBM and WarnerMedia will present how technology is driving meaningful audience engagement in this connected consumer era. Media companies and media makers are facing even more competition for the wallet and attention of audiences. IBM will present how artificial intelligence (A.I.)...

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Web Series: From Creation To Distribution

For many filmmakers, making a web series is a calling card for getting work in the industry. For others, the series is a “proof of concept” for a broadcast television series. And yet, other storytellers prefer the web series format, and the business of creation through distribution is their primary focus. In Web Series, From...

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Documentary Distribution 3.0 – The New Normal

What is the new normal for documentary distribution within a constantly evolving landscape? This panel explores the emerging "windows" of distribution/monetizing opportunities for documentary film compared with traditional distribution outlets. Join NYWIFT and panelists Kim Jackson (Co-Founder and President of Entertainment, Breaker), Christie Marchese (CEO,  Picture Motion), DeShuna Spencer (Founder/CEO, kweliTV) and moderator Karen McMullen (Film Festival Programmer, Editor and Educator) for an engaging conversation about the future of documentary distribution.

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Bite Me: A Truly Independent Journey

Join the team behind the independent feature film Bite Me for a case study on the film’s journey and the upcoming Joyful Vampire Tour of America that will feature screenings, capes, and Vampire Balls! Bite Me is a unique, while universally relatable, story about outsiders and an edgy, whip-smart, funny, heart-felt update to the rom-com genre. Naomi McDougall Jones (Writer/Actor/Producer), Sarah Wharton (Producer), Joanne Zippel (Executive Producer/NYWIFT Member) and Jack Lechner (Executive Producer) are inventing a fully democratic, filmmaker-empowered model of release that will change distribution from something you “get” into something you “do.”

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Documentary Labs: Finding the Right One for Your Film

In the last several years, foundations and festivals have developed incubator labs to help filmmakers in the development and post production of their documentaries. It is an exceptional opportunity, and the many labs offer a variety of experiences. While these creative bootcamps seek to expand emerging voices and creativity, are they for everyone? What difference can they make in the life of a doc? Join NYWIFT to learn more about labs at UnionDocs, Chicken & Egg, the Tribeca Film Institute, the Independent Feature Project, and more.

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The Art of Grant Writing

Grant writing is an essential tool for filmmakers in the documentary community to bring stories to life. This second installment of NYWIFT's Documentary Series will explore key elements to focus on when developing a successful grant proposal. Speakers will address best practices in grant writing, catching the eye of individual funders with a strong application, how to target your potential funders and other opportunities not explored enough by filmmakers. The panel will also explore The Documentary Core Application, a joint project between The Sundance Institute and the International Documentary Association, established to standardize application requirements.

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Case Study: Swim Team, A Doc from Soup to Nuts

No documentary journey is the same, but every documentary faces similar challenges from concept to community engagement. Producer/Director Lara Stolman had her own ups and downs as she made her way through the process of making her film Swim Team. The film chronicles the rise of a competitive swim team made up of teenagers on the autism spectrum. For this case study, Stolman will highlight for us the key moments she experienced in proposal writing, budgeting, fund raising, selection of production team, post-production, film festival launch, broadcast rights and community outreach. In conversation with Marcia Rock, Chair of NYWIFT's Documentary Committee and Director of News and Documentary, NYU Arthur Carter Journalism Institute.

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Adaptations: The Business of Translating Source Material to the Screen – 2018

Agents, Hollywood producers and publishers are always searching for the next great story, but not all writers start from scratch. Oftentimes, ideas come from the things we see, read, write and hear. The challenge for many is how to transition these materials from their original form of a book, article, and story into a full-fledged viable screenplay and adaptation material for another medium. Savvy industry professionals love to leverage their time and efforts by capitalizing on a story that can be adapted into many forms. Learn from this experienced panel about ways to locate common sources for your story or script and the power and pitfalls of working with adaptations for your project.

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Making Motherhood Work in the Film & TV Industry

This panel will address obstacles faced by moms working in the film and television industry. It will be a candid conversation about the challenges our panelists have personally dealt with as well as strategies they use to overcome them including how they organize and manage their time as a working moms.

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Innovation Series: The Power of Blockchain Technology for Filmmakers

The question that everyone is asking is “What is Blockchain”? The technology behind cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, is now finding its way into different sectors, including media and entertainment. In essence, the blockchain is a programmable, distributed, cryptographically secure trusted ledger in which no single user controls and which can be inspected by anyone. How...

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From the Vault: Introduction to Archiving and Preservation for Film and Video

The Women’s Film Preservation Fund (WFPF) and UnionDocs (UNDO) wraps up the the film series From the Vault: Women’s Advocacy on Film with a panel discussion devoted to the preservation of film. CLOSING PROGRAM Introduction to Archiving and Preservation for Film and VideoThursday, June 21st, 2018, 7:30pm Now that you’ve finished your documentary feature and it is a file on your...

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2018 Film Financing Day: Documentary Features

Learn how successful documentary filmmakers can get their documentary feature films financed in this intensive all-day seminar. Hear from industry professionals who have successfully funded documentary features, as well as filmmakers who have successfully and creatively financed their projects. During intensive panel sessions, panelists will provide insider perspectives and frank advice on what it takes...

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Beyond Room Tone: Creating Sound Design for Your Documentary

Beyond Room Tone: Creating Sound Design for Your Documentary  The sound design of a film can set up all sorts of interpretations, expectations and emotions in a listener. And with the growth of documentaries using animation and archival techniques, the sound design of a film is becoming a larger character in a story. This panel...

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Rethinking the Film Festival: Strategies for Documentaries

Filmmakers are constantly asked to have a festival strategy. But, beyond submitting to the broadly-known film festivals, collecting press clippings, and hoping to sell your film, what constitutes a sound festival strategy? What are the options for films that don’t seem like easy film festival fare and how do you structure your outreach to find...

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True Crime Stories: Relationships and Responsibilities

There is no doubt that the “true crime” documentary genre is thriving and that such film and television projects are enjoying unprecedented buzz. Studies show that women are their biggest audience, and broadcasters are taking notice. We will explore this phenomenon through an in-depth conversation with creators who make crime stories that matter. By the...

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The Business of Adaptations for Film and TV – 2017

Agents, Hollywood producers and publishers are always searching for the next great story, but not all writers start from scratch. Oftentimes, ideas come from the things we see, read, write and hear. The challenge for many is how to transition these materials from their original form of a book, article, and story into a full-fledged...

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A Practical Plan to Creating Podcasts: Developing the Listener’s Experience

A Practical Plan to Creating Podcasts: Developing the Listener’s Experience  Join podcast producer Christina Kotlar and recording studio engineer Yuri Turchyn for the second installment of the series A Practical Plan to Creating Podcasts: Developing the Listener’s Experience. An experienced audio engineer ensures the best recording, top notch editing and high end broadcast quality for the end result – a...

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Serial Documentaries … Changing the Rules of Documentary Filmmaking

Serial Documentaries … Changing the Rules of Documentary Filmmaking Serial documentaries now pepper our visual landscapes. Everyone from Netflix, to Showtime, from PBS to HBO, has jumped on-board with nail-biting crime dramas, and in-depth historical storytelling. They have engaged audiences with an almost cult-like following with each cliff-hanging episode. But can these mini-series documentaries work...

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