|
Producing
A creative producer supports the integrity of the director’s vision. But he or she must also identify and acquire literary properties, raise funding, package projects, hire key personnel, supervise production and deliver a film for distribution. The producer is ultimately responsible for overseeing all phases of the filmmaking process, from development through the film’s release. NMFI’s producing curriculum offers comprehensive classroom instruction and hands-on experience designed to provide students with a practical working knowledge of the numerous facets of creative producing and the nuts and bolts of line producing and production management.
Our faculty emphasizes innovative problem-solving and bottom line responsibilities of producing feature films at the professional level. The program is designed to provide students with usable skills through hands-on production experience and in-depth study of the current independent and studio environment. You will also learn about the industry’s rapidly changing financing, distribution and marketing trends. NMFI strives to provide students with a global perspective on what it takes to bring a project from development through delivery in today’s complex domestic and world markets.
Spring Semester
The spring semester intensive is an in-depth exploration of all phases of development, production and distribution. The fundamentals associated with identifying and acquiring material for development, packaging, budgeting and scheduling, and creative financing and marketing strategies are stressed throughout the curriculum.
Throughout the semester the NMFI brings students together from all three disciplines for professional workshops by guest lecturers working inside the business. These industry experts conduct informal seminars that reveal behind-the-scenes insights and offer instructive and entertaining stories from the trenches. Guests include: screenwriters, casting directors, editors, cinematographers, animators, production designers, directors, producers, agents, studio executives and others.
Leadership and collaboration are key components of the producing process. In the spring, producing students join directing students for a series of workshops exploring the Hollywood production hierarchy, methods for working within a budget, and organizational and communication strategies. As part of these sessions, director/producer teams take pitches from screenwriting students, select material, cast actors, ‘hire’ crews, and prepare for shooting a 10 to 15-minute Super 16 or HD Digital movie over the summer semester.
Summer Semester
Working in a professional setting, each NMFI producer collaborates with an NMFI director to make a 10 to 15-minute Super 16 HD movie. Each approved summer production is allocated a $10,000 budget by NMFI, offering producing and directing teams a tangible budget to allocate, negotiate and meet, thereby challenging student producers to deliver an artistic vision on time and on budget.
Successful NMFI producers will complete the program with a professional reel in hand and the tools to pursue festival and commercial distribution for their film— an incredible opportunity to launch a professional career as a producer.
|
|