Uncompleted Works

This past Saturday, I was a special guest of Roberta Munroe’s “Best Short Film Workshop Ever” — It was a great event, and despite also being a speaker, I took some time to live tweet the event for all those who couldn’t make it.

Leah Meyerhoff and Kim Garland chat during "The Best Short Film Workshop Ever"

Here is a twitter transcript of the event. Look for a full write-up on the event soon!

• Heading on train to downtown to “The Best Short Film Workshop Ever” headed by former Sundance Programmer Roberta Munroe. Gunna be a blast! 5:58 AM Sep 26th
• Introductions have begun – @robertamunroe is leading the room. Good turnout. #ScreenwritingSaturday7:33 AM Sep 26th
• In the “Best Short Film Workshop Ever” is a great mix of writers, directors, actors, and producers. #ScreenwritinSaturday7:43 AM Sep 26th
• Dispelling myths about Sundance “the # of good films never changed from year to year… despite increased # submissions.” – Roberta Munroe 7:51 AM Sep 26th
• On your short film for festival circuit “No opening credits, no long credits at the end” – Roberta Munroe. Don’t be overly self indulgent. 7:56 AM Sep 26th
• Surround yourself with others inline with your goals in filmmaking. “Surround yourself with genius” #ScreenwritingSaturday8:08 AM Sep 26th
• Workshop Break. Next up. ME! I’ll be talking about Mental Spackle, and where I “fell down” on my last short film. #ScreenwritingSaturday8:37 AM Sep 26th
• Talking about the Duplass Brothers — “This is John” and “The intervention” and “The Puffy Chair” #ScreenwritingSaturday8:55 AM Sep 26th
• The post-production process is the “final rewrite” — work is not done when you call “Wrap!’ #ScreenwritingSaturday9:24 AM Sep 26th from TweetDeck
• If you send a short film to festival — have your a feature script READY. If you a don’t you may be passed for other workshops @ festival. 9:28 AM Sep 26th
• “Youtube Screeningroom is the curated section of youtube. Filmmakers that got paid for their films” -Roberta Munroe http://bit.ly/C0MIO9:48 AM Sep 26th
• Nash Edgerton’s short film “Spider” — check it out! http://bit.ly/xTvPN (Roberta Recommends) 9:54 AM Sep 26th
• Break time from “The Best Short Film Workshop Ever” #ScreenwritingSaturday9:54 AM Sep 26th
• Re: Your short film “Get a Casting Director.” N/E thing takes something off shoulders. “get to know casting assistants” -Roberta Munroe. 11:01 AM Sep 26th
• “Do not settle in your casting. Find someone that knows more than you. You are paying for their time.” – Roberta Munroe. 11:09 AM Sep 26th
• “Cover peoples cost, they will respect you, and work harder” – Roberta Munroe RE: Day rates on short films. 11:13 AM Sep 26th
• “Create a ‘look book’ of your movie. Take book to your DP/Producer/Prod Designer. This is your vision/Colors/Magazine clips” – Roberta Monroe. 11:16 AM Sep 26th
• “You should never ‘be’ a post-production supervisor, unless you ARE a post-production supervisor” — Roberta Munroe 11:41 AM Sep 26th
• “1st time filmmakers often don’t understand post-production process.” – Roberta M. Admit you don’t know everything & hire someone who does.11:44 AM Sep 26th
• What a good editor says “you are probably are not going to be in love with the first cut. This is a skeleton.” Good editor gives you options. 11:54 AM Sep 26th
• “Don’t get stuck on the Master Shot. Get your close shots, mediums. Move onto getting closer. Make sure you’ve the coverage” – Roberta Munroe 11:55 AM Sep 26th
• Check out “The Lean Forward Moment: Create Compelling Stories for Film, TV, and the Web” by Norman Hollyn http://bit.ly/15aqu912:12 PM Sep 26th
• “More sound design, less music. Sound Design can add muscle to a scene. Fill out, move dialogue.” -Roberta Monroe 12:21 PM Sep 26th
• “Do not put music in the first 3rd of your film. Should stand and deliver on its own. Music should accompany not overwhelm.” -Roberta Munroe. 12:24 PM Sep 26th
• For those wondering what I’m tweeting. Am a special guest @ “The Best Short Film Workshop Ever” w/ Roberta Munroe former sundance programmer. 12:27 PM Sep 26th
• Now talking distribution with Leah Meyerhoff, @GoGoSlava will be here soon. 12:43 PM Sep 26th
• “If you want your short film to be distribution ready, don’t use recognizable music. You will not get the rights to The Who” -Roberta Munroe 12:47 PM Sep 26th
• “Take some pictures on set for promotional purposes.” It’s much better than pulling stills from your cut. They never look as good. 12:52 PM Sep 26th
• “Did you separate your Dialogue, Music, and Effects tracks? Ask about this in your soundmix! Important!” – Roberta Munroe. 12:57 PM Sep 26th
• “Contracts: Remember! “NON-EXCLUSIVE” never give all rights to single distribution co. Different Markets different needs” – Roberta Munroe. 1:01 PM Sep 26th
• “There is not a single distributor who can exploit your film worldwide. To be able to sell to as many people, non-exclusive!” -Roberta Munroe. 1:05 PM Sep 26th
• Now Leah Meyerhoff (@leahland) speaking about distribution. When shopping “Twitch” she created a “distribution database”
• Leah’s (@leahland)Her short film Twitch won Grand Jury Prize at Slamdance http://bit.ly/78Jpv1:11 PM Sep 26th
• Leah Meyerhoff (@leahland) sold exclusive rights for Twitch in Scandinavia for $7000. So there are cases when exclusive contracts work!1:12 PM Sep 26th
• “Sign all non-exclusive contracts you can. At this point it is about getting your work seen” – Leah Meyerhoff (@leahland ) 1:14 PM Sep 26th
• “Internet is murky & tricky. I held off releasing my film online until I completed the full festival run.” – Leah Meyerhoff (@leahland) 1:16 PM Sep 26th
• Be sure to have a website for yourself or your film. Oh, and Slava Rubin (@GoGoSlava) has arrived to the workshop. 1:19 PM Sep 26th
• “The more kind buzz you build about yourself comes back 10 fold. I know the importance of how to have a great image” – @leahland1:25 PM Sep 26th
• “When you go to film festivals, you are collecting a database of people who may later be part of your filmmaking career” – Roberta Munroe 1:27 PM Sep 26th
• “Build an email list. Don’t spam. Create an ongoing conversation and engage about your film and filmmaking” – Leah Meyerhoff (@leahland) 1:32 PM Sep 26th
• “Do not write a scathing email if you got rejection from a festival. It makes your look like an ass.” – Roberta Munroe 1:52 PM Sep 26th
• Now up is @GoGoSlava from Indie Go Go talking about raising about monies 2:06 PM Sep 26th
• “Email campaigns are the most undervalued items in your arsenal. Not just to market, but to engage filmmakers.” – Slava Rubin (@GoGoSlava) 2:14 PM Sep 26th
• Check out IndieGoGo provides “tools for fundraising, promotion, and discovery for filmmaking” Listening to @GoGoSlava speak. 2:28 PM Sep 26th
• Flyer from today’s “The Best Short Film Workshop Ever” http://twitpic.com/j9l80 3:03 PM Sep 26th
• “Focus on European festivals that don’t charge submission $ Go w/ the free ones 1st. Learn your festival submissions chops”- Roberta Munroe3:08 PM Sep 26th
• Sundance is not the end-all-and-be-all of film festivals, there are others out there, that can help you get great traction. 3:09 PM Sep 26th
• Closing statements from @robertamunroe. [Merrel note: Ouch! My back is killing me!] 3:22 PM Sep 26th
• Workshop over, now back to your regularly scheduled tweeting. Thanks for indulging me! 4:08 PM Sep 26th
• Look for a recap of today’s filmmaking workshop and tweets on my blog sometime mid next week! 4:54 PM Sep 26th