You can find the 1 and 2 Day Modules HERE.
“How can I learn the basics of scripting/shooting/editing?”
“How do I schedule out my shoot?”
“What does an Assistant Director do, exactly?”
“How do I attach name talent to my project?”
Aspiring filmmakers ask these types of questions every day. We’re about to provide some answers.
In response to numerous requests, Mel House and Upstart Filmworks are presenting the UPSTART INDIE PRODUCTION WORKSHOP.
The digital revolution is a wonderful thing. A multitude of tools and technology are now within reasonable grasp of most anyone that has the desire to tell a visual story. The down side is that a lot of people dive in to the deep end of the pool before they can swim. The INDIE PRODUCTION WORKSHOP will show you how to utilize those tools correctly to make a polished, professional product.
We will draw on our years of practical, real-world, on-set experience to walk you through the “nitty gritty” of independent filmmaking. The 8 week workshop will cover everything from the initial idea phase, through scripting, casting, production, post-production, and final output/authoring. Students will learn and apply the information and skills that are taught in an entirely hands-on collaborative group environment, where they will create short subject films that will be screened at the conclusion of the workshop.
Lead instructor Mel House has written, produced, and directed several feature films for Upstart Filmworks. You can find some of his projects on Netflix, in Hollywood Video, on Amazon, at various big-box retailers, and even on DVD in Germany and Japan. Mel’s work has been featured numerous times in Fangoria Magazine, on cable channels such as FuseTV and the Ovation network, and at film festivals in the U.S., Europe, and even Brazil. He has also taught the art of moviemaking at places ranging from public access stations to suburban high schools. Mel went from making his first feature for $300…to working with distinguished actors like Glenn (Transformers) Morshower, Kathy (No Country For Old Men) Lamkin...and even some of his childhood horror genre idols.
“I totally sensed something that was different and unique about [Mel], about his directing, about his way of getting the story across, that I hadn’t sensed elsewhere. It literally made me go back to the way I felt when I was auditioning for Friday the 13th. Here was something unique and different....Here you had this incredible genius, and I do not throw that out loosely, trust me. I know enough people in the world that I rarely say the word. I think Mel is going to be quite the contender, he’s just got it in him, he knows what he wants.” – Adrienne King, star of the original Friday the 13th and Upstart Filmworks’ Walking Distance.
“What really surprised me about Closet Space, though, was how smart it was. I mean, sure, we’re dealing with grad students here but they’re not the typical horror movie college students ™ ; these are people who are excited about what they do and are eager to learn as often as possible…you can see that Mel and crew wanted to be sure the audience got the uniqueness of the situation, but it never gets to the fast-forward point…the subject matter, intellect of the characters and solid pacing place it a step above the rest of the indie schlock that’s out there.” – DreadCentral.com review of Upstart Filmworks’ Closet Space.
“[Mel is] greatly influenced not just by the Nightmare on Elm Street aesthetic but also by H.P. Lovecraft. It’s very obvious in his writing; nothing is ever as it seems. That’s exactly what makes it so exciting to work on: levels, something a lot of indie filmmakers forget about, but they’re what make a movie of any budget great, in my opinion. This script has multiple levels and requires great detail that I know he will pull off—with style. His script for Walking Distance was so good, it enticed Friday the 13th’s Adrienne King out of retirement; that says a lot, and Mel really is special as a filmmaker.” - Debbie Rochon, host of Fangoria Radio, scream queen, and star of Walking Distance and Imago.
Real information.
Real experience.
Real results.
Sign up now – workshop is limited to 12 spaces!
DATES:
Tuesdays/Thursdays: January 5, 7, 12, 14, 19, 21, 26, 28 2010
February 2, 4, 9, 11, 16, 18, 23, 25
Saturdays: January 30, February 6, 13
Sunday: February 7
(Editing labs will be scheduled by groups during the entire week of February 15 and 22 as needed.)
Tuesday/Thursday sessions run from 6:30-10 pm.
Saturdays/Sundays are casting and/or production labs that will run roughly from 9 AM – 6 PM each day.
Final schedule will be distributed to students by December 22, 2009. Schedule subject to change as needed to best serve the needs of the workshop.
LOCATION: Upstart Filmworks’ warehouse/studio loft in Houston, Texas, located in the Memorial Park area, just minutes from Downtown and the Galleria. Production labs may take place off-site in suitable locations to be determined.
