2013 Lab Curriculum
Documentary & Narrative Finishing Lab (Documentary: May 13-17, 2013 Narrative: June 10-14, 2013)
These initial Lab workshops provide skills for polishing your film with expert-led workshops on:
Editing – strengthening your structure and story
Music – collaborating with a composer, song selection, rights and clearances
Post-Production – tools and budgeting for visual and audio finishing
Legal Issues – navigating contracts and deliverables
Audience Building – How to identify and activate your core fans
Transmedia Tie-Ins – conceiving and implementing story extensions
Film Festivals – evaluating your festival screening opportunities, assessing your representation options, and building your team
Publicity and Marketing – building social networks and creating the assets necessary to promote your film at festivals and beyond
Distribution Models – evaluating models to understand the best option (alternative, DIY or traditional distribution) for your film
Documentary-Specific Topics – reviewing archival footage and fair use
Independent Film Week & Marketing Lab (September 2013)
Filmmakers present their film promotion and marketing strategies in small group sessions and receive feedback from their Lab peers and experts in the field. These sessions mingle Documentary and Narrative Lab Fellows to further cross-pollinate ideas. Fellows also receive pitch strategy for scheduled meetings at Independent Film Week’s Project Forum.
During the Independent Film Week Project Forum, fellows take strategic meetings with relevant potential buyers, sales agents, funders, and festival programmers interested in supporting the film.
Independent Film Week hosts a special Labs “Sneak Preview” Showcase, featuring clips from all current year Narrative and Documentary Lab films. This showcase is presented with Rooftop Films to an audience of hundreds of festival programmers, talent reps, filmmakers, and cinephiles.
Distribution Lab (Early December 2013)
Concentrate on individualized plans for the film’s release, including festival strategy and distribution preparation. Filmmakers pitch distribution strategies and receive feedback from peers and distribution experts. Additional in-depth seminars on distribution topics are presented.
Mentorship
Each participating film is paired with a One-to-One Mentor – an established producer or director who is matched especially to each film based on content and style. These mentors can advise on distribution and finishing, as well as career building.
In addition, IFP Programming Staff provides year-round support as needed, advising fellows and advocating on their behalf. IFP also promotes Lab alumni films to its members and constituency during their film festival run and as they become available to audiences through traditional and non-traditional platforms.
Commitment to Diversity
As part of IFP’s ongoing commitment to diversity, the Independent Filmmaker Labs seeks to ensure that at least 50% of the participating projects have an inclusive range of races, genders, sexual orientations, ethnicities, and physical abilities in key creative positions.
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