Dubbed “The Black Sundance,” the Hollywood Black Film Festival (HBFF) is an annual 4-day celebration of Black Cinema drawing together established filmmakers, popular film and TV stars, writers, directors, industry executives, emerging artists, and diverse audiences from Southern California and around the world. HBFF’s INFOTAINMENT CONFERENCE features a wealth of informational panels and workshops covering a wide variety of topics which include: film production, distribution and marketing, pitching, writing for television and film, in addition to specific programs designed to inform and educate actors.
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What are you pitching? Who are you pitching to? And why? As artrepreneurs, wearing more hats everyday, sometimes our passion and urgency can cause us to skip critical steps or blow precious opportunities. As technologies converge, the screen lines blur and obfuscate the delineation between studio and independent. It is increasingly important for you to be able to distill, engagingly communicate and stay focused on your end game. Come get a GPS overview of the lay of the land that is "Hollywood" and the players and niches in our ever-shrinking global media marketplace. Discover new and more effective ways of presenting and promoting yourself and your projects - and adjusting your marketing materials or verbal spiel to whomever you can position yourself to pitch to. Whether you're a writer/director/producer of - or an actor in - indie films, webseries or TV series proposals, pitching your concept to the networks, cable outlets or cobbling together your budget through private investors and brand sponsorship or even later in the process, launching (or rekindling) a social media marketing campaign for a pre-existing intellectual property - you're selling every step of the way. Come learn some cutting edge insights mixed with good old fashioned common sense to help you rethink how you might better creatively collaborate in the highest and best interests of your projects' and career goals.
Independent film financing and distribution of a film can be tricky. You can pitch a film project, but you must also be able to dance to music of the investor. It’s their stage, and they don’t like indie filmmakers looking for funding. Come find out how the availability of commercial distribution opportunities for films at any budget level is changing as the industry embraces an explosion of new and unconventional resources for financing, producing and distributing independent films.
This workshop and panel discussion will focus on resources for the beginner actor,writer, director producer, will discuss the importance of networking, and give information on developing your talent so when they opportunity comes, you’re ready.
There are a multitude of business opportunities in the studio and network systems for talent in the areas of acting, directing, writing and producing. However, there are also behind the scenes jobs ranging from accounting, development, graphic design, legal and printing services to marketing, video production and editing. This session is geared toward up and coming creative and business professionals who want to learn the secrets to obtaining opportunities to share your talent to the major studios and networks.
Diversity executives from NBC, CBS, ABC, WB & the WGA will discuss how to be seen by studios/networks. They will answer a wide range of questions including: What does it take to be taken seriously by the studios/networks? How to cultivate contacts within the studio and network systems? How does a studio/network go about selecting diverse talent? How can diversity representatives help me? How do I meet and find the right advocates within the studio and network?
This session will address the new landscape and opportunities facing content creators working across platforms in film, television and new media technologies.
If you're interested in finding financing your film, you've got to start with a business plan which connects the creative process and the business side of filmmaking. In this workshop you will learn how to utilize tools and access the information needed to develop a business plan that can actually get your project funded. From packaging your project with "marketable" talent and "saleabe" producing and production partners to providing "realistic" financial data and comparables, you will leave this workshop armed with all the information you need to show an investor who you are, where you are going, and how you are going to get there.
Via social media, Crowd Funding has emerged in recent years as the new alternative to traditional routes of funding. Sites such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo have become the standard bearers for filmmakers seeking to raise money through the internet. This panel will discuss how Crowd Funding works, advantages v. disadvantages, success v. failure stories, the JOBS Act and the ability to sell equity online after January 1, 2013.
Presenter DMA/Donna Michelle Anderson will discuss how filmmakers, writers, directors, actors and other industry professionals can network online and promote their brand and build audiences online. Will talk about how to capitalize online at the click of a mouse. The Internet can help you generate word of mouth "buzz," promote your products and talents, and to build a world-wide audience and fan base.
Television writer and producer Bentley Kyle Evans who has been behind the scenes of some of television’s most popular TV productions such as Martin, The Parkers, One On One, The Jamie Foxx Show and is currently the creator and executive producer of TV One's Love That Girl, will host our Master Class for Writers. Bentley will share insight into the television writing, producing & development process, and hopefully demystify what it takes to turn a good idea into a great television show. There may also be surprise visits from celebrity guests.
A panel of agents and managers discuss what they look for in taking on a new client, and how to get in front of agents and managers and be taken seriously.
Actors discuss their films and careers, the industry, and the building blocks needed to successfully develop an acting career.
All projects face the same basic challenges – from developing material, finding the money, building strong collaborative teams, and ultimately, taking the project from script to screen. This is a roundtable discussion with seasoned and successful film and television producers and production executives who share their experience and offer concrete advice on producing for film.
All projects face the same basic challenges – from developing material, finding the money, building strong collaborative teams, and ultimately, taking the project from script to screen. This is a roundtable discussion with seasoned and successful film and television producers and production executives who share their experience and offer concrete advice on producing for television.
Actors will have a chance to show off their acting skills by performing a 1-minute monologue of their choice in front of a panel of judges. The panel will offer feedback to the actor and give them notes on improving their audition. Actors should treat this like an audition. Must bring your own monologues. Led by Celebrity Casting Director, Tracy "Twinkie" Byrd of In the Twink of an Eye Casting (Sparkle, Jumping the Broom, Notorious).
Separate MONOLOGUE SLAM REGISTRATION required to audition. Register early, limited to 20 auditions. $30 fee to audition. All festival-goers are welcome to watch for free.
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