Actors -- show us the type of role you'd love to play! Bring your best 40-60 sec monologue excerpt* to present Live before a panel (led by CD Beverly Holloway - IMDb), who will provide practical feedback in the room. Fellow actors and producers/directors scouting talent for future projects are welcome to come, take notes, and network afterward. The showcase will go in order of sign-ups, for as long as the session time allows. Monologue sign-up sheets will be available near registration on Monday, August 10th.
* Monologue content must be appropriate for all audiences, as all ages are welcome in the class. You may write something original or choose/modify existing Film/TV material. Please time a test-run beforehand to ensure you are not exceeding the minute mark; thanks!

All the world's a stage... Explore in this session how to take it and keep it!

Rebekah Cook will moderate a panel of experienced actors to discuss their insights and share stories of how to be "salt and light" and honor the Lord both on and off set.

A discussion with writer/director David Helling, regarding his journey as a Biblical filmmaker-- from doing short films with no budget to his recent project "His Only Son", a feature film focused on Abraham and his call to sacrifice his own son.

Marketing a movie is one step in the promotional process. Along with discussing some standard marketing principles to reach our audiences, we will also explore the need to create an intersection with these audiences. We don’t just market a movie, but a higher Biblical principle of building a community of ambassadors for the movies we make. We’ll unpack and discuss that thought.

In this discussion, we'll take the technical tools in our cinematography tool box (exposure, optics, composition, movement, color, lighting, etc.) and translate them to reveal their expressive storytelling potential. This paradigm shift will propel us beyond the technical and empower us to use these tools creatively to "speak", "move", and "perform" over the arc of a story in ways that directors and actors can engage and interact with during a performance. Whether a beginner or an advanced filmmaker, there is something in this workshop that can be immediately used to add depth and nuance to your visual storytelling.

Come learn from Shari Rigby on what it takes to nurture and sustain a long-term career as an actor! From preparation, auditioning, and landing the job, to set etiquette and more, this workshop will help set you up for fruitful working relationships with crew and cast. We'll walk through the Actor/Director dialogue and the connection of the artists to bring the story to life. This session will be interview-style, with additional Q&A as time allows.

Creating great story is an art form.  When we experience a great story, we suffer and triumph right along with the characters and identify deeply with their journey.  The reason we resonate so deeply with story is because God designed us for it.  In fact, the Gospel itself is the greatest story ever told.  While some Christians believe we should look anywhere but to the Gospel to find the secrets of great storytelling, the opposite is actually true.  Storytelling is God’s chosen means for communicating His message of hope and light to a dying world.  And it is only when we emulate His pattern that we can discover how to weave together an extraordinary story — one that has the potential to change the lives of its hearers forever.

Finding the right project that connects with studios, distributors and audiences

New to the film world? Come get a complete overview of the filmmaking process from script to screen. While covering the basics and outlining the process, Stacie will also share some priceless lessons that she has learned over the years and some insider "secrets" to running a smooth film shoot with your friends. You will learn what you need to get started; the 5 stages of every film - Development, Pre-production, Production, Post Production, Distribution; and run through a mock film shoot to learn how to make a set flow smoothly

As a Sound Designer, you work with the Director to take what was shot and edited to take the story to the next level. We’ll walk through the process from video edit through final delivery masters. There are principles and processes that need to be followed in order to end up with a great product. We’ll walk through how to approach any project methodically and how to work in layers — using the time most effectively.

In this workshop, Andrew and Hannah Bartlett (Bartlett Idea Co.) will take you on a behind-the-scenes look at a recent project they produced for the Riverside County Sheriff's Department (with a car chase, helicopters, SWAT team and more)! They will break down lessons learned from the failures and successes of producing a film in the "indie filmmaking capital of the world," including the process on how they got the client, built a team, planned the project, dealt with problem-solving and more!

If you're new to acting and aren't sure what steps to take to launch your career, this workshop is for you. From training to auditions, headshots and resumes to representation and social media, Jonathan Wessel will cover everything you need to know to start down the path to a successful acting career.

It would be funny if it wasn’t so frustrating. You’re lighting a scene, and something just isn’t working. You add another light, and the problem gets worse. You start turning lights off one by one, and it just doesn’t look right. 10 minutes later, the 1st AD comes to you and asks, “We’ve got 5 minutes left in your projected setup time; are we on target for the final rehearsal?” 45 minutes later, it’s lunch, you’ve started over twice, and you still don’t like the results but have to shoot anyway to make the day. Been there? What if you knew what the lighting would look like before a single light came off the truck? You can. You must. In this session, we will discuss an approach to lighting that greatly reduces problems, enhances on-set communication, and creatively empowers the G&E team. Whether you are a beginner or a veteran filmmaker, this session will provide practical tools to help you avoid, identify, and fix lighting problems.

In this workshop and it's following sequel, Paul will describe the ups and downs and challenges and victories in scoring the Kendrick Brothers latest hit film OVERCOMER. He’ll be talking process, tech, spirit, and life with visual and audio examples as he shares the 10 month journey from first inception to final delivery. Come ready with your questions and he will discuss how a large orchestral feature film score is created, and how to survive it!

In this sequel session, Paul will continue sharing the journey of scoring the Kendrick Brothers latest hit film OVERCOMER. He’ll be talking process, tech, spirit, and life with visual and audio examples as he shares the 10 month journey from first inception to final delivery. Come ready with your questions and he will discuss how a large orchestral feature film score is created, and how to survive it!

Putting the plan together and bringing it to completion.

A practical guide on how to be strategic with budgets, talent, locations, special effects, crew and more.

So you are interested in animation and want to know just how does one go about creating an animated film? We break down our most recent animated film and share a behind the scenes look at what it actually takes to bring an idea from imagination to screen. AANNDD we just might share a peek at some of our first animated film attempts!

Let’s take “write what you know” to a whole new level! Have you known suffering in your life? Perseverance? Trial and error? Hope? If so, you have experienced the design of the human story-- a design from the Author of life that is intrinsic to every person and circumstance. A design from the Master Storyteller whose pen strokes we can sometimes mistake for scribbles...
The Story Spiral is an intuitive and biblical approach to understanding and structuring stories. It is a map to help you uncover the pattern in the events, experiences, and seasons of life. My hope is that following this map will not only help you craft stories that resonate with all, but will also offer insight into your own story.
I invite you to join me in becoming an apprentice of the Master Storyteller!

In June of 2020 Joseph and Stacie Graber co-directed We Three Kings, a new Christmas movie telling the story behind the carol of the same name.  They are dedicated to learning to work together as a team - not just in film but in life, in marriage, in pastoral work, and in parenting their four boys.  In this talk they share helpful stories and tips about directing actors, co-directing effectively (without hating each other), and the whole talk may or may not be sprinkled with random advice on how to keep your marriage strong while staying in film.

The film is finished shooting. What happens after the cameras stop rolling and where do you start? We’ll walk through how to prepare for success from the start with raw footage and sound from set. Then, we’ll walk through the editorial process and finishing in color and sound. Aside from the technical specifics, we’ll also cover budgeting, timelines and post-production management.