OTV STUDY HALL

OTV STUDY HALL is designed to develop strong writers, directors and independent producers who identify with multiple communities that have been historically marginalized in film and television because of their race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, class, disability or citizenship status. These one-of-kind free courses and masterclasses have been intentionally crafted to provide artists with skills to thrive in the media, film and TV industries. 

OTV STUDY HALL - 2021

This masterclass will be focusing on the steps that happen after you (a filmmaker, a producer, line producer etc.) receive a script. This course will cover: 

• Script breakdowns (different tools that can help)

• Creating a budget using excel vs MMB (Movie Magic)

• What items should be accounted for in your budget?

• Scheduling your film in a budget-friendly manner

• Location scouting

• What you as a LP should be doing on set 

• What does wearing many hats on set look like

• How to hire a crew

• SAG vs NON SAG (pros and cons)

• Hiring a casting agent vs casting your film yourself

• Illinois' 30% tax credit and how to take advantage of it

Veronica Barbosa is a producer/director/writer based out of Chicago's South Side. While Veronica loves all aspects of filmmaking, she found a particular love for producing and directing while studying cinema arts at Columbia College Chicago. She is greatly influenced by people, cultures, and the struggles and triumphs of those around her. She has produced and directed numerous short films and produced one feature film. For her day job, Veronica works as an office manager/bookkeeper. She also freelances as a producer, LP, UPM, 2nd AD, and sound utility. In her free time you can catch her at a Cubs game, writing, hanging out with her cat, Ginny, or looking for something outdoorsy to do.

Participants will be introduced to the fundamentals of project bibles vs pitch materials for shows and films.  What is the difference between the two and why is it important to know when you have to create each one. This masterclass will get into the details of creating pitch materials such as EPKs, Investors pages, websites, and pitch deck.  For the sake of time, the majority of the course will focus on the pitch materials and exercises so students can leave with:

• The bones for a pitch deck.

• The next steps in creating pitch materials or a bible for a project they are currently working on. 

• A clear understanding of how your pitch deck should be structured and flow.

• Step-by-step guidelines for the information that should be covered on each slide of your deck. 

• Pitch materials such as EPKs, Investors pages, websites, and pitch deck.  

Raised in Milwaukee, Angellic Ross (she/her) attended Northwestern University where she studied Performance Studies and Film & Media Studies. Her first short film was revoLUZion which won first place at the My Hero Festival. Following that, she produced the short film Down the Rabbit Hole which was nominated for Best Picture at the Single Take Film Festival. Her most recent project is a multimedia feature-length documentary piece, A Journey Through Time, for her sorority's 100 year anniversary. She is an Advisory Board Member of Sisters in Cinema and a part of the inaugural class of Full Spectrum Features and the Chicago Film Office's Chicago Independent Producers Lab. In addition to her film work, Angellic is an Associate Director of Media Strategy at an advertising agency. Check out her work here.

What Do Executives Want?" introduces emerging writers and directors to how they can best position themselves to work with studios, production companies, major distributors, agencies and management companies. This course explores how artists can "package" themselves and their ideas to entice executives and secure gainful employment in film & television. It will include a panel of industry executives at top companies.

This course will cover: 

• The difference between agents, managers, studios, production companies and distributors, including what each is generally looking for in artists and projects 

• What assets have been proven to most effective for getting represented by an agent or manager 

• What experience is needed to get staffed in a writers room or as a TV director 

• How to best empower yourself to bargain effectively 

• The difference between a general meeting and a formal pitch 

• The pitfalls of various types of industry deals 

• Current trends in the industry in terms of who is getting signed, staffed and sales

Aymar Jean "AJ" Christian is an associate professor of communication studies at Northwestern University. His first book, Open TV: Innovation Beyond Hollywood and the Rise of Web Television on New York University Press, argues the web brought innovation to television by opening development to independent producers. His work has been published in numerous academic journals and conferences. He has juried television and video for the Peabody Awards, Gotham Awards, and Tribeca Film Festival, among others. His grant writing has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for his research, community and Chicago artists.

Christine Dávila is currently the Head of Development and Production for Ojalá, founded by Tanya Saracho, creator, showrunner, and executive producer of “Vida” on Starz. Prior to Ojalá she was Director of Development at Warner Bros’ Stage 13, a content studio/pod.  Among the series she was lead executive and oversaw production was the Emmy nominated comedy series “It’s Bruno”, and the half-hour psychological horror anthology series “Two Sentence Horror Stories for the CW. Previously, Davila worked on the programming teams of such festivals like the Sundance Film Festival, Morelia International Film Festival and Curacao Rotterdam.

Karan Sunil is a first-generation Indian-American writer and director with a penchant for telling immigrant stories through dark comedy and genre. He is currently developing a comedy pilot with The Tannenbaum Company and Lionsgate and was a 2020 Film Independent Project Involve Writing Fellow. He previously worked on Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist (NBC) and an upcoming Ilana Glazer project as a Writers’ Assistant as well as wrote and directed his award-winning web series, Code-Switched. Since immigrating from India as a child, Karan has been on a journey to use filmmaking to reflect the humor and pain that comes from a constant state of in-between. He is a graduate of DePaul University with a BA in Digital Cinema & Television Writing. 

Are you working on an amazing Film/TV project that you hope will mobilize a community?  In this masterclass, OTV's Executive Director and Co-Founder, Elijah McKinnon will take you through the basics of designing an Impact Campaign for a film project that will raise awareness and inspire action. Through this dynamic session, participants will learn from McKinnon and other industry professionals that are using impact production techniques and distribution strategies to build intentional communities that manifest social change. 

This course will cover:

• Reimagining “impact,” “reach” and “success”

• The difference between an impact campaign, impact producer, and impact film and how they work together + apart

• Tools to help you define what success looks like for your film, series or video project

• Effective strategies for aligning your artistic practice and project with global/local conversations, initiatives, and platforms

• How to secure resources that will help increase the impact of your project

• Proven tactics that will reach the core audience of your film, series or video project

• How to create non-negotiable strategies that center community during various stages of production

Elijah McKinnon is an award-winning strategist, creative director, entrepreneur, artist, and advocate from the future currently residing on planet earth. In addition to serving as the Founder and Director of People Who Care, Inc. — an independent consultancy that works exclusively with nonprofits and grassroots initiatives around the globe — Elijah is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of OTV – Open Television, an intersectional web TV platform. They are also the Co-Founder and Development Director of Reunion Chicago, an exhibition space and project incubator in Chicago prioritized for LGBTQ+ people and communities of color in creative roles. Elijah is constantly moving and shaking in an attempt to build meaningful relationships and encourage resource sharing.

Naeema Jamilah Torres is an award-winning, Chicago-area filmmaker originally from New York City. As a writer, director and producer, she aims to tell placed-based stories that unpack notions of womanhood, complex ethnic identities, and legacies in the Americas through visual and audio mediums. Her work has screened at a number of festivals, including New Orleans Film Festival, San Francisco Doc Fest and St. Louis International Film Festival. After receiving a BFA in film, she pursued a career in home entertainment distributistorytellingon, working for companies such as Cinedigm and HBO. Her passion for non-fiction led to impact producing, an MFA in Documentary from Northwestern University, and crafting documentaries from development through distribution. In addition to creative storytelling work, Naeema is an adjunct film instructor, a grant writer, and an advocate for BIPOC, femme-identified filmmakers of color in Chicago as part of the leadership of Mezcla Media Collective, a 600-member non-profit providing resources and equity for emerging filmmakers.

Whitney Spencer is the Director of Marketing at Kartemquin Films. Whitney gravitated towards the storytelling aspect of marketing because she enjoys the creative action driven by strategy and insights. She believes in the power of story to engage and organize communities. In her role, she explores and expands the ways to share Kartemquin's impact with as many people as possible, including all organizational and project-centered marketing strategies with a keen eye towards maximizing opportunities for distribution. Whitney has worked on the marketing for a number of Kartemquin Films including City So Real (NatGeo), Finding Yingying (MTV), and Unapologetic (POV). 

OTV STUDY HALL - 2020

a 7-Part Workshop series for independent Intersectional artists.

OTV STUDY HALL is designed to develop strong writers, directors and independent producers who identify with multiple communities that have been historically marginalized in film and television because of their race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, class, disability or citizenship status. The course begins with project and career development then culminates with production, exhibition, and marketing.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH!

101. Developing Your Artists Brand with Britt Julious (she/her)

May 2nd, 2020

In an infinite sea of content, it's difficult to stand out! This one hour course will examine how successful artists develop their personal brand to identify opportunities and press for their creative pursuits. During the workshop you will find the best method to succinctly tell your story in a 1-2 minute pitch. Participants may workshop projects underway, or future proposals they hope to develop. (1 hr)

102. Screenwriting and Story Development with Jessica King (they/them, she/her)

May 9, 2020

Mastering format and visual storytelling are essential to building a career as a filmmaker. This three-hour session will introduce participants to the fundamentals of screenplay writing. Building on the basics of screenplay format, students will receive a crash course on the fundamentals of three-act structure before unpacking the driving features of narrative: character, obstacles, stakes, and conflict. (3 hrs 15 mins)

103. Production with Stephanie Jeter (she/her)

May 16, 2020

In this course, participants will learn the ins and outs of project development, attaching production partners, pre-production (script breakdown, scheduling and budgeting), casting, production, post-production workflow, and distribution. This course is designed for creatives who will become de facto producers as they usher their projects forward. (3hrs 15mins)

104. Marketing as Community Engagement with Elijah McKinnon (they/them)

May 28, 2020

In an age where media is filled with distractions (cue: thirst traps and videos of cute kittens), how do we critically break through the noise and utilize marketing to build intentional community IRL/URL? Join us for an interactive two-hour workshop exploring how to use creative action to propel social change in your community and beyond. Led by OTV's Executive Director and former Head of Marketing, Elijah McKinnon will breakdown the ways to facilitate healthy community engagement strategies to get your message to the people who need (and want) it the most. (2 hrs)

105. Funding the New TV Economy with Chicago Media Angels with Mark Glassgow (he/him)

June 9, 2020

This workshop will focus on three main themes: 1) how to attract investors to your project & market your film; 2) convincing potential funders to invest—how to build trust with potential funders; 3) how to secure returning investors, distribution, and what happens after your film has been made. (1 hr 30 mins)

106. Grant Writing with Dr. Aymar Jean Christian (he/him)

June 13, 2020

How do you get a grant? Artists will learn how to talk about their show in ways attractive to non-profit funders, film juries, and public officials. This course provides 1) an overview of the types of grants/fellowships available to indie TV creators and their different priorities; 2) the pros and cons of working with grants; 3) the preparatory work that goes into securing a grant; and 4) best practices for making sure your application is competitive. We will go over sample grants and show how each question is designed to give an opportunity to show the value of you and your work. (1 hr 30 mins)

EXTRA CREDIT

Level Up: Indie to Hollywood moderated by Dr. Aymar Jean Christian (he/him)

June 6, 2020

Panelists: Dewayne Perkins (he/him) and Sam Bailey (she/her)

How do you jump from the indie space to Hollywood? This course shows how long-form TV shows and films are sold, produced and distributed in the United States. We will cover the process from pitch to release and the different organizations that support development. OTV alums who have made the transition from indie to Hollywood will join, including writer Dewayne Perkins (NBC’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Netflix’s The Break), director Sam Bailey (Netflix’s Dear White People, freeform’s Grown-ish) and actor Theo Germaine (Netflix’s The Politician, Showtime’s Work in Progress).

To incentivize participation and spur creation of Chicago-based projects, the Study Hall will include the 2nd annual class of OTV Fellows. These fellows will receive a stipend to develop a pitch for an original television series or film as they take the Study Hall.