Santa Barbara City College offers a Festival Studies Program in conjunction with the LA Film Fest, thanks to Instructor and Film Studies Program Chair Nico Maestu. Classwork includes multiple daily screenings, blog postings, and instruction/"office hours" at the festival.
Student blogs can be read at http://filmreviews.sbcc.edu
"I like meeting everybody. Getting conversations going," says student Jackie Lopez. "As a film student, I feel like I’m getting more out of it than watching movies for sure."
Lopez's favorite film of the fest, she says, is The Garden.
"Not a dry eye in the house," she continues. "[Scott Hamilton Kennedy] made a beautiful movie.
"By the end of the movie, whether you started off knowing anything [about the LA Community Garden] or not, you want to fight for their cause. Everyone should see this. "
The Garden, just one of the amazing films--and learning experiences--at this year's festival, will be screening again on Friday, July 27.
The best part of LAFF for Maestu?
"Introducing the festival to all the students, most of whom have never been to a festival," he says.
Santa Barbara City College Instructor Nico Maestu and student Stephanie Rieger in the Target Red Room at LA Film Festival.
Everyone's Famous for 15 Seconds, on Saturday, June 21, at the Festival Gallery at the LA Film Festival.
Danae Ringelmann, CFA, Chief of Finance & Customer Development, IndieGoGo (left); moderated a panel of Linda Olszewski of Shorts International and Independent Filmmaker Phillip Von Alvensleben, Filmaka. The trio explained how the Internet and other digital media have ushered in new opportunities and challenges for the independent filmmaker, and ways in which independent filmmakers can use it to their advantage.
They discussed the ways in which independent filmmakers can use short films as a calling card, as well as marketing tools for self promotion.
"Opportunities are everywhere," Ringelmann said. "There's never been a better time to be an independent filmmaker."
"[Short films] are a fairly inexpensive way to show your talent and show your commitment to your dream," Von Alvensleben explained.
A live-action short film can range from 10 to 40 minutes, an animated one: 5 to 40 minutes. A webisode can run 2 to 5 minutes. Also, Olszewski recommended shooting the film (or at least mastering it) in high definition.
Genre films, niche, animation, anything with a hook can get a filmmaker noticed.
The best way to stand out online? The experts agree: "Make a good film."
