2-Day Film School for Writers

One of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Orson Welles, said, "Everything you need to know about filmmaking can be learned in two to three days." Dov does it in two. From idea to final print, in just two days taking Dov S-S Simens' 2-Day Film School seminar, you will immediately learn and understand how to shoot, produce, direct, finance, market and distribute your film - whether your budget is $5,000, $500,000 or $5,000,000.

For over a decade, Dov Simens has been Hollywood's greatest film instructor. Voted "America's #1 Film Instructor" by the National Association of Film Schools, and having taught at USC, NYU, UCLA and over 18 other major universities and film schools around the world, Dov S-S Simens has been revolutionizing the film industry with his 2-day Film School that packs four years of film education into a single weekend.

Your time is precious. You don’t have time for four years of film school. Dov Simens' 2-Day Film School will put you light years ahead of the competition. Simens condenses four years of film school theory and education into two days of essential and practical facts and information. It's a no-holds barred, rapid-fire weekend designed for anyone from first-time filmmakers to industry professionals seeking a fresh perspective on the realities of the film business.

Called the "Champion of Independent Filmmaking" Dov's Grads - which include the likes of Quentin Tarantino ("Kill Bill"), Guy Ritchie ("Snatch"), Will Smith, Kirk Jones (Director of "Waking Ned Devine"), Chris Nolan (Director of "Memento"), Paul Brooks (Producer of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"), the makers of "The Blair Witch Project," "The Matrix" trilogy and many others - have gone on to shoot, produce and direct films that have grossed over $11 BILLION at the box office. He has spent over a decade teaching at such prestigious film schools and universities as USC, NYU, and UCLA and as a result has been able to hone his instruction and communication skills to a razor’s edge. You won’t need four years. You’ll just need one jam-packed weekend. Whether your budget is paper-thin or bank rolled by a big studio, you’ll learn to make the innovative, marketable, and engaging film you’ve always dreamed about.

Each class takes place from 9:00am to 6:00pm Saturday and Sunday. 

Atlanta: Georgia Tech Hotel & Conference Center, 800 Spring St NW, Atlanta, GA 30308

Los Angeles: The Chaplin Theater at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood, 5300 Melrose Ave., Hollywood, CA 90038.

New York: People's Improv Theatre (PIT Theatre) 123 E 24th Street New York, NY 10010

Toronto: Victoria College Campus, U of T, Northrop Frye Center, 73 Queen's Park Crescent, Toronto, ON M5S1K7

Chicago: Chicago Renaissance Hotel, 1 W. Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60601

San Francisco: Holiday Inn Golden Gateway, 1500 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94109

Houston: Hilton Americas, 1600 Lamar, Houston, TX 77010

Minneapolis: Minneapolis Marriott City Center, 30 South 7th Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402

London, England: Birkbeck College Lecture Room B36, Malet Street Bloomsbury, London WC 1E 7HX

Singapore: Action Theatre 42 Waterloo St., Singapore 187951

Day 1: PRODUCE & DIRECT

MAKING YOUR MOVIE

Freshman Year: Produce, Budget & Schedule

Learn how to prepare a feature film package that you, the first timer, can make.

Topics include:

The Hollywood System
Hiring talent and casting
What is low budget
Purchasing hot scripts
Budgeting and scheduling
Guilds and unions
16mm vs. 35mm v. digital
Filmmaking A to Z
The key elements
Contracts and agreements
Hiring crew
The 1-, 2- and 3 week shoot
Cameras, lights & sound
Screenwriting A to Z

SHOOTING YOUR MOVIE

Sophomore Year: Direct, Shoot & Edit

Learn methods you'll use to direct your movie cost-effectively.

Topics include:

Hiring a production crew
Budgeting tricks
Directing the actors
Directing A to Z
Getting 25-35 shots per day
ADR, foley & M&E
Finishing your film
Renting the equipment
Scheduling
Directing the crew
Directing post-production
Music, score & lab
The answer print
Digital Filmmaking A to Z

Day 2: FINANCE & DISTRIBUTION

SELLING YOUR MOVIE

Junior Year: Publicity, Festivals & Awards

Learn how to attend festivals, win awards, attract distributors and negotiate deals.

Topics include:

The festival circuit
Marketing do's and don'ts
Attracting a distributor
Deal memo points
Foreign sales
PPV & VOD windows
Hiring a publicist
Creating a buzz
Sundance & Cannes
Which agent to hire
Net vs. gross deals
Video & cable deals
Maximizing revenues
Studio Dealmaking A to Z

FUNDING YOUR FILM

Senior Year: Distribute, Finance & Profit

Learn how to finance projects with budgets ranging from $5,000 to $5,000,000 and profit.

Topics include:

Raising production money
Forming a production co.
Securing investors
SBA $750,000 guarantee
Negative pick-up deals
Packaging agents
Securing bank loans
Guaranteeing profits
What to offer
Play-or-pay deals
International co-productions
The 50-50 net deal
Completion bonds
Independent Financing A to Z

Cancellation Policy: If you cancel 10 days or less from the event date your full fee will be forfeited, but you may apply it to future seminars within one year of your first scheduled seminar. If you cancel more than 10 days prior to the event date then a $75 fee will be retained to cover administrative costs.