How Not To Make a Short Film

We’re excited that Roberta Munroe is confirmed as a speaker for PhotoCine Expo. The focus of our HDSLR filmmaking expo is as much about creating great content as it is about the mechanics of filmmaking using these cameras and attachments and Roberta is a great addition. Here’s a little background from her website:

Roberta Munroe is the author of How Not To Make A Short Film: Secrets From A Sundance Programmer — described as the “bible” for short filmmakers. Roberta packed this “bible” with insider tips gleaned from 5 years programming short films at Sundance, interviewing successful short filmmakers worldwide and sharing the horrors and the brilliance of her own award winning short filmmaking career.

Some of you readers may know that my wife is a TV actress but you probably don’t know that almost every evening, my neighbors come over for doggie happy hour to let our dogs play while we have drinks (yes, I live the good life and am very lucky). One of these neighbors is an Emmy nominated screen writer, so one day after several glasses of wine, we started talking about writing/producing a short film and we came up with several ideas that we liked. Being the kind of person who researches everything I am even remotely interested in, I found Roberta’s book on Amazon and ordered it. After reading the chapter about cliches that program directors are tired of seeing, we had to go back to the drawing board. It’s probably redundant to say so, since I invited Roberta to speak at the expo and am writing this article about her but this is an excellent book and I highly recommend it.

Roberta is also teaching “The Best Short Film Workshop Ever” in Los Angeles on August 21:

Most of the workshops being marketed are geared towards feature filmmakers. They ask you for hundreds dollars of your hard earned cash only for you to show up and get information that doesn’t apply to your short film work!

Join me on Saturday August 21st, 2010 at The Writer’s Guild of America (7000 3rd St at Fairfax) for an all day workshop packed with information that when followed will guarantee you & your short film massive success! New York date is the following Saturday, August 28 (10am – 6pm) — the location and special guest listing with be sent upon registration.

Paying $69 to someone on the inside of the short film festival circuit for filmmaking advice is a great deal. She was one of the gatekeepers who helped determine what films would be screened at Sundance and has seen tens of thousands of short films. So either catch her at our upcoming PhotoCine Expo, sign up for her workshop, or read her book. You won’t be wasting your time or money.