Creative Leadership: Tools for Successful Collaboration

$350

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4 weeks
5
Creative Leadership: Tools for Successful Collaboration
5
Creative Leadership: Tools for Successful Collaboration

About this Live Online Course

Great filmmaking isn't just about lenses and lighting—it’s about building opportunities for collaboration. The most successful directors and producers know how to lead, inspire, and problem-solve in high-pressure environments. In this four-week live online course, you will develop essential skills for navigating the human dynamics of production—from advocating for your creative vision and fostering collaboration to resolving conflicts and building sustainable practices.


Taught by industry veteran Alexis Alexanian, this course will focus on the “human” side of filmmaking, and teach you the leadership and interpersonal abilities that separate successful filmmakers from struggling ones. Through interactive role-plays, real-world case studies, and personalized feedback, you’ll walk away with a practical, customizable leadership toolkit tailored to the demands of film and television.


Whether you're prepping your first feature or seeking to improve team dynamics on set, this workshop will equip you with the skills you need to bring your creative vision to life while getting the best from your collaborators.


What you bring to the course:

  • Current or upcoming film project challenges involving team dynamics
  • Willingness to engage in self-reflection and practice new approaches


What you'll learn from the course:

  • Self-advocacy techniques for creative professionals
  • Methods for building and nurturing effective production teams
  • Conflict resolution strategies for high-pressure environments
  • Communication skills for cross-departmental collaboration
  • Techniques for giving and receiving constructive feedback
  • Approaches for maintaining creative vision while fostering inclusion
  • Practices for preventing burnout and sustaining creative leadership


This course will:

  • Provide immediately applicable leadership tools for film production environments
  • Connect you with a community of peers facing similar challenges via discussion boards and interactive sessions
  • Include role-playing exercises based on common filmmaking scenarios
  • Feature real-world leadership experiences from film productions


A limited number of need-based scholarships are available and are considered on a rolling basis as they are received. Those who apply earlier will have a greater chance of getting support. To apply for a scholarship, please complete the course registration form.


Sundance Collab provides accommodations and support services to participants with disabilities. Accommodations and services are designed to meet the needs of each participant. Please email us at accessibility@sundance.org to arrange for services.

Live Online Course
Beginner
Live virtual class sessions
Certificate of Completion
Access to course for one year

Scholarships

Sundance Collab offers a limited number of full and partial need-based scholarships for individuals who need assistance. 

Due to limited scholarship funds available, we prioritize one course scholarship per participant in a 12-month period. Scholarship applications are available up to one week before the registration deadline and do not stack with discounts or promotions, including early registration.

Outline

Topics covered include:

  • How to engage the right writer, set goals and get a finished draft
  • How to secure the best director for your project
  • How to know when the script is ready to “go out”

Topics covered include:

  • Who’s doing what? Uncovering the roles and responsibilities of the Department Heads
  • How to set realistic goals and communicate with collaborators
  • How to deal with conflicts, separating the personal from the professional

Topics covered include:

  • Understanding that everyone on set has their own priorities
  • Who’s the “boss” and who makes the final decision?
  • Troubleshooting and seeing a problem before it becomes a big one

Topics covered include:

  • Understanding the festival world and presenting your film to distributors
  • The sales dynamic and the players involved in the future of the film
  • How to make the best deal possible and have a voice in the future of your film

FAQ

In Sundance Collab’s Live Online courses, participants attend live, virtual class sessions on the same day and time for a specified period. These sessions are led by an instructor and in some cases, supported by a team of advisors. In some courses, you are given assignments with submission deadlines to help you take the next step with your work. 

  • Each week you will be able to attend live lectures via Zoom video and ask questions of your instructor.
  • In some courses, you will receive individualized feedback from your course advisor on elements of your work.
  • In some courses, you will have the opportunity to have a 1-on-1 session with your advisor. Depending on the course, this session may be included or may be purchased separately for an additional cost. Check the course description for specifics. 

All members of the Sundance Collab community are welcome to register for Sundance Collab courses. Please review the course description and any eligibility requirements to ensure the course is a good fit. If you have any questions about a course, please email collab_courses@sundance.org.


Note that space is limited. If the registration window is open, you will see a “Register” button on the course page. If there is an application, applications are considered as they are received and applicants are accepted on a rolling basis until the course is full or the deadline has passed, whichever comes first. 

We do not allow creative partners to do our live online courses as a team. However, both creators can individually register for the course.

Part of Sundance Collab's unique educational approach is to create a teaching team for every course. Each class is led by an instructor who may be accompanied by additional course advisors. This allows us to keep an intimate ratio of participants to advisors and to provide a diversity of voices and approaches to the course content.

We often offer a limited number of need-based, full or partial scholarships. Check the course description to see if that course currently has scholarships available. Scholarships are prioritized for one per person per year (from the date of issue). Scholarship applications are available up to one week before the registration deadline. To apply for a scholarship,complete the registration form by clicking the REGISTER button and selecting the option to apply for a scholarship, if available.

Applicants will be notified about their scholarship decision prior to the first day of the course. Due to the volume of applicants, we are not always able to provide a scholarship, but we may still offer a spot in the course. In this case, depending on the course, payment plans may be available and can be selected at checkout.

Yes, we offer two or three-part payment plans for Live Online courses, depending on the length of the course. In all cases, the first payment is due at the point of registration. The remaining payment(s) are spread out throughout the course term. For specific payment plan dates for a course, please reach out to our team at: collab_courses@sundance.org

Yes, you are welcome to take a live, online course even if you can’t make the live sessions. Recordings of each class session are available online by the following day so you can keep up with the course lectures. For courses that include a 1-on-1 session with an advisor or instructor, the meeting is scheduled according to your (and their) availability.

All sessions are recorded and usually made available within one business day. The videos will also contain the chat and transcript from the class session, viewable in the video playbar.


Participants will have access to the recordings for one year following the last class session.

All participants will receive a Certificate of Completion. The certificate will include the name associated with your Sundance Collab account.

You can find any courses that you are enrolled in or have already completed in the profile section of your Sundance Collab account under “Courses.”

You can join a course via a computer or mobile device. All of our live, online courses are conducted via Zoom.


Download and set up the Zoom software (https://zoom.us/download) and make sure you have the latest update. Here are some great resources from Zoom’s Knowledge Base to take a deeper dive into using Zoom:

 

If you have any further questions, please email collab_courses@sundance.org.


Sundance Collab provides accommodations and support services to participants with disabilities. Please contact us at (435) 776-7790 or email us at accessibility@sundance.org to ask any questions or to discuss your specific needs after you have been accepted into the course.

No currently scheduled sessions

Interested in hearing about the next session of this course?
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