Directing Your Short Film: From Pre-Production to Film Festivals

4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. PT 

• Opening Circle
• Kickoff and introductions

9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. PT

Breaking Down the Script

• Defining your creative vision
  
• Scene analysis
  
• Overview of shooting styles and film grammar
  
• Researching visual references for your film
  
• Establishing tableau and tone
  
• Creating materials to communicate your vision
  
• Creating your shooting script
  
• Q&A

1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. PT

Casting and Rehearsing

• Collaborating with a casting director
• What makes a great breakdown
• Working with SAG-AFTRA
• How to run an audition
• Preparing for rehearsals
• Hosting a table read
• Working with actors on set
• Q&A

Pre-production

• Creating a shot list
• Choosing your format and lenses
• How to do storyboards and video storyboards
• Blocking scenes and creating overheads
• Assembling your crew
• How to work with department heads
• Strategies for making production manageable and cost-effective
• Managing a schedule and budget
• How to approach location scouting
• Running production meetings
• The importance of tech scouts
• Q&A

9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. PT

Production

• The director’s role on set
• The importance of communication and leadership
• Shooting for the edit
• Real-time troubleshooting
• Legal considerations (clearances, actor paperwork, etc)
• The role of dailies
• Sustainability on screen and on set
• Q&A

Editing and Post-production

• Editing workflow, storage, and schedule
• Working with an editor
• How to make tough decisions in the edit
• Understanding the basics of color grading
• What a director needs to know about music rights
• The elements of sound design
• Preparing credits
• Understanding and preparing deliverables
• Q&A

1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. PT 

Film Festivals and Distribution

• Creating a film festival strategy
• Could your short be a feature?
• What to prepare for exhibition
• Making industry connections
• Understanding distribution possibilities
• Q&A

Case Study

Final Q&A

Closing Circle

In Sundance Collab’s Intensives, participants attend live, virtual class sessions in a condensed time period. These sessions are led by an instructor and supported by the Sundance Collab courses team. 

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

For application-based Intensives, note that space is limited. Applications are considered as they are received and applicants are accepted on a rolling basis until the Intensive is full or the deadline has passed, whichever comes first. If the application window is open, you will see an “Apply” button on the course page.

We send our application acceptance notifications on a rolling basis, starting after the application deadline. You will be notified of your acceptance status no later than three days before the first session. At any point, you can check the status of a course that you have applied to by logging into Sundance Collab and visiting the course page. You’ll see a purple bar there indicating your status.

When reviewing applications for an Intensive, the Sundance Collab team evaluates the needs and expectations of each applicant. We are also looking to convene a diverse group of participants who will work well together and support each other throughout the Intensive. Finally, we will confirm that the applicant can meet the time commitment necessary and has a strong interest and readiness to complete the Intensive and meaningfully contribute to the group process.

We do not offer any combined applications or discounts for Sundance Collab Intensives.

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.

We may offer the option of either a two or three-part payment plan for Intensives. If offered, the first payment will be due at the time of registration and the last payment will be due before the halfway point of the Intensive. Due to the length of Intensives, a payment plan option may not be available closer to the registration deadline. For specific payment plan dates, please reach out to our team at: collab_courses@sundance.org. 

Yes, you are welcome to take a live, online Intensive even if you can’t make the live sessions. Recordings of each session are available online within two business days.

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

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

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

You can join a course via a computer or mobile device. All of our Intensives are conducted via Zoom.

Download and set up the Zoom software 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:

• Watch Zoom's Video Tutorials or review training materials on the Getting Started page.
• Join a Live Training from 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.