Learn

Online Master Classes, live events, and videos to help you take your filmmaking to the next level

Sort
Filter
Focus Area

Learn More about Sundance Collab

Learn More About Sundance Collab

Breaking into TV Writing with Lena Waithe (MASTER OF NONE) & Tom Fontana (OZ)

Writer: Tom Fontana
Showrunners and Advisors Lena Waithe and Tom Fontana ​discuss what it takes to break into ​writing for episodic television​.​
Event Recording

Inside Look at Programming Shorts for the Sundance Film Festival

Senior Programmer, Sundance Festival: Mike Plante

Inside Look at Programming Shorts for the Sundance Film Festival

Senior Programmer, Sundance Festival: Mike Plante
Sundance​ Institute​ ​Shorts P​rogrammer Mike Plante breaks down ​how he curates the Sundance Festival shorts and what​​ makes a successful film​.

Directing Documentaries with Steve James & Bing Liu (AMERICA TO ME)

With: Steve James and Bing Liu
Veteran ​Documentary ​Director Steve James and emerging ​D​irector Bing Liu ​take us inside their rich ​collaboration ​and the value of mentorship​.​
Video

What Does a Producer Do?

Producer: Effie Brown and 5 more

What Does a Producer Do?

With: Effie Brown, Diana Williams, Nina Yang Bongiovi, Josh Penn, Mary Jane Skalski and Sev Ohanian
What in fact, does a producer actually do? Veteran producers describes their multi-faceted roles and what being a producer means.

Creative Producers: Best Practices for Pitching with Peter Saraf (LOVING), Mary Jane Skalski (AMERICAN ANIMALS), and Josh Penn (MONSTERS AND MEN)

With: Josh Penn, Mary Jane Skalski and Peter Saraf
​Getting good at pitching yourself and your project. Veteran ​P​roducers share their best practices for giving a pitch and making it count.

Creative Producing with Mary Jane Skalski (AMERICAN ANIMALS) & Natalie Qasabian (SEARCHING)

With: Mary Jane Skalski and Natalie Qasabian
​Accomplished ​P​roducer Mary Jane Skalski ​reveals the essential nature of mentorship with emerging ​P​roducer Natalie Qasabian​.​

The Screenwriting Process with Emerging Writers with Eimi Imanishi (BATTALION TO MY BEAT) and more

With: Eimi Imanishi, Suzanne Andrews Correa and Christos Massalas
Writers from the 2018 Screenwriters Lab share their insights on the screenwriting process, including going from shorts to features.
Video

A Day in the Life of a Screenwriter with Beth de Araújo (JOSEPHINE) and more

Screenwriter: Suzanne Andrews Correa and 2 more

A Day in the Life of a Screenwriter with Beth de Araújo (JOSEPHINE) and more

With: Suzanne Andrews Correa, Eimi Imanishi and Christos Massalas
Writers from the 2018 S​c​reenwriters Lab share their ​thoughts on ​how they find inspiration and sustain themselves financially, ​emotionally, ​and creatively.​

Making Your First Short: Top Tips with Mariama Diallo (MASTER) and more

With: Mariama Diallo, Adam Khalil, Zack Khalil and Katrelle Kindred
Short film ​d​irectors share their essential top tips for anyone ​who wants to make a short film​.​
Video

Directing Actors with Joan Darling (FIRST LOVE)

Director, Writer, Actress: Joan Darling

Directing Actors with Joan Darling (FIRST LOVE)

Director, Writer, Actress: Joan Darling
Legendary director and actress Joan Darling shares her insights on how to work with actors to evoke the best performances.
Video

New Frontier: Storytelling at the Intersection of Art & Technology

New Frontier, Sundance Director: Kamal Sinclair

New Frontier: Storytelling at the Intersection of Art & Technology

New Frontier, Sundance Director: Kamal Sinclair
​Storytelling is transcendent. Director of the New Frontier ​Labs ​Program Kamal Sinclair shares ​how artists are using technology and innovating the art and form of storytelling.​
Video

How to Collaborate: from the Team Behind SEARCHING

With: Sev Ohanian and Aneesh Chaganty

How to Collaborate: from the Team Behind SEARCHING

With: Sev Ohanian and Aneesh Chaganty
Director Aneesh Chaganty and Producer Sev Ohanian give look an inside their unique creative relationship.

Art & Activism with Reinaldo Marcus Greene (MONSTERS AND MEN) and more

With: Silas Howard, Laura Nix and Reinaldo Marcus Green
Filmmakers discuss using their art to create social change.

The Art & Craft of Screenwriting with Scott Frank (GET SHORTY)

Screenwriter: Scott Frank
Master ​S​creenwriter Scott Frank shares ​his ​best practices on the ​art and ​craft of ​screen​writing​ ​that he ​learned throughout his prolific career​.​
Video

An Artist’s Journey with Cherien Dabis

Filmmaker: Cherien Dabis

An Artist’s Journey with Cherien Dabis

Filmmaker: Cherien Dabis
Often times finding your creative truth is difficult and lonely. Innovators share how they left the road and forged their own path to creative success.

Non-Fiction Interviewing with Marina Zenovich (FANTASTIC LIES), Part 1

Filmmaker: Marina Zenovich
In part one of this master series, documentary director Marina Zenovich gives an overview of the principles of interviewing and how to approach the process.

Non-Fiction Interviewing with Marina Zenovich (FANTASTIC LIES), Part 2

Filmmaker: Marina Zenovich
In part two of this master series, documentary director Marina Zenovich shares her expertise in getting subjects to open up and how to maximize your story.
Video

Screenwriting with Kasi Lemmons (EVE'S BAYOU) & Christopher Grant

With: Kasi Lemmons and Christopher Grant

Screenwriting with Kasi Lemmons (EVE'S BAYOU) & Christopher Grant

With: Kasi Lemmons and Christopher Grant
Advisor Kasi Lemmons discusses her writing process with mentee Christopher Grant at the 2018 Screenwriters Lab.

Taika Waititi (BOY) on Going From Indies to Hollywood

Filmmaker: Taika Waititi
International director Taika Waititi discusses how his roots in indie film prepared him to direct major Hollywood films

The Future of Indie TV with Steven Soderbergh (THE KNICK) & More

With: Steven Soderbergh, Stephanie Allain, Bernie Su and David Wain
Veteran ​S​howrunners ​discuss the changing landscape of TV and how indie has a unique space in this expanding medium​.

Telling Stories Across Multiple Formats with Michael Showalter (THE BIG SICK) & More

With: Michael Showalter, Jenny Lumet , D.V. DeVincentis and Jessie Nelson
Prolific writers discuss how they write across features, TV, and theatre and how writing for different formats can influence story.

Getting Started as a Screenwriter with Scott Frank (GET SHORTY)

Screenwriter: Scott Frank
Screenwriter Scott Frank tells us how he became a writer and what it takes to live a strong creative life

How to Write a Great Scene with Bill Wheeler (QUEEN OF KATWE)

Screenwriter: Bill Wheeler
Master screenwriter Bill Wheeler explains how to structure a good scene around plot and character

Challenges for First Time Directors with Christina Choe (NANCY) and more

With: Christina Choe, Jeremiah Zagar, Silas Howard and Reinaldo Marcus Green
Emerging feature film directors share their mistakes and struggles along the way to creating their first fiction features.
Video

Screenwriter Liz Hannah on THE POST

Screenwriter: Liz Hannah

Screenwriter Liz Hannah on THE POST

Screenwriter: Liz Hannah
Liz Hannah talks about finding the central story of the first screenplay she ever sold (THE POST) and how it went on to be an Academy Award nominee.
Video

Joan Tewkesbury (OLD BOYFRIENDS) on Getting Started

Screenwriter: Joan Tewkesbury

Joan Tewkesbury (OLD BOYFRIENDS) on Getting Started

Screenwriter: Joan Tewkesbury
Joan Tewkesbury recounts how she went from stay-at-home mom to script supervisor to screenwriter & director with Robert Altman as her champion.

The Fundamentals of Cinematography with Rodrigo Prieto (THE IRISHMAN)

Cinematographer: Rodrigo Prieto
World-class cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto talks about shot-listing, lighting design, working with directors, and embracing constraints.

Feature Editing with Dylan Tichenor (PHANTOM THREAD)

Editor: Dylan Tichenor
Editor Dylan Tichenor shares his expertise on how to navigate the process, pace, and politics of cutting features.

Directing for TV with Lesli Linka Glatter (HOMELAND)

Director: Lesli Linka Glatter
Lesli Linka Glatter (HOMELAND) walks through the best practices that have shaped her prolific television directing career.

Composing for Film and TV with Mark Isham (CRASH)

Composer: Mark Isham
Composer Mark Isham talks about his process, his use of melody and how he combines acoustic and electronic elements.

Using Sound to Craft Meaning with Yance Ford (STRONG ISLAND)

Director, Producer: Yance Ford
Documentary director Yance Ford spent 10 years capturing the right sound for STRONG ISLAND - here's how he did it.
Video

MOONLIGHT: A Case Study with Barry Jenkins

Director: Barry Jenkins

MOONLIGHT: A Case Study with Barry Jenkins

Director: Barry Jenkins
MOONLIGHT director Barry Jenkins talks about key scenes in his Oscar-winning film and an artist's essential need to take risks.

The Music and Sounds of Catherine Hardwicke's (TWILIGHT) Films

Director: Catherine Hardwicke
Learn how Catherine Hardwicke works to create stunning aural worlds by blending compositions, tracks, and sound design.

The Basics of Being a Music Editor with Adam Smalley (THE MORNING SHOW)

Music Editor: Adam Smalley
Music editor Adam Smalley talks about how he works with directors and composers to incorporate and enhance sound into films.

From Shorts to Showrunner with Desiree Akhavan (THE BISEXUAL)

Writer, Director: Desiree Akhavan
Writer/director/actress Desiree Akhavan tells how she protects her vision and grows her work across shorts, features & TV.

How to View Footage with Toby Shimin (BUCK)

Editor: Toby Shimin
Documentary editor Toby Shimin talks about how to screen for emotion and story, organizing footage, and building impact.

THE LUNCHBOX: A Case Study with Ritesh Batra

With: Ritesh Batra
Ritesh Batra (THE LUNCHBOX) breaks down refining tone and time, making characters real, and using your roots for discovery.
Video

Innovation & Adaptation with John August (BIG FISH)

Screenwriter, Novelist, Software Developer: John August

Innovation & Adaptation with John August (BIG FISH)

Screenwriter, Novelist, Software Developer: John August
Whether you’re writing a game, app, musical, or a screenplay, John August explains how to innovate for your audience.

View More