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SUMMIT - ON DEMAND 2020
FUTURE OF FILM SUMMIT 2020
ON DEMAND
- 55+ World-class Speakers including Jason Blum (Blumhouse), Andrew T Jones (The Mandalorian), Alex McDowell ( Minority Report), Effie T Brown (Dear White People)
- Over 16 hours of cutting edge content from Virtual Production to New Business Models
- Future-proof your career/business with the latest tech and strategies
Includes the following sessions
JASON BLUM: THE INNOVATION KEYNOTE
×JASON BLUM - THE INNOVATION KEYNOTE
Jason Blum, founder of Blumhouse Productions, is a three-time Academy Award®-nominated, two-time Primetime Emmy Award-winning and a two-time Peabody Award-winning producer. In film, Blum has produced the lucrative, iconic, genre franchises like HALLOWEEN,PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, and THE PURGE as well as acclaimed hits GET OUT, BLACKKKLANSMAN and WHIPLASH.
Blumhouse Productions pioneering approach to filmmaking and prevailing commitment to innovation aligns with Future of Film’s mission to highlight the trailblazers that are dismantling the traditional forms of storytelling and forging new paths. We are delighted that Jason will be opening this year’s programme with his Innovation Keynote speech.
Speakers
Wendy Mitchell, Journalist & Broadcaster (Moderator)
Jason Blum, CEO, Blumhouse
EFFIE T BROWN: THE REIMAGINE KEYNOTE
×EFFIE T BROWN: THE REIMAGINE KEYNOTE
Effie T. Brown is an award-winning producer and CEO of Gamechanger Films, which launched in 2013 as the first film fund for women filmmakers and now under Brown’s leadership includes projects by and about people of colour, LGBTQ+ and people with disabilities as well as its expansion into television and digital content.
Effie joins Future of Film Summit for a special keynote conversation about her career, diverse storytelling and a reimagined future of film.
IN CONVERSATION: JIM LEBRECHT & NICOLE NEWNHAM
×IN CONVERSATION: JIM LEBRECHT & NICOLE NEWNHAM
Filmmakers Jim LeBrecht and Nicole Newnham discuss their creative partnership and the making of the pioneering feature documentary, CRIP CAMP.
FEMALE FILM FOUNDERS
×FEMALE FILM FOUNDERS
In Partnership with Creative England’s Female Founders Programme, the session features innovative female business leaders addressing the challenges film faces right now. In an open and collaborative discussion, the founders will discuss their experience in the role, the industry opportunities that they are addressing and their aspirations for the film's future.
Speakers
Mia Bays, Producer & Director, Bird’s Eye View (moderator)
Akua Gyamfi, Founder, British Blacklist
Maria Tanjala, Co-Founder, FilmChain
Victoria Emslie, Actor & Founder, Primetime
DIVERSIFY, PIVOT, INNOVATE: NEW STRATEGIES FOR STORYTELLERS
×DIVERSIFY, PIVOT, INNOVATE: NEW STRATEGIES FOR STORYTELLERS
In a world where definitions of film and storytelling are increasingly blurred, how are entrepreneurial creators adapting and innovating to get work made and seen? Our panel of trailblazing filmmakers and producers share the strategies they are successfully using to drive forward their careers, businesses and art - and discuss what it means to be a film storyteller in 2020.
Speakers
Wendy Mitchell, Journalist & Broadcaster (Moderator)
Lina Flint, Producer, Nordisk Film Spring
Naysun Alae Carew, Producer
Shola Amoo, Filmmaker
FILM’S FUTURE IS SUSTAINABILITY
×FILM’S FUTURE IS SUSTAINABILITY
Film’s future is dependent on its sustainability. But what does this simple statement look like in practice? What are the steps we can each right take and how might new technologies help us achieve this? And looking beyond our own productions, can film itself become more of an agent of change in the world? Our expert panelists discuss the opportunities and challenges in achieving a sustainable future for film.
Speakers
Lyndsay Duthie, CEO, Production Guild of Great Britain (Moderator)
Sam Sutaria, Head of Strategy, WaterBear
Melanie Dicks, CEO, Fingerprint Content and Co-founder, Greenshoot
Emellie O'Brien,Founder & CEO, Earth Angel
WHERE NEXT FOR DISTRIBUTION?
×WHERE NEXT FOR DISTRIBUTION?
Already seismic changes in the media landscape and resulting audience behaviour have been accelerated by the pandemic - so is it now time to create a new blueprint for film distribution? This ambitious session will feature leaders in distribution and production collectively exploring new possibilities for how to reach audiences, maximise revenue and release films in a post-pandemic, post-streaming world.
Speakers
Catherine Downes, COO / CMO, usheru
Emily Best, Founder & CEO, Seed & Spark
Tomas Jegeus, Founder & CEO, Mad Science
Jake Hanly, VP & Acquisitions, Gunpowder & Sky
Delphi Lievens, Senior Box Office Analyst, Gower St Analytics
DOES CINEMA NEED TO REINVENT ITSELF?
×DOES CINEMA NEED TO REINVENT ITSELF?
As the global cinema industry continues to reel from the impact of Covid-19, the role of the big screen communal experience has been called into question like never before. Whilst many believe cinema will bounce back from this setback, serious concerns persist around how consumer behaviour and distribution patterns are being permanently and fundamentally altered.
Looking to the future, are there new approaches exhibition can adopt to maintain its cultural and economic relevancy and vitality? Our panel will explore how innovative cinema operators are adjusting to the new ‘new normal’ as well as new strategies that can transform the business and user experience. And if cinema does need to reinvent itself - then how?
Speakers
Erwin M Schmidt, MD, German Film Producers Association (moderator)
Anthony Andrews, Co-Founder & Creative Director, We Are Parable
Ben Johnson, CEO, Gruvi
Johanna Koljonen, Media Analyst
Tim League, Founder and Executive Chairman, Alamo Drafthouse
Effie T Brown
CEO, Gamechanger Films
×Effie T Brown, CEO, Gamechanger Films
Effie T. Brown is the CEO of Gamechanger Films, which launched in 2013 as the first film fund for women filmmakers and now under Brown’s leadership includes projects by and about people of color, LGBTQ+ and people with disabilities as well as its expansion into television and digital content. Brown is also an award-winning film, television, and digital producer known for her highly acclaimed, multi-platform repertoire as well as championing inclusion and diversity in Hollywood, both behind and in front of the camera. Brown has produced several critically acclaimed films and award-winning projects including Real Women Have Curves (directed by Patricia Cardosa), Dear White People (2015 Independent Spirit Awards Best First Screenplay), HBO’s Project Greenlight (Executive Produced by Matt Damon & Ben Affleck), among several others. Brown also served as an executive producer on Lee Daniels’ STAR on FOX and Disney Channel’s Zombies. Prior to Gamechanger, Brown founded Duly Noted Inc., a company dedicated to ground-breaking narratives that use genre to challenge and advance our culture in a disruptive way. Brown’s dream is to change the world through film and TV – celebrating our differences while bringing us all closer together.
Includes the following sessions
JOHN GAETA AND KIM LIBRERI: THE STORYTELLING KEYNOTE
×JOHN GAETA AND KIM LIBRERI: THE STORYTELLING KEYNOTE
Relentless innovators, storytellers and inventors, John Gaeta and Kim Libreri have been breaking ground at the forefront of innovation in film now for over two decades. The pair famously collaborated in inventing and delivering the groundbreaking, Academy Award® winning visual effects on THE MATRIX, pioneering the now legendary ‘bullet time’ technology and sequences. Refusing to let this formative work define them, John and Kim went on to accumulate credits across over 40 films as they continued to invent and develop new approaches to film and visual storytelling. Kim then brought his vast film experience to Epic Games in the role of Chief Technology Officer, where he is driving the uptake of Unreal Engine as the platform for film and entertainment creation on projects such as THE MANDALORIAN. Pursuing his interest in the emerging space of XR and immersive storytelling, John meanwhile co-founded ILMxLab and then joined Magic Leap as SVP Creative Strategy. Now in 2020, Future of Film is honoured to reunite these innovators and colleagues for a very special conversation on the past, present and future of their work - and a journey to new horizons in film storytelling.
Speakers
Amon Warmann, Film Critic & Contributing Editor, Empire Magazine (Moderator)
John Gaeta, Designer & Inventor
Kim Liberi, CTO, Epic Games
DIRECTION OF TRAVEL: BACK-PROJECTING VINTAGE LA FOR DAVID FINCHER'S 'MANK'
×DIRECTION OF TRAVEL: BACK-PROJECTING VINTAGE LA FOR DAVID FINCHER'S 'MANK'
Presented by Simon Carr, VFX Supervisor at Territory Studio with an introduction by Peter Mavromates, Co-Producer of 'Mank'
Territory Studios’ VFX Supervisor Simon Carr and Mank Co-Producer Peter Mavromates consider the creative and technical reasons behind the decision to shoot with LED back-projection for David Fincher’s epic biopic ‘Mank’; and how that led to Territory embarking on a CG backlot build of Wilshire Boulevard from 1934, using the latest technology to take a journey back in time. Asking is this the way forward? The new direction of travel? And will green screen car interiors soon be a thing of the past?
THE REALTIME REVOLUTION OF THE CREATIVE PROCESS
×THE REALTIME REVOLUTION OF THE CREATIVE PROCESS
Disney and Lucasfilm's THE MANDALORIAN showcased the possibilities of in-camera visual effects and virtual production, powered by Unreal Engine and an LED volume. Yet these advances require a different approach to not just to how visual effects are deployed but potentially the entire process of filmmaking. Does this change the roles of the crafts and the way these teams work together? Are these an improvement to the historic models and as an industry, what needs to happen to fully embrace this way of working? Our panel of experts discuss this and also whether this type of production process may provide a way for film to become both safe and more sustainable in a post pandemic world.
Speakers
Alex Stolz, Founder, Future of Film (Moderator)
Matt Madden, Director of Virtual Production, Epic Games
Paul Franklin, VFX Supervisor & Creative Director, DNEG
Andrew Jones, VFX artist
HYBRID IMMERSIVE FILM EXPERIENCES WITH 5G AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES
×HYBRID IMMERSIVE FILM EXPERIENCES WITH 5G AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES
If a global pandemic can teach us one thing, it's that traditional ways of doing things can always be upended. The "future of film" is no exception. If it's taught us another, it's that technology solutions can be accelerated to accommodate new normals. Again, the "future of film" is no exception. What were once manual and standardized processes for the capture, processing, distribution, consumption, and engagement of content are now being rethought in radical new ways. The timely arrival of 5G and its awakening of supporting technologies like motion and volumetric capture, extended reality, and edge computing are unlocking new opportunities for filmmakers to be creative and engage with their audiences. This includes content captured from unlikely sources and consumed in unimagined ways. Film -- as we think about it today -- has the potential to become a live, immersive experience that lives and grows with its audience. Entertainment will not be exempt from new hybrid models, and 5G will work with supporting technologies to reimagine how we think about immersive hybrid media entertainment -- including traditional film. Join Sarah Gilarsky and Joshua Ness from Verizon and learn how these emerging technologies are driving new partnerships and new ways of connecting content creators with audiences who are ready for what's coming next.
Speakers
Alex Stolz, Founder, Future of Film (Moderator)
Joshua Ness, Senior Manager, Verizon 5G Labs
Sarah Gilarsky, Content Partnerships & Business Development, Verizon
INTERACTIVE FILMMAKING GOES TO THE NEXT LEVEL
×INTERACTIVE FILMMAKING GOES TO THE NEXT LEVEL
Across multiple forms and genres, storytellers are pushing the boundaries of film and games to bring about new types of art, entertainment and experience. This session will explore the commercial and creative opportunities of interactive filmmaking and how it is being used by storytellers in different ways and in different forms. We also explore the range of models, styles and business cases for interactive film with the pioneers who are developing new workflows and techniques that place the audience in control.
Speakers
Claudia Myers, Filmmaker (Moderator)
Ilan Benjamin, Interactive Filmmaker
John Giwa Amu, Producer, Red & Black Films
Ru Howe, Director, Stornaway
HOW I REINVENTED MY FILMMAKING WITH VIRTUAL PRODUCTION // HAZ DULULL
×HOW I REINVENTED MY FILMMAKING WITH VIRTUAL PRODUCTION // HAZ DULULL
Hasraf ‘HaZ' Dulull started his career in Visual Effects for Film and TV, before transitioning to directing and producing with his breakout sci-fi indie feature film - THE BEYOND. His second feature film 2036: ORIGIN UNKNOWN, earned a limited theatrical release in the US before landing on Netflix.
HaZ talks us through his journey into realtime filmmaking, covering his career from ‘pitchvis’ to animated pilot, to animated feature and then to live action virtual production, revealing the tools, techniques and strategies that have helped make 2020 a pivotal year in his storytelling career.
Speakers
HaZ Dulull, Founder, Hazfilm
DEMOCRATISING VIRTUAL PRODUCTION
×DEMOCRATISING VIRTUAL PRODUCTION
Virtual Production, or ‘realtime filmmaking’ has the potential to democratise filmmaking in new and unprecedented ways. Beyond high profile projects such as THE LION KING and THE MANDALORIAN, how are filmmakers utilising virtual production to create their work? And if we are indeed on the brink of a new era of democratised filmmaking, what is needed to make this happen and what might it mean for the industry?
Speakers
Sallyann Houghton, Business Development, Epic Games (Moderator)
Felix Jorge, CEO, Happy Mushroom
He Sun, Head of Rebellion VFX, Rebellion Film & TV Studios
Mariana Acuña Acosta, Chief Product Officer & Co-Founder, Glassbox
Sol Rogers, CEO and Founder, RWD
KIM LIBRERI & JOHN GAETA Q&A
×KIM LIBRERI & JOHN GAETA Q&A
Academy-award winning designer John Gaeta and Epic Games CTO Kim Libreri return to answer questions from the audience and Future of Film Founder Alex Stolz
Andrew Jones
Production Designer, THE MANDALORIAN
×Andrew Jones, Production Designer, THE MANDALORIAN
Andrew Jones is a production designer and art director. Since working on The Polar Express in 2003, Andrew has been involved in film and TV projects that employ emerging technology, including Avatar, Tintin, and The Jungle Book. Andrew is a key part of the team that developed and produced The Mandalorian with Jon Favreau, for which he won an Emmy. Andrew lives in Los Angeles with his wife and daughter.
Includes the following sessions
Premium Package Includes access to all sessions from industry insider and New Technologies plus the following bonus sessions:
ARE BRANDS THE FUTURE OF FUNDING?
×ARE BRANDS THE FUTURE OF FUNDING?
As forward-thinking marketers increasingly look to film to share their message, we explore the latest ways in which brands and storytellers are working together. How does this relationship work creatively and financially, and what are brands looking for when they engage with filmmakers? Our expert panel reveals how these partnerships come about, how funding decisions get made and, in a rapidly transforming media landscape, whether brands really are the future of film funding.
Speakers
Brian Newman, Founder, Sub-Genre (Moderator)
Angela Matusik, Head of Corporate Brand, Content and Creative, HP
Colin McRae, Shopify Studios
THE ART AND SCIENCE OF BUILDING STORY WORLDS
×THE ART AND SCIENCE OF BUILDING STORY WORLDS
With the increasing fragmentation of channels available for storytelling, the benefits of worldbuilding (developing the ‘storyworld’ before or alongside the story itself) are becoming evident for creators, as a way to build IP and tell stories across multiple platforms. Yet how does this process work in practice and is it ap[plicable to all projects and all budget sizes? Join our panel of expert worldbuilders, as we journey to new horizons, where science, creativity and collaboration converge offering new possibilities for storytelling.
Speakers
Iain Dodgeon, Director, OKRE [Moderator]
Alex McDowell, Executive Creative Director, Experimental Design Studios
Dr Clifford Johnson, Professor of Physics, University of Southern California
Diana Williams, Multi- Platform Producer Madison Wells
Vivienne Medrano, Creator, Director, Animator
Jason Blum
Founder and CEO, Blumhouse
×Jason Blum, CEO, Blumhouse
Jason Blum, founder of Blumhouse Productions, is a three-time Academy Award®-nominated, two-time Primetime Emmy Award-winning and a two-time Peabody Award-winning producer. Blumhouse is known for pioneering a new model of studio filmmaking: producing high-quality micro-budget films and television series, and his multimedia company is regarded as the driving force in the horror renaissance.
Through Blumhouse, he has produced over 150 movies and television series.
In film, Blum has produced the lucrative, iconic, genre franchises like Halloween, Paranormal Activity, Insidious, Happy Death Day, Sinister and The Purge, among several others. More recently, he unleashed a fresh, successful take on The Invisible Man, directed by Leigh Whannell and starring Elisabeth Moss, that grossed over $122 million. Blum’s additional feature film credits include, but are not limited to: The Hunt; Glass from M. NIght Shyamalan; Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman; 2017 blockbusters Split from M. Night Shyamalan and Get Out from Jordan Peele; The Gift; Unfriended; Whiplash; and The Visit.
Blum’s television company successfully relaunched three years ago as a vibrant independent studio producing almost 15 series with different networks and streaming platforms, including but not limited to Sharp Objects for HBO; The Loudest Voice for Showtime; A Wilderness of Error for FX; The Good Lord Bird for Showtime; among several others. The company is also in production on a slate of streaming films for Amazon, that are released under the banner, Welcome to the Blumhouse, and they're also in production on Into The Dark, a monthly horror anthology series for Hulu.
The indie studio has also earned critical acclaim, including a Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award for Sharp Objects; a Golden Globe award for Russell Crowe’s performance in The Loudest Voice; and Emmy awards for its productions of The Normal Heart and The Jinx, for HBO. The division also produced feature-length documentaries, with projects that include: A Secret Love, from executive producer Ryan Murphy, for Netflix; This Is Home, the 2018 Sundance Audience Award winner (World Documentaries) and recipient of the prestigious duPont/Columbia School of Journalism Award and Bathtubs Over Broadway, the lauded documentary.
Blum has been recognized by TIME magazine’s 100 list of the world’s most influential people and has appeared several times on Vanity Fair’s “New Establishment List.” In 2016, he received the Producer of the Year Award at CinemaCon. Jason is on the Board of The Public Theater in New York, the Sundance Institute, Vassar College and the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Before founding Blumhouse, Blum served as co-head of the Acquisitions and Co-Productions department at Miramax Films in New York. He began his career as the producing director of the Malaparte Theater Company, which was founded by Ethan Hawke.
He is married to screenwriter Lauren Blum and they have a daughter, Roxy, and a son, Booker.
More world-class speakers
John Gaeta
Creative Executive, Immersive Entertainment
Academy® Award-winning designer, VFX Pioneer and inventor of THE MATRIX 'bullet-time'.
Dr Clifford Johnson
Professor of Physics, University of Southern California
The Scientist behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
ALEX MCDOWELL
Executive Creative Director, Experimental Design Studios
Academy® Award-winning designer of MINORITY REPORT and FIGHT CLUB.
DIANA WILLIAMS
Award-winning multi-platform producer
2020 Partners
Future of Film Summit 18-20 November 2020. All rights reserved, Future of Film Limited