TFM 401: Business Aspects
Syllabus and Assignments
Spring 2015
Course taught by Ron Najor
Graduate/Teaching Assistant: Will Freeman
Meeting time: Tuesdays 7:00-9:40pm, AL101
Office Hours: Tuesday 5:45-6:45pm Office COM 103
Course email address (for all assignments and correspondence; this course will be on
BLACKBOARD): RNAJOR@mail.sdsu.edu
Course Overview:
Financing, pre-production planning, post-production, and distribution of
Independent Films as well as working in the independent film industry upon
leaving film school.
This course explores the business of independent film, which includes television and
internet content.
Topics include: producing, directing, writing, distribution, publicity in today’s
competitive market, film festivals, internships, portfolios, etc.
We will also explore the Internet technologies and the role that companies play in the
film industry in areas including online distribution and social networking in todays
landscape.
We will conduct the class in a seminar format where we will have conversations with
filmmakers and industry professionals about their life and experiences. Each week we
will discuss a different theme for example but not limited too: Directing, Producing,
Writing, Publicity, Distribution, etc
We will also spend time talking about moving from being a student to a
professional and how to get into the industry and get your film into festivals.
The class features guest lectures from filmmakers and people in the industry who will
shed light on how they maneuvered through the business to get to where they are now.
*No late work will be accepted (To be clear anything late work will result in 0
percentage for that specific part of the assignment)
*Arrive to class on time.
*Watch SHORT TERM 12 (Netflix.com) and I AM NOT A HIPSTER (Hulu.com)
* Watch movies related to guests before each class (google them)
*Buy 3 RED Scantrons (ParSCORE Test Form)
Course Objectives:
1) To provide an opportunity for students to be exposed to people in the film
industry to better understand how it works.
2) To provide students the knowledge to better understand the path they can take
to achieve their goals.
3) To provide real world research to further ones career: Internships, Portfolios,
Networking to name a few.
Suggested Reading
Roberto Rodriguez: Rebel Without a Crew
Robert McKee: Story
Blake Snyder: Save The Cat
Lynda Obst: Hello, He Lied
Christine Vachon: Shooting To Kill
Ted Hope: Hope for Film
Sharon Waxman: Rebels on the Backlot
Peter Biskind: Easy Riders, Raging Bulls
Peter Biskind: Down and Dirty Pictures
Prerequisite:
Television, Film and New Media 360 or 361, or Theatre 241 for non-theatre majors (all
classes needed to be completed with a grade of B (3.0) or better. This course is usually
taken concurrently with Television, Film and New Media 560 or 561. Proof of completion
of prerequisites required: Copy of transcript.
Methods of Evaluation:
See “assignments” section for details and percentage of each assignment towards grade
Grades:
90-100% = A; 80-89% = B; 70-79% = C; 60-69% = D; 59% or below = F
SYLLABUS STATEMENT for Students with Disabilities:
If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for this
class, it is your responsibility to contact Student Disability Services at (619) 594-6473.
To avoid any delay in the receipt of your accommodations, you should contact Student
Disability Services as soon as possible. Please note that accommodations are not
retroactive, and that I cannot provide accommodations based upon disability until I have
received an accommodation letter from Student Disability Services. Your cooperation is
appreciated.
ASSIGNMENTS
Quiz 1 (Pop Quiz): 15 percent
Quiz 2 (Pop Quiz):: 15 percent
Final Quiz (Pop Quiz):: 15 percent
Portfolio/Resume/Artist Statement: (first version 5 percent and second version 10
percent after doing my notes) 15 percent
Interview someone in the field you want to go in: I must approve the person (minimum
10 minutes or approved by me if shorter than 10 minutes; 5 percent once we select
interviewee and 10 percent for the interview) 15 percent
3 top places to intern and why 250 to 500 words per place to equal 750 to 1,500
words total; analyzing the three places and why it would be the right fit for you (5 percent
once we select your three places to intern and 5 percent for the analysis of those
places).
10 percent
Reflection of discussion in class (1 percent per class for a 250 to 500 word reflection
of what we discussed that day in class)
15 percent
CLASS SYLLABUS: WEEK-BY-WEEK DETAIL (The speaker section is subject to
change due to availability of certain guests and might be switched for different speakers
or none)
January 27 – Introductions
- Course Overview
- BLACKBOARD
- Syllabus
- Producer Ron Najor Introduction
-Write a reflection on the class (due in 24 hours from the end of this class)
February 3 –Writing/Directing – Pic Your Portfolio DUE BEFORE CLASS ON
BLACKBOARD
– Independent filmmaking writer/directors
- Director/Writer (narrative) Destin Cretton
- Pic your Portfolio (5 percent of 15 percent) Due prior to the February 3rd class
Make a list of what you want to do from director, writer, editor, cinematographer, etc.
Put the list in order one being the thing you want to do most after film school and so on.
You should pick the one you have the most material so we can create a portfolio for you
(If you have enough for more than one lets discuss).
-Write a reflection on the class (due in 24 hours from the end of this class)
February 10 – TV Writing – Pick Top 3 Interview Subjects DUE BEFORE CLASS ON
BLACKBOARD
- TV writing Justin Halpern
- Pick Top 3 Interview Subjects (5 percent of 15 percent) Due prior to the February
10th Class
Put them in order from 1 to 3, 1 being your top pick, 2 being your second choice and 3
being your last pick. We will settle on a subject then get the interview that needs to be 10
minutes in length minimum Due by ????. If the interview comes in under 10 minutes I
need to hear it to approve it.
-Write a reflection on the class (due in 24 hours from the end of this class)
February 17 – Internet Content – Three Places to Intern DUE BEFORE CLASS ON
BLACKBOARD
- Internet content Tim Wilks
- Three Places to Intern (5 percent of the 10 percent) Due prior to the February 17th
Class
Put a one sentence description why you want to intern at each place.
-Write a reflection on the class (due in 24 hours from the end of this class)
February 24 – Working Writers
- Writer - Cameron Fay writing and business of writing
-Write a reflection on the class (due in 24 hours from the end of this class)
March 3— Casting
- Casting -
-Write a reflection on the class (due in 24 hours from the end of this class)
March 10 - Cinematography
- Cinematographer - Brett Pawlak
-Write a reflection on the class (due in 24 hours from the end of this class)
March 17 – Editing - INTERNSHIP ANALYSIS DUE
Internship Analysis Due (5 percent of 10 percent) Due prior to the March 17th Class
- Editor - Nat Sanders of Short Term 12, Your Sister’s Sister, Togetherness
-Write a reflection on the class (due in 24 hours from the end of this class)
March 24 – Grants and Labs
- Grants and Labs – Rebecca Green
-Write a reflection on the class (due in 24 hours from the end of this class)
March 31 – spring break – no class
April 7 – Film Festivals - FINAL PORTFOLIO DUE BEFORE CLASS ON
BLACKBOARD
Final Portfolio Due (10 percent of 15 percent) Due prior to the April 7th Class
- Film Festivals - Programmer Landon Z.
-Write a reflection on the class (due in 24 hours from the end of this class)
April 14 – PR/Publicity –
– PR/Publicity - Morgan Ressa from Brigade
-Write a reflection on the class (due in 24 hours from the end of this class)
April 21 Sales Agents/Distributors – INTERVIEWS DUE EMAILED TO ME BEFORE
CLASS – RNAJOR@mail.sdsu.edu (Bring on a flash drive as a back up)
– Sales Agent/Distributor - Asher from Broad Green
Interview Due (10 percent of 15 percent) Due prior or during the April 21st Class
-Write a reflection on the class (due in 24 hours from the end of this class)
April 28 – Distributing Your Film –
– Distribution - Missy Laney from Sundance Artist Services
-Write a reflection on the class (due in 24 hours from the end of this class)
May 5
– Special Guest TBD
-Write a reflection on the class (due in 24 hours from the end of this class)
Final
-Write a reflection on the class (due in 24 hours from the end of this class)
Listen to James lipton/listen to creative screenwriting episode:
What was your first exposure to your field?
Did you go to college for this or how did you start down this road?
How do you survive as an independent filmmaker
First moving to LA/NY or wherever how did you further your career?
How do you figure out rates per project?
Business advise to the students?
Was this the field you always imagined yourself doing or when did you transition into
this field?
Make a living in this specific field when was it if it has happened?
What do you wish you could go back and tell yourself mistakes you wouldn’t repeat?
What would be something you would go back and tell yourself you did right and to do
again?