Working For a Studio
Learn how to get your project through the studio approval system, what studio executives are looking for, and how studios work with directors and producers.Working For a Studio
Developed by Jason Tomaric, FilmSkillsABOUT THIS LESSON
Many filmmakers dream of writing, directing or producing a movie for a large studio, accessing to the best creative talent in the world, tens of millions of dollars, top notch crews, incredible resources, and guaranteed distribution. But the path into a studio is long and difficult.
In this module, you will learn how to get your project through the studio approval system, what studio executives are looking for, and how studios work with directors and producers.
Avoid common pitfalls many new filmmakers experience and learn the path to a career with the studios.
- 26:19 video that walks you through the steps of how a project is produced at a studio
- Illustrated companion guide
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
- How a studio is structured
- The life of a script
- Unsolicited materials and what happens to them
- What studio executives look for in new scripts
- How you can leverage a directing job with your script
ABOUT THE LESSON AUTHOR
Jason Tomaric
Director, Cinematographer Los Angeles, CaliforniaJason J. Tomaric is an Emmy, Telly, and CINE Award-winning director and cinematographer of four internationally-distributed feature films, dozens of national television commercials, music videos, and the largest film training content library in the world, published author of 8 books - used in many top universities, and creator of AccuSkills.com, an industry-changing learning management platform.
Jason has worked in Los Angeles and around the world in over 20 countries. His clients include Disney, NBC/Universal, National Geographic, McDonald’s, Toyota, Scion, Microsoft, and Paul Mitchell, with narrative work screened at Sundance, Slamdance, and South by Southwest film festivals as well as on Netflix and on all broadcast networks.
Jason has taught and/or guest lectured at some of the nation's most prestigious film schools including UCLA, Columbia College, John Carroll University, Kent State University, San Francisco State, University of Notre Dame, and numerous film festivals.
Jason has written eight industry-defining books, all sold in bookstores, and used in film schools around the world. The American Society of Cinematographers hails Jason's books - "There are no wasted words in Tomaric's tome, which concisely summarizes each facet of the director's craft. It's difficult to think of a step in the process that Tomaric fails to address."
Jason’s DVD training series on Hollywood film production have trained filmmakers in over 40 countries, with distributors in Europe, Hong Kong, New York and Australia.
In 2010, Jason launched FilmSkills, which combines the world’s largest film training video library with his proprietary learning management system. Adopted by 47 universities within the first year, FilmSkills is now the leading industry-standard training solution for motion picture and television production.
In 2015, Jason launched AccuSkills.com, an industry-changing learning management platform that bridges the gap between academia and industry.
CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS LESSON
Alexa Amin
Executive Editor, Studio System News, and Former VP of Development, Sony Pictures AnimationAlexa Amin is Executive Editor of Studio System News, after having worked as a feature film studio executive since 1999. She most recently served as Vice President of Production at Sony Pictures Animation, where she shepherded OPEN SEASON 2, CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS, and THE SMURFS, which grossed over $500 million worldwide. Prior to Sony, Ms. Amin was Vice President, Production for New Regency/20th Century Fox, where her films included Mr. & MRS. SMITH, THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX and ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS, which also grossed over $500 million worldwide. She was honored as one of the industry’s rising young stars in The Hollywood Reporter’s Next Generation to Watch. Mrs. Amin is actively involved in educational causes, including Communities in Schools, Milk and Bookies and Determined to Succeed. She was born and raised in Los Angeles, received her B.A. in English from UC Santa Barbara, and currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband and 2 sons.
Anne Marie Gillen
Executive Producer, "Fried Green Tomatoes," former COO of Morgan Freeman's Revelations EntertainmentAnne Marie Gillen, CEO of Gillen Group, LLC is an independent Producer whose goal is to develop and produce commercially successful entertainment that expresses heart and enlightens the human experience. She is extensively experienced in motion picture and television development and has exceptional relationships with studios, international distributors, production and acting talent.
Presently Anne Marie’s film slate includes the recently released Cabin 14 Production Into Temptation starring Kristin Chenoweth and Jeremy Sisto; she is producing The Schwa Was Here based on the bestselling Young Adult novel written by Neal Shusterman; and developing and producing Charlie’s Place with director Thomas Carter (Save the Last Dance, Coach Carter, Swing Kids). In Fall 2010 Ms. Gillen released her first book – the 3rd edition of The Producer’s Business Handbook – through Focal Press and co-branded by Variety.
Ms. Gillen is a lecturer and panelist and gives workshop seminars for such organizations as: International Institute of Film Financing (IIFF), Show Biz Expo, Screenwriters Expo, UCLA Film School, USC Film School, Chapman University, Act One Producer Program, Century City Chamber of Commerce Entertainment Symposiums, Independent Feature Project seminars in New York, Minneapolis and Cannes, France, California Lawyers for the Arts, Women In Film, and Playback.
From 2002 – May 2006, Anne Marie was consulting to Entertainment Business Group (EBG) as their President, Development & Production, an independent motion picture and television funding, global rights sales, research, analysis and business services entity.
From 1996 – 2001, Anne Marie was the Chief Operating Officer of Morgan Freeman’s company, Revelations Entertainment. She led the company in the strategic financing and distribution of Revelations’ projects. During her tenure, Revelations Entertainment produced Along Came the Spider for Paramount; developed Port Chicago Mutiny for NBC Network; and developed, independently financed and produced Under Suspicion starring Morgan Freeman and Gene Hackman for Sony Premiere DVDs/Lions Gate.
Prior to her tenure at Revelations Entertainment, Anne Marie was co-founder and CEO of Electric Shadow Productions, and it’s Chair. Electric Shadow fully financed, and Anne Marie was the Executive Producer of its first feature, Fried Green Tomatoes which was released by Universal and starred Kathy Bates and Jessica Tandy. This picture earned over $200 million worldwide and was nominated for two Academy Awards and three Golden Globes.
She came to Electric Shadow Productions from Hemdale Releasing Corporation where she was Vice President of Acquisitions and Ancillary Sales. During her tenure, Hemdale was one of the leading independent film companies producing such films as: Platoon winner of Best Picture and Best Director, Hoosiers, The Last Emperor winner of nine Academy Awards including Best Picture, Director and Screenplay.
Barbara Doyle
Chair of Chapman University Film DepartmentBarbara Freedman Doyle has been active in film production and film education for more than 20 years. She began her film career at Creative Communications, in Boston, producing promotional films for non-profit clients and political campaigns, then moved to Los Angeles where she soon became the Assistant to the Senior VP of Worldwide Production at Tri-Star Pictures. During her five years at Tri-Star she was involved in the administration and organization of over forty feature films.
Barbara left Tri-Star to work in production on national commercial spots, music videos, network television movies, and feature films. She was Production Supervisor on television movies for the Disney Channel, NBC Productions, Hearst Entertainment, HBO, Showtime and Hallmark and worked on feature films for 20th Century Fox, Interscope, and Warner Brothers. She was Production Supervisor on the films "Two If By Sea" with Sandra Bullock and Denis Leary (Morgan Creek Productions), and "Lost and Found" with David Spade (Alcon Entertainment).
In 1999, Barbara became an Associate Dean at the prestigious American Film Institute. She left the AFI in 2002, and in 2003, while a Chair at Brooks Institute of Photography’s Motion Picture/Video program, she served as Line Producer on the BBC/Granada Television documentary, Martin Scorsese’s British Cinema.
Barbara joined the team at MPS Productions in 2003, as Line Producer of the Kaiser film project, On the Same Side. She produces and consults for the company on feature film and documentary projects, and is currently on the faculty at Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts. She is a frequent guest lecturer at colleges and universities specializing in film studies, and is working on her first book, Surviving the Business and Politics of Making Your Feature Film-the Answer Book For First-Time Filmmakers.
Jason J. Tomaric
Emmy-winning director/CinematographerJason J.Tomaric is a multiple Emmy, Telly and CINE Award-winning director and cinematographer. With four feature films, sixty commercials, music videos and an educational DVD series on the market, Jason's approach to filmmaking has made for a successful, fulfilling career. Jason has worked in over 20 countries as a director and has taught at some of the nation's most prestigious film schools including UCLA and the New York Film Academy. Jason's book, "Filmmaking"(Focal Press) is available in bookstores worldwide.
Jason is also the creator of FilmSkills.
Jeff Ulin
VP of Worldwide Distribution, LucasFilm; Former Senior Executive at Paramount Pictures, Universal StudiosJeff Ulin’s background includes being a media executive, attorney, lecturer, entrepreneur and author. Half of his 20+ years in the business were spent at Lucasfilm, where he headed worldwide distribution for all markets (theatrical, video, TV, online), managed franchise sales for Star Wars and Indiana Jones, and oversaw the release of the last Star Wars film Episode III. He has also served as a senior studio executive, helping manage Paramount and Universal’s overseas video distribution venture; co-founded and ran as CEO animation studio Wild Brain, where he created Disney’s pre-school hit Higglytown Heroes; and navigated the convergence of digital media at Silicon Valley’s most renowned law firm (Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati), where he served as Of Counsel. Based in the San Francisco Bay area, Jeff currently works as EVP of Autumn Games, sits on advisory boards of media start-ups, and teaches the class Media & Entertainment: Economics, Policy, and Strategy at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. He is the author of the Variety-endorsed book The Business of Media Distribution- Monetizing Film, TV and Video Content in an Online World (Elsevier/Focal Press, 2009).
Jeff is a graduate of Harvard University and The University of Chicago Law School, and a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
Randal Kleiser
Director, "Grease," "Blue Lagoon," "Flight of the Navigator," "Getting It Right," "Lovewrecked" and "It's My Party"Randal Kleiser's first feature Grease is the most successful movie musical ever made. Other credits include The Blue Lagoon, The Boy in the Plastic Bubble, Summer Lovers, Flight of the Navigator, White Fang, North Shore, Getting It Right, Lovewrecked and It's My Party.
In 2007, his USC Thesis film Peege was selected by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Registry. Working in 70mm 3-D, he directed Honey, I Shrunk the Audience, which has been running for over a decade at the Disney Parks in Anaheim, Orlando, Tokyo, and Paris.
This led to the US Government signing him to develop a 360 degree hi-def simulator to train soldiers to deal with Improvised Explosive Devices in the current war in Afghanistan.
With George Lucas, he recently released a 2 DVD set, "USC School of Cinematic Arts presents the Nina Foch Course for Filmmakers and Actors".
In 2010 he was elected to the Science and Technology Committee of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Rob Bowman
Four-time Emmy Nominated Director, "The X-Files," and Executive Producer, "Castle"Rob Bowman has produced and/or directed episodes of nearly 40 television series and movies and films for the cinema. He earned four consecutive Emmy nominations for The X-Files. A short list of his diverse credits includes the television series StarTrek: The Next Generation, Parker Lewis, The A-Team and Castle.