TWN has trained over 400 film and video artists in the past 30 years through its
annual TWN Film & Video Production Workshop. In addition, over the past five
years, the organization has also presented each spring and fall: the Final Cut
Pro/Media Literacy workshop series', the Wednesday Night Seminar Series, and in
2005, began presenting Youth Alternative Media Workshops as well. TWN
regularly collaborates on workshops, conferences, seminars and special projects
such as The Writers & Makers Film Series, the New Visions Series and the most
recently the Human Rights, Reunification and Korean Diaspora Film Festival with
NYU A/P/A studies and local community groups.
TWN PRODUCTION WORKSHOP
Now celebrating its 31st year, the TWN Film & Video Production Workshop is a
unique "hands- on" program that provides practical skills and resources for
emerging film and video makers. The Production Workshop emphasizes the training
and support of people of color who have limited resources and access to
mainstream educational institutions and traditional training programs within the
film/video industry. Many past workshop participants have continued to train and
work in film, video and the media arts. Instructors and guest speakers are
experienced professionals currently working in the field of film and video. The
curriculum of this small group and intensive 6 month program focuses on the
pre-production, production and post production skills necessary to take a short
project from conception to completion. Workshop members will participate in a
project shot in non-sync 16mm film that is approximately 5 minutes in length and
on digital video projects as well. Workshop members will gain technical skills
and experience through the projects, and will be trained to edit using the
non-linear Final Cut Pro system. The Production Workshop begins in early
February and meets every Thursday at 6:30 pm in the offices of Third World
Newsreel. The workshop is time intensive and participants must be able to attend
regular class meetings as well as meet the out-of-class demands of pre-
production, production, and post-production. Prior film, video or related
experience is recommended but not required; self-initiative, time and a
collaborative spirit are. The selection to the Production Workshop is limited to
9 participants. An initial written applications is required and a second round
of applicants are selected for interviews. The cost of the 2009 workshop will be
$600.
For more information on our other workshops.
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FAQ
What kind of projects are produced in the Production Workshop?
Fiction, documentary, experimental and various cross genres. Regardless of the formal
structure, projects must be kept short, simple and manageable to keep production
time and expenses down.
What other costs are associated with the Production Workshop?
The workshop provides basic production equipment and a limited amount of tape/film
stock. Other production costs such as extra video tape/film stock, transportation,
food, props, etc. are at the participants' expense.
When are applications available and when will I be notified
of acceptance/rejection?
Applications are up on our website in the fall of each year and the deadline for this year's completed applications is February
1st, 2008. Second round interviews are conducted soon after and people will be notified in
the first half of February of acceptance or rejection.
How competitive is the application process?
We want as many people as possible to have access to the application process. However,
only about half of the applicants are contacted for a second round of personal interviews
for the 9 available slots. If necessary, interviews can be conducted over the phone
for out of city/state applicants.
Are there other training programs that TWN offers?
The Film & Video Production Workshop is project driven and the only production
training program that TWN offers. It is conducted once a year and starts in late
winter / early spring. However, TWN also offers two other workshop programs that
are not project driven or primarily production oriented: Intro to Final Cut Pro
Nonlinear Editing & Media Literacy Workshop and the Wednesday Night Seminar
Series. The Final Cut Pro workshop is a 6 week program conducted twice a year, once
in the winter and again in the spring. The cost is $350 and participation is by
registration. The Wednesday Night Seminar Series is an 6 week workshop with each week
covering a different media topic or issue, from proposal writing to budgeting
to practical tips
in production. The Wednesday Night Seminars also run twice a year, once in the spring
and again in the fall. The cost is $20 (student/low income rate avail) per session
and participation is also by registration. For more information on these two workshops,
call 212-947-9277 ext. 304 or email: workshop@twn.org
What kind of time commitment is necessary for the Production
Workshop?
If your time is limited or you have other commitments, it will be very difficult
to fully benefit from the Production Workshop. In addition to the regular Thursday
evening meetings, participants are also required to attend the Wednesday Night Seminar
Series (Production Workshop members do not have to pay for the Wednesday Workshop
Series). There is also a tremendous amount of work in pre-production and post-production
that each participant must accomplish outside of the regularly attended Thursday
and Wednesday sessions. In addition, because people often work during the weekday,
most productions are shot on the weekends or in the evenings so you must be available
and flexible with your time. Workshop participants are also required to do a Community
Service Project where members provide some kind of service, i.e. shoot an event,
screen films or videos, conduct a media workshop, etc. for a grassroots community
organization. It must be emphasized that the Production Workshop is not a "school"
situation where one meets for class once a week, takes notes and then comes back
again the following week. It is a project driven and production orientated program
where one must be committed to learning basic production skills while making progressive
media projects.
What have past participants done after the Production Workshop?
Past participants have produced, written and directed feature films, documentaries
and experimental works. They have worked as cinematographers, editors and other
technical positions on fictional films, documentaries, commercials, music videos,
etc. They have been Academy Award nominees. They have been accepted to graduate
film programs at NYU, UCLA, CCNY and Columbia University and have attended AFI,
IFP and the Sundance Directors and Writing labs. They have started their own production
companies and film collectives. They have produced community based video & film
projects and training programs....the list goes on. Workshop graduates include:
Byron Hurt (Beyond Beats and Rhymes),Grace Lee (The Grace Lee Project),
Ada
Griffin (A Litany for Survival:The Life and Work of Audre Lorde), Randy Redroad (Doe Boy), Renata Gangemi (Professor, Ramapo College), Renee Tajima-Pena (Who
Killed Vincent Chin?, Univ. of Calif at Santa Cruz professor).
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