RAD "Where Are They Now" Panel RECAP

Our UT Grad guests at last weeks "Where Are They Now" panel were quite an inspiring lot. None have been out in the "reel world" for more than 5 years, but they've all got major professional accomplishments under their belt and they had great advice to share with us anxious soon-to-be graduates.

One major theme that came out of their conversation was the importance of persistence, casting a wide net and going above and beyond what is asked of you. When production designer Ashlyn Fielder met someone she wanted to work for he told her, "keep emailing me, it's not going to bug me" - so she did and ultimately she got an internship on his feature and then got consistently hired by the featuere's production designer on all her subsequent projects. Editor Robin Schwartz said her first paid film job also came out of an internship: "I would show up and stay way later than I was supposed to and I would work on the weekends - which I still do - and he eventually hired me." Similarly: "anything that came my way I said 'sure!'- free, paid - 'I'll do it!,' said Producer/Director Carlyn Hudson (and Women in Cinema co-founder).

When asked what they wished they had known as a student, many of the paragon panelists encouraged us to take advantage of the free equipment (and labor) that is more readily available.
In terms of the value of Film Graduate School Robin wisely put it: "I don't think it matters whether your an undergrad or grad student in film, you can get the same benefits from both as long as you know what you want to do." As for most important thing she learned at school, Carlyn quoted our fearless faculty advisor Kat Candler as teaching her to "be nice, work your ass off and don't sit down."

And the power of the student-teacher legacy was echoed throughout the evening. Screenwriter and elementary school teacher Alex Thomas recommended finding work through your professors who are active filmmakers. DP/AC Kate Steinhebel stressed the importance of "keeping in touch with everyone you can" and "giving back" to the next generation. Alex is doing just this as she passes on her love of film to her students and introduces them to local film as much as possible.

A poignant closing message for filmmakers of all ages and at all stages was Carlyn's perspective on ambition: "so I shoot for the moon and I make it to the stars, that's pretty great."

WHERE ARE THEY NOW Panel and Meeting

This week's Women in Cinema meeting and panel will be designated to what happens next when you graduate college. Come and learn how others got jobs after college.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW Panel and Meeting
Thursday February 23, 2012

We will be meeting from:
6:30-7:00pm for Mingle/Snacks
7:00-7:30pm for Meeting
7:30-9:00pm for Panel

Facebook Event.

... JOIN US!!! Free and open to all. This is an exclusive chance to meet with talented UT graduates who are working in the film business.

Carlyn Hudson received her B.S. in Radio-TV-Film at the University of Texas. Before attending film school, she earned her primary training from the Stella Adler Studio of Acting at New York University. Since then, Carlyn has directed short films that have premiered at SXSW and Austin Film Festival. She was selected as a segment director of the remake, "Slacker: 20 years Later," and is co-producing a new Richard Linklater project for Hulu. This past summer she co-produced Andrew Bujalski's (Beeswax, Funny Ha Ha) newest feature, Computer Chess and programed the wildly popular summer film series, Cinema East. Carlyn is a working commercial director in Austin, and directs web content for Verizon and Dell. She is directing her first feature in May.

Ashlyn Fielder is an Austin based art department extraordinaire. She production designed Kat Candler's "Hellion" (Sundance 2012/SXSW 2012) and Carlyn Hudson's scene “Steve” in Slacker 2011. Ashlyn was also Assistant Set Decorator/Shopper on a new A&E home remodeling show that recently shot in Austin. She has also crewed on numerous features, shorts, TV shows and commercials in Austin and Los Angeles, including "Top Chef 9" and Sunset Stories (SXSW 2012).

Robin Schwartz studied journalism at the University of Texas. She works as a freelance editor and producer. She recently edited the documentary America's Parking Lot, her first feature as an editor, which is premiering at the 2012 SXSW film festival. She served as an associate producer and assistant editor on Alan Berg’s 2011 documentary, Outside Industry: The story of SXSW, which premiered at SXSW in 2011. Robin recently acted in Andrew Bujalski’s forthcoming feature, Computer Chess.

Kate Steihebel has been freelancing around Austin in the camera department, both DP'ing and AC'ing since graduating in 2009. She has lensed a variety of short films and documetaries, spec commercials and company videos. Though she is happiest with a light meter and camera in her hands, she has found steady work at 1080, Inc., a post production house. For a year and a half, Kate has worked in machine room, the heart of a post house, and has recently been hired as duplications producer. Despite working full time in the post world, Kate still finds time to shoot as many projects as she can.

Alex Thomas studied English Literature and Film Studies at the University of Kentucky before coming to the University of Texas at Austin for an MFA in Film Production. After finishing up her thesis film in 2010, she started working at an emergent education school: the Khabele School, in Austin. She teaches students in 6th grade English, Middle School Film, and High School Film. She finds a balance between her love for teaching and screenwriting.

2012 SXSW Film Festival Women Filmmakers

The SXSW Film Festival is right around the corner (about 3 weeks away to be exact)! And in order to help our Women in Cinema members with what to see, we've compiled a list of all the films directed by women.

An Evening with Sacred Bones Records (Jacqueline Castel)
Bad Brains: Band in DC (Mandy Stein)
Baskerville - 'Reloaded' (Marieke Verbiesen)
Bay of All Saints (Annie Eastman)
Belly (Julia Pott)
Brooklyn Castle (Katie Dellamaggiore)
Burn Spark (Maqui Gaona)
Céline Desrumaux - 'Countdown' - (Celine Desrumaux)
Chance - (Jasmine DePucci)
Chocolate Milk - (Eliza Kinkz)
Code of the West - (Rebecca Richman Cohen)
The Contract - (Lina Mannheimer)
Crulic - The Path to Beyond - (Anca Damian)
Dollhouse - (Kirsten Sheridan)
Don't Hug Me I'm Scared - (Becky Sloan)
Dreams of a Life - (Carol Morley)
Eden - (Megan Griffiths)
Electrick Children - (Rebecca Thomas)
Francine - (Melanie Shatzky)
The Gathering Squall - (Hannah Fidell)
Girl Model - (Ashley Sabin)
Girls - (Lena Dunham)
Global Home - (Eva Stotz)
Gotye (Feat. Kimbra) - 'Somebody that I Used to Know' - (Natasha Pincus)
The Guessing Game - (Angela Cheng)
Hard Labor - (Juliana Rojas)
Hellion - (Kat Candler)
Her Master's Voice - (Nina Conti)
The Hunter - (Marieka Walsh)
I Am Your Grandma - (Jillian Mayer)
Indie Game: The Movie - (Lisanne Pajot)
J@cuzzi B0ys - 'Gl@zin' - (Jillian Mayer)
Language - (Leah Schell)
Last Call at the Oasis - (Jessica Yu)
Leave Me Like You Found Me - (Adele Romanski)
Life and Freaky Times of Uncle Luke - (Jillian Mayer)
Lost and Sound - (Lindsey Dryden)
Masterpiece - (Anele Page)
OK Go - 'All is Not Lost' - (Trish Sie)
Once It Started It Could Not End Otherwise - (Kelly Sears)
Photographs - (Christina Manrique)
Pilgrim Song - (Martha Stephens)
Plasticine Dream - (Samantha Fine)
Pompeya - (Tamae Garateguy)
The Proposal - (Marcella Jimenez, Susannah Rodrigue)
when you find me - (Bryce Dallas Howard)
Reddish Brown and Blueish Green - (Samantha Gurry)
Scarlet Road - (Catherine Scott)
Sea Meadow - (Lily Baldwin)
Seeking Asian Female - (Debbie Lum)
The Source - (Jodi Wille, Maria Demopoulos)
Spark - (Annie Silverstein)
Sun Don't Shine - (Amy Seimetz)
WONDER WOMEN! The Untold Story of American Superheroines - (Kristy Guevara-Flanagan)

AFS SXSW Showacase
Mijo (My Son) (Chithra Jeyaram)
The Curse and Jubilee (Ivete Guerra Lucas)

It's really exciting to see such a large amount of female filmmakers in such an amazing film festival, two of which are our own Kat Candler and Annie Silverstein.

Let us know if you have any other recommendations.

Script Reading and Workshop

In Women In Cinema's first year (then known as Reel Women Students) we decided to make a short film in the summertime. Last spring we were having trouble getting scripts for the production because we started planning it so late in the semester but then we got an amazing opportunity to do a scene from the Slacker remake (thanks to Sarah Gonzalez). It was an amazing experience for everyone involved. The scene was shot with a wonderful all-female-crew (plus one male still photographer).

We would like to keep up this tradition and make another short this summer with an all female crew. But before we start getting a head of ourselves, we need a script. The most important thing to any movie is the story. Many students forget that. Thankfully we have the wonderful filmmaker/screenwriter, Kat Candler, to help us find and workshop the scripts.

We are currently receiving scripts for our summer production.

Here are the details for the submission:

Due Date: Monday, March 5th.
Length: No longer than 10 pages in order to be considered.
Submission: You must email your script to Women In Cinema at utwomenincinema@gmail.com
Format: It would be easier if you emailed a PDF version of your script.

To have your script considered, you must be a member of Women in Cinema. To become a member, please click here. Current members must pay $10 every semester.

Submission is open for alumni.

Facebook event invite reminder

Please email us if you have any questions. And forward this to any friends you think might be interested.

After we get scripts, we will hold script readings and workshop sessions. Even if your an experienced screenwriter or a beginner, this is a great opportunity to make your script better.

Once we get scripts, Women in Cinema will be holding a reading and workshop with some professional screenwriters in attendance. As a group we will workshop the scripts, making them the best that they can be.

Script Reading and Workshop
Thursday March 8
7-8:30
Location TBD

With screenwriter Cindy Mcreery in attendance.

After the scripts have been read and made better comes the most difficult part, making the decision of what we make. Instead of having the Women in Cinema officers decide, we're going to have a pitch off for the script, and the key crew positions. If someone wants to direct the short, she will need to have a short pitch or demonstration of what her vision is for the chosen script. If someone wants to be the Director of Photography, she will need to show the group her reel and have a short pitch or demonstration or her vision for the way the film will be shot.

Pitches and Crew Position Decision Day
Thursday March 29
7-8:30
Location TBD

Once the key positions have been filled for the production, the rest will fall into place. Mark your calendars for the Summer Production Pre Production Meeting:

Thursday May 3
7-8:30
Location TBD

We have an exciting spring and summer to get ready for so don't miss your opportunity to submit your script and see it come to life.