IDA Seminar Series - Doc U: Documentary Producing Workshops with Mitchell Block and Eva Orner

To Register After December 1, please contact Mitchell Block/Direct Cinema Ltd., for more information and registration reservations. Call 310.636.8200 or E-mail directcinema@gmail.com

Financing and Producing Documentary Programs with Mitchell Block - (Day 1) Sat. December 4, 9:30am - 4:30pm

Learn to design and get funding to make your documentary. Explore the ins and outs of both for-profit and not-for profit fundraising, distribution, and marketing opportunities. Learn how to best package your work to attract funding, get rights, putting together the strongest package, do presales, structure the right business form, and more.

Share your ideas or projects at any stage of production and have them evaluated as part of the class.

Part ONE
Look at public sector funding. Grants from government agencies, working with local and national public television stations. Working with PBS and CPB. How to work with foundations to tap into the hundred of millions of dollars available for grants and support of media. How to work with for profits to get funding for projects. A look at business structures. Case studies will cover grant writing, business plans and proposal writing for documentaries.

Part TWO
We will look at private sector funding. Business plans, private placements, offerings. How to design a project to attract funding. What is the exit plan? How to work with venture capitalists. Collaborate and partner with cable and other broadcast entities. Presales on a global basis. How much your project is worth? Where to go to sell and pitch. How to pitch, develop, and protect your idea. Learn how to pitch and who to pitch to.

Block will answer specific questions on funding for individual projects time permitting.

Cost of seminar includes numerous handouts. Specific case studies will be covered that show in a step-by-step manner how to finance documentary films.

Program might run 30 minutes longer. Join fellow participants for an after session networking drink (no host) at the Spitfire Grill.

Documentary Tune-up with Mitchell Block and Academy Award-Winning Producer Eva Orner - (Day 2) Sun. December 5, 9:30am - 4:30pm

"If you can't sell your project every time you pitch it, then there something wrong with it."

Can't find funding? No one wants to invest? Perhaps it's the idea or some aspect of the project/package? Get a doc proposal check up, and tune up. This daylong workshop is intended to help you decide if that dream doc is worth pursuing and if it's not selling, how to fix it.

Why isn't your project attracting funding from a studio, network or cable, company, sponsor or other funders? It can ONLY be six things:

• The package?
• The proposal?
• The idea?
• The budget?
• The production team?
• Are you pitching to the right people?

Explore how your doc project can be tuned up, cleaned up or perhaps junked.
Find out who might produce it, how to pitch it, what is needed to sell it, and which broadcasters or cable companies should be considered.

Find ways to make your packaging bankable.

We'll look over your proposals and see why it's not pulling in offers. You will receive hard information to build into your business plan and make your project sell.

We will review each individual project and review case studies to develop an understanding of how to pitch and sell projects. Case studies come from the class and the instructor's extensive collection of actual productions. You do not need a project to attend but preference will be given to those that have them. A one-page project description will be requested at time of registration for review if it's available.

Ideas or projects at any stage of development are welcome. We spend the day reviewing a number of projects as a group. This class can be taken multiple times since it is directed to the individual students' projects.

When you register, e-mail a copy of your proposal (up to 2 pages) to Block.

Program might run 30 minutes longer. Join fellow participants for an after session networking drink (no host) at the Spitfire Grill.

Student Comments:

"I was a student in your weekend class at FAF last month. I wanted to touch base just to say thank you for the class and for the vast information in the packed you made for us."

"Thank you for the invaluable information you passed on to all of us at the FAF workshops earlier this month. I have been transferring and consolidating my notes and cannot begin to express the value I am getting from them. Truly a revelation... Thank you for your patience and dedication to assisting the less experienced."

"I found both workshops informative and inspiring. The message I got most clearly was get funding first, (don't put your own money into it) and it will change the way I work."
--Jennifer Haskins

"I had a good time today. Very stimulating and quite helpful."
--William Gazecki

Mitchell Block is a multi-award winning executive producer who specializes in conceiving, developing, producing, marketing and distributing independent features, reality programming and documentaries.

He is an executive producer and co-creator of the Emmy Award winning CARRIER, PBS' pop-out 10-hour series, and companion feature documentary, ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE, both of which he conceived. CARRIER is the first film/video project to embed on a Navy war ship for an entire six-month deployment and was financed by Mel Gibson's Icon Productions.

He produced with Sara Nesson, POSTER GIRL one of Academy’s eight short-listed 2010 documentaries. Block is producing a special series, LADIES SING THE BLUES (w/t), a 10-hour history of women and the blues will include a two-hour companion feature-length theatrical documentary (and series pilot). He executive produced the 2008 Broadcast Critic's award winning film, STEALING AMERICA, a feature documentary about the 2000, 2004 and 2006 elections.

Block has extensive experience working with and pitching networks, studios and producers including: A&E, History, HBO, Discovery, PBS, MTV, Showtime, CNN as well as numerous production entities globally.

Acquisitions, Sales, Distribution & Marketing: For seven years, Block worked as an acquisitions consultant for Sheila Nevins, president, HBO Original Pictures (documentaries). His company, Direct Cinema Limited, has handled the marketing and distribution of over 60 Oscar nominated and winning documentaries, short and animated films. He has extensive experience in creative development, re-purposing individual and series works and formats, acquisitions, finance, marketing and negotiating transactions for sales, rights and copyright.

Awards: Block was an executive producer of the Academy Award-winning documentary BIG MAMA for HBO.

Teaching: Block has been teaching independent producing at USC's School of Cinematic Arts since 1978 as an adjunct professor and currently teaches a required class in the Peter Stark Producing Program. He has lectured at over 50 colleges and universities worldwide.

Global Activities: Block has served as a sales agent, programmer and marketing consultant for clients in Australia (AIDC, FFC, Film Australia), Iceland, England, France, Korea, Canada (NFB) as well as the Sundance Film Festival and the Canadian, Philippine and British Academies. He has lectured globally on film/television production and distribution.

Education: Block received a BFA and MFA in film production from NYU, Tisch School of the Arts, an MBA from Columbia University and he was a producing fellow at the American Film Institute. He did doctoral work in film and business at UCLA.

Eva Orner, Producer

Eva is an Academy Award winning Australian producer based in the US.

Since relocating from Melbourne to NY in 2004, Eva spent two years producing documentaries with Academy Award winning director Alex Gibney. Eva produced “Taxi to the Dark Side” winner of best feature documentary at the 2008 Academy Awards, A Peabody Award and winner of best documentary at Tribeca, Chicago, Newport and Ojai Film Festivals. “Taxi to the Dark Side” was also nominated for best documentary at the Gotham and IDA awards, was released in the US theatrically by Think Film and premiered Sept 29, 2008 on HBO.

Other recent credits include producing the feature documentary “Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr Hunter S Thompson,” which premiered in competition at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2008. “Gonzo” screened at SXSW Film Festival, was in competition at Full Frame, was the closing night film at the San Francisco Film Festival and opened theatrically across the US July 4th, 2008, distributed by Magnolia.

In 2006 Eva produced “The Human Behavior Experiments” for the Sundance Channel and co-produced the feature documentary “Herbie Hancock’s Possibilities.”

Eva’s Australian credits include producing the AFI, Logie and Humans Rights award winning documentary “Untold Desires,” the romantic comedy feature film “Josh Jarman” and co-producing the feature film “Strange Fits of Passion,” which premiered in “International Critics Week” at the Cannes International Film Festival in 1999. Other Australian credits include the documentary “Sin Embargo”, filmed entirely on location in Cuba and the documentary “Secret Fear”.

In Australia Eva also production managed over 100 hours of scripted television.

Eva was also a Project Manager for the Australian Film Finance Corporation for two years overseeing their investments into feature films, television and documentary.

Eva moved from New York to Los Angeles in April 2008.

Class & Workshop FAQs

How do I sign up for a class?
You can sign up online or by phone. Online is preferred. If you sign up by phone, we'll still require your email address so that you are in our system. Keep in mind that at times a class may be canceled due to scheduling conflicts or insufficient enrollment. Therefore, we strongly encourage signing up in advance.

Can I make a reservation via email?
No, you must purchase either online or by phone during business hours.

Can I reserve space in a class before I pay for it?
No, we cannot reserve space until payment is made in full.

How do I know if a class is full?
The online system will show you how many tickets are available.  If the class you want is full, you can request to be put on the waiting list in case space becomes available.

Can I sign up for a class by coming early on Saturday?
If space is available, you can register, if the online registration page shows that tickets aren't sold out. It is highly recommended that you register well in advance of the start date.

Does the IDA maintain waiting lists for classes?
If the class you want to register for is full, and we are at least 3 days away from the event beginning, a waiting list option will appear online for you to sign up. If someone later cancels out of that class, the people on the waiting list will be contacted and given a chance to register. Classes run throughout the year so you will be able to attend the class during the next session.

How far in advance are classes scheduled?
Classes will be scheduled three or four times per year, roughly around January–May, May–September and September–January. Classes are added throughout the year, so check online for an up-to-date schedule.

If I need to cancel out of a class, can I get a refund?
To receive a refund of your registration fees, you must cancel seven days before the first class session, in which case you can opt to receive a refund (in which case a refund fee will be charged.)

What happens if a class is canceled due to insufficient enrollment?
We will contact you about the cancellation and refund you the full amount by check. A receipt will be emailed to you as confirmation.

I really want to take a class, but cannot afford it. What can I do?
Send a request to mwblock@aol.com to inquire about internship or scholarship opportunities. Discounts are only available to IDA Fiscal Sponsorship participants, IDA members and students enrolled in college. The number is very limited due to available space. Only one internship is available for each day.

Coming from out of town?
Contact Block's office for assistance (if needed) with a nearby local accommodations, transportation or information about airport shuttles. The venue is about 20 minutes from LAX. Block is available to out of town participants prior to or after the workshops (Monday or Tuesday) schedule permitting.