Leading up to the launch of our summer 2021 program, Film2Future teamed up with Spark and Clio Entertainment to offer students and alumni a six-weekend Saturday virtual masterclass to learn about entertainment marketing and the trailer industry. The Film2Future program allows students to explore different aspects of the film industry and career paths, so we were thrilled to offer this educational series on the trailer community to our group of future filmmakers from some of the best agencies in the business. Partner agencies included Mark Woollen & Associates, Aspect, Buddha Jones, Grandson, Motive, and Rogue Planet. In addition to career advice, partners shared their works from blockbuster titles, including Fences, The Mandalorian, A Star is Born, Zack Snyder’s Justice League, and Knives Out. As part of our 2021 fundraising drive, tickets were made available to the general public, and we are thrilled to report that we reached as many as 150 attendees in a week! A sincere thank you to our presenting sponsors, Spark, for organizing and curating these fantastic events and to Clio Entertainment, for helping to promote the series, moderate sessions, and provide a thoughtful recap. This program would not have been possible without the tremendous effort and commitment of our incredible partners.
Masterclass #1: Industry Panel
Week one kicked-off with a panel moderated by Helen Ahn Cutler and Kojo Acquaah, and featured panelists from our partner agencies: Alison Sieh, Director of Music (Aspect), Emily Kister, Editor (Mark Woollen and Associates), Jenn Price, Producer (Buddha Jones), and Mary Miazgowicz, Graphics Creative Director (Motive). These industry leaders discussed their careers and offered advice, such as the value of networking, internships, and pushing through doubt and imposter syndrome.
Weeks two through six offered an in-depth trailer-making review by our agency partners, including a behind-the-scenes look at their award-winning projects and film marketing advice. As a special offering to our students, our partner agencies created a trailer for student films produced during our 2020 program. Students worked with editors at each agency in a real-world scenario where they were treated as clients through a series of meetings for creative inspiration and ideas. Learn2Future: The Art of Trailer Making was an exciting and impactful project that our students will never forget.
Here are the student film trailers created by our talented partners:
Masterclass #2: Mark Woollen & Associates presents student film, One Son
Synopsis: Focused on LGBT youth, we witness the ups and the downs of a young man’s life and how these experiences shape him for the future. One Son won our annual Gala award for “Best Cinematography.”
Masterclass #3: Aspect presents student film, Saffron
Synopsis: A young Iranian American girl is finally able to grieve and feel connected to the memory of her mother after receiving some guidance. Saffron won our annual Gala award for “Best Sound Design and Score.”
Masterclass #4: Buddha Jones presents student film, Three Hundred Bucks
Synopsis: Asher’s friends are tired of him being a virgin. As his birthday approaches, they seek out help from a female friend behind his back. Three Hundred Bucks won our annual Gala award for “Best Writing.”
Masterclass #5: Grandson presents student film, Belonging
Synopsis: Created in a lab, a mysterious boy escapes in search of family and belonging. Belonging won our annual Gala award for “Best Editing.”
Masterclass #6: Rogue Planet presents student film, Rasha
Synopsis: A mother struggles to find a way out of a domestic violence situation for her and her daughter after the cops refuse to help. Rasha won our annual Gala award for “Best Directing.”
