EVENTS : University Media Workshop Tour ‘ Pop Culture & The Lost Generation and how to #Occupymedia’
by Asha
University Media Workshop Tour ‘ Pop Culture & The Lost Generation and how to #Occupymedia’
Filmmaking is changing. Hollywood is changing. The entire industry is changing faster than we can even recognize! It is a very exciting place to be, as long as we fully understand how to utilize the opportunities presented to us.
A film or media student or even the career professional, will notice the rapid change, what you learn in year one, might be out of date on graduation – the content industries to coin a phrase, is changing like ‘Lightening in a bottle’ – but you can learn, you can learn how to #occupymedia
“Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible” Frank Zappa
This is a quote from Frank Zappa, and the rule by which media co-operative Future Artists and their MD/film director Mark Ashmore live’s by. It’s with these words in mind that, without even knowing it, thousands of storytellers and artists are evolving a new medium, a new artistic revolution, and a new industry. An industry which has yet to reach its watershed moment, but the wheel of evolution is turning so fast that the zenith is anytime soon, and we are all right in the middle of it.
Some call it transmedia, some refer to it as cross platform, but to your audience, well – its just the way it is…
Don’t get left behind in the traditional UK Film industry and Hollywood rut.
Its why Mark Zuckerburg is worth 5 billion, and the head of 20th century fox is not…
The world changed, social media and video are best friends – and the connection between storyteller and audience is now re-connected, this is a time of no more gate keepers, of global camp fire stories and direct to fan creation and distribution, pop up venues and alternative voices.
With the ever-advancing technology in the hands of everyday members of society, film-viewing habits are evolving. There are no longer just a few channels on our television, even the word television is becoming redundant, tweet me the link and facebook me that, replaced the VCR years ago…
as well as additional video streaming through the likes of Netflix. Watching a film no longer requires a trip to the cinema, but a simple click of a button on the variety of websites available such as LoveFilm and YouTube, along with other pirate download sites.
God dam! even our living rooms look like cinema’s and our mobiles devices mean we don’t even have to sit in them! – the audience has changed….
Story telling lengths have changed, audience want to consume an entire box set in a few days, no longer waiting for next weeks shows – this audience dynamic is being fed by Netflix who, as a content provider and now creator is changing the way audiences behave, or is the audience is telling Netflix how to behave by communicating viewing habit’s via data? and is Netflix the only broadcaster in the world able to ‘listen’ and ‘react’ to the needs of the audience.
what if you could too?
Mark Ashmore is part of a media collective that over 4 years has built up Future Artists to be the worlds first ‘Direct to fan’ film studio, creating, sourcing, listening and conversing with 100,000’s of fans around the world to create film and media projects.
The dynamic could be local, working with a media collective in a city (SALFORD, UK) to crowd source and crowd fund, a venue – we did this with ‘The Black Lion’ – we curated a space to create the pop up ‘home’ of Future Artists, the Black Lion, from Sept 2011 to Jan 2013 – home of theatre, film and an ever changing art gallery space – we won praise from GQ Magazine, best venue in the north 2012.
Or on an international level, the transmedia and feature film project ‘the Lost Generation’ which is the work of many hands around the globe, which given the means to distribute seamlessly globally via social media, a new model of film distribution is born – explore the video on demand player below, and why not be part of the process (be it, the end bit!)
It’s becoming easier and easier for filmmakers to get their film seen. We no longer need the granddads at Hollywood and a monopolized system, as more and more filmmakers are funding, promoting, distributing and screening their own films and seeing a healthy return on their graft and investment. Finally, the artist is in the driving seat – you just need to know how to drive.
Understand the opportunities and then create the work for the new market, using the new rules, simple?
The secrets to success behind every step of the filmmaking process is available to you now, with highly acclaimed and pioneering film director/producer Mark Ashmore offering full day masterclasses covering everything your students need to know, including the highly significant stages before and after the filming project, from seeding interest and building your fan base, to even breaking America.
Mark Ashmore has recently completed his new feature film The Lost Generation, With a hybrid distribution model, available in UK retail, UK and USA Screenings, iTunes, Lovefilm, Amazon and via Future Artists on-demand on Distrify – – more at http://www.projectlostgeneration.co.uk
Mark Ashmore is offering to visit your university to pass on his high levels of experience and knowledge to your undergraduate students, helping to set them up for a successful filmmaking career of their own.
The day session comes £400 + Travel (UK only, please contact is for film festivals and international) This is not per student, this for the entire day for as many filmmaking/Media and Performance students you would like to see enjoy the benefit of Mark Ashmore’s filmmaking masterclass.
Mark Ashmore Director and Producer CV http://www.linkedin.com/in/markashmore
Mark Ashmore is an award winning producer and director, with over 15 productions to his name, his films have been screened internationally. A full list of credits and further information can be found here
http://xpressofficial.com/film/film-director-interview-mark-ashmore/
and
http://filmmakermagazine.com/31657-the-microbudget-conversation-do-your-homework/
The price includes the following:
· An entire day session of tutorials, workshops and project sessions by
Future Artists MD – Mark Ashmore FRSA
Covering the new media business model
* Social media and the role of the audience
* Building a community – Outreach and story development
* Crowd Funding and Crowd Sourcing
* Film Production and the co-operative model Vs the traditional department model
* Artists as film-makers
* Digital Production
* From short film to feature film
* Producing a feature film
* New models in Distribution and the hybrid model.
* Making a living as a total artist and being a future artist.
* The Film and content industry – 3 years from now….
· The opportunity for students to gain an insight to parts of the film industry that their degree course may not otherwise have the opportunity to cover in depth
· The exciting opportunity for students to meet and work with an established film director
· A chance to screen Mark Ashmore’s newly released film, The Lost Generation with no license fees!
· The opportunity for students to watch a new, yet-to-be-screened-publicly feature film, followed by a Q&A session from the director
There is so much to be gained from this opportunity. Be ahead of the herd by preparing your students for the future of filmmaking and the ever changing media landscape.
Change is exciting – be the change and instill your students with excitement and inspiration – let them be influenced by the wisdom and passion of a successful film director, and watch their motivation and enthusiasm soar!
If you have any queries, or would like to book Future Artists filmmaking masterclass, please e-mail events bookings on
Carla-freeman@hotmail.co.uk subject ‘Film Masterclass’ – please also message us here with any questions or tweet us @futureartists
