Team Engagement
March 12, 2013
Pro Hollywood Boot Camp Recap: Day 2 - Tuesday kicked off with a Masterclass on Directing 101 by UCLA director, producer and author Myrl Schreibman. Myrl entranced players with a dynamic lecture on finding the shot,using the human condition to develop an interesting story, and bringing the greatest performance possible from an actor with finesse and placing trust in their craft. Current New England Patriot Zoltan Mesko was quick to pick up these directorial techniques and applied them in real time during a practice film scene. Professor Schreibman also highlighted the emotional possibilities of film by showcasing clips from box office giants Les Miserables and The Godfather.
Myrl related filmmaking to football with a telling metaphor: “The producer is essentially the coach, but it is the director who is the quarterback and has to ‘carry the ball’ and execute that vision. Directors are visionaries with great passion, and that has to come from inside...just like when you're playing on the field. You have to direct a film with that same passion when you're working on a film project, directing is like a dream.”
The momentum continued with cinematographer Charles Swanson who gave NFL players practical knowledge and instruction on how to shoot a low to mid-budget film while retaining quality and marketability. Charles was quick to note that the most successful producers are rarely using much of their own money, and targeted which base camera models lent themselves well to the budding filmmaker.
PHBC attendees spent much of the afternoon hearing firsthand from renowned TV heavyweight Janet Graham Borba, SVP of West Coast Production at HBO. Janet remarked that the role of the producer is to be able to put together the elements, stay under budget, delegate with grace, and have the vision to take the big risks…while simultaneously having the courage to say no to a project. Players also gave a warm greeting to Universal Pictures SVP of Physical Production, Gary Wordham who welcomed them to the event, and the renowned Universal lot where they will be shooting their short films. Gary invited NFL players to take full advantage of the imaginative Universal lots in the am and to of course have fun while they exercised their film muscles and got their bearings.
With attendees receiving the scripts for their short movies and team selections taking before production started, one thing was for sure - there was a certain magic in the air and great stories to be created in the morning.