What You’ll Get.
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Four live 2-hour sessions (Zoom)
Four, two-hour sessions focused on pre-production and filming—budgeting, finding producers, packaging your project, assembling your team, and surviving set life.
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Full Q&A Access
Bring your biggest question. Participants get the chance to ask Jennifer directly and receive guidance rooted in her own filmmaking journey.
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Fresh Kills Pitch Deck + Sizzle Reel
Study the original pitch materials Jennifer used to raise funds and secure momentum for Fresh Kills. Learn how visuals, tone, and packaging sell a film before it’s made.
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From Script to Screen: Production Guide
A detailed resource with a production checklist, descriptions of key crew roles, and financing resources—from grants to crowdfunding to unconventional methods.
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Visual Storytelling Tools
Learn how to collaborate with your DP, PD, and CD to define the look and feel of your film. Exercises guide you in shaping the visual “why” behind your story.
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On-Set Survival Strategies
Practical tools for leading a crew, working with actors under pressure, and adapting when things go wrong—based on real war stories from the making of Fresh Kills.
Why This Matters for You.
Because making a film isn’t just about the script. It’s about the army you build, the money you find, the decisions you make, and the fire you refuse to let go out.
You’ll leave with:
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A realistic picture of what your script costs.
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A pitch deck foundation and financing roadmap.
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A clear sense of which collaborators you need most.
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The ability to define the look, feel, and essence of your film.
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Practical tools for leading a set with confidence.
At the end of these four weeks, you won’t just dream of production. You’ll be prepared to face it head-on, with the tools and mindset to bring your story to life.
Important Notes.
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This is Part Two of the three-part From Script to Screen series. Take it on its own to understand pre-production & filming — or continue the journey to master the scriptwritting process, and distribution.
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Space is limited to keep the group intimate.
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All sales are final. No refunds.
Gain Confidence in Your Production-
Beyond theory, this class is about preparing for the realities of filmmaking. You’ll learn how to build the right team, package your project to attract funding, and lead a set with clarity. By the end, you won’t just imagine making a film—you’ll have the confidence and tools to do it.
NO PERMISSION NEEDED.
Part Two: Pre-Production
& Filming
4-Week Deep Dive
Start Date TBD | Live on Zoom
So you’ve got a script. Now what?
This is where the dream of filmmaking meets reality. You need money. You need a team. You need to understand who does what, how much it costs, and how to protect your vision once production begins.
This four-week class takes you through the exact steps it took to make Fresh Kills, from finding the right producer to stepping onto set. You’ll learn not just what worked, but also the mistakes, the pivots, and the survival skills that every independent filmmaker needs.
By the end, you’ll leave with a realistic plan for how to take your own script into production.
Workshop Breakdown
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Week 1: Producers, Budgets & Reality Checks
Focus: Who you need on your team and what your script really costs.
Objective: Learn how to evaluate your script’s production needs and cut costs without cutting story.
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Finding a Producer
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Types of producers: Creative Producer, Line Producer, Executive Producer.
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Who you need first — and how to know if they’re the right fit.
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Line Producer’s Role
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Getting a “budget read” of your script.
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How to understand what your story costs in real terms.
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Cutting Costs Without Killing Story
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Reducing locations, combining characters, rewriting with budget in mind.
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Week 2: Pitch Decks, Sizzle Reels & Financing
Focus: How to package your film and find money.
Objective: Learn the tools to pitch your project and the avenues to raise funds.
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Pitch Decks
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What belongs in a deck: logline, synopsis, lookbook, tone, comps, director’s statement.
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Examples of effective decks (Fresh Kills case study).
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Sizzle Reels
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Why visuals matter, even if you haven’t shot yet.
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Pulling clips, images, or test footage to capture tone.
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Financing
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Grants (e.g. Sundance, Tribeca Film Institute, Women in Film, Film Independent).
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Fundraising: Crowdfunding (Kickstarter, Seed&Spark), private investors, partnerships.
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Unconventional methods (Fresh Kills: NFTs, personal loans, self-financing).
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Week 3: Building Your Team & Visual World
Focus: Choosing the right collaborators and defining the look/essence of your film.
Objective: Understand key department heads, camera choices, and the visual storytelling “why.”
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Department Heads You Need Most
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Costume Designer (CD): Story through wardrobe.
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Production Designer (PD): Building the world.
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Casting Director (CD): Finding truth in performances.
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Director of Photography (DP): The eye of the film.
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The Why Behind Every Choice
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Camera, shots, tone — always rooted in whose story it is.
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Shot Lists & Collaboration
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Building shot lists with your DP.
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Working with your PD and CD for cohesion in look and feel.
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Week 4: On Set — Survival & Leadership
Focus: The realities of directing under pressure.
Objective: Learn how to lead a crew, work with actors, and stay creative when things fall apart.
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Dealing with Crew
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Leading with clarity and respect.
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Managing conflict and morale.
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Making Your Days
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Scheduling realities.
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Prioritizing shots when time runs out.
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Working with Actors
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Pulling performances under pressure.
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Balancing vision with actor instincts.
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Expecting the Unexpected
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Weather, delays, broken equipment — how to adapt.
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Real Fresh Kills war stories: the moments that nearly broke the film.
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