Film Institute Takes Audience Behind the Screen
The 2015 Behind the Screen series drew a capacity crowd eager for a behind-the-scenes look at hits such as The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad and the Life of Pi from the industry professionals who made them.
Co-sponsored by the Montclair Film Festival and the Film Institute at Montclair State, the fifth annual daylong event featured a master class presentation by Michael Slovis, acclaimed cinematographer and director of the television hits Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones. Slovis discussed how every decision – from budgets and scheduling to creative collaboration – influences the meaning and emotional impact of a scripted show.
Joel Stillerman, AMC and Sundance TV programming and development head, spoke about taking The Walking Dead from comic book to megahit. Life of Pi editor Tim Squyres shared the secrets of transforming trade dailies into Oscar-nominated films. The New Yorker Presents producer Kahane Cooperman talked about what it takes to get a show on the air, while Montclair Film Festival Executive Director Tom Hall led a discussion about strategies for getting films and pilots seen.
“Behind the Screen offers a tremendous learning resource for our community and builds on the ongoing work which the Film Institute at Montclair State and the Montclair Film Festival are each doing to promote the study and appreciation of filmmaking,” says Daniel Gurskis, dean of the College of the Arts.
The Film Institute at Montclair State is an initiative of the College of the Arts, dedicated to the preservation, growth and enrichment of the art of film through research, education, professional development and community programming. Launched in 2014, the Institute works to leverage the University’s resources in filmmaking and scholarship with the array of film industry assets and opportunities in New York City, New Jersey and Los Angeles.