Miriam Garcia is a Digital Producer for Sundance Collab, the Sundance Institute’s digital platform that supports a global community of filmmakers, artists, and creators. Miriam produces and designs courses and Master Classes with top filmmakers and industry leaders in the areas of writing, directing, the business of filmmaking, creative producing, and distribution.
Master Classes
Miriam produces monthly Master Classes for Sundance Collab. These are three-hour live Master Classes with high-level filmmakers, screenwriters, editors, producers, and other industry professionals. I have produced Master Classes with Academy-Award winners including producer Dan Cogan (Icarus), Academy-Award winning composer Hildur Guðnadóttir, (Joker), Academy-nominated screenwriter Robin Swicord (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Little Women, Matilda), acclaimed documentary filmmaker and cinematographer Kristen Johnson, acting coach Judith Weston, and Jose Acevedo (Head of Development at Phoebe Robinson’s company Tiny Reparations).
These are the Master Classes I have produced:
Master Class: Launching and Managing Your Creative Business with Financial Expert Amy Smith (May 2022)
Watch the Master Class here.
Understanding the basic elements and essential steps for launching a creative business is key to securing the financial well-being of every artist’s career and the stability of your current and future projects. Join educator and artist Amy Smith as she unveils the best entrepreneurial practices and tips that will prepare you to launch and maintain a successful creative business. In this live and interactive three-hour event, the audience will also have the opportunity to ask questions about the current challenges they are facing in the business and financial areas of their creative journeys. This event will be useful for filmmakers and artists regardless of their discipline and career stage.
Topics covered include:
Building your team and working with collaborators
The differences between employees and contractors
Overview of business entity types
Determining which business entity is best for you and when to form it
The tax implications of various entity types
Creating business plans
Honing your financial management skills
Valuing your time
Watch the Master Class here.
Pitching is the essential process where screenwriters, directors, and producers communicate an idea or a project to the hands that can make it happen. Just like any other industry skill, it is a craft that requires research, practice, and time. In this session, you will learn what industry pros in the film and tv fields expect to see and hear in a pitch. During the event, Jose Acevedo, head of development of Phoebe Robinson's company Tiny Reparations, and established producer Giulia Caruso (COLUMBUS) will detail how someone who is trying to sell a script or series should prepare as well as pitfalls to avoid for a pitch meeting.
Topics presented will include:
How to structure your pitch presentation
Which elements to include in your pitch
The best and worst times of the development cycle for pitching
Preparing yourself up for success before, during, and after a pitch meeting
Watch the Master Class here.
For artists, creators, and producers at different stages of their careers, social media and other online platforms can serve as an effective way to communicate your artistic skills, editorial content and creative vision as well as to share current and past work in order to build a loyal audience who will support your career long-term. In a digital world crowded with information, what are the key steps to building an effective online presence that serves your professional goals?
In this three-hour Master Class, Ryan Davis, Co-founder, and Principal of Smarthouse Creative, discusses the basic elements of a digital marketing strategy for filmmakers, where you need to start, ways to improve what you already have out there, how to identify and establish your goals for your online presence and how to achieve them. Building on these basic steps, Davis gathers a handful of tips and top-notch examples where good ideas and out-of-the-box thinking took indie films very far and where filmmakers have been able to successfully build personal brands and lasting presences online.
Panelists: Ryan Davis and Amie Smith from Smarthouse Creative, filmmaker Bao Tran and producer Al’n Duong (The Paper Tigers)
Topics covered include:
Digital marketing strategy essentials and basic steps for independent creators
Effective ways to talk about yourself, your creative practice, and your vision
Tips for building social media channels + Organic/paid post
Case Study - The Paper Tigers with producer Al’n Duong and writer/director Bao Tran
Worksheet Session for filmmakers with Ryan Davis and Amie Smith
Master Class: Directing TV with Rachel Raimist (February 2022)
Watch the Master Class here.
Television and streaming episodic shows have taken a great leap in recent years, becoming platforms for serious directors to experiment and break traditional barriers of format and genre. Simultaneously, the medium has welcomed diverse voices and talent who have taken risks as they find their unique voices and visual styles. Join award-winning filmmaker and producer Rachel Raimist (The Sex Lives of College Girls, Wu-Tang: An American Saga, The Big Leap), who has directed shows for HBO MAX, Hulu, DISNEY+, CW, and more, as she unveils her process of directing TV from start to finish. In this three-hour online event, we will define the role of a TV director and how to get hired as one and cover the steps it takes to be successful as an episodic director, from effective meetings with your crew to the prep process to working with actors.
Topics covered include:
- How to break in as a TV director and useful strategies to get hired
- Prep process and materials including floor plans, breaking down a script and scouting for locations
- Blocking a scene - working with the DP, collaborating with actors, and choreographing the camera
- How directing TV is different from directing films
- How working for streaming shows is different from traditional broadcasters
- Working with showrunners, taking notes from executives, and navigating power dynamics
Watch the Master Class here.
To maintain a fulfilling career in the entertainment industry as a writer or director, you need to surround yourself with a team that supports your work and helps you get exposed to the most opportunities. If you’re trying to break in, how do you choose when to bring on a talent agent and a manager? What are the key elements to finding the collaborators that will represent you as your career progresses? Who can you trust and turn to when there are many important decisions to be made? Join us in this three-hour master class for a unique opportunity to learn when to seek representation, what are the key roles to fill, how to find them and other essential information you need to know before building your team. The Hollywood Reporter’s Rebecca Sun will share her insights from the field and moderate in-depth conversations with managers Melissa Breaux and Adam Marshall from Management 360, literary agent Christina Chou from CAA, and entertainment attorney Elsa Ramo.
Topics covered will include:
- What agents and managers do and don’t, how to find them, and what to expect from them
- How managers, agents and lawyers work together to support your career and how to make yourself attractive to the best possible team
- What kind of research to do when you are seeking representation, identifying legal restrictions and red flags
- When to seek legal representation and advice, and what is the key information you need to know before closing a deal
- The initial steps to build a representation plan that will help you familiarize the industry with your work
Master Class: Funding Your Fiction Film (November 2021)
Watch the Master Class here.
Looking to get your fiction film financed? Join us in this live, three-hour Master Class led by Caroline von Kuhn, Director of Industry and Catalyst, an Institute program that connects independent investors to filmmakers to partner on ambitious new films and to grow the community of indie-film supporters. Caroline will lead an engaging conversation about how to navigate the diverse and sometimes daunting paths to funding your feature project. She will be joined by producers, financiers, lawyers, and sales agent who will share their expertise on the current funding landscape and specific strategies and tactics that emerging filmmakers can employ to fund their next project. Watch the Master Class here.
Panelists: Caroline Von Kuhn (moderator), Giancarlo Nassi (producer), Ryan Zacarias (producer), Jennifer Dana (producer), Jessica Lacy (funder), and Sophia Yen (lawyer)
Topics presented will include:
- Current trends in fiction financing
- The role of producer, lawyer, agent and investor in film financing
US and international funding case studies
- What materials to share with potential funding partners (and when to share them!)
- What investors look for and how to work with them
Master Class: Funding Your Documentary (October 2021)
Watch the Master Class here.
Looking to get your documentary film off the ground? Does fundraising feel like an insurmountable task? Join us in this live, three-hour Master Class led by Caroline von Kuhn, Director of Industry and Catalyst, an Institute program that connects independent investors to filmmaker projects. Caroline will be joined by producers, funders, and industry experts who will demystify the process and offer an overview of the current funding landscape and the strategy and tactics for emerging filmmakers looking to fund their next project.
Panelists: Caroline von Kuhn (lead instructor and moderator), Anna Godas (CEO of Dogwoof), Jessica Devaney (producer), Carrie Lozano (Director of the Sundance Institute’s Documentary Film Program and Artist Programs), and Noland Walker (VP of content at ITVS).
Topics presented will include:
- Overview of pathways to funding
- US and international funding case studies
- What materials to share with potential funding partners (and when to share them!)
- What funders are looking for and how to take a meeting
- Current trends in granting, investing, and crowdfunding
Master Class: Directing Actors with Judith Weston (September 2021)
Watch the Master Class here.
Most filmmakers know that a productive collaboration with actors will define the environment on set and the success of the project on screen. And yet, directors have many questions about gaining the actors’ trust. Join us in this live three-hour Master Class with internationally-known directing and acting coach Judith Weston, as we go deep into key strategies of building a meaningful connection with your actors, the steps to break down a scene, how to prepare for casting sessions, and the best practices for rehearsing. Judith will offer live, interactive demonstrations of her process. This event is ideal for all directors, writer-directors, and actors alike.
Judith is the author of Directing Actors 25th Anniversary Edition. Her students include Alejandro G. Iñárritu, (The Revenant, Birdman) Ava DuVernay, (When They See Us, Selma), Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit, Thor: Ragnarok), Steve McQueen, (12 Years a Slave, Small Axe), Hanelle Culpepper (Star Trek Picard, The Flash), Christina Choe (Nancy, Queen Sugar, Handmaid’s Tale).
Topics presented will include:
- Script Analysis
- Casting
- Rehearsing Over Zoom
- The pitfalls of “result direction”
- How to prepare your actors before starting to shoot
Watch the Master Class here.
To be the person filming is to discover that the presence of a camera transforms all relationships. To film is to bring the future into the present and to see in ways that you cannot without a camera. With over 30 years of observational documentary cinematography experience, Kirsten Johnson has as many questions as ever. In this live three-hour online Master Class, Kirsten, whose credits include CAMERAPERSON, DICK JOHNSON IS DEAD and CITIZENFOUR, will share the contradictions and joys of cinematography with anyone who is thinking about what filming is and can be.
Topics presented will include:
- Strategies for how to approach the way you film, the why of filming, and what happens when you film
- Creating, shaping and defining a story through cinematic choices
- Identifying blind spots
Watch the Master Class here.
Have you dreamed of creating dynamic stories for television, but unsure where to start? Join the founder of In the Cut, Rae Benjamin, as she presents networking tips, strategies, and advice for entry-level jobs in the tv industry and as a creator of content. We'll then take a personalized look at life as a writer through conversations with a talented roster of professionals including Diane Ademu-John (Haunting of Bly Manor, Empire, The Originals) Janet Lin (Bridgerton, Bones, The Orville), and Jelani Johnson (EVP, Macro).
Topics presented will include:
- Getting started as a writer and setting expectations
- The process of television writing
- Transitioning into the industry
- Effective networking strategies
- Landing an entry-level job
- Gaining Representation
- Development Process
Watch the Master Class here.
Music and sound design are two of the most powerful tools for storytellers. In this Master Class we will explore how sound design and music work together to communicate emotion, tone, and characters, and how music can be used to complement or counterpoint visual storytelling.
Join Peter Golub, composer and Director of Film Music at Sundance Institute and Glenn Kiser, Director of the Dolby Institute, and several guests in a live, three-hour online Master Class to investigate the creative process of Music and Sound in Film. This is an essential class for any writer, director, producer, composer, or sound artist seeking best practices and shared language to collaborate and serve the soundscape of a film.
Topics presented will include:
- Discussion with composer Hildur Gu∂nadóttir to take a deep-dive look at her process.
- Case study presentation of “The Assistant”, with director Kitty Green, composer Tamar-kali, and sound designer & mixer Leslie Shatz.
- How composers “read a film” and make specific choices on tone. Examples will be shown and discussed that highlight different approaches and styles.
- The distinct worlds of sound design and music; how and when to most effectively use each tool.
Presented in partnership with the Dolby Institute.
Watch the Master Class here.
In this live three-hour Masterclass, we will breakdown the independent fiction producer’s role during post-production and:
- Define the “Post-Production” stage of the filmmaking process
- Review key terminology
- Illuminate the workflow timeline/structure
- Identify essential creative collaborators and their responsibilities
- Opportunities and challenges of creative collaboration
- Share tips and takeaways from experts that empowers Producers in this important stage of the filmmaking process
Panelists: Simon Taufique (lead instructor), AnjaMarquardt (producer), and Mark Steele (producer)
Watch the Master Class here.
During production, the producer is responsible for protecting and supporting the director’s creative vision, while managing logistics and business operations and troubleshooting issues as they arise. But what exactly does this entail? When each production is unique and brings together a new group of collaborators, how can the producer remain a consistent, effective leader?
In this live three-hour Master Class, we will take a deeper look at the producer’s leadership role in production. Joined by guest fiction producers in the field, we will discuss the best practices for communication with key collaborators (director, cast, crew, financers), and dig into the producer’s creative and practical responsibilities, troubleshooting strategies and ethical considerations to ensure success on-set.
Panelists: Alexandra Bryer (Producer and moderator), David Hinojosa (producer), Jess Wu Calder (producer), and Kara Durrett.
Watch the Master Class here.
Join Oscar-nominated screenwriter Robin Swicord, whose credits include the adaptations of LITTLE WOMEN (1994), MATILDA, MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA, and THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, in our first live event dedicated to adapting a screenplay from source material. In this three-hour live Master Class, Robin will share her insights into the art of dramatic writing, the process of adapting material for the screen, and defining the cinematic elements that best reflect the essence and core of the story and characters.
Topics covered include:
- Identifying the story’s inherent dramatic elements
- Building theme and narrative
- Axioms and diagnostic tools for working with an adaptation
- Finding your beginning, middle, and end
- Creating a strong protagonist and antagonist
- Developing a story that lives in a different historical time and world
Watch the Master Class here.
Podcasts and other formats of audio-storytelling have become ubiquitous in recent years. It allows creators of fiction and nonfiction to tell their stories in a format that is inexpensive to produce, easy to distribute, and widely consumed by diverse global audiences. So what do you need to get started? Like other media formats, a successful audio story needs an original and engaging story or topic, compelling characters and/or narrators, and a creative team behind it who is willing to adapt to this evolving landscape. Join George Lavender, Senior Vice President of Content at Wondery, in a live, three-hour, online Master Class where he'll cover the basics of audio storytelling, making the transition from visual to audio storytelling, and his ideas for creating compelling work. Special guests will share what they have learned as creators and the challenges they have overcome to find success in this rapidly expanding market.
Panelists: George Lavender (lead instructor), Lata Pandya (Senior Manager of Miniseries at Wondery), Melissa Dueñas (Associate Producer at Wondery.), James Kin (podcast producer, and Martina Castro (founder and CEO of Adonde Media).
Topics covered include:
The basic elements of audio storytelling
What works in this format
Outlining a series
Key production elements
Finding and building your audience
Watch the Master Class here.
Docuseries are an increasingly popular format to craft and develop a story that does not fit within the boundaries of a feature documentary. However, to make a docuseries work there are many creative and financial decisions that filmmakers must take into consideration. In this three-hour live Master Class, Liz Garbus, the award-winning director of the films WHAT HAPPENED MISS SIMONE? and ALL IN: THE FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY and docuseries, I’LL BE GONE IN THE DARK; and Dan Cogan, the award-winning producer of more than 100 documentaries and series including ICARUS, WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR?, and THE COVE, will share their insights on how to create a compelling and engaging docuseries from both the creative and business perspective.
Topics covered include:
Determining if a story will work as a series
The differences between a docuseries and a documentary feature
How to craft a story arc and a characters’ journey over multiple episodes
Strategies for successfully pitching a project
An analysis of the current marketplace
Special considerations for multi-episode funding
Watch the Master Class here
If it is true that the only certain things in life are death and taxes, this workshop will make navigating one of those things considerably easier. Join CPA Elaine Grogan Luttrull, as she reviews federal income tax basics for creative individuals, including how the tax landscape changes based on the type of income an artist earns. We’ll also discuss common deductions claimed by creative entrepreneurs and key aspects of tax law that impact financial wellness, including deducting interest for student loan payments and saving for retirement. We’ll conclude by reviewing some tips and best practices to keep excellent tax records. As the founder of Minerva Financial Arts, a company devoted to building financial literacy and empowerment in creative individuals and organizations, Ms. Luttrull will share her expertise on how to empower yourself to connect financial decisions with your creative goals in this live three-hour online Master Class.
Lead Instructor: Elaine Grogan Luttull, CPA
Topics covered include:
Identify ordinary and necessary deductions common to creative businesses.
Review the overall income tax landscape for federal and state filings.
Identify records to retain for tax purposes and effective systems for tracking expenses and income.
A good story takes time to unfold and emerge, which can be exciting and intimidating. And there is always the question if it is good enough. Even before you begin a screenplay, you need a compelling idea and a sense of how to keep your audience engaged by creating conflict and tension within your story. Join David Schwab, an NYC-based screenwriter and an adjunct professor of screenwriting at the Graduate Film School at Columbia University, in a live, three-hour, online Master Class where he'll help screenwriters learn the essential process of finding compelling, resonant stories to tell. He’ll identify strategies to find your dramatic problem and themes and methods for engaging the audience. Guest filmmakers will share how they find their ideas and reflect on the importance of finding stories to which you have a strong, authentic connection.
Panelists: David Schwab, and filmmakers Destin Daniel Cretton, Tamara Jenkins, and Mira Nair.
Topics covered include:
The essential elements that a story/film should have
Identifying the dramatic problem
Building tension and conflict
Developing compelling characters with wants and an essential emotional need
Sources of inspiration for other filmmakers