Go behind the scenes for the latest IMPA workshop
The Business of Filmmaking
You have the idea for a project. You’ve started to think about how to follow through. But how do you connect the dots and make your project actually happen?
On Saturday, October 8, you can hear firsthand from those who have done just that. It’s “The Business of Filmmaking” workshop. And it’s a special presentation you won’t want to miss. Three speakers will be featured, including Jason Ross, Susan Stein and Susan Gorrell.
WHEN AND WHERE
“The Business of Filmmaking” will take place from 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, October 8, on the campus of Drake University in Des Moines, in Meredith Hall (Room 106).
COST (FREE FOR IMPA MEMBERS)
This information-packed afternoon is FREE for IMPA members. Iowa Scriptwriters Alliance members pay just $10. Non-IMPA members pay $20 per person.
FEATURED SPEAKERS
Jason Ross
Jason M. Ross is a shareholder with the Davis Brown Law Firm in Des Moines, Iowa. He counsels businesses on general commercial and corporate matters.
He represents film producers and financiers in matters relating to entity formation, film tax credits, film finance, film production arrangements, and other general film production matters.
Jason received a B.A. magna cum laude from the University of Illinois at Urbana and his J.D. with honors from the University of Iowa College of Law.
Susan Stein
Susan Stein was the 4th child of a family of 7 born to Robert and Sheila Brown (both professional musicians and veteran stage presenters) in Londonderry, Northern Ireland.
Susan and her sibling sang and performed in hospitals, nursing homes, festivals and the like; upon arriving in the USA in the mid 1960s, she quickly began singing on early morning TV in Grand Island, Nebraska.
In the mid 1980s she encouraged her younger sister, who by now had become a very respected European performer, to come to the USA where Susan began to promote her and very quickly thereafter, Susan and her husband began the record company, Heart Beat Records and branched out to distribution of music and films.
Today, Susan runs: Heart Beat Records, Heart Beat Distribution, Catholic Distribution and Christian 1 stop and UCMVA. These companies, although strongest in the Catholic Distribution line, also distribute and work with such companies as: Sony, Word, EMI, WEA, UMGD, Provident, Integrity and close to 250 other companies. Susan will share with us the ins and outs of distribution under the title, “You Can't Do It Alone.”
Susan Gorrell
Susan has worked for Heart Beat Records in the fields of Production Manager, Graphic Designer and Public Relations for the Company, as well as conferences and concerts throughout the United States for over 10 years.
She has also been the Production Manager for the Unity Awards for over eight years, setting up the productions for the event in Washington, D.C, Ohio, Minnesota, Iowa, Phoenix, New Orleans and Canada.
She is the founding member of "Film SE Iowa" a regional film office in Southeast Iowa, which helps promote the SE area as a place to film, offering workshops to assist in increasing the workforce and providing support and infrastructure to productions seeking to film in Iowa.
Susan also founded "Film Alliance of Iowa" which helps promote the State as a "whole" and also works with the State of Iowa Government to define a proper Tax Incentive program since the debacle of the 2008 program. She has worked with senators and representatives, teaching them how the film industry works and how it can benefit the Iowa. Susan has held several meetings promoting a strong tax incentive program with proper auditing in place.
In 2009, Susan co-produced, with her husband, Ken Gorrell, "A Million Spokes," a documentary on the seven-day bike ride across Iowa, RAGBRAI. More than 20,000 riders participate in RAGBRAI. The documentary focuses on specific riders and shares in their trials and tribulations throughout the ride. Family content films is of the upmost importance for Susan for commercial theatrical releases and she works increasingly to bring together a group of investors with the same goals for theatrical content. In this desire, she founded "The Haven Group, LLC" and "Haven-Integrity Productions."