Intentional Filmmaking Class Schedule & Outline
Welcome to the Intentional Filmmaking Class taught by Carole Dean and Tom Malloy!
Below is the curriculum for the class with dates and time for each scheduled session. First, here are some highly recommended recordings from The Art of Film Funding Podcast that are full of content on various subjects:
Film Music for Filmmakers by Hollywood Composer – Part 1:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/the-art-of-film-funding/2017/08/09/film-music-for-filmmakers-by-hollywood-composer–part-1
Film Music for Filmmakers – Part 2:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/the-art-of-film-funding/2017/10/25/film-music-for-filmmakers–part-2
The Perfect Pitch, What it is and How to Create it:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/the-art-of-film-funding/2017/08/16/the-perfect-pitch-what-it-is-and-how-to-create-it
Interviews with Grantors
Rogovy Foundation – https://www.blogtalkradio.com/the-art-of-film-funding/2023/07/12/rogovy-foundation-contributes-to-education-environmental-films
Catapult Film Fund – https://www.blogtalkradio.com/the-art-of-film-funding/2023/05/17/learn-how-catapult-film-fund-works-with-megan-gelstein
The Redford Center – https://www.blogtalkradio.com/the-art-of-film-funding/2023/05/03/the-redford-center-programs-and-benefits-for-filmmakers-with-heather-fipps
Jewish Story Partners
Class Schedule (All Times Pacific Time)
All classes will be at 9AM PT or PDT. They are every other week. Each class is approximately 1 hour 30 min in length.
- 2/24
- 3/10
- 3/24
- 4/7
- 4/21
- 5/15
- 5/27 Tuesday day after Memorial day
- 6/9
Class 1 – Monday – February 24th, 2025
Introductions, as class members meet each other. Then, we listen to you pitch your project. Each filmmaker shares their project and tells us where they are in production.
For a feature, tell us if your script is finished, if you have a deck, a budget, where you are in production, and what your ideas are for distribution. For a documentary, do you have a proposal, a budget, a trailer, a log line, a fiscal sponsor? Let us know this information.
Bring your pitch, your log line, and anything you want to share with us. We need to know what you want to achieve from the class. What are your expectations over the next 4 months?
Tom outlines Essentials, IMDB, business cards, sales techniques, blogging and Carole shows you websites and what you need to have for marketing. Carole teaches you how to write your goals. Also, how to choose things that your inner being agrees with, goals that you can achieve. Please listen to this information https://fromtheheartproductions.com/film-funding-guidance-class on how to set your goals and how to create your mission as a filmmaker.
Adam Heyes is our computer expert. He says that your website is a major source of income and you need to know what to say on the site to make the most money possible. He will give us all tips and ideas for improving our websites.
Homework: Please outline what you want to achieve in this class. After you hear the audio on how to create goals you can decide your 4 months goal for this class and then a yearly goal. Please get the book or see the video online entitled “Miracles” by Stuart Wilde. See or read as much as you can for the next class. Check on our YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/FromTheHeartProductions1 for videos Carole made about Stuart Wilde. His mind contains a vast amount of knowledge on money, how to get it, and how to keep it flowing to you. Bring to Class 3 ideas from Stuart you can use to fund your film.
Listen to this interview with Morrie on how to create a successful fundraising house party.
https://www.blogtalkradio.com/the-art-of-film-funding/2018/08/22/how-to-party-with-a-purpose-and-raise-money-for-your-cause-second-edition We will discuss in the class.
Kerstin Karlhuber graduated the Mastermind Class and completed her first feature
Class 2 – Monday – March 10th, 2025
We discuss Stewart Wilde’s book “Miracles” and we give you a meditation to use to manifest your goals and see them completed. We provide lessons on how important your mind set is for raising money for your film. The meditation is online here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/r8m9oqdb276ro3q/Manifesting%20Meditation.mp3?dl=0. Use this meditation at least 3 times a week to visualize your goals completed. We show you how to create a to-do list to support the completion of your goals. Also, covered is an explanation of fiscal sponsorship and how to use it for funding your film.
Carole will email each of you the Marketing and Distribution outline. Please complete the first 2 pages. Just fill in the blanks and bring any questions to the next class. This is for you to use to close investors. It has 11 windows of distribution and you will create the numbers to show what the potential income is for your film. We will discuss this weekly until we cover all of it.
We cover brainstorming parties to find how to reach people with money. Your goals should be in writing and have been sent to Carole. They will have been returned to you and you should be reading them daily.
Tom covers: What he has found as a producer to be the single most important thing you can to do raise money. How he has funded his films and knows what you need to do to raise money. How to tell if an investor or donor is real. What to watch out for. Should you pay a fee for investors? Selling yourself on the project. Do you have a killer script? Do you have a brilliant documentary outline? A funding trailer? How to think about your film from a marketing mindset. Be Realistic. We will teach you how to sell your individual film and teach you how to pitch it.
Homework: Please get the 2 disc set of “The Field” by Lynn McTaggart or her book of the same name from Amazon. We want to cover disc one in next class. We want your business plan or proposal for your documentary to be reviewed in the next class. If you have not sent these, please do now to CaroleLeeDean@gmail.com.
Review the information on this page: https://
And read PeterBroderick.com bulletin 37 and 39.
Ryan discusses Show & Tell success stories:
Listen to this interview with Stephen Follows on his brilliant book, I highly recommend How to Crowdfund Your Film. https://www.blogtalkradio.com/
Please read this blog before class 3.
https://fromtheheartproductions.com/how-to-bring-the-crowd-to-your-crowdfunding-campaign/
Class 3 – Monday – March 24th 2025
Tom discusses the Five Steps for Prepping your Project, and why prepping is the most important aspect for raising the funds for your film/documentary. He will go over the first three steps in this first discussion.
Carole reviews Lynn McTaggart “The Field” CD Disc#1 and how to use this information for funding your film. We cover how important it is to watch your thoughts as they become your words and watch your words as they become your actions. From Margaret Thatcher and The Iron Lady film.
We want you to focus on your 5-month goals and the to do list daily. There is a wonderful meditation on the front page of From the Heart website where you can take your goal into the meditation and focus on its completion. If you have not, please email CaroleLeeDean@gmail.com your proposal or business plan, your website, your Facebook, and other social networking information for her to review.
We discuss crowdfunding concepts and learn what works. Where is your audience? Who is your audience? Read this blog. https://fromtheheartproductions.com/how-to-mine-your-audience-for-gold/.
We discuss how to Identify your audience and how to drive them to your site. We cover using YouTube videos, connecting to strategic partners and major organizations who care about your subject matter and will expand your database.
Homework: Listen to the Second CD of “The Field” by Lynn McTaggart and bring 3 things you can implement in your daily life to the next class. Please complete another 2 pages of the Marketing and Distribution Plan so you should have 4 pages completed by class 4. Any questions bring to the class or send to Carole via email. You can also set one of your 3 consultations with Carole to work on this outline on the phone.
Please watch this webinar on crowdfunding and partner funding
https://fromtheheartproductions.com/crowdfunding-vs-partner-funding-webinar
Also, consider buying the book How to Crowdfund your Film by Stephen Follows on Amazon. It’s worth the cost. He is a researcher and did an excellent job with outlining crowdfunding.
Listen to this interview: The Perfect Pitch, What it is and How to Create it:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/the-art-of-film-funding/2017/08/16/the-perfect-pitch-what-it-is-and-how-to-create-it
Listen to this interview: The Perfect Pitch, What it is and How to Create it:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/
Class 4 – Monday – April 7th, 2025
This is the official “pitching” class. Tom covers the top three mistakes’ people make when pitching, and he gives tips on how to make your pitch perfect. Carole and Tom also listen to pitches and analyze/give feedback.
We cover Lynn McTaggart’s disc 2 and how to use that information to make and fund your film. Using your manifesting meditation to keep you focused during the week. (See the front page of fromtheheartproductions.com for the link manifesting meditation.)
We discuss staying on track with your goals and how daily verbalizing your written goals is important. Daily focusing on the to do list is a key to achieving your goals.
We discussed crowdfunding and how much we know from analytics. Carole outlines how to run a good campaign.
Then we cover the new way of distribution from Peter Broderick and Keith on going to conventions to find your audience and fund your film.
Homework: Listen to “The Little Money Bible” CD by Stuart Wilde. Do another page on the Marketing & Distribution outline, you should have 5 pages completed.
Class 5 – Monday – April 21st, 2025
Tom breaks down every aspect of what must go into a business plan to present to investors. From start to finish, each section is discussed in detail. And what is needed in your documentary proposal. There is an outline for documentary proposals here: https://fromtheheartproductions.com/write-a-documentary
Carole covers what she expects in grants from reading grants for 30 years for the Roy Dean Film grant.
Carole discusses The Money Bible by Stuart Wilde.
Carole covers the marketing and distribution outline and explains how to use this to close donors or investors. We want to know if you are on target for your goals. If not, what can we do to help you achieve them?
Homework is the book Contagious by the brilliant author, Jonah Berger. Available on Amazon.
Read at least 3 chapters. Complete 2 more pages of your Marketing & Distribution report, bringing you to a total of 7 pages by class 6.
For documentaries Listen to Geralyn Dreyfus https://www.blogtalkradio.com/the-art-of-film-funding/2019/08/28/can-documentaries-change-belief-systems
For distribution, you might listen to Bob Seigel’s brilliant info on distribution contracts: https://www.blogtalkradio.com/the-art-of-film-funding/2018/02/07/filmmaker-beware-know-how-to-analyze-your-distributor-contract
Class 6 – Monday – May 15th, 2025
Now it’s time to move into the nuts and bolts of financing as Tom discusses the principles behind the “Ten Arm Approach.” He will cover how to hold a meeting, how to convince yourself you can make this film, as well as the set of rules for follow through. The overall idea of improving the investment be covered.
Carole discusses Contagious and how to use that information to help with funding. The Marketing & Distribution report should have 7 pages completed.
We cover getting comfortable setting meetings to show your business plan or your documentary outline. How to handle yourself in their office, what to say, how to sell yourself and your film.
Homework: Complete two more pages of your distribution plan and that should take you to page 9. We discuss the information from Peter Broderick’s bulletin’s 37 and 39. See Peterbroderick.com
Class 7 – Tuesday After Memorial Day – May 27th, 2025
The first three approaches to financing your project will be discussed. Tom will cover the “Finder’s Fee Approach,” the “Vested Interest Approach,” and the “Networking Approach.”
Carole covers the benefits of self – distribution and why hybrid distribution is more lucrative for some filmmakers. Have you increased your database from the information in the class? Have you interviewed your audience to find out what organizations they belong to and where they hang out?
Pitch us and show us your marketing outline. You should be able to really pitch and feel comfortable with the potential income your film can make, the market you know your film fits, who you have following you and why they like your film. All of this makes for a confident, passionate filmmaker who can close investors. That’s our goal for this class.
Homework: 1) Listen to Stewart Wilde’s “The Force” CD. 2) Please bring 3 things that you liked the most about it to the class. 3) Complete the Distribution & Marketing plan.
Class 8 – Monday – June 9th, 2025
Tom will cover three additional methods of funding your project, the “Attachment Approach,” the “Distributor Approach,” and the “Dangerous Approach.” Finally, Tom will give a summary on what it takes to get your project moving along and to be a working filmmaker.
Carole discusses The Force and how you can use this to bring money to your film.
Pitch us and show us your marketing outline. Tell us what your film can gross and why. You should be able to really pitch and feel comfortable with the potential income your film can make, the market your film fits, who you have following you and why they like your film. All of this makes for a confident, passionate filmmaker who can close investors. That’s our goal for this class.
