Your donation helps us continue to offer workshops to hone your craft, networking opportunities, and fiscal sponsorship opportunities for receiving grants for your projects.
FRIDAY 13th HORROR TRIVIA RESCHEDULE | 11/13/20
🗣️”You see better when you’re scared.” — Unknown 🎞️3 Rounds of Trivia (Solo & Groups of 3)Trivia Team Sign Up 7pm OR send “Hello Email” to [email protected] SUBJECT : 3/13 TRIVIA 🍕🍔Hospitality provided by Starport🎟️Door Prizes start 7:30pm✅🏆Costume Contest @ 9pm🕒 🔗Dress Code: Casual, Dress Up, or come as your favorite Movie Character or Movie Star. 🎤Master of Ceremonies | WVFG Members📺4 HDTVS & PROJECTOR SCREEN🥇Prizes for Ticket# Winners & Volunteers 🗣️”Bad luck makes great stories.” — Unknown 🗣️”A black cat crossing your path signifies that the animal is going somewhere.” — Groucho Marx 🍔Menu & Beverages🥤 🗣️”I’m not superstitious, but I am a little stitious.” — The Office
🎟️SOCIAL EVENT #3 | FEBRUARY 9TH |🎞️ OSCARS WATCH PARTY
Join the West Virginia Filmmakers Guild Members and Guests for a night of fun & entertainment! 🎤Master of Ceremonies | WVFG Board📺4 HDTVS & PROJECTOR SCREEN🎞️MOVIE TRIVIA 🏆DOOR PRIZES🥇GUEST AWARDS
🎟️FREE EVENT | JANUARY 30th |🎞️ Movie Night at Fairmont State University
What is your involvement in the industry? ActorDirectorMovie EnthusiastProducerWriterEditorGrip & ElectricProduction DesignerComposerCinematographerGafferCostume/WardrobeProduction Assistant WEST VIRGINIA FILMMAKERS GUILD https://t.co/ODk6z6R2uX — WVFG (@wvfilmguild) January 8, 2020
Member Meeting Information – Jan 11, 2020 @ 5:30pm
Holiday Inn Morgantown – University Area – 1188 Pineview Drive, Morgantown, West Virginia 26505 Members Meeting for the West Virginia Filmmakers Guild will follow the Screenwriters Workshop. Those interested in the film industry and not a member of the guild are welcome to attend. It’s a great opportunity to network with other working professionals in the industry and make new connections. It’s also that time again where we will be holding elections for all positions: President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary. If interested in running for a board position, your membership must be current. To update visit: http://westvirginiafilmguild.com/join/ Following the meeting, there will be a social hour at Atrias next door starting around 7:30pm to meet friends, old and new, and talk film of course. We hope those interested take the time to join us and support the West Virginia Filmmakers Guild, established in 1982, and continuing for years to come. You can email us at [email protected] with any questions or direct message us on facebook.
Screenwriting Workshop January 11 & 12, 2020
Where: Holiday Inn, Morgantown *see Lodging below for discounted room rates Open to the Public. PRICE : $75 Lunch Buffet from Atria’s Restaurant included Saturday, January 11, 2020 10am -4pmSunday, January 12, 2020 10am -2pm Workshop size is limited to 30. Please reserve early. BUY TICKETS NOW Sell tickets online with Ticketleap WHAT TO LOOK FORWARD TO! The West Virginia Filmmakers Guild is excited to announce our screenwriting workshop taught by writer/director and West Virginia native, Mr. Robert Tinnell. Expect to get hands-on writing exercises designed to not only polish the work of writers with existing screenplays but also to give beginners a sense of the fundamental practices of screenwriting. Topics will include lectures on basic story and structure, character development, and attention to the details that can make the difference between success and rejection. Robert will also cover the business side of the entertainment industry covering topics of the market, writer contracts, strategies of getting your foot in the door, and how to maintain a professional attitude throughout your career. This is a great opportunity for all writers. We have been looking forward to this workshop for quite some time and hope that you take advantage of it! Robert Tinnell Bio Robert directed such films as Feast of the Seven Fishes (2019), Frankenstein and Me (1996), and Kids of the Round Table (1995). His producer credits include Back Fork (2019), The Hunted (2013) and Surf Nazis Must Die (1987). His graphic novel writing includes Flesh and Blood, The Living and The Dead, The Black Forest, The Wicked West, and the Eisner Award Nominee Feast of the Seven Fishes. Special Thanks We would like to thank the Charles R. Nailler Memorial Foundation for their on-going support. For the past three years, we are grateful to receive grants that helps us here at the West Virginia Filmmakers Guild continue to offer quality workshops that educate filmmakers at all levels of experience taught by working professionals in the entertainment industry. Lodging Holiday Inn, Morgantown 1188 Pineview Dr, Morgantown, WV 26505 (304) 241-6649 HOLIDAY INN WEBSITE LINK Discounted Rate: $80/ Night *Be sure to reference the WVFG Screenwriting Workshop QUESTIONS? You can email us at [email protected] or direct message us on our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/wvfilmguild/ DID YOU ATTEND THIS EVENT? PLEASE FILL OUT OUR FEEDBACK FORM.
WV Film Office Tax Credit Info
MotionMasters.com #wvfilmcreates
Newsletter – Q2 – 2018
Like Tweet Pin +1 in Hello Industry Friends! WVFG 2018 2Q Newsletter Hello industry friends and enthusiasts! We realize we are a bit tardy in getting this 2Q newsletter out. We’ve had a fair amount of movement and some last minute items we were waiting on to include, so better late than never, we say (unless you’re producing a film, of course… then, it’s better on time and within budget, always!). Enjoy. In this Newsletter: ▪ Board Update ▪ VP & Secretary Nominations ▪ Film Production Training with Meredith Jordan ▪ Grant Update ▪ Casting & Crew Calls ▪ Mindhunter Casting ▪ Back in the Saddle Crew Call ▪ Industry News ▪ Academy Award Nominated Short “Heroin(e)” Coming to Lakeview ▪ And More! ▪ Board Update ▪ VP & Secretary Nominations ▪ Film Production Training with Meredith Jordan ▪ Grant Update ▪ Casting & Crew Calls ▪ Mindhunter Casting ▪ Back in the Saddle Crew Call ▪ Industry News ▪ Academy Award Nominated Short “Heroin(e)” Coming to Lakeview ▪ And More! Guild Updates & News Open Board Position Nominations We will hold elections at our next member meeting to fill vacant board positions. The meeting will be scheduled for September. Additional details will be provided about the member meeting and elections once they are finalized. We are requesting nominations. If you or anyone you know is interested in a WVFG board position, please email the WVFG at [email protected]. Snapshot of Roles & Responsibilities Vice President: * Attend monthly board meetings and member meetings * Attend Guild events * Stand in for President when President is not available * Support decision making on training, initiatives, and other topics impacting the Guild Secretary: * Attend monthly board meetings and member meetings * Attend Guild events * Create and disseminate meeting minutes * Support decision making on training, initiatives, and other topics impacting the Guild Next Member Meeting & Workshops Member Meeting Coming in September: The next WVFG member meeting will be in September in Flatwoods, WV. Specifics will be provided as soon as they are available. Industry Training Coming in October: “Understanding Film Production: A Primer for Business, Crew and Potential Hires” with Meredith Jordan In this training, host Meredith Jordan provides a holistic look at movie production that includes all aspects and all players. The core material is based on research for Below the Line: Anatomy of a Successful Movie. The book, to be published by Citation Press this Fall, is based on her imbedding start-to-finish with a major motion picture. Specific details on time and location will be provided at a later date. Grants Update Closed: We applied for a Monongalia County Grant earlier this year. Unfortunately, it was not awarded to us. We are eligible to apply again next year. Awarded: We received the 2017 Charles Naillor Foundation Grant in the amount of $3000 earlier this year. Grant Opportunities: We’ve helped other projects receive grant funds, and we’d love to help you. If you have a grant of any sort that you believe you or your organization might qualify for, we are willing to help you complete and submit the grant. Contact [email protected] for more info. Member Spotlight – Donna Linsell The WVFG Board is excited to feature member Donna Linsell as our 2018 2Q Member Spotlight! Having left her Information Technology position with the Federal Government in 2009, Donna was looking to expand her photography hobby. She was also involved with the local Actors Guild of Parkersburg, and through those contacts, she secured her first film gig as an unpaid behind-the-scenes photographer! She shares, “Although it was not even a “no-low”….more like a “no-none”….a new interest was born!” Donna also shares, “Parkersburg, West Virginia is not what you would call a film hub. Not even close. So to be interested in this business and live in this location means travel. I only worked on one other local film in Marietta, Ohio, and again it was a “no-none.” Since that first film, however, Donna has worked her way up…. in continuity as Script Supervisor and also as 2nd AD, 1st AD, Line Producer, and Production Manager. Her previous education, training, and work experience in project management have lent themselves easily to managing actors, film crews, budgets, and schedules. The largest budget, and thus largest crew Donna worked with, was on Hollow Creek, written and produced by Floridian Guisela Moro. It was shot in two counties in West Virginia and also shot in Florida. Donna began the first day of shooting, once again, as a behind-the-scenes photographer. She had taken the job voluntarily because it was a great opportunity. By the end of the day, she was hired as a paid Script Supervisor. By the second half of the film, she was the Production Manager, and her small photography business became the pass-through entity for the film’s expenses. Donna encourages others with her story. “I tell this story to many beginning film enthusiasts. Don’t skip over a job just because it’s not paid. There’s experience to be gained. There’s networking to be done. There could be a paid job behind it.” Donna currently live in Mineral Wells, WV; near Parkersburg. She enjoys her quiet on a dead-end road (they are the last house) in the country with her husband Erik, dog Angus, cats Cassie and Torrie, and four chickens named Breakfast, Lunch, Supper, and Dinner. Donna says she gets to work on 1 to 3 movies a year. “Things have slowed down since the Film Office has closed.” Meanwhile, she takes pictures, sells jewelry, does crafts and paints, and plays with her five grandchildren. In closing, she says, “Guisela and I are kicking around the idea of another movie…” And we look forward to hearing about it! Member Spotlight Nominations We would love to receive nominations from you for our quarterly Member Spotlight Feature! If you have someone you’d like to nominate, please email us at [email protected]. Please provide the name of your nomination and include two to three
Newsletter – Q1 – 2018
-Hello Industry Friends! Board Update An email went out on Monday, April 30th from the Office of the WVFG from Justin Owcar, the former WVFG President, announcing his decision to step down as President. We appreciate all that Justin has done as a member of the board and all that it has accomplished in recent years to support the WVFG. We know he will continue to be a valuable member of the Guild. Vice President Steve Kwiatkowski will be acting as interim President. We will hold elections at a member meeting in the near future to fill the vacant board position. Details will be provided about the member meeting and elections as appropriate. If you or anyone you know is interested in a board position, please email the WVFG at [email protected]. Guild Update Member Spotlight Nominations We would love to receive nominations from you for our quarterly Member Spotlight Feature! If you have someone you’d like to nominate, please email us at [email protected]. Please provide the name of your nomination and include two to three sentences as to why you are nominating the individual by June 15 for 2Q nominations. We look forward to receiving your nominations! Industry and Local News Requests for Newsletter Do you have information about local and industry news that you would like to have included in the WVFG quarterly newsletter, inlcuding projects, casting calls, and more? Email us by June 15 at [email protected] with the details. Next Member Meeting Our Board is working on scheduling our next member meeting for later this quarter. We will be holding an election at our next member meeting to fill our vacant Board position as a result of Justin Owcar stepping down as president. We will provide more details as they become available. Workshops and Training Our Board is in discussions to bring more acting workshops and other industry training to the state. We will share more as information and plans are solidified. Grants Update Pending: We applied for a Monongalia County Grant earlier this year. Awarded: We received the 2017 Charles Naillor Foundation Grant in the amount of $3000 earlier this year. Grant Opportunities: We’ve helped other projects receive grant funds, and we’d love to help you. If you have a grant of any sort that you believe you or your organization might qualify for, we are willing to help you complete and submit the grant. Contact [email protected] for more info. Local Industry Updates Oscar Party Highlights Our Oscar Party event with guest charity Girls on the Run in early March was a hit. We had several members in attendance, gave out some awesome raffle prizes, and enjoyed good company as we watched the Oscars (after some slight technical difficulties ;-)). We were thrilled to have Girls on the Run show their support with several of their team present, including Executive Director Laurie Abildso, Program Director Joanna Mizener, and 5K Director, Rachel Byrne. The raffle included prize contributions from Lakeview Resort, Roman’s Acupuncture & Wellness Center, Girls on the Run, and more. Thank you to Aristotle Jones for hosting the event with the help of Board Memeber Ronda Suder, Tom Heckman for technical support and leading our live stream, and Justin Lawrence for technical support and emcee-ing the event . WVFG donated 40% of proceeds from the event to Girls on the Run. We hope you enjoy the fun photos below captured by Anthony J Sparks during the event. More can be found on our Facebook page. Member Spotlight – Ronda Suder Ronda Suder is an actress, writer, director, entrepreneur, and wellness advocate. She was nominated as Secretary of the West Virginia Filmmaker’s Guild in 2016. Ronda has more than 100 titles to her name in film and media production. Her most recent work as an actress includes lead roles in the feature films Choices and The Cabin, as well as a supporting role in the LA-based pilot “Flicks.” Ronda was cast in a Frostburg, MD based web series slated to begin shooting later this year. She is currently completing a screenplay she was commissioned to write for and LA-based Director and her thesis film, “Back in the Saddle,” is currently in pre-production. Ronda holds a Masters in Human Resources and Industrial Relations and is on target to receive her Masters of Art in Film and Media Production by the end of this year. She is Founder of Words You Need, an initiative that provides individual marketing materials and writing and social media content for individuals and businesses. To learn more, visit www.rondasuder.com Member Spotlight Nominations Have someone you’d like to nominate for our “Member Spotlight” section? Email us at [email protected]. Please provide the name of your nomination and include two to three sentences as to why you are nominating the individual. Crew & Casting Calls To stay informed of upcoming local casting and crew calls, check the WVFG Facebook pages frequently at: https://www.facebook.com/wvfilmguild/ Choices Premiere Choices, a movie that filmed in Huntington, WV in March and April 2017, premiered in Huntington on Friday, April 20th. Several members of the WVFG were a part of the cast and crew and attended the premiere. The film is based on the real-life story of Ron James, who was in and out of prison for 20 years, in part due to a drug addiction. Eventually, James became clean and now travels the country in outreach efforts to support recovery efforts through sharing his life story. View the Choices Movie Trailer. For updates on the film and showings, check The Choices Movie Facebook Page. Loophole Premiere The Loophole feature film premiere will take place at 7:00PM on May 18th at Chestnut Ridge Church in Cheat Lake (Morgantown), WV. Loophole was shot in Morgantown and surrounding areas as well as in and around Pittsburgh, PA. Several members of the WVFG were involved with the project. View the recent Loophole trailer. You can purchase tickets at: https://theloopholemovie.ticketleap.com/ Volunteer Opportunity Girls on the Run will be hosting their 5K run on Saturday, May 26.
Newsletter Q4 – 2017
Hello Industry Friends! Happy New Year! We wish you a happy and healthy 2018! And here’s to more successful productions and membership support in the New Year! Guild Update Our Website We’re excited to share our improved website: http://wvfg.org. The site includes links to industry forms and more. We’re still working to include a backend that allows members to connect with each other on projects, casting, and resource needs. Our goal is for members to have a dedicated page of their own to showcase their talents in the near future, as well. Workshops and Training We’ve received a lot of great feedback on our recent acting workshops with Jw Myers. Our Board is in discussions to bring more acting workshops and other industry training to the state. We will share more as information and plans are solidified. Next Member Meeting Our next member meeting is in the works and targeted for the March/April timeframe. We will provide an update as soon as details become available. Grants Update Pending: 1. We applied for a Monongalia County Grant this month. Pending: 1. We are waiting on a status update for the 2017 Charles Naillor Foundation Grant that we applied for in November. Grant Opportunities: We’ve also helped other projects receive grant funds, and we’d love to help you. If you have a grant of any sort that you believe you or your organization might qualify for, we are willing to help you complete and submit the grant. Contact [email protected] for more info. Board Update We look forward to introducing you to the members of our board and what we’re up to each quarter! LORI BLACKWELL, TREASURER: Lori holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and Management and an Associates degree in Business. She brings more than 20 years of accounting and finance experience and more than 20 years of experience working with non-profits to the role of Treasurer for the Guild. Lori is currently an Accountant for West Virginia University Hospitals and was a Sr. Grants Administrator in her previous position with West Virginia University. As such, she is our Lead Grants Expert for the Guild, as well. Lori lives on a farm in Mt Morris, PA. Member Spotlight – Steve Kwiatkowski Steve Kwiatkowski is not only VP of the WVFG, he is also a very active member of the film industry. Steve is an American actor, artist, filmmaker, producer, and director. He has worked on large and small projects in West Virginia, Pittsburgh, PA, Las Vegas, NV and Nashville, TN. Steve is also the Red Ribbon winner for his work on the Documentary “For the Living” filmed in West Virginia and has worked with two living Presidents of the United States for National Television. Steve’s work has been featured in New York City’s Fashion Week and on MTV, Spike TV, ESPN, and VH1. Some of his most recent work includes the role of Assistant Director for Loophole (2016), The Mile Ground (2017), and Hobo Hunters Pittsburgh 48hr Film Project (2017), the role of Director for Judge Jeanine Pirro’s live broadcast from Fox News (2017), and the role of Sound Mixer for the short film Commando (2017) and the WVU Farm Extension Series (2017). Member Spotlight Nominations Have someone you’d like to nominate for our “Member Spotlight” section? Email us at [email protected]. Please provide the name of your nomination and include two to three sentences as to why you are nominating the individual. Local Industry Updates The Mile Ground The Mile Ground was shot in Morgantown, WV at the end of November into early December, with production ceasing on December 5. The film is based on true events and was written by Jessica Shannon. Jessica also produced and starred in the film. We’re excited to share that several WVFG members were involved with the film, including Steve Kwiatkowski (1st AD), Zach Labin (DP), Justin Owcar (Gaffer), and Ronda Suder (role of “Wife”). To remain up-to-date on The Mile Ground release, refer to themilegroundmovie.com and The Mile Ground Movie Facebook page. Left to Right: Actress Ronda Suder and Producer, Writer, and Actress Jessica Shannon on set of “The Mile Ground” Left to Right: Assistant Director Steve Kiatwkowski and Actress Ronda Suder on set of “The Mile Ground” Coming Soon ▪ More Industry Workshops ▪ New and Improved Website! ▪ Charity and Networking Events