Learn how to "make your day" on time and on budget while achieving your creative vision from a director who has made over 25 feature films and has screened at Sundance, South by Southwest, and more!

PLUS! You will receive exclusive handouts including Director Duties, Shot List Components, and a Director's Reading List to help you on your next project!

The number one expense facing all filmmakers (indie or otherwise) will always be... time.

Falling behind just one day quickly leads to another, and another…and a domino effect! You suddenly have a runaway production. It doesn’t matter how creative or inspired you are, if you can’t get it “in the can” on time and on budget, you’re going to have a difficult career. This is especially true in the indie space, where your budget limitations are often quite rigid and not at all conducive to any directorial hesitancy or indecision.

Thankfully there’s a proven method to keep you on track, while still allowing for spontaneous inspiration and experimentation on set. It also happens to be the industry standard, and applies to any level of filmmaking - from student short to studio feature. You don’t have to toss the creative baby out with the budgetary bathwater, contrary to popular belief.

In this exclusive Stage 32 webinar, you will learn where to put the emphasis in your pre-production process and a specific method for planning shots and scenes (shot lists, top down lighting plots) optimized for making your day without turning you into a budgetary bean-counter. This course also serves as a strong “trouble-shooting” guide applicable to the vast majority of scheduling issues that seem to always arise on set. You will gain a confidence in the time management necessary to focus on what really matters - performance and “the visuals.”

Here to guide you through all the considerations you should take to best make your day while maintaining your creative process is Clay Liford, a graduate of the University of Texas film program who now teaches all aspects of film production at his alma mater. Clay has made over 25 feature films that have garnered numerous accolades and screened at Sundance Film Festival, South by Southwest, and more. Clay is excited to share his plethora of knowledge and experience with the Stage 32 community so your next project will be a success!

PLUS! Clay will provide you with exclusive handouts to help you on your next project. Downloads include:

• Director's Duties
• Shot List Components
• Director's Reading List

You no longer have to choose between being “fast” or “good.” In fact, you’ll quickly learn that those two elements are actually intrinsically tied together, rather than mutually exclusive!

Praise For Clay's Webinar:

"Clay had great energy and pace. He was able to explain things in different ways and with excellent examples." --Magi A.

"Clay didn't sugar coat anything - keeping the short within a tight budget and length is smart strategy & practical. I appreciated his honesty." --Shaan D.

• Pre-Production - How to fully exploit your time prior to principal photography, so that your days on set are spent fulfilling your creative aims. Pre-production is everything!
  • How to shot list efficiently, using agreed upon industry language (so there’s never any confusion as to what you want)
  • Access to a master menu of shot options/components, infinitely combinable to create virtually any possible shot - no matter how outlandish or unique - easily and accurately
  • How to get the lighting you want using simplified lighting plots based on the simple concept of “value ratios,” rather than the mastery of niche technical knowledge
  • Learn to optimize and simplify technical communication with your key department heads to maximize time while eliminating confusion and any potential mistakes
  • Discover what director “homework” is actually productive. Don’t spin your wheels!
  • How to split your duties as a director, and how much of the job truly is just good team building

• Set Operation
  • The step-by-step process to follow in order to maximize your on set time
  • The method leading to a re-focusing of your energies, away from the stress of “chasing the clock” and back onto creative decision making
  • How to work efficiently, rather than quickly (i.e. rushed)
  • How to ensure you still get everything you need when time inevitably runs low
  • How to identify “happy accidents” and other inspirational opportunities that only arise when you’re actually filming
  • How to maximize the beautifully collaborative aspect of filmmaking - as I like to say, allow everyone on crew to make you look good

• Think Like an Editor
  • Minimize your need for future “pick ups” and additional shooting by truly getting what you need the first time
  • Learn what proper “coverage” truly means - it’s about quality, not quantity
  • Discover what every editor wishes directors and producers deliver
  • How to get the most out of your “shooting ratio.”

• Q&A with Clay Liford

All levels of producers (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to complete a movie efficiently while achieving their creative goals.

All levels of producers (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to complete a movie financially efficient while still achieving their creative goals.

All levels of screenwriters (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to complete a movie efficiently while achieving their creative goals.

All levels of filmmakers (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to complete a movie efficiently while achieving their creative goals.

Actors who want to take control of their careers by contributing to completing a movie efficiently.