Tag Archive for: tone

Tone with Gaylene Preston – Wellington

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We know as directors, that our films are not just a line of scenes strung together to tell the story. Maintaining and amalgamating tone – the emotional and intellectual heartbeat of cinematic storytelling – is what we do. Communicating clearly through all creative departments to maintain a cohesive whole regarding tone is an essential skill for long-form storytelling.

In this workshop on May 28 with Dame Gaylene Preston, we will discuss issues of genre, performance and visualisation. Two actors will join for half the day to explore performance in a masterclass setting.

About Dame Gaylene Preston, DNZM

A leading filmmaker since 1978, working across drama and documentary for cinema and television, Dame Gaylene has made a number of classic New Zealand films including Mr Wrong, Ruby and Rata, Home By Christmas, and War Stories Our Mothers Never Told Us. Her work, notable for the strength of her human connections and its deep commitment to telling New Zealand stories, have been selected for many film festivals including Venice, Sundance and Toronto.

She is a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit and New Zealand Arts Laureate. Dame Gaylene is a committed mentor and has recently taken up an honorary residency at Jesus College Intellectual Hub at Cambridge University.

Who’s it for?

Directors wanting to better understand tone – you’ll come away with useful ideas that can be applied to your own process, whether you’re directing on your first narrative short film or moving onto longer content (e.g. a first feature or series). This workshop does not cover documentary, but documentary makers interested in directing drama are welcome.

Workshop Details

When: Saturday 28 May 2022, 9:30am – 5pm

Where: Taia Studios, 4 Bay Road, Kilbirnie, Wellington 6022

Cost:
DEGANZ member – Free
Non-member – $49 (billed upon selection)

Includes tea/coffee and lunch.

Our Payment and Cancellation Policy

Orange Traffic Light Notes

For the safety of yourself and others:

  • Please do not attend if you are sick with COVID-19, cold or flu symptoms or have been asked to self-isolate.
  • Face masks are encouraged.

Travel Support

DEGANZ Full members based outside of Wellington and Auckland can apply to the Guild for travel support up to the value of $250 (incl GST). We have two grants available.

To apply you must meet these criteria:

  1. Your primary residence is outside of the Wellington region and Auckland region.
  2. You are a NZ Citizen or permanent resident.
  3. You have a confirmed place in the workshop.

For additional information and criteria, see here.

To Apply

Applications Close: Wednesday 18 May, 10AM

Please complete the application form below and email your CV to admin@deganz.co.nz. Your CV should clearly list your directing credits and include details such as festival selection and year, commissioners and/or platforms where your work has publicly screened.

Places are limited – the Guild will select based on applications. We will email you to confirm.

Application Form

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Made possible with the financial support of the New Zealand Film Commission.

NZFC

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Tone with Leanne Pooley – Auckland

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Making the Intangible Tangible

On July 24, esteemed documentary director Leanne Pooley will explore how a director crafts and communicates the tone of a film, a fine finish to our workshop series on tone for 2021, which seeks to pin down this elusive subject.

When you are dealing with the stories of real people and portraying them on screen, getting the tone wrong can lead to significant problems. Tone is part of everything a documentary director does when approaching a story. It’s part of the narrative, the pace, the look, the music.

Tone is part of every decision a director makes, and in this workshop, Leanne will share practically using examples from her films on how directors make these decisions.

About Leanne Pooley

A documentary filmmaker for over 25 years, Leanne has directed films all over the world and has won numerous awards (including Best Documentary at TIFF). Leanne is a New Zealand Arts Laureate, a member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and was named an “Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit” for Services to Documentary Filmmaking in the 2017 New Year’s Honours List.

Her work includes The Girl on the Bridge on suicide survivor and activist Jazz Thornton, We Need to Talk About A.I. for Universal Pictures and GFC, animated feature documentary 25 April and acclaimed local box office success Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls.

 

Who’s it for?

Documentary directors wanting to better understand tone – you’ll come away with useful ideas that can be applied to your own process, whether you’re directing on your first short film or moving onto longer content (e.g. a first feature documentary, a webseries).

Workshop Details

When: Saturday 24 July 2021, 9:30am – 4pm

Where: Saint Columba Centre, 40 Vermont Street, Ponsonby, Auckland 1011

Price:

DEGNZ member – Free
Non-member – $95

Lunch, tea and coffee included.

Travel Allowances

DEGNZ Full members based outside of Auckland can apply to the Guild for travel support up to the value of $250 (incl GST). We have six grants available.

To apply you must meet these criteria:

  1. You live outside of the Auckland region.
  2. You are a NZ Citizen or permanent resident.
  3. You have a confirmed place in one of the Tone workshops.

Please indicate if you wish to apply for a travel allowance when you register. For additional information and criteria, see here.

 

To Apply

Applications close: Tuesday 20 July, 3PM

  1. Submit the application form below.
  2. Email your CV or a bio with filmography to tema@deganz.co.nz. Please include links to your work.

We will then review your application and email you to confirm that you have a place. Spaces are limited and applications will be reviewed as they are received.

Application Form

 

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This initiative is brought to you with the generous support of the New Zealand Film Commission.

NZFC

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New Tone Workshops for Directors

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Making the Intangible Tangible

What is tone? How does a director establish it and best communicate it? Establishing the tone of your film is a key element of filmmaking, a vital part of the process of making the intangible tangible.  

The director’s vision for a film and his or her voice are key elements of tone. As are frame rate, music and sound effects, lighting, colour, production design, wardrobe and makeup, framing and movement. Tone is all encompassing.  

In the first two of three new workshops on tone, run by the Directors & Editors Guild of NZ, participants will explore with director Rob Sarkies how a director goes about setting the tone of a film.

The third workshop with another esteemed director will be announced at a later date.

Tone with Rob Sarkies

Rob Sarkies

Credit: Matt Grace Photography

Tone is suggested by the script and clues will be found in the story, setting, action and characters. But it is also determined by the director’s tastes, culture, and instincts. Rob’s workshop explores how to translate all this into a coherent visual form and communicate it to others.

Rob’s work ranges (quite literally) from comedy to tragedy so he knows the importance of establishing a unique tone for each production, be it film or television. Using examples from his work, Rob will guide participants through a process where they can explore tone for an upcoming work. It will help to have your own project in mind – a short film, a first feature, a web series etc – when you come to the workshop.

 

Wellington – Sunday 18 April 2021, 9:30am – 4pm
Applications close Tuesday 13 April, 3PM. More info >

Auckland – Sunday 16 May 2021, 9:30am – 4pm
Applications close Tuesday 11 May, 3PM. More info >

 

Travel Allowances

DEGNZ Full members based outside of Wellington and Auckland can apply to the Guild for travel support up to the value of $250 (incl GST). We have six grants available.

To apply you must meet these criteria:

  1. You live outside of both the Wellington and Auckland regions.
  2. You are a NZ Citizen or permanent resident.
  3. You have a confirmed place in one of the Tone workshops.

For additional information and criteria, see here.

 

This initiative is brought to you with the generous support of the New Zealand Film Commission.

NZFC

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