Friday, August 29, 2014

Two Deadlines are Approaching

ATLANTA, Ga.--Those with films to enter into the 2014 Georgia BigPictureCon's Short Film Festival, or who want to get into the conference at a reduced rate, don't have long--two deadlines are coming up quickly.

The late deadline for the film festival is today, Aug. 29, with a special extended deadline for those who need just a little bit more time Sept. 12. More information and how to enter the contest can be found here.

Meanwhile, early-bird registration for the BigPictureCon Film & Technology Conference ends this coming Sunday, Aug. 31. The regular All Access Pass is $139, and the student All Access Pass is $89. After Sept. 1, prices for regular admission rise to $159 and prices for students to $109. Day passes, tickets to the short film festival, and Green Pages resource books are also available.  For more information or to register, visit here.



Why come to the Georgia BigPictureCon, you ask? Well, if you're able to come to Clayton State University in Morrow Oct. 5-6, you'll be able to avail yourself of informative educational session- workshops and panels on topics including all aspects of filmmaking, production technology and web entertainment, as well as networking between student and emerging filmmakers and local and nationally known industry professionals. Specific topics include digital content creation, screenwriting, corporate production, film festivals and marketing & distribution. If you're looking to take your film/entertainment career to the next level, attending the conference is an excellent investment.

Sunday, August 24, 2014

FilmClayton Now Premier Sponsor for Georgia BigPictureCon

MORROW, Ga.-- The Georgia BigPictureCon is pleased to welcome FilmClayton, the Clayton County Film Office as a Sponsor for its 2014 Film & Technology Conference.

According to its website, FilmClayton's purpose is to attract film and video production to Clayton County. The office manages the business side of the film-making process in order to generate business for the county--property rentals, hiring local crews and talent, renting local equipment, etc. FilmClayton provides servinces like marketing local crew, equipment, and expertise, assisting with location scouting, coordinating police, fire, and other local government agencies to facilitate shooting on location, and working with Clayton State University to provide continuing education in film crew training.



"We're thrilled to have the support of the Clayton County Film Office for the 2014 BigPictureCon!" said Nancy Howard, founder and organizer of the conference. "From the first time they heard about our event, they have been excited and most supportive."

The BigPictureCon takes place on Sunday & Monday, October 5-6 at Clayton State University.  The BigPictureCon is a 2-day summit that provides opportunities for student and emerging filmmakers and industry technology professionals to connect with one another and participate in a variety of educational sessions on topics like filmmaking, production technology, and web entertainment.

Clayton County Office of Economic Development Director Grant Wainscott will provide opening remarks for the conference on Sunday, Oct. 5th. Howard said she hopes there will be a great turnout to receive him.

FilmClayton Assistant Director of Production Tamara Patridge said the county is glad to help the BigPictureCon.

"We have been searching for the right opportunity to support a conference of this type in our county that will help our community members become a part of the booming film industry in Georgia," she said.

Patridge offered the conference a warm welcome to Clayton County.

This year BigPictureCon attendees will experience two (2) days of educational sessions including panel discussions and seminars focusing on trends and enhancements in technology for gaming, web entertainment and film production.  Featured conference sessions include digital content creation for mobile devices; as well as screenwriting, distribution, marketing, networking, panel discussions with award-winning local and nationally-known industry professionals; and many, many more!

For details sessions, speakers or to register, visit BigPictureCon.com, or email bigpicturefdn@gmail.com.

Thursday, August 21, 2014

GA BigPictureCon Short Film Festival Welcomes International Submissions

 

ATLANTA, Ga.--The GeorgiaBigPictureCon's short film festival has received its first international entries, something Founder and Executive Producer Nancy Howard attributes to the conference's adoption of FilmFreeway.

"I was pleased but not very surprised to see that we had so many entries from the U.S.," said Howard. "But I was very pleasantly surprised that for the first time we also had entries from Canada, Germany, France, and the UK, as well as from places like Spain, Brazil, Turkey, Italy, Kenya, and Finland."

So far, the BigPictureCon has received over 40 submissions, with 15 of them coming from different countries around the world.

In previous years, the conference has accepted submissions manually or via online links.


"We've considered using Withoutabox.com," said Howard, "but it was expensive, particularly for small festivals like ours."

Withoutabox (WAB), one of FilmFreeway's primary competitors, is a popular online system created to streamline the submission process of filmmakers and film festivals. It has been well-received by the majority of its users, but others have expressed concerns about rising prices and declining customer support, as well as, for a time, an insistence on exclusivity.

After learning about the controversies with WAB, and the fact that FilmFreeway was free, Howard and the other conference organizers chose FilmFreeway.

"We are loving FilmFreeway," Howard said. "They have been upfront, easy to use, and fair thus far in our experience with them. It's been very exciting."

Friday, August 8, 2014

2014 Georgia BigPictureCon Coming to Clayton State University Oct. 5-6

ATLANTA, Ga., August 1, 2014 – This October, Clayton State University in Morrow will host the
2014 Georgia BigPictureCon Film and Technology Conference.



“The GABPC is a two-day educational summit for professional and emerging filmmakers and
those entering the film, technology, and digital media industry in Georgia,” said founder and
producer Nancy Howard.

The conference, which began in 2005, will provide opportunities for emerging filmmakers and
industry technology professionals to connect with one another and participate in a variety of
educational sessions. Conference participants will receive the Green Pages Resource Guide
Book that will include a directory of useful local, state, and federal film and video resources
targeted to the needs of emerging filmmakers, an academic planning calendar with a roster of
events put on by local film, visual arts, and digital entertainment organizations, as well as free
and online student resources, school info, and discounts.



In addition to educational sessions, workshops and panels, there will be opening and closing
keynote sessions by nationally known industry speakers. Session topics will include
screenwriting, distribution, marketing, digital content creation for mobile devices, editing,
funding and budgeting, audio production and industry networking. New this year are panels on
corporate production and local industry organizations. The conference also features a short film
festival with cash prizes up to $250 for the three winners, and an Audience Choice winner. Entry
deadlines and submission details are available here.



The speakers list is still being assembled, but previous keynote speakers have included Cory
Edwards, director of the acclaimed animated film Hoodwinked!; Chris Moore, producer of the
award-winning Good Will Hunting as well as American Pie and Project Sunlight; and Myrna
Moore, producer and host of TBS Storyline. Session speakers have included Kaneva
Entertainment President and CEO Chris Klaus, award-winning director and actor Ken Feinberg,
producer Dianne Ashford, Chris Escobar of the Atlanta Film Festival, and a host of other local
industry professionals sharing knowledge and access to inform eager attendees.

Earlybird pricing is available through August 31st. All access passes are available for $139, with
student and group discounts available. To register a group or for more information, call 770-
354-4027.

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

BigPictureCon Participants Get Discounts on Mobile Video Workshop

ATLANTA, Ga.--If you're looking for an affordable way to start creating films and videos, look no further than the device that's in your pocket--your smartphone. Android, iPhones, and tablets have moved into the mainstream for content producers.



To help you learn how to turn your device into a movie camera, broadcaster Amani Channel and Monique Johnson will host the Mobile Video Academy, a mobile video intensive on Saturday August 23, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. They'll share equipment, mobile production techniques, and apps during this workshop in Decatur, GA. There will be free mobile video gear and digital swag to lucky winners via RĂ˜DE Microphones, thePadCaster, Square Jellyfish, and Easy Web Video.

Event Info:
231 Sycamore St.
Decatur, Georgia 30030
Saturday, August 23, 2014 
8:00 AM to 1:00 PM (EDT)
Website: www.mobilevideoacademy.com

Early Adopter tickets will be on sale until Friday Aug. 8. $49/Regular price $99. There will be a $15 dollar discount for the Georgia Big Picture Conference Community. Just use the promo code "gabpcdiscount"