San Diego Filmmakers holds regular sessions on the second Tuesday of each month and occasional special seminars.
Click on a session title for more information, click a play button to watch the video, or click a camera button to view the photo album.
2020
April 14 | Dark Again | Corona Virus |
March 10 | MARCH 2020 CANCELLED | Corona Virus |
February 11 | Is Virtual Reality In Your Filmmaking Future? | Todd Brinkman |
January 14 | The Story of One Movement | Sue Vicory |
2019
December 10 | Screenwriting : Who Are You Writing to? | Sean Paul Murphy |
November 12 | What’s the Deal: A Legal Perspective on the Independent Filmmaking Process | Adam Englund |
October 8 | From Topgun to Filmmaker | Alan Pietruszewski |
September 10 | Special Effects Makeup | Jeff Barkley |
August 13 | Promotion of Self and Productions | Will Roberts |
July 9 | Killer Tomatoes - Then & Now | Steve Peace |
June 11 | ![]() |
Perseverance in Production - Making of Krieg | Jeff Fry |
May 14 | ![]() |
Filmmaking as a Business - Building Your Career | Fred Ashman |
April 9 | ![]() |
Women Making a Scene | Kimmy Weinberger, Tyler French |
March 12 | ![]() |
Making Feature Films in San Diego | Jeff Deverett |
February 12 | ![]() |
The Business of Character - Decades of Acting & Casting Experience | P. David Miller |
January 8 | ![]() |
Reality TV - A Survivor's Eye View | Kara Kay |
2018
December 11 | ![]() |
Adventures in Field Production – Lessons for Every Filmmaker | Jeffrey Lehmann |
November 13 | ![]() |
Working With and Around Drones | Greg Lefevre |
October 9 | ![]() |
Is the Grass Greener? – Trials and Triumphs of Hollywood | Aaron Matthew Kaiser |
September 11 | ![]() |
Actor's Thoughts on Directors - What Works Well |
August 14 | ![]() |
Keeping Your Head On Straight - Help with the Ups and Downs | Daphyne Watson |
July 10 | ![]() |
Making Cell Phone Videos - Everyone Should Do It | Susan Botello |
June 12 | Stories from the 48 - Shared Experiences |
May 8 | ![]() |
Maximize Your Presence on IMDB - Putting Your Best Face Forward | Gerren Hall |
April 10 | ![]() |
Building a Revenue Generating YouTube Channel | Walter Nowosad |
March 13 | Pick the Brain of an Experienced Director | Lawrence Roeck |
February 13 | ![]() |
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Upping the Action - Using Martial Arts | Chucky Currie |
January 9 | ![]() |
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Shooting in a Studio - The Joys of a Controlled Environment | Jim Ellis, Lauren Fehlhaber |
2017
December 12 | ![]() |
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Another Take on Distribution | Bradley Dorsey |
November 14 | ![]() |
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Distribution - Then and Now | Frank T. DeMartini |
October 10 | ![]() |
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Sound of a Great Story | James Alburger, Peter Berkos |
September 12 | ![]() |
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Productions That Pop - Without a Hollywood Budget | Bob Gardner |
August 8 | ![]() |
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Visual Effects - Creating It In Post | Kevin VanHook |
July 11 | ![]() |
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Getting Laughs - Making Use of Comedy | Steve Kaplan |
June 13 | ![]() |
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Getting Parts & Casting Tips | Billy DaMota |
May 9 | ![]() |
Been There - Won That | Duane Trammell, Robyn Sarvis, Stephen Mickelsen, Susan Davis, Tom Antl |
April 11 | ![]() |
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Converting an idea into an on-air show : Checking off the steps | Fred Ashman, Gloria Gold |
March 14 | ![]() |
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Film Friendly Native Americans – San Diego’s Unique Opportunity | Ruben Hinojosa, Sam Bearpaw |
February 18 | SAG AFTRA Contracts Made Simple | Cynthia Williams |
February 14 | ![]() |
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From Novel to Silver Screen | Scott McEwen |
January 10 | ![]() |
Longevity in Film: Perseverance Pays Off | Peter Sherayko |
2016
December 13 | ![]() |
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Law 101 for Filmmakers | Art Neill, Shaun Spalding |
November 8 | ![]() |
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Location Shooting - From Scouting to On-site Etiquette | Lisa Rothmuller, Welton Jones |
October 11 | ![]() |
Winning Roles and Awards - How They Did It | Jodi Cilley, Rebecca and Kevin Joelson, Shane Allen |
September 13 | ![]() |
Francine Resigns | Francine Filsinger |
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More Than Just Sword Play - Action as a Story and Character Tool | Anthony DeLongis |
August 9 | ![]() |
What Makes For a Successful 48 Hour Team? | Brent Altomare, Duane Trammell, Robyn Sarvis, Tom Antl |
July 12 | ![]() |
Directorial Choices with 3X Primetime Emmy Award Nominated Director | Lee Shallat-Chemel |
June 14 | ![]() |
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An Evening with Ben Dominguez | Ben Dominguez |
May 10 | ![]() |
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A Big Picture Look at Film Casting | Matthew Lessell |
April 12 | ![]() |
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Film Editing with Alan Heim | Alan Heim |
March 8 | ![]() |
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Lighting vs Illumination: The Power of Lighting | Bill Holshevnikoff |
February 9 | ![]() |
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A Shooter from Every Angle | Douglas Knapp |
January 12 | ![]() |
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Conceptual Cinematography: Making Those Critical Choices | Richard Crudo |
2015
December 8 | ![]() |
DISTRIBUTION 101 | Jeff Deverett |
November 10 | ![]() |
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FEARLESS Film Making: careening toward enlightenment in the film industry | Paul Babin |
October 13 | ![]() |
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From Dream to Screen - How to make sure your vision becomes video | Greg Lefevre |
September 8 | ![]() |
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Film Office Update | County Supervisor Dave Roberts, Kristin Tillquist |
August 11 | ![]() |
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Shooting Styles: Handheld, Tripod, and Steadicam | Andy Levison |
July 14 | ![]() |
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Casting and Being Cast | Billy Cowart, Merrick McCartha |
June 9 | ![]() |
Capturing Sound & 48Hr Film Project | Duane Trammell, Frank Forth, Robyn Sarvis |
May 12 | ![]() |
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Student Scholarship Films & The Shot That Makes the Film | Bill Bork |
April 14 | ![]() |
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Video Village - Keeping an eye on the set | Bob Unger, Greg Lefevre |
April 12 | Politically Speaking: San Diego's Film Office | Francine Filsinger, Marianne Kushi, Mayor Faulconer, Supervisor Roberts |
March 10 | ![]() |
Top Gun and Adm. Pettigrew | Rear Admiral Pete Pettigrew |
February 10 | ![]() |
Filmmaker Neil Kendricks | Neil Kendricks |
January 13 | ![]() |
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In SanDiego, About San Diego | Noah Tafolla |
2014
December 9 | ![]() |
Scholarship Festival & Award Ceremony |
November 20 | ![]() |
Storytelling Through Editing | Alan Bell, Kanen Flowers |
November 11 | ![]() |
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Filming Across the Border | Chris Cashman |
November 2 | ![]() |
Scholarship Fundraiser | Dr. Robert Edelman, Jim Brown, Nick Binkley, Valery Saifudinov |
October 14 | ![]() |
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Miracles in Post Production | Mary Poplin |
September 9 | ![]() |
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Commercials - 30-Second Movies | Michael Brueggemeyer |
August 12 | ![]() |
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The State of Film in San Diego | Brent Altomare, County Supervisor Dave Roberts, Michael Brueggemeyer |
July 8 | ![]() |
Camera counsel for DPs, Directors, and Actors. Plus an opportunity to tell your San Diego Story on KPBS | S. Allman |
June 10 | ![]() |
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CASTING & BEING CAST: What You Need to Know | Craig Campobasso |
May 13 | ![]() |
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DOCUMENTARIES: How do you stay on track? | Bob Gardner |
April 8 | ![]() |
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FILMMAKING IN SAN DIEGO: What It Took to Put A Film Together | Luis Martinez & CG Thomas |
March 11 | ![]() |
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MOVIE SETS ON A BUDGET: Tips That Won't Max Out Your Credit Card | Jeff Van Gonka |
February 11 | ![]() |
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UNDERSTANDING THE PSYCHOLOGY OF THE "CHARACTER" | Billy Cowart |
January 14 | ![]() |
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Realities of Reality TV | Ken Gora |
2013
December 10 | ![]() |
SCHOLARSHIP FUNDRAISER & ANNIVERSARY PARTY |
November 12 | ![]() |
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HOW AFTER EFFECTS CAN HELP SAVE YOU IN POST | Eric Addison |
October 8 | ![]() |
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NAKED ACTORS ARE A BLANK CANVAS - How a Costume Designer Can Impact a Production | Shannon Arrant |
September 10 | ![]() |
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GETTING THE SHOT: Experiences of a Former Newsman, Now a DP | Erik Naso |
August 13 | ![]() |
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MAKING THE EDITOR'S LIFE EASIER: What Everyone In A Production Should Know About Editing | Michael Towe |
July 9 | ![]() |
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CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? Making the Best Location Sound Recording | Joe Godfrey |
June 11 | ![]() |
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Sound Bite School: What Do I Ask? What Do I Say? | Greg Lefevre |
May 14 | ![]() |
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THE 48 HOUR FILM PROJECT - The Ins & Outs of Preparation | Duane Trammell, Michael Brueggemeyer |
April 9 | ![]() |
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WOMEN IN FILM - Working Behind the Camera to Make the Project a Success | Leslie LaPage |
March 30 | ![]() |
SPECIAL SEMINAR Saturday 3/30: MUSIC TO YOUR EYES with LARRY GROUPE | Larry Groupé |
March 12 | ![]() |
TOP LEGAL MYTHS - What Indie Film & Video Producers & Actors Should Know | David P. Branfman |
February 12 | ![]() |
3D FOR REEL - Life in the Third Dimension | Barry Sandrew, Ph.D |
January 8 | ![]() |
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REAL PRODUCERS DON'T DO PIZZA - Feed the Crew! | Greg Lefevre, Matthew Baker |
2012
December 11 | ![]() |
WRITING: THE LONG & THE SHORT OF IT - The Effect On Cast & Crew | Marianne Bates, Marni Freedman |
December 1 | SPECIAL EVENT: Financing Independent Films in the Current Marketplace | John Cones |
November 13 | ![]() |
SEVEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY! |
October 9 | ![]() |
MUSIC TO YOUR EYES - Pulling the Movie Together With Music | Larry Groupé |
September 11 | ![]() |
The Reality of Faking It: The Business of Acting | Sandi Buehner |
August 14 | ![]() |
Get A (Social) Life! | Dennis Lorrig |
July 10 | ![]() |
Can You Hear Me Now? Making Sound Decisions. | J.J. McLeod |
June 12 | ![]() |
How to Make Your Film Fiscally Fit | Dennis Lorrig, John Cole |
May 8 | ![]() |
48 Hours @ 24 FPS | Duane Trammell |
April 10 | ![]() |
Location, Location, Location | Kathy McCurdy |
February 14 | ![]() |
Creating A Look Using Makeup and Lighting | Katie Betian, Michael Brueggemeyer |
January 10 | ![]() |
Performing and Directing Stunts in Independent Projects | Allen Robinson, Rich Minga |
2011
December 13 | ![]() |
Voice Over Production Challenges Across Media | Connie Terwilliger, Dino Andrade, Lani Minella |
November 8 | ![]() |
San Diego Filmmakers Anniversary Party |
October 11 | ![]() |
How to Get Your Film Financed | John Cole, Larry Weinberg |
September 13 | ![]() |
Sneak into Hollywood by producing your own films! | Ace Underhill |
August 9 | ![]() |
Successful Filmmaking with the Director and Producer of Half Way | Kevin Foster |
July 12 | ![]() |
Getting Ready for the 48HR Film Project | Duane Trammell |
June 14 | ![]() |
One Shot: The making of a feature in a single take | Al Stoffell, Karl Backus, Ronn Kilby |
May 10 | ![]() |
Making the Jump into Hollywood | Michele Wallerstein |
April 12 | Casting the Right Actor for your Film | Billy Cowart |
March 8 | Nicholl Fellowship Winner Destin Cretton | Destin Daniel Cretton |
February 8 | Successful Filmmaking with the Director and Producer of Sudden Death! | Adam Hall, Melanie Hall |
January 11 | Bringing Music to Life on Film | Leah Curtis |
2010
December 14 | CANCELLED - What It Means to Win the Nicholl Fellowship | Destin Daniel Cretton |
November 9 | From the Web to the Silver Screen | Kelly Parks, Neil Trusso, Vernon Mortensen |