Warner Bros. Emerging Film Directors Workshop Names Its Inaugural Class
Announced in March 2016, the Emerging Film Directors Workshop provides aspiring directors the ultimate opportunity to showcase their work to the film community after a seven-month intensive fellowship at Warner Bros.
The 2016 inaugural class is comprised of:
Kristin Burke
Burke has worked as a movie costume designer for 25 years, working on such movies as New Line Cinema’s “The Conjuring.” She has written, directed, edited and produced three original short films.
Justin Floyd
Floyd is a graduate of Fullerton College and participated in the Inner City Filmmakers program (ICF) and the Sundance Film Festival Ignite Fellowship. The Los Angeles native has worked as a production assistant on “Fast 8” and “Sinister 2,” and written, produced and directed four short films.
Alexis Korycinski
A Syracuse University graduate, Korycinski spent her first few years after college producing documentaries and directed her own in 2011. She has also directed and produced three original narrative short films. In 2014, she participated in the AFI’s Directing Workshop for Women and she’s also a participant in Ryan Murphy Television’s Half Foundation mentorship program, through which she has shadowed directors on shows such as “American Horror Story.”
Elaine Mongeon
Mongeon is from Nantucket, Massachusetts. After attending Boston University, she moved to Los Angeles and eventually became the assistant to director Greg Jacobs, working with him on nine different films.
Xu Zhang
Zhang grew up in southern China, where she attended the Zhejiang University. She earned her MFA in Film & TV Production at University of Southern California, during which time she worked on more than 20 short films, directing several of them.
“We’re very excited about the filmmakers we’ve selected for our inaugural Directors Workshop,” said Silverman. “Each of these candidates has a unique background, point of view, and aspiration. They’ve already shown immense talent and passion for filmmaking and we can’t wait to help them further develop their skills, get exposure for their work and advance their careers.”
Starting in December, participants will work through the entire film production process, from pitch to final cut and premiere. Julia Spiro, Vice President, Production, and Jon Gonda, Production Executive, Warner Bros. Pictures, oversee the Workshop and will serve as mentors and industry liaisons for the group.
Over the course of seven months, each of these filmmakers will create their own original short film with a budget of $100,000 through a process that mimics Warner Bros. Pictures’ feature process from beginning to end, including script development, full prep, a shoot on the historic Warner Bros. lot, and full post production. Workshop participants have the option to develop their story idea and write it themselves or work with a screenwriter.
In addition to the production process, the Workshop also includes guest speakers and various panels from industry experts. The program will culminate with a film festival held at Warner Bros. in June 2017, where the participants will premiere their short films and get exposure to agents, managers, and industry professionals.
There were over 5,000 applicants to the Emerging Film Directors Workshop, with each applicant submitting their idea for a short film. After an intensive review process, these five candidates were selected.
More information on the program can be found at http://filmworkshop.warnerbros.com/.