Workshop Registration

Producing Dramatic Film on a Shoe String Budget

NOTE: It is recommended that participants wear a mask for all in-person workshops.

Hone your producing skills in this two-evening crash course in producing low-budget independent films. In this workshop, participants will learn the process of taking a dramatic film project from development to delivery from a producer’s perspective. Explore how to go through the basics of development, production and post-production activities to maximize and capitalize on the film project’s cash-flow. This workshop tracks the trajectory of making a dramatic feature film in the Canadian financing landscape, highlighting topics relevant to anyone interested in producing a short or feature narrative film. Topics include pitching, development, production, financing, casting, crewing, budgeting, scheduling, negotiations, legal issues, marketing, distribution and professional development. Participants will acquire the foundational knowledge to help guide this multifaceted job and navigate a complex juggling act of a narrative-based production.

The Introduction to Independent Filmmaking workshop is strongly recommended as a prerequisite. This workshop is recommended as a companion to the Short Film Writing, Advanced Script Studio, Directing Dramatic Film, Visual Metaphor and Expressive Directing Techniques​, Introduction to Production Accounting, VFX On Set: Workflow and Supervision Practices and The Business of Film Distribution workshops.​

part 1: Tue 18 June 2024, 6 - 10 pm   
part 2: Thu 20 June 2024, 6 - 10 pm   
(Registration deadline is Tue 18 June 5:00 pm)

Instructor: Peter Lynch

With a filmmaking career spanning more than 35 years, Peter Lynch is responsible for several internationally acclaimed feature films and shorts including Arrowhead (Genie Award winner) and Project Grizzly which have attained global cult status as Canadian films by fans including Quentin Tarantino. Project Grizzly was spoofed on The Simpsons, and has inspired more than 20 art installations directly referring to the film, part of Grizzly Proof at Flux Factory, NYC. Other works have been screened at local and international film festivals; Cyberman alone appeared at 70 film festivals at the year of its release following its world premiere at Rotterdam, including TIFF, Berlinale, IDFA and was listed as one of the Top 10 Feature Films of 2002 by Film Comment. Carte Blanche participant, 10 films have appeared at TIFF throughout the years. Guest programmer at VIFF, attended jury duties at Genie Awards, TIFF, CFC as well as in Spain, Argentina and Czech Republic.

TV career includes producing, writing and directing documentary and fiction for CBC, City TV, The National Geographic Channel and The History Channel; producing and directing TV commercials and music videos. His work has also been shown widely on broadcasters spanning the globe ranging from BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5, Arte, RAI, NHK and The Sundance Channel to Global and CTV.

Before turning to filmmaking, was a major player in the early video/new media revolution and chronicler of punk, new wave music, hip-hop, dancehall, and the avant-garde music scene by co-founding, co-producing and co-directing Video Culture International one of the most influential festivals of its kind in the world. Was also the Creative Director and Vice President at Sony Creative Video - a Sony initiative to develop cultural markets for new Sony technology.

His dramatic neonoir film Birdland is part of a chapter of new digital, theatrical and television works Lynch is presently developing, including: The Carrying Place (a feature drama with Lynch as co-writer, co-producer and director); Creepy (a hybrid, true crime project based on the public enemy Alvin Karpis, with a spinoff podcast on the same subject); and two limited series with writer Tony Burgess (Pontypool) - one an arctic-exploration drama entitled The Furious Fall of Henry Hudson.



Location: 1137 Dupont Street
Category: Producing
Maximum Capacity: 12
8 hours of instruction in 2 parts$125 /member$150 /nonmember
Registration opens
Tue 21 May at 10am