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Master Class with Director/Producer Robert Kenner

IDA Offices, 3470 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 980, Los Angeles CA 90010

Join us for a special Master Class with celebrated Director/Producer Robert Kenner. His Academy Award® and IDA Award-nominated film Food, Inc., co-produced with author and Pulitzer Prize finalist, Eric Schlosser, not only had an eye opening and monumental impact on how our food is regulated in the US but is also one of the highest grossing theatrical documentaries of all time. Robert’s groundbreaking use of animation, archival footage, and compelling interviews continues to inspire documentary filmmakers on how to engage large audiences with difficult issues in an entertaining way. Drawing from a rich body of work, including the Peabody and Emmy Award-winning film Two Days in October, When Strangers Click, Road to Memphis, Merchants of Doubt, and his latest collaboration with author Eric Schlosser, Command and Control, Robert will use clips and stories to illustrate how to give issue and historical films a vital artistic life.

Topics covered will include:

  • How to collaborate with prominent non-fiction writers
  • The creative and original use of animation
  • The challenges and opportunities of dramatic re-creations
  • Working with archival material in dynamic ways
  • The art of interviewing
  • How to build dramatically powerful opening sequences
  • The director/producer's role in creating successful outreach and engagement campaigns

The Master Class will include a generous amount of time for Q&A.

This class is ideal for:

  • Experienced director/producers seeking to understand the creative process from the perspective of a prominent documentary director
  • Filmmakers with a particular interest in how to excel in the use of interviews, archival footage, animation, and reenactment for historical storytelling
  • Filmmakers who want tips on how to craft/adapt a cinematic documentary experience from a book and build creative relationships with authors
  • Doc makers of all types looking to shape a strong opening for their film
  • Film students and recent film school graduates who want to supplement their education with hands-on advice from a veteran, acclaimed filmmaker