Filmscape Chicago Unveils Schedule for June 24-25

As you begin making plans for the Summer, there is one weekend you can confidently ink into your calendar. Filmscape Chicago is set for June 24-25 at CineCity Studios. Today, the organization released its highly anticipated class schedule, and Filmscape Board Member Colette Gabriel stopped by SCREEN to tell us all about it.

What is Filmscape? Simply put, Filmscape Chicago brings together filmmakers, artists, technicians, and students from across Chicago and the greater Midwest for two days of networking, education, and training – all completely for free. You can click here to register.

“Filmscape is really a threefold event,” Gabriel shared with SCREEN. “Come to talk directly to vendors about cameras, lights, props, virtual production walls, and so much more. Come to learn new skills from industry professionals. And come to network with industry people by walking the show floor and also in our themed coffee hours which will be hosted by various local organizations. And it’s all free, so why not!”

Virtual Production in the Spotlight

The Filmscape class schedule was unveiled today, and offers a wide range of topics for all experience levels. Click here for the jam-packed two-day itinerary.

So is there one event or class in particular you should circle on the schedule? “It’s hard to pick just one as the list is so diverse,” Gabriel shared with SCREEN, “but virtual production is such a hot topic right now and I’m excited that we’re approaching the subject from the technical side with our Cinematography on an LED Volume class taught by SMASH Virtual’s Andy Jarosz, Budgeting for Virtual Production from Resolution Digital’s Todd Freese, as well as from a broader discussion from the IL and Chicago film offices talking about the future of virtual production in Chicago. And the future is bright so this is really exciting stuff!”

That discussion Gabriel mentions will be moderated by Peter Hawley, Commissioner of the Illinois Film Office, and Jonah Zeiger, Commissioner of the Chicago Film Office, and will feature esteemed panelists from SMASH Virtual, Resolution Digital Studios, and SHOWRUNNER.

Additional schedule highlights include everything from a deep dive into AI and copyrights, to a 16mm film loading how-to, to an exclusive lens demo from Canon. And if you’re new to town and looking for a path to enter the industry, Filmscape is also presenting a Production Assistant (PA, for short, of course) Masterclass.

Classes span across all departments, creative and technical, and are taught by industry experts. Filmscape classes help students acquire real world knowledge and skills that they can put into practice immediately – from the latest and greatest in new technologies to practical and technique-based instruction.

Click here to take a look at the class schedule for Filmscape Chicago, coming up June 24-25.

Filmscape Returns to CineCity Studios

In 2022, Filmscape announced a new host venue and it will be returning there for the 2023 iteration. That home is CineCity Studios, which is located at 1414 S Western Ave.

Here are a couple of photo highlights from last year’s Filmscape…

At this point, you might be asking, “Who should come out to Filmscape?” Colette Gabriel’s answer is “Everyone!” “We created Filmscape as a way to strengthen and grow the filmmaking community,” Gabriel declared to SCREEN. “While we started as a more technical event focusing on lighting, grip, and camera gear, we’ve expanded into many other fields including props, makeup, producing, locations, and more. Filmmaking is a collaborative process where all departments come together for a collective goal. Filmscape strives to reflect that. Each year we add more classes covering more topics and bring in more vendors from different fields so we can provide this event for all.”

And once again, the weekend is free. Click here to register. Be sure to arrive early on June 24 and 25 as classes are filled on a first come, first served basis.

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