SXSW 2015 Sessions Every Filmmaker Should Attend
Heading to Austin for South by Southwest? Check out the 64 can’t-miss sessions for filmmakers or video pros attending SXSW 2015.
It’s that time of year again! Since 1987, South by Southwest has showcased the best in music, film, and interactive design, and this year is proving to be no different. Whether you are a filmmaker, screenwriter, or just an interested fan of film, SXSW 2015 will be an amazing opportunity to grow your skills and learn from leaders in the industry.
This year, like years past, there will be hundreds of sessions, screenings, and events which is great – though it can certainly be overwhelming. To make the information a little more digestible, we’ve rounded up our favorite SXSW sessions for filmmakers. The list is ordered by date:
Friday, March 13
An Insiders Guide to SXSW Film
Learn how to maximize your time at SXSW with this helpful first day session.
- Austin Convention Center – Room 16AB
- 2:00-3:00pm
A Conversation with Ryan Gosling and Guillermo Del Toro
A casual conversation with Guillermo Del Toro and Ryan Gosling, featuring discourse regarding Gosling’s directorial debut “Lost River”.
- Austin Convention Center – Vimeo Theater
- 3:30-4:30pm
Filmmaking Cues from Top Sports Cinematographers
Learn how sports cinematographer bring storytelling to the MLB and NFL.
- Four Seasons – San Jacinto
- 3:30-4:30PM
Suspension of Disbelief in Virtual Reality
Learn how VR developers are helping to blur the line between artificial and reality.
- Hyatt Regency Austin – Zilker Ballroom 4
- 5:00-6:00PM
Saturday, March 14
Hyper-Reality TV and Online Video are a Perfect Fit
Morgan Spurlock and Dermot McCormack share insights into the future of reality TV online.
- Austin Convention Center – Room 18ABCD
- 9:30-10:30AM
The Future of Film Criticism: Diversify or Die
How does high-end film criticism fit in with an online audience?
- Austin Convention Center – 16AB
- 12:30PM-1:30PM
Hacking Technology for Your Indie Film
New technologies are ushering in new methods for distribution.
- InterConenential Stephen F. Austin – Capital Ballroom B
- 12:30 – 1:30PM
Studio Star Power: How Casting Really Works
Learn how Hollywood casting directors use talent to drive film production.
- Austin Convention Center – Room 17B
- 12:30pm – 1:30pm
Cinema Culture: The Power of Communal Experience
A curios look at how to film world should appeal to millennials.
- Austin Convention Center – Room 15
- 1:10pm-1:25pm
Why the Future of Film Depends on Social Media
If your film isn’t on social media it’s dead. Find out how to effectively use social media to the filmmaking process
- Austin Convention Center – Room 15
- 2:00pm-2:15pm
The Link Between Social Media and Box Office
How do retweets translate to movie tickets?
- Austin Convention Center – Room 15
- 2:20pm-2:35pm
A Conversation with Jeff Nichols and Michael Shannon
Jeff Nichols and Michael Shannon share how collaboration helped them create “Take Shelter” and “Mud”.
- Austin Convention Center – Room 16AB
- 3:30PM-4:30PM
DIY Filmmaking Tips and Techniques
Practical solutions for low budget films.
- Austin Convention Center – Room 15
- 3:30pm-3:45pm
A Guide to Live Action 360 VR Filmmaking
360 degree footage is helping to make VR filmmaking a reality, here’s a quick overview of how it’s done.
- InterContentnial Stephen F. Austin – Capital Ballroom B
- 3:30pm – 4:30pm
Is This Normal? A Look at Success in Indie Film
What does success look like in the indie-film community?
- Austin Convention Center – Room 17B
- 3:30pm – 4:30pm
Story of a Working-Class Screenwriter
Learn what a day in the life of a screenwriter looks like.
- Austin Convention Center – Room 15
- 3:50-4:05pm
Sunday, March 15
The Cast of Community on Moving to Digital
Learn what digital distribution means for the cast of the hit show “community”.
- Austin Convention Center – Room 18ABCD
- 11:00am – 12:00pm
For Hollywood, The Future is Not Evenly Distributed
Learn how Hollywood creates scarcity in an online world.
- Austin Convention Center – Room 15
- 12:30pm – 12:45pm
To Window or Not to Window: Film Release Strategies
There are a lot of different ways to release your film in the 21st century.
- Austin Convention Center – 17B
- 12:30pm – 1:30pm
Goody Guys vs. Bad Guys
Why do audiences love bad guys in movies?
- Austin Convention Center – Room 15
- 12:50pm – 1:05pm
Can A Film Be Banned in the US?
Free speech doesn’t mean movies aren’t censored.
- Austin Convention Center – Room 15
- 1:10pm – 1:25pm
10 Lessons From a Decade Behind the Scenes at Pixar
Learn how experts at Pixar help to create magical stories.
- Austin Convention Center – Room 17B
- 3:30pm – 4:30pm
A Conversation with Sally Field
Academy Award winner Sally Field shares insights about her 50 year career.
- Austin Convention Center – Room 16AB
- 3:30pm – 4:30pm
Hit A Home Run With Content Creation and Streaming
Hulk Hogan (I kid you not) shares how to create interesting and engaging content.
- Four Seasons – Ballroom AB
- 3:30pm – 4:30pm
House of Cards from Page to Screen
Screenwriter Beau Willimon shares how took “House of Cards” from page to screen.
- InterContinetal Stephen F. Austin – Capital Ballroom B
- 3:30pm – 4:30pm
How to make a LAIKA Film In 300,000 Camera Clicks
Learn how animators from Laika created The Boxtrolls, ParaNorman, and Coraline.
- Austin Convention Center – Room 15
- 3:30pm – 3:45pm
International Filmmakers Meet Up
Filmmakers from around the world meeting together to build relationships and network.
- InterContinetal Stephen F. Austin – SFA bar
- 3:30pm – 4:30pm
Hand-drawn Animation: Magic Between the Sheets
Learn how hand drawn animation brings classic animation techniques to the 21st century.
- Austin Convention Center – Room 15
- 3:50pm – 4:05pm
Pixar’s LAVA: Telling a Story Through Song
Learn how Pixar uses music to tell the story in their latest “Lava” short.
- Austin Convention Center – Room 15
- 4:10pm – 4:25pm
Monday, March 16
Breaking the Fourth Wall: Audience Participation in the Digital Age
Learn how new technologies are helping to make audiences a part of the filmmaking process.
- Four Seasons – San Jacinto
- 11:00am – 12:00pm
Canon Spotlight: The Cinematography of Comedy
Comedy masters share how they use modern cameras to help add laughs to their films.
- InterContinetal Stephen F. Austin – Capital Ballroom B
- 11:00am – 12:00pm
Exploring Storytelling in the Digital Age
Learn a few new ways to tell stories in the digital age.
- Four Seasons – Ballroom AB
- 11:00am – 12:00pm
Forget Screens: Immersive Content Lives Everywhere
Learn how artists are using projection mapping to take video from screens to walls.
- Austin Convention Center – Room 18ABCD
- 11:00am – 12:00pm
How Potato Salad Killed/Saved Crowdfunding
A professional discussion about the future of crowdfunding.
- Austin Convention Center – Next Stage
- 11:00am – 12:00pm
Creating the Shows That We Like
Learn how ‘The Last Man on Earth’ is using unique concepts to make audiences laugh.
- Austin Convention Center – Room 16AB
- 12:30pm – 1:30pm
A Drama Nirvana: How to Create a Multiplatform Hit
You don’t have to just get your film in theaters for it to be a success.
- Four Seasons – San Jacinto
- 12:30pm – 1:30pm
Finding A TV Partner in A Digital World
Just because we’re in the digital age doesn’t mean there aren’t benefits to distributing your docs to broadcasters.
- Four Seasons – Ballroom AB
- 12:30pm – 1:30pm
For Those About to Lock: The Editing Workshop
Learn how to fix mistakes in the editing bay.
- InterContinetal Stephen F. Austin – Capital Ballroom B
- 12:30pm – 1:30pm
How New Technology is Changing War Zone Filmmaking
Learn how filmmakers make powerful films in disaster zones using only a camera.
- Austin Convention Center – Room 15
- 12:30pm – 1:30pm
Independent Directors on Working with Actors
A relationship between director and actor is vital.
- Austin Convention Center – 17B
- 12:30pm – 1:30pm
Tool-Kit for Crafting an Interactive Documentary
A quick guide to interactive web-based storytelling.
- Austin Convention Center – Austin Suite
- 12:30pm – 1:30pm
Art of Amazing: 4K Film from Conception to Viewing
Learn how 4K
- Austin Convention Center – Room 15
- 2:00pm – 3:00pm
How Next-Gen Filmmakers are Changing Hollywood
Learn how services like YouTube are changing the film landscape.
- Austin Convention Center – Next Stage
- 2:00pm – 3:00pm
Sound Designing Authenticity in Documentary
A discussion about creating believable soundscapes in documentaries.
- InterContinental Stephen F. Austin – Capital Ballroom B
- 2:00pm – 3:00pm
DIY Theatrical Distribution for Independent Films
Distribution services are expensive. Learn what the distribution process looks like for indie-films.
- Austin Convention Center – Room 17B
- 3:30pm – 4:30pm
Film Finance and Distribution in 2015
Learn a few ways to distribute your film in 2015.
- InterContinetal Stephen F. Austin – Capital Ballroom B
- 3:30pm – 4:30pm
Should You Develop Your Film Into a TV Series?
TV has come a long way in the last few years with more and more TV series taking filmic approaches to storytelling.
- Four Seasons Ballroom AB
- 3:30pm – 4:30pm
Game of Thrones: Creating Immersive Entertainment
Learn how the filmmakers of Game of Thrones brought their world to life on and off screen.
- Four Seasons – Ballroom AB
- 5:00pm – 6:00pm
Infinity and Beyond: Pixar and 20 Years Since Toy Story
A few things Pixar has learned in their 20+ years of animation.
- Austin Convention Center – Room 18ABCD
- 5:00pm – 6:00pm
Tuesday, March 16
3D Printing in the Movies
Learn how Hollywood is using 3D printers to create props and sets.
- Four Seasons – San Jacinto
- 9:30am – 10:30am
Hollywood to Silicon Valley: Making a Megahit
What makes movies successful in the 21st century?
- Four Seasons – Ballroom AB
- 9:30am – 10:30am
The Future of Concerts on TV
Concerts are dwindling in popularity on TV, find out how industry experts are trying to save this genre.
- Four Seasons – San Jacinto
- 11:00am – 12:00pm
Who’s Going to Fund Your Web Series
You’ve got a great idea now all you need is some money to see it through, so where is that money going to come from?
- Four Seasons – San Jacinto
- 12:30pm – 1:30pm
Boyhood Post-Production: 13th Year of a 12 Year Movie
How do you edit a film that has 12 years worth of footage?
- Austin Convention Center – Room 16AB
- 2:00pm – 3:00pm
Making Art While Entertaining the Internet
How to get mass audiences to enjoy your artistic work online.
- Austin Convention Center – Room 17B
- 2:00pm – 3:00pm
Other People’s Money: Investors and Crowdfunding
You don’t have to choose between investors and crowdfunding.
- Austin Convention Center – Room 9ABC
- 2:00pm – 3:00pm
Something from Nothing: The No-Budget Way
Learn how to create a film without a big budget.
- InterContinetal Stephen F. Austin – Capital Ballroom B
- 2:00pm – 3:00pm
Intellectual Property in Film and Interactive Media
Who REALLY owns your work?
- Austin Convention Center – Room 9ABC
- 3:30pm – 4:30pm
Online Success Without Cat Videos or Crotch Hits
There’s a fine line between giving your audience what they want and losing integrity.
- Four Seasons – Ballroom AB
- 3:30pm – 4:30pm
Shorts Filmmaker Meet Up
Meet-up with other short filmmakers at the SFA Bar.
- InterContinetal Stephen F. Austin – SFA Bar
- 3:30pm – 4:30pm
Web Influence on the Future of Music Documentaries
Learn from industry experts what the future holds for the music doc genre.
- Austin Convention Center – Room 15
- 3:30pm – 4:30pm
Cultural Connections: TV, Digital and the New Mainstream
What does the future hold for media?
- Austin Convention Center – Ballroom E
- 5:00pm – 6:00pm
For more information regarding any of these sessions check out the film section on the SXSW website. We’ll see you there.
Are you going to SXSW 2015? Let us know what you’ll be attending.