Sidewalk Salon

Scheduled the first Tuesday of the month, Sidewalk Salons provide an opportunity for Birmingham's filmmaking community to meet, greet, listen and discuss. Guest speakers and topics provide a focus to each meeting, while the social environment of Rojo gives friends and colleagues a reason to get together monthly to talk about upcoming projects.

 

On the first Tuesday of every month, Rojo owners Laney DeJonge and Clark Lopez open up their side room exclusively for Salon participants! Complimentary snacks are available for all, or you can take advantage of Rojo's diverse menu selections. Don't forget to sample the full selection of beverages available at the bar. Rojo is located at 2921 Highland Ave South. (Get directions.)

Do you have an upcoming project you'd like announced at the next Sidewalk Salon? Need some help, or want to offer to help someone else? Perhaps you've just moved to town and want to let folks know you're here. Download a Sidewalk Salon "Announcement Card", and we'll include your announcement at the next Salon! Just bring it with you to the Salon, or fax it to us in advance at (205) 324-2488.

Download Announcement Card

TUESDAY / JUNE 2
PARTY WITH A PURPOSE
Sidewalk has a lot of big changes coming up. We have a new membership system with tons of great perks, a fun opportunity to volunteer for Sidewalk over the summer, and some big announcements to make. Please come out to this salon to find out how YOU can help Sidewalk!

TUESDAY / MAY 5
GRANTS FOR FILMMAKERS - FAQ
Are there a lot of grants for filmmakers? Who usually gets selected to receive them? Who makes the decisions on who gets what? What's the best way to present yourself on paper? These and other questions addressed at the May 2009 Salon. Melissa Kendrick, a grants specialist, and Melissa Schoel, Programs Associate for the Cultural Alliance, will be on hand to tell you the in's and out's of applying for grants. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE INFO SHARED AT THIS SALON.

TUESDAY / APRIL 7
THE FILM INCENTIVE BILL AND YOU!
Hear the exciting recent news about Alabama's new film incentives legislation, straight from one of the important people who worked hard to make it happen-- the director of Birmingham's Film office, Mark Stricklin. Also on the agenda: a discussion about our region's ability to crew up for the inevitable flood of production inquiries. After years of tepid feature film activity, our experienced crewbase has diminished. Join us in an honest discussion about how to fulfill a production's needs, through experience and/or sweat equity in order to help build a vibrant film business in the region and the state.

TUESDAY / MARCH 3
STATE OF THE FESTIVAL
Come out to Rojo to find out what's going on with Sidewalk and all its projects Board members will be on hand to tell you what's happening and answer your questions. This is your chance to shape your film festival.

TUESDAY / FEBRUARY 3
FREELANCING: IS IT FOR YOU?
Freelancing can seem like a dream life-- being your own boss, choosing your own jobs, etc. But before you leave "the man" and your desk job behind, come to our February Salon and listen to what the professional freelancers have to say. Join George Smith, Randy "Mongo" Halpern, and Michael "Bear" Praytor as they share with you their experiences and tell you what you need to consider before making the big leap into freelancing.

TUESDAY / JANUARY 6
CASTING YOUR FILM
Join Janelle Cochrane, free-lance casting director and Sherry Graves, recently of Real People Talent Agency, as they go over the ins and outs of casting a film. Actors can learn what to expect at an audition; others, what things to consider when running your own auditions, and the ins and outs of going through a talent agency.

TUESDAY / DECEMBER 2
SIDEWALK FEEDBACK SALON
Come tell Sidewalk Santa what you want in 2009! Help us tailor Sidewalk's programs to suit your needs. Got any requests for Salon topics? Is there something you wish we would do for the Scramble? Tell us about your favorite local short films of all time -- you could be helping to program our Bright House showcase! This is your chance to gain a bigger stake in all things Sidewalk. Join in the festivities, and help us fine tune our 2009 programs to meet the needs of the local filmmaker!

TUESDAY / NOVEMBER 4
SIDEWALK PICTIONARY
A longtime favorite of the Salon, Sidewalk Pictionary is a chance to kick back and have some fun. Players will pull a 2008 Sidewalk film title from a hat and they must draw it the best they can in order to get their team to guess. Prizes galore! Plus, find out how YOUR FILM can be on television!

TUESDAY / OCTOBER 7
NO SALON
Sidewalk took the month off to recooperate from the festival.

TUESDAY / SEPTEMBER 2
SIDEWALK SNEAK PEEK
It's that time of year again! Sidewalk is just around the corner and it's time to get an early scoop at some of the films you can catch at Sidewalk. We'll have trailers from some of our feature length documentaries and narratives, plus a couple of shorts to whet your appetite.

TUESDAY / AUGUST 5
KILLING IS MY BUSINESS (and business is good!)
What does it take to be a successful Make-up FX artist in the movie industry? Come hear Jonathan Thornton discuss the ins and outs of the business, how to get big budget FX on a low budget, how to think on your feet and roll with the punches, and how the movie make-up FX business has been affected by our nosediving economy. Mr. Thornton will also tell a few "horror" stories (sometimes things don't always go as planned), conduct a show and tell, and will answer any questions after the session.

TUESDAY / JULY 1
UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES UPDATE
Come hear the latest details on: Scramble X, July's 10-day Scramble; SideWrite, our screenwriting contest; Sidewalk Chalk: Erasing Childhood Cancer contest ($5000 prize!); Teen Filmmaking Challenge; and more!

TUESDAY / JUNE 3
LOCATION SCOUTING II
Welcome Mike Cunliffe as he shares his experiences living and working as a location manager in Los Angeles and Alabama. He will be displaying his many photos from the locations he has scouted for such films as Big Fish, Heavens Fall, and Honeydripper. He'll also be telling of his extraordinary experiences, in particular the amazing locations found throughout Alabama.

TUESDAY / MAY 6
FILM OFFICE UPDATES
Join Tommy Fell of the Alabama Film Office, along with Mark Stricklin of the Birmingham-Jefferson Film Office, to find out the latest about what's happening in our film world. This is a very important Salon and anyone who is concerned about the future of film in our city and state should come to hear these updates and learn how you can get involved.

TUESDAY / APRIL 1
FILM FESTIVAL LOWDOWN
Find out which festivals (other than Sidewalk) you should submit your film to. You'll learn about acceptance rates, entry fees and deadlines, and more. Plus, get the full report back from Sidewalk staffers on their time at the SXSW Film Festival.

TUESDAY / MARCH 4
NETWORKING SALON
Looking for collaborators for your next project? Does that script you wrote need a second opinion? Need to ask an experienced cinematographer how feasible your ideas are? If so, then please come to the the March Salon where our focus is networking. This is an excellent time for Scramblers to find teammates!

TUESDAY / FEBRUARY 5
RED ONE Camera
The rumors are true! For February's Salon, we are introducing you to the coolest camera to date. Ladies and Gentlemen, say hello to the new RED ONE...putting the power of a world-class HD digital camera in the hands of the everyday filmmaker. Please join us as we welcome Bill Schweikert (billschweikert.com) of Dead Workers Party (deadworkersparty.com). He will be presenting his newest acquisition, the RED ONE camera, for a show-and-tell you won't want to miss!

TUESDAY / JANUARY 8
SCREENPLAY DEVELOPMENT
Get a taste of screenplay development with Elizabeth Bradley Hunter! She will be conducting interactive exercises and discussing the topic of idea development. For those of you interested in taking her screenwriting course this summer, you will not want to miss this. Elizabeth Bradley Hunter began her film career as the founder of Sundays Under the Volcano, a script reading and music series in NYC. She has served as Head of Development for Andrew Lauren Productions, where she was actively involved in G (2002) and THE SQUID AND THE WHALE.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE 2006-2007 SALONS.