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LIVESTREAMING EVENTS
WHY THE DRAMA?
At FilmGate Miami, we're all about igniting creativity, nurturing talent, and showcasing the vibrant works and performances originating from the vibrant South Florida scene.
This event is a reimagined actor, writer and industry meetup with the mission to craft, critique, and expand works and performances, coming from South Florida. Special guests will include casting agents, filmmakers and distinguished media industry members.
At Why the Drama we deep dive into riveting screenplay read-throughs, while welcoming industry professionals to witness the sheer brilliance and boundless talent that Miami has to offer. Prepare to be amazed!
Rather attend in person?
PAST LIVESTREAMS
Filmmaker Masterclass - Directing VFX & A.I.: Put Your Imagination on Screen
📅 Saturday, October 11th
🕙 10:00 AM – 1:30 PM
This masterclass presentation is designed for directors, filmmakers, and creative storytellers looking to master the art of directing scenes enhanced or entirely driven by visual effects and artificial intelligence. Blending foundational VFX workflows with cutting-edge A.I. tools, participants will learn how to previsualize complex sequences, collaborate with VFX supervisors, direct actors in greenscreen or mocap environments, and make confident technical decisions — all while preserving emotional clarity and narrative purpose.
Whether you're crafting a fantasy world, building branded content, or experimenting with new tech, this session provides practical strategies for working smarter, staying visionary, and turning the impossible into cinematic reality.
Syllabus/topics covered:
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The VFX Director's Mindset - Directing what hasn't been created yet.
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Collaborating with a VFX Supervisor - What do they do, when to bring them in, how to speak their language.
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Choosing the Right Techniques - Greenscreen, LED Volume, Practical FX, CGI, A.I. Generations
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Previsualization - Storyboards, Animatics, Concept Art, Techvis, A.I. tools
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Directing VFX On Set - Tracking markers, HDRIs, lidar scans, Lighting and Camera for post
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Directing Actors for the Unreal - Eyelines, reference imagery, prepping talent with previs
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Budgeting VFX - save money, pre-planning, strategic decisions
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VFX & A.I. Ecosystem - VFX roles, CG Tools, A.I. Tools, where A.I. fits in the pipeline
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The VFX Pipeline - Director's role in each stage, giving clear actionable feedback in each.
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Case Study - Either Fireball Whisky ad or Mountain Dew (currently in progress). Process breakdown.
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Final Takeaways & Q&A - Lead VFX confidently, your taste and storytelling matter more than ever.
Meet the Instructor:
Michael Leon is a Miami-based filmmaker and commercial director known for stylized, VFX-driven storytelling. He earned his BFA in Digital Film & Video Production from Miami International University of Art & Design, where his thesis film Stillborn (2017) won five Best Of awards. His follow-up, In the Dark (2020), received 35 festival awards. His Fireball Whisky spec (2023) won four Telly Awards and two Oniro Awards, leading to commercial work for 1/ST Racing, Voodoo Decks, Gems Group, and collaborations with Red Bull, Hyundai, NBC Universal, Camacho Cigars, and Peacock.