Editor

Elevation 9000 Films, in collaboration with 1421 Productions, will be hosting its second Short Filmmaker's Lab to educate amateurs and professionals in the film industry and teach them to produce short films with feature film standards. The Lab will guide participants through the development, fundraising, public relations strategy, preproduction, production, post-production, premiere, festival participation, marketing and distribution of short films. Elevation 9000 Films’ founding member and last year’s Film Lab instructor, Corey Blake, will teach with 1421 partners Jesse Biltz and David Cohen. Christopher Liebe, initiator of last year’s lab and Elevation 9000 partner will assist in the development phase of the projects.

As short film producers, 1421 and E9K have cumulatively produced eighteen short films and three features. Their productions have won a Remi at the Texas Film Festival, The Grand Jury Prize at the San Diego Film Festival, Honorable Mention at the San Louis Obispo International Film Festival and a finalist statue at the Gene Siskel Competition in Chicago. Their films have played more than forty festivals. Currently they are producing a documentary for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Los Angeles.

Last year’s Short Film Lab fostered the completion of fifteen short film scripts and eight short films including Annie Oelschlager's, “Gretchen Brettschneider Skirts Thirty” (Grand Jury Prize Winner, San Diego Film Festival, 2003 and Best Actress, Laugh is Hope Comedy Festival, Houston, Texas). “We wanted to take the success of the first Lab and blow it up to a full year-long course that emphasizes the feature film approach we take to creating quality short film projects,” says Blake. “With our powerful production team at their disposal, our students are going to gain four year’s of experience in a year’s time and walk away with an amazing network and a tangible calling card that will assist them in procuring more work in the industry.”

Built on the foundation of the Group Theatre of the thirties, The Lab was created with the intention of structuring an environment conducive to unrestrained creativity. Writers, actors, producers, directors and other professionals utilize The Lab to build lasting relationships and create high quality calling cards for their work.

The Los Angeles Lab begins June 19th with applications due on the 9th of the same month. The New York Lab will begin October 23rd with applications due on the 13th of October. Tuition for the full year’s program is $1200 for the Los Angeles Lab and $1500 for the New York Lab. In addition to the talented team of Producers and Directors from 1421/E9K, The Labs will also feature guest lecturers with advice on everything from scene structure to short film distribution. Instructional classes meet weekly with guest lectures and screenings alternating for an additional class period each week.

About the Instructors
Corey Blake consults artists, film projects and businesses in Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta and New York. After founding Elevation 9000 Films in 2000 he and Christopher Liebe headed the original Elevation 9000 Film Lab from which “Gretchen Brettschneider Skirts Thirty,” a film Corey directed, was born. Corey speaks at film festivals and universities, helping young filmmakers to take positive steps towards advancing their careers. He produces the "Tackling the Business of Artistry" seminars sponsored by 1421/E9K and writes articles for five industry websites and an arts magazine with a monthly readership of approximately ten thousand. As an actor, Corey has worked professionally since 1999. He has executive produced and costarred in two award-winning short films under the Elevation 9000 banner, one of which he directed.

Jesse Biltz has appeared in several feature films and comes to the Film Lab with behind-the-camera experience on over 15 films. He directed the 1421 Production of Warning Sign that appeared at the Dances with Films Film Festival in Los Angeles and produced "Gretchen Brettschneider Skirts Thirty" with Elevation 9000. Prior to producing, Jesse founded and ran a monthly college publication with 30,000 copies distributed to 12 campuses in 4 of Florida's major cities at the age of nineteen. At twenty-one, he founded both a marketing consulting firm and a photography company which together dealt with the local music scene, new area businesses and regional magazine coverage. He began YOPA-CO, a personal assistant company catering to working actors upon arriving in Los Angeles. Jesse founded 1421 Productions with David Cohen early in 2003.

David Cohen has been involved as a producer on six shorts ranging in format from DV, to HD-24p, to 35mm since the inception of 1421 productions last year. He produced "Gretchen Brettschneider Skirts Thirty" with Elevation 9000 Films and partner Jesse Biltz. Before entering the scene in Los Angeles, David had been in front of the camera since age seven. He graduated from Rollins College with a Bachelors degree in Theater after appearing in over 30 national and regional commercials as well as many films and television shows. David is the director of the "O" Multimedia Arts Festival produced by 1421/E9K quarterly at Cinespace to promote up and coming talent in Los Angeles. He also heads the “O” Kids Foundation, a non-profit organization established by 1421/E9K to educate young adults on the business side of artistry.