Expand your creative career possibilities with this two-part class with Michael Lukk Litwak!

Overview

The film and media industry can be tumultuous and unpredictable, leaving many filmmakers uncertain about how to carve out a sustainable career. But beyond the traditional path of making feature films lies a world of opportunities waiting to be explored. Join The Gotham for Beyond the Short: Career Pathways for Filmmakers, a two-part class designed to expand your perspective on creative career possibilities and equip you with the tools to navigate them effectively.

In this series, independent filmmaker and branded content director Michael Lukk Litwak (Molli and Max in the Future) will give a broad overview of different career paths you can funnel your creativity into. From the macro big-picture advice to the micro technical details (how much people get paid!), Michael will cover his own personal experiences making shorts, features, web series, commercials and the myriad ways one can carve out a sustainable creative life.

Session 1: Career Sampler Platter
Explore a variety of career pathways, including:

• Developing your unique voice through short films and online platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Patreon.
• Transitioning from shorts to features or web series to TV.
• Building a career in branded content, commercials, and freelancing as a multi-hyphenate.
• Insights into working with agents, managers, and navigating Hollywood development.
• Crafting scalable scripts, pitch books, and prep documents to bring your vision to life.

Session 2: Navigating Your Creative Career
Master the tools to effectively sustain your creative journey, such as:

• Vetting collaborators, finding your team, and determining budget levels.
• Raising independent equity, working with casting directors, and collaborating with experienced actors.
• Preventing creative burnout while fostering a supportive, non-exploitative work environment.
• Navigating the festival circuit, hiring publicists, and negotiating with distributors.
• Marketing and releasing your feature film for maximum impact.

Whether you’re looking to find your footing in the industry or take your career to the next level, this class will provide actionable advice and invaluable guidance for building a fulfilling creative life.

Instructors

Michael Lukk Litwak

MICHAEL LUKK LITWAK is an award-winning filmmaker and ‘New Yorker’ cartoonist that was born and raised in Los Angeles. He likes to tell character-driven stories that embrace the absurd, often through a lens of classic genre-filmmaking.

His first feature was ‘MOLLI AND MAX IN THE FUTURE’, a sci-fi Romantic-Comedy often described as ‘When Harry Met Sally’ meets ‘Futurama.’ ‘MOLLI AND MAX’ had its world premiere at SXSW 2023, played at BFI LONDON, Sitges, and Fantasia, was Certified Fresh (w/ 98%) on Rotten Tomatoes, was a NYT Critic’s Pick, was featured on Late Night w/Seth Meyers and was distributed theatrically on Feb 9th 2024 by Level 33 Entertainment. It stars Zosia Mamet (Girls, The Flight Attendant), Aristotle Athari (SNL, Silicon Valley), Arturo Castro (Broad City), Michael Chernus (Severance), Aparna Nancherla (BoJack Horseman), Okieriete Onaodowan (Broadway’s Hamilton), Paloma Garcia-Lee (Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story), Erin Darke (Good Girls Revolt), Grace Kuhlenschmidt (Search Party), stand-up comedian Matteo Lane and seven-time Tony Award nominee Danny Burstein (Broadway’s Moulin Rouge!). It was #4 on /Film’s top 10 Sci-Fi films of 2023, #8 on Letterboxd Top 10 Highest User-Rated Sci-Fi Films of 2024, and Indiewire called it “a striking display of indie film craftsmanship.”

As a commercial director he’s created colorful, comedic, VFX-driven ADS & BRANDED CONTENT for SUBWAY, BURGER KING, KEYSTONE, MACY’S, VERIZON, YAHOO, APPLEBEE’S, SQUARESPACE, ELITE DAILY, VOX MEDIA, SPOTIFY, SNAPCHAT and many more. You can find all of his work at www.michaellitwak.com