From one end of the San Fernando Valley to the other, one finds an abundance of entertainment companies and the people working there. So it’s no surprise the Valley plays host to festivals showcasing the work of young, up-and-coming filmmakers and the veterans still reaching for the big time. With spring comes Method Fest in Calabasas and the San Fernando Valley International Film Festival in North Hollywood. In the fall it’s the Valley Film Festival at the El Portal Theatre also in North Hollywood. Come next October, Universal City enters the circuit with a festival placing an emphasis on educating filmmakers. The Universal City International Film Festival benefits a scholarship program for the New York Film Academy, a school based on the Universal Studio lot. “There are plenty of wonderful filmmakers who cannot afford to go to film school,” said film producer Suzanne DeLaurentiis. “Let’s face it, film school is very expensive and a lot of young filmmakers won’t get the opportunity or exposure because they can’t go to film school.” DeLaurentiis conceived the festival along with Dan Mackler, a staff member at the New York Film Academy, and Juliette Harris, of “It” Girl Public Relations, a firm that does work for DeLaurentiis’ production company. The Universal City/North Hollywood Chamber of Commerce has also joined in promoting the event. As a lecturer at the New York Film Academy, DeLaurentiis discussed with Mackler and Harris how her production company could assist student filmmakers and the trio came up with the festival. The one-week event features screenings at theaters at City Walk and on the Universal backlot, panel discussions and seminars run by Mackler, and after-hours events at City Walk restaurants. A black tie gala dinner at the Universal City Hilton concludes the week. The movie screenings will offer something for everyone, DeLaurentiis said. There will be a nights of student films, shorts, and feature length films. Since the festival falls on the weekend before Halloween, one night is devoted to horror films. That the festival takes place on the Universal lot should be enticing for young filmmakers, so that they experience all the “bells and whistles” of coming to the entertainment capital of the world, DeLaurentiis said. Film submissions for the festival begin in February and sponsorships are still available. For more information on the festival visit www.uciff.com. Visual Effects Training The Visual Effects Society kicked off a new training and mentoring program this month to give students a better understanding of the skills needed to get into the entertainment industry. The program is partially funded by a $5,000 grant from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and for its first go around the society limited it to students from three area schools with visual effects and animation programs. “This gives each student the opportunity to talk to and get advice from someone who is already doing what they want to do when they finish school,” said Pam Hogarth, co-chair of the education committee of the Encino-based VES, a trade organization of visual effects professionals from 16 countries. The program is divided into two parts with the training portion taking place on two Saturdays in December. The first Saturday featured panel discussions from those working on the visual effects side of the film, animation, broadcast and gaming industries. The second Saturday focused on honing job hunting skills and receiving one-on-one advice on what to include in a resume and demo reels and the type of work and skills that studios look for. Hogarth, the director of industry relations at Gnomon School of Visual Effects, spoke with students from the Hollywood school who attended the first session who told her it was valuable because the information presented was not available from other sources. “They also got a good idea of the cultures of each of the different industries because of the people on the panels,” Hogarth said. “I had students come back and say they would want to work at a smaller studio after seeing these people and hearing what it’s like.” The mentoring portion of the program begins in mid-January with a goal of 10 students taking part. If more VES members sign up to be mentors, however, then more students can participate and establish a rapport with professionals who can usher them from school into full-time work, Hogarth said. The secondary goal is for the mentoring program to be of value to the VES members. Working in visual effects can be a time consuming occupation but the people who do it enjoy their work and tend to enjoy imparting their knowledge on those starting out, Hogarth said. “The opportunity to reach out to share and help a student along can be very fulfilling,” Hogarth said. Subdued E3 The trade organization behind the popular Electronic Entertainment Expo (aka E3) has pulled the plug on the show’s sensory-overloading and carnival-like atmosphere. The Entertainment Software Association now wants their premier annual event to be more “business-like” in the words of its president, Douglas Lowenstein. So the expensive displays promoting new video games, the loud music, and the booth babes prevalent at this year’s expo at the Los Angeles Convention Centesr will be replaced by a more controlled environment at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica where displays will be limited to 100-square feet to 400-square feet. The three-day event also features invitation-only meetings between ESA members and non-members with retailers, media and developer partners. San Fernando Valley game publishers Buena Vista Games, THQ, Inc., Insomniac Games, and Warner Bros. Interactive used the intense media exposure of this year’s expo to promote their upcoming games. Games based on feature films were a trend at the show. Staff Reporter Mark R. Madler can be reached at (818) 316-3126 or by e-mail at [email protected] .