MyMediaLife Mentorship Program

A mentor is somebody with experience in or knowledge of a certain area and wants to teach it to someone else. A mentee is a person who is advised, trained or counseled by a mentor. Participants will get to meet in small groups and one-on-one with Francisco.

 

Francisco Solorzano is the owner of Barefoot Theatre Company and Barefoot Studio Pictures. He has produced and directed numerous award-winning short films, and has connections to hundreds of NYC based actors, producers, and writers. He is also a lifetime member of The Actor’s Studio, the prestigious professional actors' workshop in New York City whose members have been among the most influential performers in American theatre and film since the 1940s.

 

Francisco grew up in Far Rock and graduated from FREC. In his senior year, the guidance counselor encouraged him to audition for a summer program that focused on acting and the arts, which launched his career in theater and film. It changed his life and helped him see outside of what he considered a limiting set of perspectives and opportunities in his local community and schools. 

 

BAREFOOT THEATRE COMPANY is a multicultural collective of actors, writers, directors and filmmakers specializing in the development and incubation of new work and the cultivation of new attention for lesser-known works by long-established authors, with a vital, thought-provoking eye toward themes of diversity and inclusion in NYC & LA. Francisco Solorzano, Founder & Artistic Director since 1999.

 

BAREFOOT STUDIO PICTURES is an award winning, critically acclaimed multicultural collective of actors and filmmakers specializing in the development and incubation of new work and the cultivation of new attention for lesser-known works by well-established authors, with a vital, thought-provoking eye toward themes of diversity and inclusion.  Barefoot Theatre Company’s most notable production includes the first ever Off-Broadway stage adaptation of the Academy award winning film, Dog Day Afternoon. 

 

BAREFOOT MENTORSHIP OBJECTIVES

  • To supply challenging opportunities as well as a safe and nurturing environment for aspiring artists

  • To collaborate on a diverse level with people of all ethnic backgrounds

  • To develop new and exciting screenplays

  • To support the advancement of women and BIPOC in the film industry

 

BAREFOOT’S SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS

INSTAGRAM & FACEBOOK & TWITTER

ASPECTS OF THE FILM INDUSTRY

Mentees can choose whatever aspect(s) of the film industry they would like to explore:

Concept Development

The concept is simply an idea of what the film will be about. Generally, a writer or director will develop a concept. From there, if funding is required, a "Spec Script" may be written and presented. A spec script, also known as a speculative screenplay, is a non-commissioned and unsolicited screenplay. It is usually written by a screenwriter who hopes to have the script purchased by a producer, production company, or studio.

Screenwriting

Screenwriting, also known as scriptwriting, is all about the creative process of crafting scripts for various media formats, including feature films, television shows, and video games. This skill is frequently exercised by freelance professionals who specialize in developing convincing narratives and engaging dialogue.

Cinematography

Cinematography is the art and science of motion picture photography. It involves such techniques as the general composition of a scene; the lighting of the set or location; the choice of cameras, lenses, filters, and film stock; the camera angle and movements; and the integration of any special effects.

Production Design AKA Art Design

Production design is the intersection of art, architecture, and narrative, using space, lines, shapes, colors and patterns to form a distinct visual language to elevate on-screen stories. Although it is often overlooked, production design has an incredible impact on how audiences feel when they watch a film or television show. 

Sound Design

Sound design is the craft of combining every piece of audio in a film—including dialogue, sound effects, ambiance, score, and soundtrack—to create the film's soundscape. Most often, the sound designer does their work digitally, cueing up pre-recorded sounds and timing the sounds with the visual narrative to provide maximum impact.

Film Editing

Film editing is both a creative and a technical part of the post-production process of filmmaking. The term is derived from the traditional process of working with, cutting, and piecing together actual film but that now involves the use of digital technology.

Acting/Performance

Acting is when a story is told by means of its performance by an actor who adopts a character, in theatre, television, or film. In film, the actor must convey emotions and actions through more subtle facial expressions and body language. The audience is not in the same physical space as the performer, but film is a more intimate medium that picks up more of these actions than an audience can see from the stage. The actor must also be aware of the technical aspects of filming, such as where the camera is positioned and how the scene is being shot.

Film Directing

A film director is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, production design and all the creative aspects of filmmaking.