The West Virginia Film Office will host a two-day, hands-on workforce training workshop June 19-20, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Office Complex, 5000 NASA Boulevard, located within the I-79 Technology Park in Fairmont.
The workshop, which is a production office master class for the position of “production coordinator,” will be led by film industry veteran Carol Kravetz of the Atlanta-based company Film Industry Training Seminars LLC (F.I.T.S.).
Lisa Wells, Industry Relations coordinator for the West Virginia Film Office said, “One of the most often-requested crew positions we receive from companies filming in the state is for a production office coordinator [or P.O.C.]. The position of P.O.C. requires adept organizational skills, resourcefulness, and the ability to work long hours and handle a multitude of tasks simultaneously under high-pressure situations. While the workshop is open to the general public, the instructor strongly recommends those attending have, at a minimum, prior film set experience at the entry level position of production assistant, or, have taken one of the training classes previously offered by the Film Office. Current West Virginia residents who complete the training will be eligible to become listed in the Film Office’s online Crew and Vendor Directory. Normally, a resident must have attained one professional credit through work on a film production to become listed under a particular skill set in the directory.”
Pam Haynes, director of the West Virginia Film Office, says,”Since May 2013, the Film Office has trained more than 185 people in several different skill sets through its workforce training initiatives, which are an essential factor in the continued growth of the state’s film industry. The Film Office is helping to diversify the economy by providing workforce training opportunities to a wide range of skilled workers who have an interest in working in the film industry.”
F.I.T.S. is widely recognized as one of the top traveling training programs in the nation for teaching skill sets associated with film industry-related work. Carol Kravetz, the P.O.C. instructor, is a 30-plus year industry veteran who got her start working on feature films before moving into series television. Her most recent credit was for the critically acclaimed hit show “Breaking Bad.” Among her dozens of credits, she also coordinated the miniseries “Queen” and “Heaven and Hell: North & South, Book III” and television series such as “Red Shoe Diaries,” “Brothers Garcia,” “Party of Five,” “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” and “Huff.”
Registration is required for the workshop and is available on a sliding scale. Due to the limited number of seats available, seating will be reserved only upon receipt of the registration fee. If you are not a current member of the Film Office’s online Crew and Vendor Directory, register by June 10 and pay $60. After June 10, the cost will be $75. Current members of the Film Office’s online Crew and Vendor Directory pay $50. Current high school and college students can take advantage of the workshop for $40. Veterans of the Armed Forces may attend the workshop at no charge. For more details, contact Lisa Wells at wvfilm@wv.gov or call 304-957-9366.
The West Virginia Film Office is a section of the WV Department of Commerce, Tourism Division. Follow the Film Office on Facebook.com/wvfilm or Twitter @wvfilm.
