JAMES LILLIN
Staff Writer
Legendary Hollywood producer Franco Sama has worked with the likes of Will Smith, Francis Ford Coppola and David Arquette through his booming production company Samaco Films and will be bringing his expertise to the Fredonia campus with several events lined up for this week.
Sama’s stay at Fredonia is the result of months of planning by Theatre Department Head of Performance Ted Sharon, who has been working hard to bring in world-class talent as a resource for interested students.
“I had been searching for the right person to train me from the pre-production to distribution process — the nitty-gritty that no one wants to talk about, and few are willing to share,” said Sharon. “I first heard Franco when he was a guest on a widely broadcast teleconference. His no-nonsense style and knowledge of the process were refreshing and inspiring, and before the call was through I had sent an email asking for his help.”
Sharon originally reached out to Sama for his expertise while Sharon was in the process of founding Venture Productions, an innovative startup production company housed in the Fredonia Technology Incubator.
“I invited Franco to Western New York to share his knowledge with my students and interns and to discuss several on camera projects with him,” said Sharon. “He is originally from the Rochester area and was genuinely excited about the chance to work with students and explore potential film and television projects. We have worked for months to plan his trip and the seminars [he] will offer. It’s going to be an exciting three days.”
Sama will be hosting two Q&A sessions, one at 3:30 p.m. on April 5 on the process of casting a film and one at 3:30 p.m. on April 6 on the “next steps” that students can take with their own on-camera projects, both held in G-29 of the Rockefeller Arts Center.
Helping to coordinate the events is senior public relations and theatre arts major Brittney Horan, who hopes that these events will help to fuel the interests of students who want to get into video production, directing and acting.
“Students, I hope, will leave with some innovative ideas and the belief that anything is possible if you put in the right work to make it happen,” said Horan. “It’s also important to be passionate and focused about what you’re shaping your life and career around.”
The headlining event of Sama’s visit is his Film Financing Forum, which he will host at 5:30 p.m. on April 5 at the Fredonia Technology Incubator located at 214 Central Avenue in Dunkirk.
“During this seminar, Franco will de-mystify the financing process for independent filmmakers and provide them with clear explanations about available financing and distribution options,” said Sharon, “and help directors, producers and writers to develop their own tailored, systematic approach to getting their projects off the ground.”
Sharon believes that students attending the talk will leave with a renewed sense of vision, hope and the tools to make great things happen in the industry.
“I’m not being proverbial or pie-in-the-sky,” said Sharon.
Sharon hopes that Sama’s visit can serve as a flash-point that will help to ignite a wave of new jobs and projects in the Fredonia/Dunkirk area.
“Our area is ripe for economic development and has historically and consistently thrived on the arts,” said Sharon. “There has never been a more promising or exciting time in history for the creation and distribution of profitable on-camera projects.”
Sharon is particularly excited to see what part “well-trained and eager” Fredonia students will play in the future of the towns, insisting that they will serve a vital role in helping to renew and refresh both the campus and the surrounding area.
“I see a day, and it is soon, when our young talent stays after graduation to develop the kinds of projects that generate jobs locally and create a stir in the industry,” said Sharon. “I am passionate about this process; it is on my mind morning, noon and night, and Franco Sama is vital to the dawn of this new day.”