Before I came up with MMTB, I was going through a divorce and a complete restructure of my life. I have met so many people in all these years it has been going, and each one of them have touched my life in a new way.
I am grateful to be the founder of such an inspiring, life changing group. We are going to make a difference here in the Bay Area and the rest of the world by changing the definition of film business.
I love you all and hope that in one way or another you leave MMTB inspired.
~~Elena Altman
Founder/CEO of MMTB- Making Movies Throughout the Bay!Elena Altman
Before I came up with MMTB, I was going through a divorce and a complete restructure of my life. I have met so many people in all these years it has been going, and each one of them have touched my life in a new way.
These filming events are a great way to network with filmmakers, get creative, and really make some awesome short films in fun and random fashion. Everyone involved is incredibly welcoming and supportive of newcomers regardless of experience or expertise. As long as you're passionate and respectful, these events truly nurture the dream of making movies in various awesome locations with talented people. No matter what you're into, there's a place for you.
MMTB opens it's doors to everyone from writers, to actors, to crew, to people who've never even been on set before or know what a Best Boy Grip does (this is still a mystery to me). The screening/awards festivities are a great way to see your hard work truly appreciated by your peers and the Producers Challenges provide an awesome opportunity to further hone your skills outside of the events. In short: come for the food, stay for the filming. MMTB rocks!"
-Kyle
Kyle Stout
Kyles
"Like so many others, I moved out to the Bay Area after college with a suitcase full of clothes, a handful of poorly written scripts and a dream of making movies. Not long after landing on the left coast I found MMTB on Facebook and soon after I attended their first ever filming event...and then the second...and the third... and so on.
Tina Telles
Tinas
Dear Elena and MMtb, Even thou I can’t afford to make all the events, I’m a Huge Fan of what you are doing! Because of you, people from all over are watching my videos , and I’ve met some of the best people around!!! I cant Thank You enough! I Love my MMTB family Your The Best in the whole Wild West
-Charity Sills
Charity Sills
Charitys
After living and working in Los Angeles I returned to San Francisco hungry to make movies. The wonderful people that I collaborated with in M.M.T.B. were refreshingly optimistic with varying levels of experience but a consistent passion for film making throughout. It was a rewarding and memorable year. I am thankful to have been a part of it and if I still lived in the region, I wouldn't miss one!
Naturally, I was a bit nervous at my first MMTB event. I had come with a friend, but we were split into different teams during the raffle. Of course, this was a scenario that I envisioned, so with a wave and "good luck" to my friend, I set off with my group to storyboard.
That day I would not only have a memorable experience acting in a film that won its Directors Challenge for the month (and eventually film of the year!), I would also make many new friends, both from my team and off.
That's the great thing about MMTB. Everyone's completely friendly, and everyone shares the same passion for film. Whether you've taken years of acting school or are in it for the fun, no one treats you any different.
MMTB has a multitude of film makers, from Directors to Actors to Writers to Production Assistants. There's a spot for everyone on MMTB because it's in every sense of the word, a "family".
I would highly recommend MMTB to anyone in the Bay Area that's interested (or is already involved) in film.
Walter Mack
Walters
Having taken theatre in High School and enjoying it immensely, I wanted to see what acting was like in front of a camera as opposed to a stage.
Elizabeth Aaron
Betsys
MMTB is an amazing film-making community! Every event I go to I meet fascinating, fabulous people who are passionate about making films. MMTB has provided a fun, safe, relaxed environment to test my acting chops, get footage for my demo reel and learn about other aspects of production. I've made friends, and some of my MMTB connections have led to other great projects. MMTB has been an enormous gift, and I make every event that I can. Thanks, Elena, for creating this great forum! - Elizabeth Aaron
The level of experience and talent in the club greatly varies. But if you'd like to make a movie with them, the good news is they welcome anyone. I've found most of the people I met there to be quite friendly.
-EDG
Edward Greig
Eds
I went to MMTB three months in a row in 2010 for the Director's Challenge. The idea of creating a movie in under 7-10 hrs with a randomly drawn cast and crew attracted me.
Leslie Richards
Leslies
When I realized I wanted to act more, I envisioned a group of people coming together on a regular basis to make films. Then I dismissed the idea, because I was sure I would never find anyone who had the kind of drive and tenacity to make something like that happen. Then I met Elena Altman at a mixer she was hosting. Since then, everything Elena said I could expect from MMTB has happened for me. In less than a year, I developed a body of work for an acting reel that I’m very proud of. I made connections with actors, directors, producers, and others studying and working in the film industry and through those connections received encouragement, advice, and leads to other opportunities. Confidence, patience, comfort in front of the camera, and knowledge of my strengths and weaknesses also have taken me to another level of development. Elena’s tireless dedication to MMTB as well as several other innovative projects is inspiring.
Stephanie Talbert
Stephs
MMTB is a reliable, friendly, and open environment to act. I get all tingly when I see the cameras, because here is a place for those who are genuinely passionate about film to bring their skills. I think it's such a brilliant group, and (being overseas now) it is the one thing I CANNOT WAIT to do when I'm back in THE BAY. Elena, really really amazing work.
I highly recommend this place for inspiring actors and filmmakers to step into the entertainment business like I did.
I'm proud to be a MMTB member!
Thank you Elena Altman for make MMTB possible it wouldn't be possible with out you, you are doing an excellent job and I really proud of you.
Genel Mejia
Genel Mejia
Genels
MMTB is an awesome place to network and and prove your skills in all the aspects is more like a family everybody is very friendly and nice and the atmosphere is great. I had made awesome local bay area filmmakers/actors friends.
- Rajiv Khilnani
Rajiv Khilnani
Rajivs
After taking multiple acting classes throughout the bay area, I was desperately looking for opportunities to work in film projects. Living about 40 minutes South of San Francisco, where most of the film action takes place, it was hard to get opportunities even to audition. Just when I was losing hope, I found MMTB. I have been part of this wonderful group for about two years. In these two years I have made many amazing friends, worked in numerous film projects and have gained valuable acting experience. I look forward to continuing my association with this wonderful group and hope to work with many creative and talented people with varying levels of experience and enthusiasm.
Graham Lee
Grahams
MMTB offers both a warm and inviting community as well as a kind of gymnasium for filmmakers of all levels to exercise their creative muscles. As filmmakers from the Dogme 95 collective to Robert Rodriguez to Sam Raimi would testify, operating under constraints opens up a number of creative windows that would not otherwise present themselves. At MMTB's monthly filmmaking events you have the opportunity to make a movie from conception to wrap on the fly with a group rabid with positivity and creative energy and devoid of the debilitating egotism often encountered in other filmmaking circles. Like any craft, filmmaking is one that is honed through practice and repetition and MMTB offers a good playground for this. I find it particularly helpful to have a quick turnaround on a final product and have an audience for each work; this gives you the opportunity to see where your ideas worked, where they didn't, where the pacing was landed, where it wasn't, where the audience is responsive and where they were less so; these type of observations that come from having a flesh and blood audience for your work are invaluable for a developing filmmaker, or any filmmaker for that matter. I recommend MMTB without hesitation.
Kathryn Soler
WriterKathryn Soler
Kathryns
MMTB is truly an amazing group to be a member. It is a place where people who want to be creative see their efforts through. MMTB produces lifetime friendships, feelings of actual happiness within a day of creating. I love the true heart of the MMTB crew supporting one another. It is a place where new people can grew and seasoned vets can still feel the JOY of making films. Come join us!!
Colin Hussey
Colins
I've been on four MMTB shoots and have enjoyed working with the other participants, every time. I've even gotten a couple of clips for my reel out of the experience. I hope to participate again, the next time MMTB's monthly movie-making madness rolls into SF.
Thank You,
Warren "CyberNinja" LeeWarren Lee
Warrens
To me, making movies is like making stone soup. It is about taking everyone's talents, abilities, personalities, and know-how to make something unique. Movie Making Throughout the Bay Area (MMTB) is the ultimate venue for that process. MMTB, the product of the tireless effort of Elena Altman, is free of the politics and machinations of big-time productions and just allows folks to be themselves while contributing to something greater. In the past year I've experienced growth in my: creativity, social circle, career, and confidence as a result of my association with MMTB. I look forward to all the new friends and opportunities that will come from my participation in MMTB in the coming year and I hope to see you there!
Pauline Russell
Paulines
"I enjoy developing design elements for movies and other projects by creating motion graphic pieces, logos and print layouts. When I found about MMTB through my sister, Shelly, I could not pass up the opportunity to participate in a collaborative environment where my love for graphic design, film, photography, and acting could be combined all together. The members of MMTB have a strong passion to entertain their audiences using their various skill sets and constantly strive to develop their talents to the next level. We all have a great time during pre-production, production and/or post-production. The experience that MMTB provides is amazing and it is an honor working with everyone involved. I always look forward to the next MMTB opportunity or event."
Then, suddenly, I found a passionate invitation by Elena Altman for filmmakers to unite and help each other make short films, making that collaborative need a reality for me. Since the auspicious beginning of MMTB things have evolved and continue to evolve. You’re not simply encouraged to make your one day short film and that’s it; you are encouraged to push yourself in any direction you like, to make your short film and feature film that you’re free to enter into any form of distribution you see fit. It’s not only a place where you come to collaborate, it’s a place where you meet other film enthusiasts and form an ongoing collaboration how ever you like. Elena has shown me a strength and working ethic that I’m still perplex by; not in the sense that I don’t know what it’s like to work hard, but in the way Elena has created the group with determined diligence
and made the events a dream reality, events that often times go throughout the month, projects that take on a life of their own. There are multiple projects with a variety of amazingly talented Actors, Technicians, Directors of Photography, Writers, Makeup Artists and the list goes on. I have been able to make the films I want to make with people who care and support each others artistic abilities 1000%. A place where new ideas in motion picture art and distribution are continuously evolving. I encourage you to come to an MMTB event and see for yourself!
Writer/ Director
Mattie Cooper
Matties
A few years ago I was searching for a film group, or more specifically a filmmaking group in the San Francisco Bay. And I searched and search and searched. It was practically surreal there was only one established filmmaking group and not 1000…IT’S THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA after all!
I've made wonderful friends by making movies throughout the bay area;)Judy Razon
Judys
MMTB is a great venue to meet passionate filmmakers. It's a fun playground for beginners and pros.