THE DIRECTOR'S
COMPASS.

THE PROGRAM

Find your compass
in a changing industry.

The industry shifts constantly — new platforms, new gatekeepers, new rules that seem to rewrite themselves every year. Talent alone doesn't build a career on top of that kind of ground. It takes a plan, and most directors never get the chance to sit down and build one properly.

This weekend is that chance. Over three days, Rob Spera — director of The Sweet Life, Criminal Minds, and 20-year faculty member at AFI Conservatory — leads a small group through structured, hands-on exercises. You'll examine your own work honestly, look at how real directing careers were actually built, and stress-test your own assumptions about what comes next.

By the final session, the abstract idea of "having a career" turns into something specific: your own five-year directing plan — written, step by step, and yours to keep. Not inspiration. Direction you can act on Monday morning.

No lectures you sit through passively. No generic advice. Just structured work, direct feedback, and a plan that's actually yours by the time you leave.

YOUR INSTRUCTOR

Rob
Spera

AFI Faculty · 20 years · Director · Author

BY THE INSTRUCTOR

Film/TV Directors' Field Manual:
Seventy Maxims to Change Your Filmmaking

🎬

The three
days.

DAY ONE

Friday

Jan 15 · 4–6 PM PT

Where You Stand

An evening kickoff. Introductions, framing for the weekend, and an honest look at where your directing career sits right now — before deciding where it goes next.

DAY TWO

Saturday

Jan 16 · 9–12 & 1–4 PM PT

The Landscape

Two working sessions. You'll get a clear-eyed read on how the industry actually operates today, and study real directing careers to find the patterns that apply to yours.

DAY THREE

Sunday

Jan 17 · 9–12 & 1–4:30 PM PT

The Plan

Two final sessions. Everything comes together into your own five-year directing plan — written, specific, and yours to take with you when the weekend ends.

What's
inside.

Your Five-Year Plan

A written, step-by-step directing plan for the next five years — built around your own goals, not a template. Yours to keep and revisit.

A Clear View

An honest read on how the industry actually works today, and how to position yourself within it.

Direct Access

A small group, working directly with Rob — not a lecture hall. Real feedback on your own path forward.

Real Case Studies

A look at working directors who've built lasting careers, and which of their paths might fit yours.

A Financial Framework

Grounded, practical approaches to managing your finances as a working director.

Who Should Come

New directors wanting a real way in. Working filmmakers ready to level up. Established directors ready to recalibrate.

YOU LEAVE WITH

Your Own
5-Year Plan

FORMAT

Live Online
Weekend Intensive

LEVEL

Beginner to
Intermediate

DURATION

3 Days
Jan 15-17

Know where you're going.

Know how to get there.

LOS FELIZ LABS · SESSION 01 · ROB SPERA

LOS FELIZ LABS · SESSION 01 OF MANY

The Director's Compass opens the series. Cinematography, Screenwriting, and Producing labs follow — each led by working professionals, each built the same way: hands-on, small group, real takeaways.

TUITION

$395

Per person · full weekend

DATES

Jan 15–17, 2027

Fri–Sun · Pacific Time

Instructor

Format

Includes

Rob Spera

Live online · small group

Digital Certificate

Flexible payment: reserve your seat now with a $100 deposit — the remaining $295 is due two weeks before the session. Prefer to pay in full today? That works too.

SESSION 01

Reserve your
spot.

Good to
know.

Do I need prior directing experience?

No. The lab works for aspiring directors just starting out, working filmmakers ready to move up, and established directors looking to reset. The plan you build is tailored to wherever you're starting from.

What if I can't attend a session live?

The weekend is built around live, small-group work — the exercises build on each other in real time. If you know in advance you'll miss a full day, reach out before registering so we can advise.

Is the $100 deposit refundable?

Email us at info@losfelizfilm.org if your plans change — we handle these on a case-by-case basis and will always work with you directly.

What do I actually need to join?

A laptop, a stable internet connection, and a webcam. No prior materials required — everything you need is built during the sessions themselves.