LOS FELIZ LABS · DIRECTING LAB · 2027
DIRECTOR'S
COMPASS.
A weekend intensive with Rob Spera.
LEAVE WITH THE TOOLS TO DESIGN YOUR OWN FIVE-YEAR DIRECTING BUSINESS PLAN — not more noise.
Jan 15–17, 2027 · Live Online
All payments are non-refundable. See the Labs Terms & Refund Policy.
THE PROGRAM
Find your
compass.
The industry shifts constantly — new platforms, new gatekeepers, new rules that seem to rewrite themselves every year. Talent alone doesn't build a career. It takes a plan.
This weekend is that chance. Over five meetings in three days, Rob Spera leads a small group through hands-on exercises: you examine your own work honestly and see how directing careers are actually built.
By the final session, the abstract idea of "having a career" turns into a specific set of tools to design your own five-year directing plan. Not inspiration alone. Direction you can act on Monday morning.
YOUR INSTRUCTOR
Rob
Spera
AFI Faculty · 25 years · Director · Author
Rideback Rise Head of Directing
INCLUDED IN TUITION
Film/TV Directors' Field Manual: Seventy Maxims to Change Your Filmmaking
Rob's own book, yours to keep. A Book Night in Los Feliz — details to come — where copies are presented and signed in person.
The three
days.
DAY ONE
Friday
Jan 15 · 4–6 PM PT
Welcome & Where You Stand
Welcome.
Introductions around the group, and a walkthrough of how the weekend is structured — what each session builds toward and why.
Where You Stand.
An honest, individual look at where your directing career sits right now — before deciding, together, where it goes next.
DAY TWO
Saturday
Jan 16 · 9–12 & 1–4 PM PT
Purpose & Action
Session 1 — Purpose (Morning).
Uncovering the artist's core motivation, essential voice, and creative driving force to establish authentic purpose.
Session 2 — Action (Afternoon).
Translating artistic purpose into an actionable, sustainable career roadmap using Rob Spera's Five-Year-Plan Organizing Template.
DAY THREE
Sunday
Jan 17 · 9–12 & 1–4:30 PM PT
Refine & Align
Session 3 (Morning).
Refining and testing the artistic purpose through group work and critical feedback.
Session 4 (Afternoon).
Aligning the multi-year plan with the artist's purpose and manifesting it into daily reality.
What's
inside.
Designing a Five-Year Plan
Acquire the personal and professional tools required to help you design a step-by-step directing plan for the next five years — built around your own goals.
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. Real feedback on your own path forward.
Book by the author
Rob Spera's own book is included in tuition, presented and signed in person at a Book Night in Los Feliz — venue to be announced.
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.
All payments are non-refundable. See the Labs Terms & Refund Policy.
Know where you're going.
Know how to get there.
LOS FELIZ LABS · SESSION 01 · ROB SPERA
FORMAT
Live Online Weekend Intensive
LEVEL
Beginner to Intermediate
DURATION
3 Days Jan 15-17
INCLUDES
Book by Rob Spera
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.
DIRECTOR'S COMPASS
Reserve your
spot.
All payments are non-refundable. See the Labs Terms & Refund Policy.
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.
Are payments refundable?
All payments, including the $100 deposit and full tuition, are non-refundable. In extreme circumstances, exceptions may be considered case by case. See our Labs Terms & Refund Policy.
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.
I'm not based in LA — what about the Book Night?
The in-person Book Night is planned for Los Feliz, but your copy of Rob's book is included either way. If you're joining from outside LA, this is arranged case by case — just email us at info@losfelizfilm.org.
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LOS FELIZ, the Los Feliz Film Fest (LFFF), is a short film festival in Los Angeles built to move filmmakers forward. Main category winners screen live and receive one-on-one mentorship from working filmmakers. Presented by two-time Academy Award winner Breakwater Studios.