NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans native and Emmy-winning filmmaker Jay Duplass will return to the city May 30 to lead a free filmmaking masterclass hosted by the Full Armor Conservatory. The event takes place from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Created by writer/director/producers Frank Monteleone and Kathleen Monteleone—founders of Full Armor Studios—the Conservatory is “a bold initiative designed to bring world-class film education directly to Louisiana artists, free of charge.”
The afternoon will begin with a guided conversation with Duplass, followed by a live, on-stage masterclass where he will workshop projects and questions from 3–5 local filmmakers, offering “direct, unfiltered insight into the creative process.”
“Growing up in New Orleans has had a huge impact on my creativity and my desire to be an artist. If I can share anything that helps filmmakers here stay rooted in their voice and build something real, then that’s worth coming home for.”
For Full Armor, the moment is part of a much larger vision.
“We built the Full Armor Conservatory to eliminate the idea that you have to leave home to become a great filmmaker,” said Frank and Kathleen Monteleone. “New Orleans is one of the most culturally rich storytelling cities in the world, yet access to high-level training has historically existed somewhere else. Our studio’s mission is simple but ambitious—to bring the full creative engine of filmmaking here, not just production, but development, marketing, and distribution—while respecting the city’s strong production foundation. We want to open doors that have traditionally been closed and create a permanent creative home where artists can train, collaborate, and build sustainable careers. Having Jay come back to New Orleans to share his process is exactly the kind of full-circle moment this Conservatory was built for.”
The Full Armor Conservatory says it aims to make film education more accessible by offering free workshops, speaker series and other programming for Louisiana artists.
Event Details – Filmmaking Masterclass
Who: Jay Duplass
What: Free Filmmaking Masterclass + Live On-Stage Workshop
When: Saturday, May 30 | 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Where: New Orleans (Location details upon RSVP and space is limited)
Cost: Free and open to the Louisiana film community
About Jay Duplass
Jay Duplass is an Emmy-winning filmmaker, actor, writer, and producer, and a New Orleans native known for “helping define the modern independent film movement.” His work includes films such as The Puffy Chair and Baghead, as well as television series including Transparent, Togetherness, Wild Wild Country and Room 104.
His projects bridge independent storytelling and mainstream success, championing character-driven narratives and sustainable creative models for filmmakers working outside the traditional studio system.
Full Armor Conservatory Overview
The Full Armor Conservatory is a New Orleans-based nonprofit dedicated to training, empowering, and elevating local filmmakers, writers, and actors through free, world-class education.
Its mission is to inspire and train current and future artists by bringing top-tier industry leaders to New Orleans for workshops, speaker series, and community programming—creating a permanent creative home where local talent can thrive.
Through a combination of speaker events, immersive masterclasses, and artist development programs, the Conservatory provides both high-touch craft training and wide-reaching community impact, all at no cost to participants.
Full Armor Studios Overview
Full Armor Studios describes itself as a fully integrated film studio offering development, production, marketing and distribution services.
Founded by writer/director/producers Frank Monteleone and Kathleen Monteleone, whose family-run hotel has served as a respite for many artists over the past 140 years, has built their studio on the philosophy of empowering filmmakers from concept through audience—with transparency, ensuring that storytelling remains in the hands of creators.
Full Armor Studios currently has an upcoming slate of six feature films, including A Glimpse of Grace, based on the memoir by Mary Forsythe currently in pre-production, as well as several limited series in development. Through its integrated model and initiatives like the Conservatory, Full Armor Studios is working to establish New Orleans as a sustainable creative shelter for storytelling at every level.
