The Documentary Life

All Good Things Must Come to An End

The Documentary Life — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 07:15:00 -0500

Can you believe that it was over four years ago that we first began producing episodes of The Documentary Life?? Well, neither can we.

But as they say, all good things must come to an end!

It has been a great ride this here podcast over the past four years!

Which is why this is not our typical end-of-the-season show, my #doclifer friend. Don't miss this one thinking that it's simply a re-hash of parts of past episodes. It is truly much more than that.

And finally, I'd like to say, thank you, old Friend. Thank you.

Sponsors & Thank Yous

° Free Music Archive – Special Thank You to recording artist, Dlay who supplied music for this week’s episode of TDL. You too can download his music or other artists’ music by going to Free Music Archive today!

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Winning an Oscar for Your Documentary Film

The Documentary Life — Fri, 18 Sep 2020 07:15:00 -0500

Imagine stepping up to the podium to accept your award for Best Documentary Feature for the film that you have put your heart, soul, blood sweat tears into. What would you say? Who would thank? Where would you even start?

Well, Steven Bognar, of this year's American Factory knows precisely what this feels like. And he details the story of he and his partner, Julia Reichert's walk to that Oscar podium.

And he details a heckuva lot more about what it means to live the life of a documentary filmmaker in Dayton, OH, far from the neon lights of New York, London, or L.A. And what it means to make meaningful documentaries that impact a lot of people and win a lot of awards.

What it means to live and lead a documentary life.

Topics Discussed

host Chris G. Parkhurst gives some History 101 of documentaries and the Academy Awards
why its beneficial to the world that documentary filmmakers make films from where they are at
how American Factory came from turning down what was initially meant to be a corporate video for the Fuyao factory
play-by-play of Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert's walk to the podium to accept their award for Best Documentary Feature
unique sound approaches that were brought to American Factory

Additional Resources

Trailer for American Factory

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m36QeKOJ2Fc

American Factory wins Best Documentary Feature

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RF4ytC3-M3g

Sponsors & Thank Yous

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Cinematography in Documentary Film

The Documentary Life — Fri, 04 Sep 2020 07:15:00 -0500

In the past, documentary cinematography has been in the shadow of narrative feature's, overlooked because of certain, perhaps unfair assumptions about the craft.

Well, that is no longer the case since the American Society of Cinematographers, as of this year, has an award for Outstanding Achievement in Non-Fiction Filmmaking.

And cinematographers, Fejmi Daut and Samir Ljuma, of the Academy Award nominated, Honeyland, were the recipients of that inaugural award. (Not to mention a host of other cinematography awards!)

And so we have today's episode which is entirely dedicated to the craft of documentary cinematography!

Topics Discussed

host Chris G. Parkhurst talks about what makes a good documentary cinematographer and where we can find them
what it's like working as a two person cinematography team
how the shooting style changed dramatically midway into filming due to an unforeseen shift in story
working without power in rural Macedonia
achieving the perpetual golden hour look of Honeyland

Additional Resources

FREE DOWNLOAD OF HONEYLAND CONVERSATION PART TWO

As mentioned in the show, there is much more to my conversation with cinematographers, Fejmi Daut and Samir Ljuma. Too much to put into a single show!

To listen to the second part of that conversation head over HERE for your free download!

Trailer for Honeyland

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B27ORUHlp6E

Finding the star of Honeyland

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj9mT91fe64

Honeyland at DOCNYC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJo1dvoo67k

Sponsors & Thank Yous

Music Vine 15 PERCENT OFF!

Music Vine

Thank you to music licensing platform, Music Vine for contributing the wonderful music that we’ve used in this week’s episode.

We’ve used many music licensing platforms over the years for commercials, corporate videos, and documentaries and these guys are definitely different.

Their music catalogue is truly fresh, diverse, full of character, their search engine is as straight forward and user friendly and their licensing fees? Unlike anywhere else we have come across.

If you need any music for your doc project, we can honestly recommend Music Vine.

And make sure to use our promo code to get an additional 15 percent off of any subscription!!

PROMO CODE: doclife15

Continuing the Discussion with The D-Word

Today's episode is only the beginning of the conversation. Now it's time to have your voice heard, #doclifer!

So where can you do this?

THE D-WORD

WHAT IS THE D-WORD

The D-Word began in 1996 as a series of online journal entries by filmmaker Doug Block depicting the joy and angst of making and selling his feature documentary, Home Page. In the words of Mr. Block, "it was meant to inform, inspire, humor and depress the hell out of working or aspiring documentary filmmakers, or anyone else interested in the filmmaking process, for that matter!"

We had Doug on the show way back in EPISODE #105, where he discussed those early days working as an independent documentary filmmaker. And how this would lead him to creating the first incarnation of The D-Word.

The D-Word has long-since evolved into a virtual community and is now the largest, longest-running one of its kind, currently numbering more than 19,000 members from 147 countries.

Its focus is now on hosting free discussions on documentary film and production and leading a documentary life. Sound familiar?

Get started with The D-Word today, by completing their free APPLICATION.

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Reality Television and the Documentary Filmmaker

The Documentary Life — Fri, 21 Aug 2020 07:00:00 -0500

It wasn't that long ago when reality television was a dirty word that incited some pretty strong feelings among the documentary filmmaking crowd. However, non fiction television has come a long way in the past few years.

Of course, don't take my word for it. Take it from fellow documentary filmmaker, Joe Litzinger, who is the executive producer of some of non fiction tv's most well known and respected (did I say respected?) shows.

Topics Discussed

host Chris G. Parkhurst talks about how documentary filmmakers can use their abilities to advantage in other avenues of production
why doc filmmakers are well suited for reality television
how one procures work in the reality tv industry
the advantages of shooting a documentary film over reality tv
how reality television supports Joe Litzinger's documentary life

Additional Resources

Trailer for Zulu Summer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-BcYvbbl-s

Trailer for Will Work for Views

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nx2Nt1cYA0E

Behind the Scenes for Life Below Zero

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTBmwAhCd4c&list=PLh_0X_RDOHqHuDMD3ft0cZ7gqlF6kHhsE&index=14

Continuing the Discussion with The D-Word

Today's episode is only the beginning of the conversation. Now it's time to have your voice heard, #doclifer!

So where can you do this?

THE D-WORD

WHAT IS THE D-WORD

The D-Word has long-since evolved into a virtual community and is now the largest, longest-running one of its kind, currently numbering more than 19,000 members from 147 countries.

Its focus is now on hosting free discussions on documentary film and production and leading a documentary life. Sound familiar?

Get started with The D-Word today, by completing their free APPLICATION.

Sponsors & Thank Yous

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Documentary Filmmaking During a Pandemic

The Documentary Life — Fri, 07 Aug 2020 07:15:00 -0500

Documentary filmmaking during this time of a pandemic is something that so many of us doc filmmakers are contemplating. Or doing. Or not doing.

Today's episode is filled with both a discussion on the ethics of documentary production during this time as well as best practices & safety protocol for those of us who are making our docs during this time.

Documentary filmmaker and TDL host, Chris G. Parkhurst, delves into this discussion with IDA's Carrie Lozano and award-winning documentary filmmaking, Heidi Ewing.

Topics Discussed

Chris G. Parkhurst's tips for filming during this time of Covid
the whats, whys, hows of IDA's The Ethics of Documentary Production in a Pandemic
how Carrie Lozano's background in both journalism and documentary filmmaker has made her uniquely positioned to discuss filming during this time
why award-winning documentary filmmaker, Heidi Ewing has chosen to film during this time
how documentary filmmaking inherently is made up of a number of ethical decisions
Ewing's best practices & safety protocol for doc filmmakers

Additional Resources

Read for yourself IDA's The Ethics of Documentary Production in a Pandemic

Continuing the Discussion with The D-Word

Today's episode is only the beginning of the conversation. Now it's time to have your voice heard, #doclifer!

So where can you do this?

THE D-WORD

WHAT IS THE D-WORD

The D-Word has long-since evolved into a virtual community and is now the largest, longest-running one of its kind, currently numbering more than 19,000 members from 147 countries.

Its focus is now on hosting free discussions on documentary film and production and leading a documentary life. Sound familiar?

Get started with The D-Word today, by completing their free APPLICATION.

Sponsors & Thank Yous

Apple | Spotify | Stitcher |

Rate and Review

Race in the Documentary Filmmaking Community

The Documentary Life — Fri, 24 Jul 2020 06:15:00 -0500

Questions of race and who has the right to tell another person's or culture's or race's stories have recently been at the forefront of the documentary community's collective consciousness.

More than that, it's been the subject of recent debate and discussion, whether in industry-led panels, major publications, or social media.

Documentary filmmaker and TDL host, Chris G. Parkhurst, delves into this difficult, sometimes divisive discussion with two of documentary's own, Marjan Safinia and Grace Lee.

Topics Discussed

how Safinia and Lee came to collaborate on PBS' And She Could Be Next
overlook at discussions of race in the documentary community over the past few months
who has the right to tell a story and why
how people of color in the American documentary industry can have less access and resources than their white counterparts
How minorities are looking to reclaim and change the way that their stories are being told

Additional Resources

Teaser, And She Could Be Next

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPgO1J-Y2DY

Continuing the Discussion with The D-Word

Today's episode is only the beginning of the conversation. Now it's time to have your voice heard, #doclifer!

So where can you do this?

THE D-WORD

WHAT IS THE D-WORD

The D-Word has long-since evolved into a virtual community and is now the largest, longest-running one of its kind, currently numbering more than 19,000 members from 147 countries.

Its focus is now on hosting free discussions on documentary film and production and leading a documentary life. Sound familiar?

Get started with The D-Word today, by completing their free APPLICATION.

Sponsors & Thank Yous

Apple | Spotify | Stitcher |

Rate and Review

The Online Film Festival for the Documentary Filmmaker

The Documentary Life — Fri, 10 Jul 2020 07:00:00 -0500

Lyndon Stone is the founder and festival director of Melbourne Documentary Film Festival. Melody Gilbert is a documentary filmmaker well acquainted with the world of film festivals.

In light of Covid events, both the festival director and filmmaker, have had to pivot their approaches to documentary film festivals.

This is the kind of discussion we documentary filmmakers have been wanting to have ever since the pandemic greatly impacted our doc lives.

Topics Discussed

how Lyndon Stone has incorporated a hybrid approach to this year's MDFF
how the virtual festival can actually be a good thing for both the festival director as well as the documentary filmmaker
why doco Melody Gilbert was initially hesitant to premiere her documentary feature at MSPIFF which
how an online film festival might actually be very advantageous to the independent documentary filmmaker

Additional Resources

Teaser for Silicone Soul

https://vimeo.com/350156250

Check out the full roster of this year's Melbourne Documentary Film Festival!

Sponsors & Thank Yous

Music Vine 15 PERCENT OFF!

Music Vine

Thank you to music licensing platform, Music Vine for contributing the wonderful music that we’ve used in this week’s episode.

We’ve used many music licensing platforms over the years for commercials, corporate videos, and documentaries and these guys are definitely different.

If you need any music for your doc project, we can honestly recommend Music Vine.

And make sure to use our promo code to get an additional 15 percent off of any subscription!!

PROMO CODE: doclife15

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Spirituality in Documentary Filmmaking with Mickey Lemle

The Documentary Life — Fri, 26 Jun 2020 03:15:00 -0500

Mickey Lemle has made documentary films about some of the most brilliant individuals in the modern world.

From His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama to Ram Dass to Sir Laurens van der Post, Lemle has been rubbing shoulders with great minds who all have very spiritual & compassionate ways of living. Lemle has had the splendid fortune to be able to tell their stories.

Topics Discussed

how Lemle’s time in Nepal in the Peace Corps informed him about Tibet and in turn led to his making his first documentary film
how/why he treats doc filmmaking as personal exploration
how to make one’s spiritual documentary accessible to a wider audience
the power of a meditation practice to doc filmmakers
tips for interviewing the most incredible minds of the world

Additional Resources

Teaser for The Last Dalai Lama?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v_Rpg_36ig

Teaser for Compassion in Exile

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDXbAPx2kew

To check out Mickey Lemle's full roster of DOCUMENTARY FILMS.

Sponsors & Thank Yous

Music Vine 15 PERCENT OFF!

Music Vine

Thank you to music licensing platform, Music Vine for contributing the wonderful music that we’ve used in this week’s episode.

We’ve used many music licensing platforms over the years for commercials, corporate videos, and documentaries and these guys are definitely different.

If you need any music for your doc project, we can honestly recommend Music Vine.

And make sure to use our promo code to get an additional 15 percent off of any subscription!!

PROMO CODE: doclife15

Apple | Spotify | Stitcher |

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Personal Trauma in Documentary Film with Sasha Joseph Neulinger

The Documentary Life — Fri, 12 Jun 2020 07:00:00 -0500

Sasha Joseph Neulinger endured some of the most traumatic events a child can experience. He is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. And he has now turned those events into one of 2020's more extraordinary documentary films, Rewind.

Neulinger sits down with TDL to discuss his journey making Rewind and to offer some insight into how doc filmmakers might best deal with the depiction of personal trauma in their films.

In our first segment, Chris G. Parkhurst, gives us 5 Tips for Making the Personal Documentary.

Topics Discussed

tips for making your personal documentary film
why Neulinger set out to face his own demons by making this documentary film
why making the personal documentary needs to be more for yourself than others
approaching family members with your personal doc
the journey of financing a film like Rewind

Additional Resources

Teaser for Rewind

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dx0q7ETJRAI

The D-Word

Hey, #Doclifers! By now, you have probably heard the news that we are partners with The D-Word! If you are not already a member of this important online documentary community and resource, allow us to introduce you to them!

WHAT IS THE D-WORD

The D-Word has long-since evolved into a virtual community and is now the largest, longest-running one of its kind, currently numbering more than 19,000 members from 147 countries.

Its focus is now on hosting free discussions on documentary film and production and leading a documentary life. Sound familiar?

Get started with The D-Word today, by completing their free APPLICATION.

Sponsors & Thank Yous

Music Vine 15 PERCENT OFF!

Music Vine

Thank you to music licensing platform, Music Vine for contributing the wonderful music that we’ve used in this week’s episode.

We’ve used many music licensing platforms over the years for commercials, corporate videos, and documentaries and these guys are definitely different.

If you need any music for your doc project, we can honestly recommend Music Vine.

And make sure to use our promo code to get an additional 15 percent off of any subscription!!

PROMO CODE: doclife15

Apple | Spotify | Stitcher |

Rate and Review

Doc Filmmaking in the Mountains with Eric Becker

The Documentary Life — Fri, 29 May 2020 06:15:00 -0500

Eric Becker has been taking on extreme challenges since he can remember. If it's not racing bikes it's climbing mountains. If it's not climbing mountains, it's making doc films about people climbing mountains.

Tune into this week's episode where we celebrate International Everest Day by welcoming doc filmmaker and mountaineer, Eric Becker on to TDL!

In our first segment, Chris G. Parkhurst, gives us Reasons for Working on Multiple Documentary Projects at the same time!

Topics Discussed

Reasons to work on multiple doc projects at the same time
How doc filmmaker Eric Beckergot hooked into documentary as a way to travel the world
Logistics of filming an actual mountaineering expedition
How to get brand support for your doc films
How to work with an otherwise reticent doc subject

Additional Resources

Teaser for Return to Mt. Kennedy

https://vimeo.com/268848753

Sponsors & Thank Yous

Music Vine 15 PERCENT OFF!

Music Vine

Thank you to music licensing platform, Music Vine for contributing the wonderful music that we’ve used in this week’s episode.

We’ve used many music licensing platforms over the years for commercials, corporate videos, and documentaries and these guys are definitely different.

If you need any music for your doc project, we can honestly recommend Music Vine.

And make sure to use our promo code to get an additional 15 percent off of any subscription!!

PROMO CODE: doclife15

Apple | Spotify | Stitcher |

Rate and Review

YouTube For the Documentary Filmmaker with David Hoffman

The Documentary Life — Fri, 15 May 2020 07:15:00 -0500

It's hard to refute the power and potential of the second biggest search engine in the world, YouTube. Especially for the independent doc filmmaker.

Here at TDL we have long talked about the importance of you, the doc filmmaker, in fully embracing and becoming your best entrepreneurial self. The importance of building your own brand. Raising your own funding. Building audiences for all of your work. Selling yourself and your work. YouTube is a great platform for you to be doing this.

In our first segment, Chris G. Parkhurst, gives us 5 Tips For Becoming a Documentary Filmmaking Entrepreneur.

This segment is followed by a discussion with one of the champions of YouTube for the doc filmmaker, David Hoffman, a doc filmmaking veteran of the industry for over 50+ years, who is now making his living via YT!

Topics Discussed

how 50+ year doc filmmaking veteran, David Hoffman, came to embrace YouTube
how much Hoffman makes per day with YouTube
how YouTube is changing the landscape of documentary filmmaking
why doc filmmakers need to also embrace the power of the platform
best practices for your YouTube channel

Additional Resources

From David Hoffman to Each of My Subscribers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6iESFlwWlc

What Happens When You Lose Everything, David Hoffman on TEDTalks

Nine days before TED2008, filmmaker David Hoffman lost almost everything he owned in a fire that destroyed his home, office and 30 years of passionate collecting. He looks back at a life that's been wiped clean in an instant -- and looks forward.

https://www.ted.com/talks/david_hoffman_what_happens_when_you_lose_everything?language=en

Why You Should Support David Hoffman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=uJWZWrrF8sQ&feature=emb_logo

Check out David's PATREON PAGE to help support him!

Sponsors & Thank Yous

Music Vine 15 PERCENT OFF!

Music Vine

Thank you to music licensing platform, Music Vine for contributing the wonderful music that we’ve used in this week’s episode.

We’ve used many music licensing platforms over the years for commercials, corporate videos, and documentaries and these guys are definitely different.

If you need any music for your doc project, we can honestly recommend Music Vine.

And make sure to use our promo code to get an additional 15 percent off of any subscription!!

PROMO CODE: doclife15

Apple | Spotify | Stitcher |

Rate and Review

Making the Sports Documentary with Gotham Chopra

The Documentary Life — Fri, 01 May 2020 07:00:00 -0500

Sports documentaries have really come into their own as a documentary genre. The truth is that the built-in drama and sometimes off-the-field shenanigans make for some really compelling stories. Entities like ESPN's 30 For 30 series, HBO Sports, Netflix and Hulu's ventures into sports docuseries, all have been making these films and really elevating the stature of the sports documentary.

And so has filmmaker, Gotham Chopra. With his business venture, Religion of Sports, Gotham has been embracing the sports documentary in a way that has really been separating himself from the pack.

And we were fortunate enough to be able to sit down with Gotham and have a one-on-one chat about why sports docs are so popular and best practices for the doc filmmaker to be making them!

Topics Discussed

how Gotham Chopra came to documentary via early journalism assignments
How ESPN’s 30 for 30 series legitimized sports as documentary subject
Why sports makes for such compelling stories
How to gain access to higher profile sports personalities
The importance of separating your project from all of the types of content that are already out there

Additional Resources

Watch the Religion of Sports' The Great Brady Heist in its entirety!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I29ZMIOZwX0

Sponsors & Thank Yous

Music Vine 15 PERCENT OFF!

Music Vine

Thank you to music licensing platform, Music Vine for contributing the wonderful music that we’ve used in this week’s episode.

We’ve used many music licensing platforms over the years for commercials, corporate videos, and documentaries and these guys are definitely different.

If you need any music for your doc project, we can honestly recommend Music Vine.

And make sure to use our promo code to get an additional 15 percent off of any subscription!!

PROMO CODE: doclife15

Apple | Spotify | Stitcher |

Rate and Review

Documentary Film and the Music Composer with Nainita Desai

The Documentary Life — Fri, 17 Apr 2020 07:15:00 -0500

When it comes to documentary film - and really film, in general - one of the forgotten heroes is often the film's music composer. And yet, it's often the music that truly elevates a film from good to greatness, making the storyline and all of its visuals just a bit more rich, complex, and emotional.

In today's episode I'll take a look at 5 Considerations for Music for Your Doc.

This will be followed by a deep dive discussion with world-renowned film composer, Nainita Desai, the multi-award winning and internationally recognized composer of 2019 Academy Award nominee, For Sama.

Topics Discussed

five considerations for music for your documentary
how a background in both sound and film brought Nainita Desai to composing for film
how she immerses herself in the material of a doc project that she will be scoring
best practices for the doc director to approach their working relationship with a music composer

Additional Resources

Sponsors & Thank Yous

Music Vine 15 PERCENT OFF!

Music Vine

Thank you to music licensing platform, Music Vine for contributing the wonderful music that we’ve used in this week’s episode.

We’ve used many music licensing platforms over the years for commercials, corporate videos, and documentaries and these guys are definitely different.

If you need any music for your doc project, we can honestly recommend Music Vine.

And make sure to use our promo code to get an additional 15 percent off of any subscription!!

PROMO CODE: doclife15

Apple | Spotify | Stitcher |

Rate and Review

Mental Health and the Documentary Filmmaker with Rebecca Day

The Documentary Life — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 06:15:00 -0500

We doc filmmakers are no strangers to mental health. Whether by the very nature of being doc filmmakers or from the subjects of our documentaries, we're often dealing with levels of anxiety, stress, and/or depression on a daily basis.

Still it's not something that we often openly talk about. That is, not until recently, as more and more doc filmmakers and more and more documentary organisations are having open and honest discussions about the topic of mental health as it related to independent documentary filmmakers.

And our guest, documentary filmmaker and psychotherapist, Rebecca Day (Film in Mind) is often leading these discussions!

Enjoy today's episode as both Rebecca and I delve into this immensely important topic that may, in fact, be more relevant now than ever!

Topics Discussed

ways in which our host has dealt with bouts of mental illness
how doc filmmaking brought Rebecca Day to psychotherapy
sustainability for the doc filmmaker is not only financial, but emotional
how to immerse yourself in your subject but also protect yourself
how we doc filmmakers can be dealing with the added stress & anxiety of the coronavirus

Additional Resources

The following resources come from Rebecca Day's Film in Mind site.

"The documentary career is as demanding and taxing as it is rewarding. On the one hand, there are the occasional honours, accolades, fellowships and grants, along with the impetus that your work can make a transformative difference in both moving the art form forward and making substantive social change. But the documentary profession is a long-odds game, one often fraught with disappointment and struggle."

In collaboration with IDA and D-Word, Rebecca discussed this topic with the documentary community. Here is a reflection on what took place.

"There is an incredible surge of supportive conversations, and the creation of an online community within our own sector, in ways that we haven't witnessed before."

BFI Network - How to manage your mental health as a filmmaker during coronavirus

Sponsors & Thank Yous

Music Vine 15 PERCENT OFF!

Music Vine

Thank you to music licensing platform, Music Vine for contributing the wonderful music that we’ve used in this week’s episode.

We’ve used many music licensing platforms over the years for commercials, corporate videos, and documentaries and these guys are definitely different.

If you need any music for your doc project, we can honestly recommend Music Vine.

And make sure to use our promo code to get an additional 15 percent off of any subscription!!

PROMO CODE: doclife15

Apple | Spotify | Stitcher |

Rate and Review

Finding Yingying with Jiayan Shi

The Documentary Life — Fri, 20 Mar 2020 07:15:00 -0500

When it comes to being affected by the coronavirus, we doc filmmakers, of course, are no exception. Whether we work in tv broadcasting, run video productions, or are freelancers, we are all feeling the impact of the massive shutdowns happening due to Covid-19.

So in today's episode I'd like to offer up some ways in which we might all stay positive and stay focused on our documentary projects and on a bigger scale, our documentary lives, which have already been significantly affected by recent events so much.

Jiayan 'Jenny' Shi, is a first time doc filmmaker who has been directly affected by these recent events, as her first documentary film, the extraordinary, Finding Yingying was set to premiere at this year's SXSW, only to lose its premiere once that festival closed its doors due to Covid-19.

This candid conversation about coronavirus and her time spent filming the tragic events of Finding Yingying is a conversation that I'll remember for quite some time. I think that you will to.

Topics Discussed

ways in which we all can stay focused on our documentary lives
how a first-time doc filmmaker came upon the tragic story that would change a family's lives as well as her own life
the cultural differences involved in filming in two completely different cultures
the delicate balance between a grieving family subjects and the doc filmmaker
how the closing of SXSW is changing the whole distribution and film festival plan for her film

Additional Resources

Please check out all that Kartemquin has to offer by going HERE.

Sponsors & Thank Yous

Music Vine 15 PERCENT OFF!

Music Vine

Thank you to music licensing platform, Music Vine for contributing the wonderful music that we’ve used in this week’s episode.

We’ve used many music licensing platforms over the years for commercials, corporate videos, and documentaries and these guys are definitely different.

If you need any music for your doc project, we can honestly recommend Music Vine.

And make sure to use our promo code to get an additional 15 percent off of any subscription!!

PROMO CODE: doclife15

Apple | Spotify | Stitcher |

Rate and Review

Fire in Paradise with Drea Cooper

The Documentary Life — Fri, 06 Mar 2020 09:00:00 -0500

One of the most compelling, intense, and well done documentaries that I saw in all of 2019 wasn't even a feature length film. In fact, its run time was only 39 minutes.

But it was 39 mins of riveting documentary that was financed and distributed by Netflix, and it came from ZCDC's Zachary Canepari and Drea Cooper. And Cooper sat down to discuss with us, among other things, what it was like working on this incredible. film.

And speaking of run time, in our opening segment, I discuss how to decide what the proper length for your doc films might be. And how, in fact, we may be doing a disservice to our stories, by trying to adhere to a set of arbitrary time lengths.

Topics Discussed

how Cooper & Canepari came to the decision to make this a 39 min film
how Netflix fully supported their film change of plans to pivot to this story
how & why the usage of people’s phone footage became a powerful storytelling device
Drea Cooper’s recommendsfor covering a catastrophic event on film

Additional Resources

Trailer for Fire in Paradise

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KNAl23NwME&t=8s

Trailer for Netflix's Flint Town

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfNURrdgWTU

And if you haven't already done so, you can LISTEN to our episode that we did with ZCDC's producer, Gary Kout!

Sponsors & Thank Yous

Music Vine 15 PERCENT OFF!

Music Vine

Thank you to music licensing platform, Music Vine for contributing the wonderful music that we’ve used in this week’s episode.

We’ve used many music licensing platforms over the years for commercials, corporate videos, and documentaries and these guys are definitely different.

If you need any music for your doc project, we can honestly recommend Music Vine.

And make sure to use our promo code to get an additional 15 percent off of any subscription!!

PROMO CODE: doclife15

Apple | Spotify | Stitcher |

Rate and Review

Documentary Film Promotions & Marketing with Jon Reiss

The Documentary Life — Fri, 21 Feb 2020 07:01:00 -0500

The playing field for distribution, promotions, and marketing for independent documentary filmmakers seems to be changing daily. But one thing that remains, is Jon Reiss, the veritable guru on all things film distro, promotions, and marketing. And for this week's episode he weighs in on this latest, including how social media marketing and ad placements are becoming a very important part of the doc filmmaker's toolkit.

And for my segment, I delve into 5 Tips for Getting Your Documentary Into a Festival!

5 Tips for Getting Your Documentary Into a Festival

Give a good hook
Get great sound
Enter fests early
Evoke emotion
Use Film Freeway

Topics Discussed

the importance of giving great thought to your potential audience before filming
partnerships and how they benefit the doc filmmaker
how social media plays an integral role in marketing for your doc
ad social media over organic social media
understanding how your audience gets their information

Sponsors & Thank Yous

ATHOS Insurance Services

Make sure you and your film gear are protected!

Over the years, so many of you #doclifers have asked us about best ways to insure your yourself, your shoots, and your precious film gear. And Aylene and Kat of ATHOS Insurance Services are experts on the subject. Get an INSTANT QUOTE today.

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First Time Doc Filmmaker Wins the Stanley Cup, with Joshua Riehl

The Documentary Life — Fri, 07 Feb 2020 07:15:00 -0500

Joshua Riehl was a first time doc filmmaker when he decided to make a film about his passion for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League. So how exactly did he manage to pull this feat off, including getting actor Jeff Daniels and some of the world's most recognizable names in hockey to agree to be in his film? Trust me. I wanted to know the same!

Topics Discussed

how having audacity to believe in yourself is half the battle
how sending handwritten letters to key personnel scored him the critical first meeting
moved his location to a place where he most likely could raise financing
how he ultimately found the one person who believe in his project and financed the entire film
what it was like working with an animation team in Ukraine

Additional Resources

Trailer for The Russian Five

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X74BexWy4iw

Sponsors & Thank Yous

ATHOS Insurance Services

Make sure you and your film gear are protected!

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Film Travel Tips and Gear Insurance

The Documentary Life — Fri, 24 Jan 2020 07:01:00 -0500

Are you thinking of traveling for your doc any time soon? Awesome. You know how much we love to travel for our doc filmmaking. And Chris has got some super useful tips for your doc filmmaking travel adventures!

And whether you're traveling abroad or just down the street for your next bit of filming, make sure you and your film gear are protected! Over the years, so many of you #doclifers have asked us about best ways to insure your yourself, your shoots, and your precious film gear. And Aylene and Kat of ATHOS Insurance Services are experts on the subject. This is the episode to listen to ensure (and insure!) that you and your film investments are properly protected!

Topics Discussed

hot tips for doc filmmaking travel
why the independent doc filmmaker even with limited funds should still seek insurance coverage for their gear
what the process of making a claim is
common mistakes made when seeking gear insurance
set, shoot, and gear insurance coverage
policies for doc filmmaking abroad

Additional Resources

Five Tips for Solo Filmmaking Travel

book smart flights, not cheap flights
fly with your camera
pack sustenance and vit C
pack change of clothing
taxi or rideshare

Essential Travel Doc Filmmaking Gear List

In today's episode, we mentioned our Essential Travel Doc Filmmaking Gear List blog post, which you can find HERE.

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Your Breakthrough Year and #Doclifer, Josh Davidsburg

The Documentary Life — Fri, 10 Jan 2020 06:00:00 -0500

Shouldn't you be making 2020 your breakthrough year in documentary filmmaking? We all know how difficult, sometimes frustrating, it can be getting our doc films made. And how trying it can be living our doc lives. No one knows this better than I. Which is why in this episode I have decided to challenge you (and I!) to make 2020 a breakthrough year in our doc lives.

And speaking of breakthroughs, for the first time on this programme, we host a full documentary discussion with a true blue #doclifer. Josh Davidsburg has been listening to us since the beginning. And in that span of time, he not only created his first documentary film, but that film, Queen of the Capital, is set to screen this month at the Slamdance Film Festival!

Topics Discussed

making 2020 our breakthrough year as documentary filmmakers
how Josh Davidsburg went from listener of the program to an award-winning documentary filmmaker
how Davidsburg leads his doclife by teaching at a university and making doc films during his time off
the importance of thinking about your film's audience from the outset
the importance of having a good understanding of Fair Use when using musical performances
how TDL helped Davidsburg with his doc film and doc life

Additional Resources

Watch an extended trailer for Queen of the Capital

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7G128nlbzA

The Workshops

Did you know that we now have workshops? Check out our full roster and reserve your seat today!

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Season Two TDL BONUS!

The Documentary Life — Fri, 27 Dec 2019 06:15:00 -0500

Welcome to your Season Two BONUS episode! In which you'll find selections from five of some of my favorite conversations that I've had with documentary filmmakers over the past 120 episodes of the show. Below, you can click on the full episodes to listen to the conversations in their entirety. Have a safe, happy holidays and we'll see you in 2020, #doclifer! Additional Resources Steve James conversation Margaret Byrne conversation Maclain & Chapman Way conversation Pedram Shojai conversation Irene Taylor Brodsky conversation

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Documenting Your Family with Irene Taylor Brodsky

The Documentary Life — Fri, 13 Dec 2019 06:00:00 -0500

Filming the ones that we love and making documentaries about them can be a challenging, but ultimately very rewarding experience. It can be full of emotional pitfalls. It can bring families closer together . And no one knows this better than Academy Award-nominated and Emmy Award-winning director, Irene Taylor Brodsky.

We'll speak with Irene on the eve of the release of her latest HBO Documentaries film, Moonlight Sonata: Deafness in Three Movements.

Topics Discussed

the profound nature of using documentary as a form of cultural currency
how documentary filmmakers are often viewed as altruistic people, but we may be telling these stories for our own self-interest
making doc films with your family as main subjects
the importance of making the audience the hero of your story

Additional Resources

Watch a trailer for Moonlight Sonata: Deafness in Three Movements

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBV43REbk-g

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Editing For Documentary Filmmakers with Paddy Bird

The Documentary Life — Fri, 29 Nov 2019 06:30:00 -0500

One of the most popular topics on The Documentary Life deals with post production. More specifically, editing your documentary film. And not surprisingly one of the most popular guests on the program is industry expert, Paddy Bird. Because of this we've decided to make this week's episode an extra special one devoted to... you guessed it, editing.

I'll begin the show with Tips on Getting Started on Editing Your Doc and then we'll have another great editing conversation with Paddy!

Topics Discussed

tips for getting beyond overwhelm and just getting started editing on your doc
the importance of workflow and tips for a good workflow
conversations to have with the decision-makers before starting on an edit
tips for the one-man band person editing their own film
how editing makes you a better overall filmmaker

Additional Resources

Watch Inside the Edit's amazing video on what the Editor does

https://vimeo.com/90125079

PROMO CODE!

TDL listeners, use the following Promo Code for an exclusive discount when signing up for Inside the Edit:

BFDOCO19

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Filming Behind Bars with Lynn Novick and Sarah Botstein

The Documentary Life — Thu, 14 Nov 2019 06:17:00 -0500

Two veterans of Ken Burns films, Lynn Novick and Sarah Botstein, have recently completed work on their documentary film, four-part PBS series, College Behind Bars. And I had the pleasure of speaking with the both of them about some of their experiences working on Ken Burns’ films as well as what it was like going off on their own for their most recent work.

Topics Discussed

how teaching classes in prison inspired Lynn Novick and Sarah Botstein to make College Behind Bars
Novick and Botstein detail the logistics of making a documentary film in a prison
how working with Ken Burns over the years informed their whittling down of 400 hours of verite footage into four hours of a series
Novick and Botstein discuss how we, as doc filmmakers, experience profound change in our lives making our films and working with our subjects

Additional Resources

Watch the extended trailer for, College Behind Bars

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8ec3QpnaiU

Watch an extended look, The Vietnam War

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3j-3Xi5BcKs

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How to Raise $8k Quickly and Bring Scriptwriting Principles to Your Documentary Film

The Documentary Life — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 06:53:00 -0500

How can you raise a quick $8k in 18 days for your documentary film? Steph and I recently did this on our doc project, Elvis of Cambodia. We’d like to share a few things that worked well and one thing that we wished we’d done!

How can you bring feature narrative scriptwriting principles to my documentary film? World-renowned documentary storytelling consultant, Karen Everett, of New Doc Editing, has some great ideas on this!

Topics Discussed

tips for quickly raising $8k for your documentary film
how & why the three-act story structure can work for your documentary film
the importance of discovering your protagonist and their need
tips for accelerating the post production schedule for your documentary
why you should seriously consider a story consultant in both pre and post production

Additional Resources

Watch a documentary editing seminar led by New Doc Editing’s, Karen Everett

NEW DOC EDITING

To get a better understanding of how a story consultant can help your doc project, head on over to New Doc Editing and discover all that Karen has to offer you!

FREE DOCUMENTARY EDITING BOOK

Download a free copy of Karen Everett’s book on Documentary Editing .

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Sculpture, Breast Cancer, and Documentary Film with Prune Nourry

The Documentary Life — Fri, 18 Oct 2019 05:53:00 -0500

How does one combine the expanse of one’s artistic works and their personal journey with breast cancer into their first documentary film? This is what was on my mind as I spoke with French sculptor, installation artist, anthropologist, cancer survivor and now documentary filmmaker, Prune Nourry.

Topics Discussed

how Prune Nourry brought her approach to sculpting to doc filmmaking
how when she was in the middle of filming another project decided to turn the camera on herself when she was diagnosed with breast cancer
how having the camera in her hand helped Prune Nourry to be more proactive with her treatments
Nourry’s desire to have her film used as a tool for medical practitioners and breast cancer patients around the world
how Prune Nourry decided to make this film much more about the human & personal aspects of breast cancer, rather than the medical aspects

Additional Resources

Trailer of Prune Nourry Documentary Film, Serendipity

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjmmoVbXoRg

Video, Anima

https://vimeo.com/160991344

Video, Imbalance

https://vimeo.com/110102995

More PRUNE NOURRY

To view more of Prune Nourry and her work or to find a nearby screening of Serendipity you can visit her WEBSITE.

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Email Marketing for the Documentary Filmmaker

The Documentary Life — Thu, 03 Oct 2019 04:31:00 -0500

What if there was a viable way for the independent documentary filmmaker to build and sustain an audience to support your doc films for the duration of your career? And what if there was a straight forward way that you, the doc filmmaker, could do it without having to break the bank on marketing and promotion costs for your films?

Meet Nathan Barry, self-made entrepreneur, doc filmmaker, and founder & CEO of ConvertKit, one of the most used email marketing services by creatives around the world. It is both Nathan’s belief and his passion that email marketing can be one of the most effective means for garnering and keeping fans for your doc films for many years to come. And he’s on today’s show to tell you why he believes this to be the case and how you, #doclifer, can best use email marketing for your doc filmmaking endeavours!

Topics Discussed

why and how email marketing can and should be a critical part of the doc filmmaker’s life
tips for the doc filmmaker to build out their email list
tips for an effective email marketing campaign for the doc filmmaker
how automation in your email marketing can keep things interesting and fresh as you garner new subscribers and market to certain audiences for your film
how email allows a doc filmmaker to have an audience for their doc films

Additional Resources

A clip from Nathan Barry’s documentary, I Am a Blogger

I AM A BLOGGER, DOC SERIES

To view the entire doc series, #doclifers can go to, I Am a Blogger.

I AM A BLOGGER, THE BOOK

As a thank you to listeners of the show, you can get a free copy of the I Am a Blogger book! To download or read the book, simply GO HERE.

CONVERTKIT AND SPECIAL 30 DAY FREE OFFER FOR #DOCLIFERS

View a demo to find out if ConvertKit might be the sensible fit for your doc filmmaking email marketing needs

Think you might be ready for some serious audience building & engagement? To get serious about a sustainable way to live the life of a doc filmmaker and make films that a ready-made audience will be eager to see? Then email marketing may be just the thing for you! Try CONVERTKIT today!

And for listeners of the show, ConvertKit has offered a 30 DAY FREE TRIAL (normally it’s 14 days). Personally, I can’t say enough about the effectiveness of a proper email marketing solution for independent doc filmmakers.

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Documentary Filmmaking Abroad with Edward Watts & Waad Al-Kateab

The Documentary Life — Wed, 18 Sep 2019 23:32:00 -0500

If you were subjected to daily bombardment from the air, you were entrenched in a make-shift hospital, and you’d just recently had a baby, would you still be able to pick up your camera and film events? Well, if you’re Syrian doc filmmaker, Waad Al-Kateab, you would. And she did, while living in the basement of a hospital, with her husband and baby in the besieged city of Aleppo.

Eventually, she would be forced to leave her homeland behind, and headed to England to meet up with fellow conflict zone filmmaker, Edward Watts. The two poured over her twelve hard drives of footage, and the resulting documentary film – quite possibly the most talked about documentary of 2019 – For Sama, was made.

And speaking of documentary filmmaking abroad, not surprisingly, our resident doc filmmaker and podcast host, has a few things to say on the subject as well! Whether you are on your own or with your family, there are going to be a number of important items that you must consider before documentary filmmaking overseas. In our first segment, Chris draws from his own experiences documentary filmmaking abroad and comes up with 5 Tips for Doc Filmmaking Abroad with Your Family.

Topics Discussed

filmmaking while under siege
filmmaker, Waad Al-Kateab’s conscious decision to bring her own thoughts & emotions to her filmmaking process and to her film
how Al-Kateab risked her life to transport 12 hard drives out of Syria to meet up with fellow doc filmmaker, Edward Watts
Watts’ belief that sometimes the filmmaker must choose a subjective approach in their docs when it’s for the benefit of humanity
tips for documentary filmmaking abroad with Chris G. Parkhurst

Additional Resources

FOR SAMA TRAILER

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsvBqtg2RM0

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The Fundraising Houseparty For the Documentary Filmmaker

The Documentary Life — Thu, 05 Sep 2019 04:08:00 -0500

What if there was a pretty straightforward way for the independent documentary filmmaker to raise a quick infusion of funding for their documentary film… simply by holding a party? Well, there is. It’s called the fundraising houseparty. And there is a science to it. And we’ve got film fundraising guru, Morrie Warshawski, back on the show to give you the step-by-step process to that science. You’ll be holding parties and raising monies for your film in no time!

And then we’ll learn how to make even more money, when our host, delves into this recent Cambodia trip to garner finishing funds for his own doc project, Elvis of Cambodia. Following on from last week’s episode, where Chris and Steph discussed their plans in Cambodia for finishing their film, Chris travels down to the capital city of Phnom Penh and starts banging on doors. And asking for money. Doc Filmmaking Fundraising 101 ensues.

Topics Discussed

why individual donors tend to make up the largest percentage of funds for doc films
the importance of the fundraising houseparty invite and tips for producing it
the types of people that you should invite to your fundraising houseparty
step-by-step process for the day of the fundraising houseparty
the doc filmmakers responsibilities for the fundraising houseparty

Additional Resources

THE BOOK

Think you might be ready to hold that fundraising houseparty and make some serious money for your doc film? There are two ways in which you can purchase Morrie’s book. You can buy from Amazon.

Or an even cooler way is to purchase directly from Morrie himself. Tell Morrie you heard about the book from The Documentary Life and he’ll give you an additional $5 off the price of the book!

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The Fundraising Houseparty For the Documentary Filmmaker

The Documentary Life — Thu, 05 Sep 2019 04:08:00 -0500

Topics Discussed

why individual donors tend to make up the largest percentage of funds for doc films
the importance of the fundraising houseparty invite and tips for producing it
the types of people that you should invite to your fundraising houseparty
step-by-step process for the day of the fundraising houseparty
the doc filmmakers responsibilities for the fundraising houseparty

Additional Resources

THE BOOK

Think you might be ready to hold that fundraising houseparty and make some serious money for your doc film? There are two ways in which you can purchase Morrie’s book. You can buy from Amazon.

Apple | Spotify | Stitcher |

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Lean Team Documentary Filmmaking with Rustin Thompson

The Documentary Life — Thu, 22 Aug 2019 03:16:00 -0500

Ever noticed just how many barriers there seem to be to this documentary filmmaking thing? Funding. Equipment. Live pitch presentations. Distribution platforms. You name it, everywhere you turn as a doc filmmaker, there seems to be something keeping you from actually doing the thing that matters most to you. But what if there was a way doc filmmakers could simplify things – strip away the unnecessary fat – and get to what really matters? Making documentary films. And then making more of them.

Well, long time national television news veteran, Rustin Thompson figured out a very viable way to do just that when he came up with what he calls Lean Team Documentary Filmmaking. In the process, he left the tv news industry behind and followed his passions to the land of documentary. And he has been making the kinds of documentary films he’s always wanted to make ever since. And now he’s going to tell you how you can do the same.

Topics Discussed

why and how Rustin Thompson left his lucrative, exciting television news career behind for a self-made career in documentary filmmaking
how a Lean Team Documentary Filmmaking approach can lead to a liberating way to make your docs and more of them
the importance of understanding the essential technical aspects, but also how to inform your documentary on an emotional level as well
Lean Team Documentary Filmmaking sound tips
Lean Team Documentary Filmmaking editing tips

Additional Resources

GET CLOSE: LEAN TEAM DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING THE BOOK

After listening to our discussion, you might want to read Rustin’s book. I don’t blame you. After reading it myself, seeing some of Rustin’s films, and of course, having had a great conversation with Rustin, we have put this book right into our Essential Doc Filmmaking Reading List!

You can find it on Amazon or local bookstore or request it from your local library!

Trailer for Rustin Thompson’s latest documentary, My Mother Was Here

https://vimeo.com/254023296

RUSTIN THOMPSON THE FILMS

If you’re interested in checking out some of Rustin’s many documentary films, please visit his website!

Sponsors & Thank Yous

Thank you to music licensing platform, Music Vine for their fresh and diverse music and for contributing the wonderful music that we’ve used in this week’s episode.

If you need any music for your doc project, we can honestly recommend Music Vine.

Want 20% off of your first music licensing purchase? No licensing restrictions or number of tracks! Simply use promo code MYDOCLIFE at checkout!

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The Doc Filmmaker’s Money Mindset & Blue Collar Filmmaking

The Documentary Life — Thu, 08 Aug 2019 04:06:00 -0500

So many of us doc filmmakers think that we’ll never make any money from our films. Or that we’re incapable of raising money for them. And that’s wrong. There is actually no reason that any of us should assume that those statements are true. This is all about our money mindset!

You see, a lot of us aren’t really wired to believe any other way. Or we’ve had an awkward – if not downright detrimental – relationship with money that most likely goes back from when we were quite young, when maybe our parents or peers were (perhaps quite unknowingly!) putting negative connotations on money. Our money mindset was developed at an early age.

It is my belief and experience that we can and should develop and re-shape our money mindset, so that we may raise the required funding for our films, and in fact, make some money from our films. Or at the very least, be paid for the hard work that we put into them!

This is followed by our conversation with true blue (collar) doc filmmaker, V. Scott Balcerek. Someone who quite literally put his money where his mouth was. And he spent over twenty years of his life doing it, with the astounding release, Satan & Adam.

Topics Discussed

why and how as doc filmmakers we need to form better money mindsets
understanding what your inner dialogue is telling you about money and making films
V. Scott Balcerek shares tips on how he stayed in the game on his doc for over 20+ years
how Balcerek rolled the dice on this film one last time when it seemed all might be lost with his main character and his story
how coming from a blue collar upbringing shaped his desires and perseverance to see a film like Satan & Adam through

Additional Resources

Trailer for V. Scott Balcerek’s directorial debut, Satan & Adam

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xShEK6bKTfo

Sponsors & Thank Yous

Thank you to music licensing platform, Music Vine for their fresh and diverse music and for contributing the wonderful music that we’ve used in this week’s episode.

If you need any music for your doc project, we can honestly recommend Music Vine.

Want 20% off of your first music licensing purchase? No licensing restrictions or number of tracks! Simply use promo code MYDOCLIFE at checkout!

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Melbourne Documentary and Chasing the Jet Stream

The Documentary Life — Thu, 25 Jul 2019 04:01:00 -0500

So many doc filmmakers are doing the one person crew documentary. For many, it’s a necessary evil due to financial constraints of the doc filmmaker. But for some, like doco Claudio von Planta, it’s the preferred way of shooting his films. And it also just so happens to be the reason that he’s been hired on such recognizable documentary series as the successful Long Way Round. And now, with his brand new film, Chasing the Jet Stream – a film that is included in the lineup of this year’s Melbourne Documentary Film Festival (MDFF) – Claudio is back dealing with the type of documentary that he is most comfortable with: a story about a unique character doing unique things in the world.

Topics Discussed

we check in with MDFF director, Lyndon Stone, whose festival has now become one of the most respected in documentary
how in 1985 on a break from university, Claudio von Planta, discovers his passion for doc filmmaking
how being a skilled one person crew got Claudio von Planta his big break with the Long Way Round series
the reason von Planta finds it important to create totally independent documentaries
how the doc filmmaker is a different breed and one that must be entirely passionate and dedicated to their craft

Additional Resources

Trailer for DP, Claudio von Planta’s directorial debut, Chasing the Jet Stream

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3mKebPj3d0

Trailer for Long Way Round series

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-0uBcnmE2M

Actors Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman give great testimonial to working with Claudio von Planta

https://vimeo.com/2564055

Even More Claudio von Planta!

I highly recommend checking out Claudio’s Vimeo channel. It’s chock full o’ films and clips from his incredibly impressive career as a doc filmmaker!

Sponsors & Thank Yous

Thank you to music licensing platform, Music Vine for their fresh and diverse music and for contributing the wonderful music that we’ve used in this week’s episode.

If you need any music for your doc project, we can honestly recommend Music Vine.

Want 20% off of your first music licensing purchase? No licensing restrictions or number of tracks! Simply use promo code MYDOCLIFE at checkout!

Apple | Spotify | Stitcher |

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Make Great Documentaries From Where You Are with Billy Corben

The Documentary Life — Fri, 12 Jul 2019 05:29:00 -0500

How many times have you been approached by a friend or family member with another “great idea for a documentary”, when they find out that you’re a doc filmmaker? Well, if you’re anything like Miami doc filmmaker, Billy Corben – director behind such docs as Cocaine Cowboys, ESPN 30 for 30’s The U, and now his latest, Screwball – it’s practically an everyday experience. Which is why he’s come up with a great three step for sussing out the viability of said great idea for a doc.

Topics Discussed

how screenwriting classes were the best filmmaking classes for all aspects of filmmaking, including editing, shooting, and directing
Billy Corben’s three-step process called R.A.S. for determining viability of a potential doc project
how a bogus and manipulative meeting with baseball great, Alex Rodriguez, resulted in their latest doc, Screwball
Billy Corben’s Hustling 101 for the independent doc filmmaker
the conscious decision to make movies and tell the unique stories of their hometown, Miami, Florida

Additional Resources

Trailer for Screwball

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJUhgT65r8M

Chris in Cambodia Series

In Chris in Cambodia, TDL host and doc filmmaker, Chris G. Parkhurst shares some of his stories and lessons from his most recent trip filming in Cambodia, working on he and his wife, Steph’s, current documentary, Elvis of Cambodia.

In Part Nine, the last of our nine part series, Chris, discusses the importance of making partnerships and strategic relationships should be a significant part of your documentary filmmaking.

Sponsors & Thank Yous

Thank you to music licensing platform, Music Vine for their fresh and diverse music and for contributing the wonderful music that we’ve used in this week’s episode.

If you need any music for your doc project, we can honestly recommend Music Vine.

Want 20% off of your first music licensing purchase? No licensing restrictions or number of tracks! Simply use promo code MYDOCLIFE at checkout!

Apple | Spotify | Stitcher |

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Maiden and Archival Storytelling with Alex Holmes

The Documentary Life — Fri, 28 Jun 2019 04:04:00 -0500

Ever wonder what it might be like to discover a treasure trove of archival footage that lay untouched for over thirty years for your documentary film? That’s exactly what happened for veteran BBC and multi-award winning filmmaker, Alex Holmes on his latest film, Maiden, a documentary about 26 year old Tracy Edwards who set out to skipper the first-ever female crew during the Whitbread Round the World Race, a race that spans 33k miles and lasts for nine months.

Topics Discussed

how finding this boat load of archival footage allowed Alex Holmes to tell his doc in an exciting narrative, nearly real-time fashion
Alex Holmes gives his four elements for funding for documentaries
details the search for archival, how to edit with it for free, and license afterwards
how all doc filmmakers actually experience imposter syndrome
how the first step in leading a documentary life is the hardest and most essential step

Additional Resources

Trailer for Maiden

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SGpb6K9C5s

Chris in Cambodia Series

Cambodian Singer, Sinn Sethsochhata

In Part Eight, Chris, discusses one of his final and most difficult of interviews with the granddaughter of famous Cambodian singer, Sinn Sisamouth. This segment takes a look at not only how important the interview is for the doc filmmaker, but how often, important relationships are built during with our subjects during these interviews.

Sponsors & Thank Yous

Thank you to music licensing platform, Music Vine for their fresh and diverse music and for contributing the wonderful music that we’ve used in this week’s episode.

If you need any music for your doc project, we can honestly recommend Music Vine.

Want 20% off of your first music licensing purchase? No licensing restrictions or number of tracks! Simply use promo code MYDOCLIFE at checkout!

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Meta Filmmaking and Framing John DeLorean

The Documentary Life — Fri, 14 Jun 2019 05:01:00 -0500

When filmmakers Don Argott and Sheena M. Joyce met, it was a match in doc filmmaking heaven. Their first documentary film, The Art of the Steal, was a Netflix hit that would lead them to their next doc projects, and ultimately to their lives as full-time documentary filmmakers. Their current film, Framing John DeLorean, blurs the lines between fiction and non-fiction narrative, using name actors like Alec Baldwin and Josh Charles, meta filmmaking, and incorporating actual behind-the-scenes footage as a significant storytelling device.

Topics Discussed

Lessening the lag time between your doc film projects
How meta filmmaking and using behind-the-scenes footage became an impactful storytelling device for Framing John DeLorean
Where the blurred lines between fiction and non-fiction meet and when not to cross those lines
By nature living the doc life is an unsure, uncertain business that you have to be okay with in order to live it

Additional Resources

Trailer for Framing John DeLorean

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIa1gn9wVNo

Chris in Cambodia Series

In Part Seven, Chris, along with trusted friend and fixer/translator, Phon Kaseka, rides elephants in Mondulkiri province and commences filming in Kampong Thma province. This segments delves into the all-important relationship between doc filmmaker and fixer/translator.

How to Film a Drummer on a Cambodian Road

#Doclifer Stories

Where we share our listeners #doclives and filmmaking stories. This week’s #Doclifer Story, comes from Hasan Demirtas, who shares with us his journey to and through his first feature doc, You Name It, a film that explores three of the world’s prominent genocides.

Sponsors & Thank Yous

Thank you to music licensing platform, Music Vine for their fresh and diverse music and for contributing the wonderful music that we’ve used in this week’s episode.

If you need any music for your doc project, we can honestly recommend Music Vine.

Want 20% off of your first music licensing purchase? No licensing restrictions or number of tracks! Simply use promo code MYDOCLIFE at checkout!

Apple | Spotify | Stitcher |

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Making a Documentary Series in China with Dominic Johnson-Hill

The Documentary Life — Fri, 31 May 2019 04:36:00 -0500

Entrepreneur, Dominic Johnson-Hill, has just spent the last year traveling China and presenting for the documentary series, Seasons of China. But the journey to becoming one of China’s most recognizable tv presenters was a unique one, and certainly not without its challenges.

When Dominic Johnson-Hill traveled the world in the early 90s, China was just supposed to be a stop along the way. But then he ran out of money. So he learned the language, started a market research business, then Beijing’s first t-shirt brand, Plastered. Since then, Johnson-Hill, has become a celebrity in China and is now the host of the 24-episode documentary series, Seasons of China.

Topics Discussed

how the seeds of entrepreneurship were sown when Dominic Johnson-Hill went broke in the middle of Beijing
how often it is an artist or entrepreneur’s passion that can bring others onboard a project
what it was like for Dominic Johnson-Hill to spend a year out in the provinces of China, filming on the Seasons of China series
the filmmaker’s awareness of documenting parts of culture that may someday no longer exist
why it’s important for the doc filmmaker to find different ways in which to connect with their interview subjects and how they can best do so

Additional Seasons of China Resources

Episode one of, Seasons of China, the 24-episode series presented by Dominic Johnson-Hill

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7QvDyCi7hE&t=7s

An interview with Seasons of Change presenter, Dominic Johnson-Hill

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5ddw0iO-WM

Chris in Cambodia Series

In Part Six, Chris and Patrick travel to Siem Reap to film the first of three very important Sinn Sisamouth scenes. It is in Siem Reap, a town most noted for the famous temples of Angkor Wat, that Chris finds a local artist whom they can film depicting a Sinn Sisamouth song. And it is here, that they will first employ Chris’ carefully constructed plan to shoot the b-roll in a unique way that best tells the story of the scene.

Related Videos From the Set of Elvis of Cambodia

Behind the Scenes with Our Siem Reap Painter

Filming Sinn Sisamouth’s Champey Siem Reap

#Doclifer Stories

Sponsors & Thank Yous

Thank you to music licensing platform, Music Vine for their fresh and diverse music and for contributing the wonderful music that we’ve used in this week’s episode.

If you need any music for your doc project, we can honestly recommend Music Vine.

Want 20% off of your first music licensing purchase? No licensing restrictions or number of tracks! Simply use promo code MYDOCLIFE at checkout!

Apple | Spotify | Stitcher |

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Doug Block and The D-Word

The Documentary Life — Fri, 24 May 2019 04:03:00 -0500

Doug Block has made a living out of the personal documentary style, including films like Home Page, 51 Birch Street, and The Kids Grow Up. He is also the pioneer behind one of the largest online documentary filmmaking communities, The D-word, which has just recently had its twentieth anniversary.

Topics Discussed

how the one-person crew is tailor-made for documentary
the importance of being in service of story over technical filmmaking achievements
how Doug Block never intended to champion the personal documentary style
the D-word having its 20th anniversary came from Doug Block’s first documentary
how because most doc filmmakers don’t make their entire living doing docs, process becomes a very important aspect

Additional Doug Block Resources

Film Trailer for Doug Block’s, Home Page

https://vimeo.com/312993406

Film Trailer for Doug Block’s, 51 Birch Street

https://vimeo.com/15608076

Chris in Cambodia Series

In Part Five, Chris gets violently ill in Cambodia. But his forever trustworthy traveling and filmmaking companion, Patrick, comes to the rescue. A few years later, Chris is able to return the favor. Emergency on-the-fly car driving lessons and other zaniness ensues, as we learn the value of people that you can truly trust when filming in developing countries.

Related Videos From the Set of Elvis of Cambodia

Papaya Salad and “Dirty Water”

Having Some Fun While Filming Chinese New Year in Kampot

#Doclifer Stories

Where we share our listeners #doclives and filmmaking stories. This week’s #Doclifer Story, comes from Scott Link, a name well-known in the TDL Community facebook group. Scott has recently finished his first documentary feature, If My Judges Are Ready? and shares with us some of his trials & tribulations.

Sponsors & Thank Yous

Thank you to music licensing platform, Music Vine for their fresh and diverse music and for contributing the wonderful music that we’ve used in this week’s episode.

If you need any music for your doc project, we can honestly recommend Music Vine.

Want 20% off of your first music licensing purchase? No licensing restrictions or number of tracks! Simply use promo code MYDOCLIFE at checkout!

Apple | Spotify | Stitcher |

Rate and Review

Crowdfunding Your Documentary Film with John Trigonis

The Documentary Life — Fri, 17 May 2019 04:01:00 -0500

Few people know the crowdfunding game like John Trigonis. He is considered to be one of the leading experts in the game. And with good reason, since he has been leading some of the most impressive crowdfunding campaigns for film companies and independent filmmakers over the past decade, worked for Indiegogo, and authored the veritable bible on the subject, Crowdfunding For Filmmakers: The Way to a Successful Film Campaign.

Topics Discussed

How John and his friend’s early interest in film and drama led him to the world of crowdfunding
Why doc films and filmmakers are perfect for crowdfunds
Three of the most common mistakes first-time crowdfunding campaigns make
How crowdfunding is about so much more than simply raising monies for your doc film

Additional Crowdfunding Resources

The book that made our crowdfund campaign

Interested in the book that everyone is talking about (and certainly we talked about on the show!)? This is literally THE resource that Steph and I used to guide us through our successful $20k crowdfund for Elvis of Cambodia.

John gives his crowdfunding TEDx Talks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGb7bQKtA3o

Chris in Cambodia Series

In Part Four, Chris ventures out into the provinces for his first bit of filming since returning to Cambodia. And it’s the Chinese New Year. And he’s taking friend/colleague, Patrick Firouzian out to film with him. Only, they need to find some way to get to their subject’s hometown, which is not easy since most modes of transportation are shut down during the New Year celebrations. And then once there, they’ll need to stay sober enough to complete the day’s filming!

Related Videos From the Set of Elvis of Cambodia

Filming Seng Dara in his hometown of Chumnik village, Takeo province

Friend, additional photographer, and film collaborator, Patrick Firouzian, takes a break during the filming.

#Doclifer Stories

Where we share our listeners #doclives and filmmaking stories. This week, we visit with doc filmmaker and founder of The Charlotte Unconventional Film School, Julie McElmurry, who shares with us her experiences working on her documentary series about nuns.

Sponsors & Thank Yous

Thank you to music licensing platform, Music Vine for their fresh and diverse music and for contributing the wonderful music that we’ve used in this week’s episode.

If you need any music for your doc project, we can honestly recommend Music Vine.

Want 20% off of your first music licensing purchase? No licensing restrictions or number of tracks! Simply use promo code MYDOCLIFE at checkout!

Apple | Spotify | Stitcher |

Rate and Review

Doc Filmmaking, Festivals, and Podcasting with Thom Powers

The Documentary Life — Fri, 10 May 2019 04:07:00 -0500

Thom Powers has been more in touch with documentary filmmaking and filmmakers than most anyone I know. Which makes sense, since he made docs for about a decade, programs for two of the most prestigious film festivals (TIFF and DOCNYC), and is now the host of the podcast, Pure Nonfiction .

Please join us as we have a candid conversation with one of the industry’s more recognisable voices. A conversation, one doc filmmaker to another. One podcaster to another.

Topics Discussed

How Thom Powers went from making HBO and PBS docs to running film festivals
How Thom Powers took his experience as a doc filmmaker and made his festival for doc filmmakers
How and why DOCNYC is one of the more unique doc festivals around
How Thom Powers has had such great access to doc filmmakers for his Pure Nonfiction screenings and podcast

Chris in Cambodia Series

In Part Three, Chris talks about his first couple of weeks settling into his old haunt, the capital city, Phnom Penh. And how it has changed over the years. He also battles some serious editor’s block, being unable to delve back into his passion project, Elvis of Cambodia. And how it took a spark and a sound to turn things around for him, just when he feared all might be lost.

#Doclifer Stories

Where we share our listeners #doclives and filmmaking stories. This week, we visit with This Little Land of Mines, director, Erin McGoff, who shares with us her first experiences working on her first feature doc.

Sponsors & Thank Yous

Thank you to music licensing platform, Music Vine for their fresh and diverse music and for contributing the wonderful music that we’ve used in this week’s episode.

If you need any music for your doc project, we can honestly recommend Music Vine.

Want 20% off of your first music licensing purchase? No licensing restrictions or number of tracks! Simply use promo code MYDOCLIFE at checkout!

Apple | Spotify | Stitcher |

Rate and Review

On the FRONTLINE with Doc Filmmakers, James Jones and Olivier Sarbil

The Documentary Life — Fri, 03 May 2019 05:01:00 -0500

Doc filmmaking duo, James Jones and Olivier Sarbil, have been making their doc living on the frontline of some of the world’s most dangerous areas. But they didn’t necessarily always intend it to be this way. Join us for a powerful and engaging conversation with two filmmakers who are making some of the most important film work today.

Their latest doc, the FRONTLINE film, On the President’s Orders, is a searing look at President Rodrigo Duterte’s deadly campaign against drug dealers and suspected drug users in the Philippines, told with unprecedented access to police officials implicated in the killings, families of users, and others from both sides of the nation’s war on drug.

Topics Discussed

how the two filmmakers and their work were a great match for one another
the importance of being totally upfront and transparent with your doc subjects right from the beginning
how Olivier is able to keep his emotions in-check as he films some of the harrowing moments in life
how you are treated and best ways to operate as a foreign doc filmmaker working in another country

Film Trailer

Watch the trailer for On the President’s Orders

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xukP-PpC3Bo

Chris in Cambodia Series

In Part One of this Nine Part Series, Chris talked about the mental and physical pains of lugging around too much gear in a place like Cambodia. In Part Two, he goes back to the beginning, days before leaving for a big annual corporate video gig and then embarking on his passion project, Elvis of Cambodia. And he walks us through the packing of film gear for a trip like this.

In the episode, Chris mentions his Essential Doc Film Gear List, which can be found by going here.

Supporting TDL Blog Post:

Chris’ Essential Travel Doc Filmmaking Gear List

#Doclifer Stories

Where we share our listeners #doclives and filmmaking stories. This week, video production professor, doc film director (and longtime listener of the show!) Josh Davidsburg discusses his journey with the making of his latest doc, Queen of the Capital.

The #Doclifer Elite Mastermind

On Tuesday, May 7th, 2019, we will be bringing together the new members of the #Doclifer Elite Mastermind, a collective of documentary filmmakers moving their documentary films and their documentary lives forward with purpose. We would love for YOU to be one of those members. Complete the application today and let’s get to work on making your best doc film!

Sponsors & Thank Yous

Thank you to music licensing platform, Music Vine for contributing the wonderful music that we’ve used in this week’s episode.

We’ve used many music licensing platforms over the years for commercials, corporate videos, and documentaries and these guys are different.

Their music catalogue that is truly fresh, diverse, full of character, their search engine is as straight forward and user friendly and their licensing fees? Unlike anywhere else we have come across.

If you need any music for your doc project, we can honestly recommend Music Vine.

Apple | Spotify | Stitcher |

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The First Female Director with Pamela B. Green

The Documentary Life — Thu, 25 Apr 2019 23:43:00 -0500

We’re back! Season 2 of the TDL podcast has officially begun…

Pamela B. Green has made her first documentary feature, Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy Blache. And it is about one of the true pioneers of cinema, Alice Guy Blache. You’ve probably not heard of her. You’re not alone. Even film scholars and most of Hollywood’s finest have no idea who she was. And Pamela is set on rectifying that situation.

Topics Discussed

the need for true resilience for a doc filmmaker to stay with their passion projects
how Alice Guy Blache was one of the original filmmakers who embraced the idea of entrepreneurship
how her successful $200k Kickstarter campaign helped her build an audience for her film
her approach to using the detective work behind her search for Alice Guy Blache was used as a significant part of the story

Trailer

Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy Blache

https://vimeo.com/70380930

Chris in Cambodia Story Series

It’s great to be back, #Doclifer! And I’m eager to share some of my stories and lessons from my most recent trip filming in Cambodia on our current documentary, Elvis of Cambodia.

First lesson up? Pack. Lightly.

#Doclifer Stories

Where we share our listeners #doclives and filmmaking stories. This week, Thomas Bertram, who started his production company RainWater Media six years ago and is currently over in the country of Thailand filming on his latest documentary.

The #Doclifer Elite Mastermind

Sponsors & Thank Yous

Thank you to music licensing platform, Music Vine for contributing the wonderful music that we’ve used in this week’s episode.

We’ve used many music licensing platforms over the years for commercials, corporate videos, and documentaries and these guys are different.

If you need any music for your doc project, we can honestly recommend Music Vine.

Apple | Spotify | Stitcher |

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100 – Happy Thanksgiving Finale From The Documentary Life

The Documentary Life — Fri, 23 Nov 2018 06:21:00 -0500

It is the week of giving thanks, as we celebrate Thanksgiving here in the U.S. Coincidentally, it is episode #100, our last episode of Season One of the podcast. And I am joined by my better half, the producer for the show, Stephanie Vincenti. And we have a lot of gratitude for what we have achieved with The Documentary Life. We also have so much to be thankful for with you, #doclifers, who have most certainly helped us achieve this fairly monumental moment, and may even have been with us throughout all episodes of this journey!

And so this, our season finale, if you will, is all about and all for you, #doclifer.

Topics Discussed

a look back at 2.5 years and 99 episodes of the podcast
a discussion about our hiatus and what we’ll be doing during that time to serve you
how in 2019, Cambodia will play a significant part in our and your #doclives
what’s on the horizon for The Documentary Life, which has become much more than simply a podcast
a discussion about The Documentary Academy, including a Black Friday offer for enrollment

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99 – Outdoor Adventure Films with Peter Mortimer

The Documentary Life — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 06:14:00 -0500

Peter Mortimer has been climbing and making outdoor adventure films for the past twenty years through his company, Sender Films. His company has put out some of the most recognizable outdoor adventure images on the planet, as well as founded The Reel Rock Tour, the biggest and longest-running festival of outdoor adventure films in the world.

Sender has just released their first feature doc, The Dawn Wall, the story of Tommy Caldwell and his impossible ascent of one of the world’s most difficult rock faces, Yosemite’s Dawn Wall. Tommy’s journey, coupled with Peter’s own journey from a geology student to running one of the most well known outdoor adventure film production companies made for a wonderful story. And it has made for an even better episode. Check it out!

Topics Discussed

how he went from a Geology degree to making some of the world’s most recognizable rock climbing films
how filming what he knew of his own interests propelled his films to a dedicated niche audience
how creating the Reel Rock Film Festival essentially became the jumping off point for distribution of his films
how Sender Films went on to produce the documentary about one of the most historic climbs and climbers in history
the technical aspects involved with filming a climb like The Dawn Wall

Related Sources

° Watch the trailer for The Dawn Wall

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRkMaQEVd9c

° Watch the full length doc on November 20th! Sender Films’ The Dawn Wall

° Watch IDFA Interview with directors, Peter Mortimer & Josh Lowell

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gl1iV2ow5-c

° Tommy Caldwell on Tedx Talks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnMs_qLwaes

° There are some outstanding examples of how Sender Films has made a living doing outdoor adventure films in this series, A Line Across the Sky. Incredible footage with some behind-the-scenes moments that any #doclifer interested in shooting outdoor sports will appreciate! Below is a trailer. Click HERE to watch the full film.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOScetWwEwc

Sponsors & Thank Yous

° Episode #90 is proudly brought to you by BlackBox Global, creators of the easiest way to turn your filmmaking skills into passive income!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=14&v=BAGp0j57LNE

Go to BlackBox, Create a Free Account, and start selling your footage today!

° Free Music Archive – Special Thank You to recording artist, Dlay who supplied music for this week’s episode of TDL. You too can download his music or other artist’s music by going to Free Music Archive today!

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98 – Working with Werner Herzog and Les Blank with Maureen Gosling

The Documentary Life — Fri, 09 Nov 2018 06:26:00 -0500

Maureen Gosling is not only the editor of my favourite documentary film of all time, but quite possibly my favourite film of all time. Period. That film is Les Blank’s Burden of Dreams, starring Werner Herzog.

And as we near our finale episode for Season One of the show, I thought it might be a great time to have someone like Maureen on to the show, not only because I would get the opportunity to hear some Les Blank, Werner Herzog & Klaus Kinski stories, but also because editing is something that we often like to champion here on the show. I believe editing to be one of the most underrated positions in all of film. Plus, I know that we have a lot of #doclifers out there who are currently in post production on their doc film!

Topics Discussed

how a chance encounter with Les Blank would start her down the road of documentary
being sued by Drew Barrymore for the use of the name Flower Films
stories about her and Les’ experience documenting Werner Herzog with their film Burden of Dreams
touring in Latin America showing their films and working with Latin American filmmakers
lessons & tips for working with indigenous cultures

Related Sources

° Watch the trailer for Burden of Dreams

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYOYi9WLLVU

° Watch the trailer for A Dangerous Idea

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26ZIfvWWqDA

° Watch the trailer for The Long Shadow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RENJTepMW-4

Sponsors & Thank Yous

Free Music Archive – Special Thank You to recording artist, Dlay who supplied music for this week’s episode of TDL. You too can download his music or other artist’s music by going to Free Music Archive today!

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97 – Understanding Doc Society with Maxyne Franklin

The Documentary Life — Fri, 02 Nov 2018 06:03:00 -0500

Doc Society (formerly BritDoc) is a non-profit that has been working directly with documentary filmmakers since its inception in 2005, to make the most impact in the world with their art. Whether with their flagship program, Good Pitch, their Impact Award, the Impact Field Guide, or the number of grants that they offer, Doc Society has truly become a critical part of the doc community over the past decade.

And I was fortunate enough to sit down with co-founder, Maxyne Franklin, to have an open & frank discussion about the general state of documentary as well as how Doc Society fits into the whole doc landscape, as well as how you, #doclifer, can best take advantage of their programs & services.

Topics Discussed

how a group of Channel 4 editors broke away to form BritDoc, which would eventually become Doc Society
how its flagship program, Good Pitch, has brought together organizations & individuals who can directly impact doc filmmaker's projects
what Doc Society is doing to become more accessible to filmmakers globally
the Impact Field Guide & Toolkit and why every doc filmmaker should have this free resource
other grants & funds that Doc Society is producing to directly help the doc filmmaker

Related Sources

Launched in 2014, the Impact Field Guide & Toolkit is a free online resource designed to help anyone working with film make an even greater impact. Go to the download HERE.

Good Pitch brings together documentary ﬁlmmakers with foundations, NGOs, campaigners, philanthropists, policymakers, brands and media around leading social and environmental issues — to forge coalitions and campaigns that are good for all these partners, good for the ﬁlms and good for society.

Want to be part of a doc filmmaking community? Consider the TDL Community facebook Group page! It's free and a wonderful group of like-minded individuals working on their passion of doc filmmaking.

Sponsors & Thank Yous

° Episode #97 is brought to you by BlackBox Global, creators of one of the easiest way to turn your filmmaking skills into passive income!

https://www.youtube.com/embed/BAGp0j57LNE

Go to BlackBox, Create a Free Account, and start selling your footage today!

° Free Music Archive - Special Thank You to recording artist, Dlay who supplied music for this week's episode of TDL. You too can download his music or other artist's music by going to Free Music Archive today!

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96 – Short Your Way to a Feature with Jon Kasbe

The Documentary Life — Fri, 26 Oct 2018 05:50:00 -0500

Jon Kasbe may not be a name that you are familiar with… yet. Unless you are intricately connected to film festivals or an avid follower of short documentary films, you may not know of this filmmaker’s work.

But he’s most certainly someone that you will soon know, quite possibly with his first feature doc, When Lambs Become Lions, a film about two Kenyan men on opposing sides of the ivory trade. To say it is a thoughtful, engaging, complex look at an issue that you may think that you already know about, would be a vast understatement.

Jon got his beginning by doing one short film after another. And that is not to say that he simply churned these films out. Jon clearly took great care with each and every one of his films. With each short, he cut his teeth, took risks, learning what worked and what didn’t with each short film that he did. All of this, unintentionally, leading to the first feature doc.

This is a conversation with a filmmaker whom we may all come to know and appreciate over the next few years. When Lambs Become Lions is one of the most impressive feats I’ve seen in a long time. And his library of short films are equally impressive. There is much to be learned from this doc filmmaker.

Topics Discussed

had his first doc experience shooting his grandfather helping a leper colony in India
how working in short form – making mistakes & letting some projects go – allowed him the confidence to one day make his feature, When Lambs Become Lions
spent a year getting to know his subjects before a camera ever came out
the responsibilities & perils in trying to give Westerners a deeper understanding on subjects they make thing that they already know about
how Jon used narrative cinema as inspiration, as opposed to documentaries

Related Sources

° A Conversation with Doc Filmmaker, Jon Kasbe

Topics include how to start your documentary, the evolution of a story, camera decisions, post production and more.

https://vimeo.com/276058656

° Clip from When Lambs Become Lions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwO-UZaV9ak

° View more of Jon’s work by going to his Vimeo page.

Sponsors & Thank Yous

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95 – America to Steve James

The Documentary Life — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 04:47:00 -0500

Steve James is one of the most recognizable names in documentary. Many of us #doclifers have been inspired by his films and the way in which he makes them. He was on TDL back on the eve of the Academy Awards for his doc, Abacus: Small Enough to Jail. Not surprisingly, Steve had some great insight into the industry and into doc filmmaking, as a whole. And he related much of this with candor and clarity that was appreciated by all of us doc filmmakers.

And so, on the weekend before the finale of his magnificent documentary series, America to Me, we thought it an appropriate time to reconnect with our brother-in-doc.

Topics Discussed

why & how Steve maintains relationships with his subjects
his choice to recruit younger, diverse filmmakers to help him with the series
why he shows scenes to his film subject, believing that they have agency in how they are represented
how weekly meetings with school admin was necessary for filming the series
how & why America to Me was the most difficult undertaking of his film career

Related Sources

Watch the trailer for America to Me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avT1e_iZ8yw

Sponsors & Thank Yous

° Episode #90 is proudly brought to you by BlackBox Global, creators of the easiest way to turn your filmmaking skills into passive income!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=14&v=BAGp0j57LNE

Go to BlackBox, Create a Free Account, and start selling your footage today!

Apple | Spotify | Stitcher |

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94 – Documentary Film Distribution with Jon Reiss

The Documentary Life — Fri, 12 Oct 2018 05:40:00 -0500

No one knows documentary film distribution in quite the way that film distro wizard, Jon Reiss does. The founder of Hybrid Cinema and author of film distribution Bible, Think Outside the Box Office joined us for this week’s episode of TDL. And it was one of the most engaging, honest looks at film distribution out there!

Topics Discussed

a hybrid approach to film distribution
importance of creating an event for your film’s theatrical showing
was building an audience through a blog, social media, and email lists before it was a thing
how the Bible of film distribution, Thinking Outside the Box Office came to be
valuable first lessons learned from his distribution strategy with the film Bomb It
tips for distributing your documentary film

#DocLifer Film

As heard on the episode, fellow #DocLifer, Kevin Svenkeson joined us on the programme to discuss his journey with his first documentary film, Floating Giants: The Barry Prentice Story. Watch the trailer for his film

https://vimeo.com/257799936

Sponsors & Thank Yous

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93 – The Full-time Doc Filmmaker, with Mat Hames

The Documentary Life — Fri, 05 Oct 2018 04:04:00 -0500

Mat Hames is one of the few, fortunate ones in our doc world that makes his entire living doing his passion of documentary film. Whether it is through he and his wife’s company, Alpheus Media, or through Rooster Teeth’s RT Docs, Hames has been making documentary films non-stop for well over a decade now. Of course, along with persistence and hard work came such fortuitous moments along the way – not the least of which was his association with PBS’ program, Independent Lens, which showcased two of his first three documentary films.

And Mat was gracious enough to come onto TDL to discuss, among a host of other things, his collaboration with Independent Lens and why and how Public Broadcasting plays such a critical role in fostering the doc life of a filmmaker, like Mat.

Topics Dicussed

being knighted with his first documentary film
the importance of a PBS programme, like Independent Lens to the doc filmmaker
how writing is one of the most overlooked, but critical elements of the doc filmmaker
who Rooster Teeth is and how they are making waves in the doc community

Related Sources

° View a clip of Mat Hames’ When We Rise

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjM0p99fsco

° Watch the trailer for What Was Ours

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QN_yDENKtX0

Sponsors & Thank Yous

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92 – How to Fund Your Film: The Individual Donor

The Documentary Life — Fri, 28 Sep 2018 08:29:00 -0500

An often overlooked aspect of film funding is the individual donor. Which is kind of surprising, given that statistics tend to show that 50 percent (and sometimes more) make up the overall funding for doc filmmakers. Amidst, all of the dialogue and concentration on other, sometimes more obvious, avenues of fundraising like crowdfunding, grant funding, and corporate sponsorships, we tend to forget that sometimes it’s that single big individual donation that can often be the difference between getting a film made or having it remain a cool idea that the filmmaker once had.

And so we have dedicated today’s episode to you, #doclifer, and to the almighty Individual Donor!

Topics Discussed

How individual donations often make up the bulk of a doc filmmakers funding
Where & how to find individual donor
Contacting a potential donor
Making the ask
Nurturing the relationship of the major gift donor

Sponsors & Thank Yous

° Episode #92 is brought to you by BlackBox Global, creators of one of the easiest way to turn your filmmaking skills into passive income!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=14&v=BAGp0j57LNE

Go to BlackBox, Create a Free Account, and start selling your footage today!

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91 – Doc Filmmakers Getting Real, with Claire Aguilar

The Documentary Life — Fri, 21 Sep 2018 05:29:00 -0500

Getting Real is a biennial conference put on by International Documentary Association (IDA) to foster three days of documentary media discussion, with documentary filmmaker’s sustainability at the core of its discussion. Along with the theme of sustainability, the 2018 conference will see the themes of transparency and creativity being added to the discussion.

At the time of this episode, we are days away from the event (Sep 25-27) and we thought it might be a great time to check in with our friends over to IDA to see what was happening this year. We are were elated when Claire Aguilar, Director of Programming & Policy agreed to sit down this and tell us of all the special events happening at this year’s Getting Real.

Topics Discussed

the continuing need to better understand sustainability and how it pertains to the doc filmmaker
how & why IDA continues to be at the forefront of fostering networking & discussion to and with the doc community
the addition of transparency and creativity to the Getting Real discussion
a breakdown of all that is offered at this premiere three-day event for doc filmmakers
while tix are sold-out for the event, you can still volunteer for Getting Real

Related Sources

Two episodes were mentioned in today’s programme. They were Episode #58 with IDA Exec Dir, Simon Kilmurry and Episode #51 with 2018 IDA Career Achievement Award recipient, Lourdes Portillo. Check out one or both!

Sponsors & Thank Yous

° ONE MONTH FREE OF GUIDEDOC!

Episode #89 is proudly brought to you GuideDoc, an online platform where you can not only watch the world’s best award-winning docs from around the globe, but you get to directly support the people who make these docs! 50 percent of proceeds goes directly to the filmmaker!

To take advantage of one month FREE, simply use the promo code MYDOCLIFE upon checkout!

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90 – 5 (More) Reasons to Make Your Documentary Film

The Documentary Life — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 05:45:00 -0500

If you are like so many of us doc filmmakers, there have been numerous times where you have questioned or doubted whether or not you should or perhaps even could make a documentary film. There are even seasoned filmmakers with multiple docs to their resume who still question whether or not they are the right person to be making a particular doc (myself included).

Well, I am here to tell you that yes, you can in fact, make a documentary, and furthermore that you are, in fact, the perfect person to be making the doc that you’ve been thinking of making or are already in the process of making.

In fact, for today’s episode I’m going to give you 5 Reasons why can and should be making your documentary film, and why you should be doing it today!

5 Reasons to Make Your Documentary Film

It is Your Calling
Everyone Loves Docs
Because You are the Person to Tell the Story
You Already Have the Equipment
You ARE a Doc Filmmaker, So Stop Questioning It

#Doclifer Patrick Suzuki-Mitchell

And if you should need more inspiration to make your documentary, then look no further than fellow #doclifer, Patrick Suzuki-Mitchell, who, like many of us felt an undeniable pull to venture forth into the wonderful world of documentary. But, also like so many of us, had his moments of trepidation and often found himself looking for reasons why he was the one to be telling the story that he wanted to tell. And after you listen to today’s episode you’re going to hear about 20 million of those reasons why he’ll be making his first documentary film!

Related Sources

Check out the Youtube clip that #doclifer Patrick uploaded seven years ago, and has now provided the impetus for the making of his first doc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVXXDtWtHDY

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° ONE MONTH FREE OF GUIDEDOC!

Check out GuideDoc, an online platform where you can not only watch the world’s best award-winning docs from around the globe, but you get to directly support the people who make these docs! 50 percent of proceeds goes directly to the filmmaker!

To take advantage of one month FREE, simply use the promo code MYDOCLIFE upon checkout!

° Episode #90 is brought to you by BlackBox Global, creators of one of the easiest way to turn your filmmaking skills into passive income!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=14&v=BAGp0j57LNE

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89 – Minding the Gap with Director, Bing Liu

The Documentary Life — Fri, 07 Sep 2018 04:31:00 -0500

Every once in awhile a young filmmaker comes out of nowhere and takes the doc world by storm. And this year that name seems to be Bing Liu.

And his doc Minding the Gap seems to be all over the place these days. Bing’s film won the Sundance 2018 Jury for Breakthrough Filmmaking. He was essentially recruited by Kartemquin to come on as co-producers. Steve James not only came on as executive director of Minding the Gap but asked Bing to story produce and DP on a handful of episodes of Steve’s current docuseries America to Me. Bing was also listed in Variety Magazine as one of ten documentary filmmakers to watch.

And so for today’s programme I am happy to sit down with Bing and have a candid conversation about his experience in the film industry, his life in Rockford, and of course, his exhilarating documentary, Minding the Gap. Enjoy, fellow #doclifer!

Topics Discussed

Forming a co-sponsorship with a Kartemquin films
Bing’s decision to put skin in the game by including himself in his doc
Ethical decisions involved when subjects discuss abusive relationships
Navigating the meat market atmosphere of major film festivals

Related Sources

° Watch the trailer for Minding the Gap

° Watch Bing’s full documentary, Nuoc

Sponsors & Thank Yous

° ONE MONTH FREE OF GUIDEDOC!

To take advantage of one month FREE, simply use the promo code MYDOCLIFE upon checkout!

° Free Music Archive – Special Thank You to recording artist, Dlay who supplied music for this week’s episode of TDL. You too can download his music or other artist’s music by going to Free Music Archive today!

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88 – 5 Tips for Your Film Festival Strategy

The Documentary Life — Fri, 31 Aug 2018 05:14:00 -0500

Last week, #doclifer Josh Davidsburg took advantage of the TDL Hotline and left a message with us asking about advice for a film festival strategy. Not only did we answer his question and offer up some suggestions, but we took it a step further and decided to make a full-blown episode on the topic!

I don’t want you to make the same mistakes that I made when I released my first documentary Journey to Kathmandu. While I certainly learned a bit about the film festival thing from that experience, I probably learned more from my inexperience! And the various docs that I’ve worked on since J2K coupled with my research and connection to Melbourne Documentary Film Festival and their director, Lyndon Stone, I’ve certainly broadened my knowledge on the topic of film festivals. And I’m happy to share that not only with Josh, but all of you #doclifers, who should be forming your strategies from the moment you embark upon your amazing doc idea/project!

5 Tips for Your Film Festival Strategy

In this episode, we discuss 5 tips for your film festival strategy.

Form Your Strategy Early On
Build a Festival Database
Find the Festivals For Your Film
Get the Word Out
Be Smart About Your Premiere

Related Sources

Want a great supportive doc filmmaking community to be a part of? Consider the TDL Community facebook Group page! It’s free and it’s a wonderfully connected group of like-minded individuals all working on their passion of doc filmmaking.

° Trailer to #DocLifer Josh Davidsburg’s documentary film, Queen of the Capital

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7G128nlbzA

Journey to Kathmandu

If you are interested in watching TDL host, Chris G. Parkhurst’s personal documentary, you can check out Journey to Kathmandu, a film that follows the once-in-a-lifetime journey that goats make from their farmland lives of goats in Tibet to their sacrificial deaths in Kathmandu, during the Nepalese holiday, Dashain.

Purchase of the Deluxe Director’s & Goat’s Edition comes loaded with behind-the-scenes footage, director’s commentary, shorts, and deleted scenes. Regardless if you’re simply looking for more info on the making of J2K’or you’re a budding independent filmmaker (or just a fan of goats!), this is a must-have for anyone who enjoys gaining insight into what goes into the making of an independent documentary in a developing country.

Sponsors & Thank Yous

° Episode #86 is brought to you by BlackBox Global, creators of one of the easiest way to turn your filmmaking skills into passive income!

Go to BlackBox, Create a Free Account, and start selling your footage today!

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87 – Learning to Breath with Documentary Photography with Alison Wright

The Documentary Life — Fri, 24 Aug 2018 05:28:00 -0500

Alison Wright has been traveling and working in 150 countries and doing documentary photography for 35+ years. She is one of the single most impressive human beings that you may ever meet. She has lived more in her life than most of us will if we lived to 100. Though if not for the kindness of strangers, she would have lost her life in the middle of nowhere Laos, when she was involved in a horrific bus accident.

Of course, she lived to tell the tell her story. And she lived to tell it to many people, since the publication of her memoir, Learning to Breath: One Woman’s Journey of Spirit and Survival. And she lived to create some of the more impactful photographs of some of the most desolate, destitute, staggeringly beautiful, hauntingly breathtaking places and peoples of the world.

And she’s now given us the pleasure of her presence on the podcast. And what an episode it was. We are not worthy, Alison…

Topics Discussed

importance of finding hope when one is working in the devastated areas of the world
discussion on whether one’s work is enough for change or if the artist needs to be doing something more tangible with their work to affect that change
how to stay connected with both your subject and the audience for your work
how to decompress & process when coming back from long stretches of working away from home
how a meditation practice got Alison through challenging situations & environments, including her near-death experience in Laos

Related Sources

I encourage all listeners to check out the amazing work that Alison is doing through her non-profit, Faces of Hope.

I also highly recommend reading her stunning memoir, Learning to Breath: One Woman’s Journey of Spirit and Survival.

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86 – Influential Documentaries to My Doc Life

The Documentary Life — Fri, 17 Aug 2018 05:12:00 -0500

As a doc filmmaker, how many times have you been asked what your favorite documentary film is? If you’re anything like me, it’s a nearly impossible and futile question to answer. There are just too many incredibly documentaries that have influenced, inspired, and excited me over the years, to have to name a single favorite one of them.

That being said, it’s not difficult for me to rattle off a number of documentaries that have been of particular influence to me and my work. Which is what today’s episode is all about: docs of influence.

And once you’ve listened to the show, I’d like to encourage you to share with the rest of us #doclifers your list of docs that have influenced you! You can email me, use the TDL Hotline (1-828-419-4845) or maybe even better yet, post your list as a comment on the TDL Community Facebook Group.

Docs Discussed

Burden of Dreams
Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse
War Photogapher
Hoop Dreams
Touching the Void

Related Sources

° Watch the trailer for Burden of Dreams

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYOYi9WLLVU

° Watch the trailer for Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxowb5IQRuI

° Watch the trailer for War Photographer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doV8xokcTuo

° Watch the trailer for Hoop Dreams

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ph2Y-epihlk

° Watch the trailer for Touching the Void

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t65VrYZ2U9s

#Doclifer Film

Be sure and check out #DocLifer Erin McGoff‘s current documentary film project, This Little Land of Mines!

Journey to Kathmadu

Sponsors & Thank Yous

° Episode #86 is brought to you by BlackBox Global, creators of one of the easiest way to turn your filmmaking skills into passive income!

Go to BlackBox, Create a Free Account, and start selling your footage today!

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85 – Talking Directing and Development with Three Identical Strangers director, Tim Wardle

The Documentary Life — Fri, 10 Aug 2018 04:13:00 -0500

One of the biggest documentary hits of the summer has been Tim Wardles’ Three Identical Strangers, a film that follows the incredible true story of triplets who learned of one another’s existence only at age 19, their initial joy giving way to increasingly unsettling discoveries. But before becoming the director or a massive documentary hit, Wardle spend many years as head of development for RAW TV in the UK, a position that he believes is vastly underrated and, in fact, is one that documentary filmmakers should more seriously consider.

I loved that revealing conversation for its discussion on the documentary industry and his amazing documentary.

Topics Discussed

how working years as head of development for RAW TV enabled Tim to stay inspired and connected to documentary
why you, #doclifer, might consider making a career out of development
why documentary people are some of the most interesting, inspiring people you can surround yourselves with
how a filmmaker needs to be willing to walk away from their doc project if it’s not working
his strategies for approaching and then conducting interviews with the key people of Three Identical Strangers
the challenges with producing Three Identical Strangers, a US-based film, from a UK-based company

Film Trailer

° Watch the trailer for Three Identical Strangers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-OF0OaK3o0

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84 – Staying Connected as a Documentary Filmmaking

The Documentary Life — Fri, 03 Aug 2018 05:08:00 -0500

Last week we attended Podcast Movement 2018 in Philadelphia, USA. It was a great refresher for us – even an eye opener on some levels – in terms of what we are doing with the podcast as well as what we’re doing as doc filmmakers. As was the case last year, we left the conference feeling more connected to a community of podcasters. But this year, perhaps more importantly, we are feeling a need to be more connected you, #doclifer, which is what this week’s episode is all about… Connectivity.

We are making a more concerted effort to get back to our core of The Documentary Life, which is to provide a platform whereby we, as doc filmmakers, can all feel a little more connected to one another, to our doc brothers and sisters!

5 Ways to Stay Connected as a Doc Filmmaker

As creatives, it’s easy for us to get overwhelmed by our projects or other aspects of our lives that demand our attention. This can sometimes negatively impact our ability to function in a creative capacity. I have come up with five ways that will help you take some of that creativity back.

Meetups
Join TDL Community facebook group page
Volunteer on Someone Else’s Doc
Attend Doc Film Fests
48 Hour Film Festival

Related Sources

° Want a great supportive doc filmmaking community to be a part of?

Join the TDL Community facebook Group page! It’s free and it’s a wonderfully connected group of like-minded individuals all working on their passion of doc filmmaking.

° In the episode we talk about the importance of using your Meetups! We also mentioned two Meetup groups that are listeners of the podcast head up in Philly and Charlotte. Check’em out if you’re in the area!

Journey To Kathmandu

Sponsors & Thank Yous

° Episode #84 is brought to you by BlackBox Global, creators of one of the easiest way to turn your filmmaking skills into passive income!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=14&v=BAGp0j57LNE

Go to BlackBox, Create a Free Account, and start selling your footage today!

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83 – My (Rather Candid) Conversation with Brexitannia Director, Timothy George Kelly

The Documentary Life — Fri, 20 Jul 2018 05:31:00 -0500

There is something – many things, really – that can be said about having a conversation with Timothy George Kelly (dir., Brexitannia) on the current state of documentary film (or Brexit, for that matter). But you probably wouldn’t believe me if I tried to explain it here. The best thing to do, of course, would be to simply dive into the episode. But you should do so with some caution.

For this episode may provoke you. It may force you to think of your doc making in a different way. It may make you anxious. It could make you annoyed. Or it could make you jump for joy with happiness and exaltation. Whatever my conversation with Timothy does, if nothing else, you will be moved in some direction. This is not unlike, of course, what the whole Brexit referendum did a couple of years back. Which, by the way, Timothy thankfully covered in brilliant and black and white fashion with his stunning new film, Brexitannia.

Topics Discussed

the importance of having conversations about how & when you screwed up as a filmmaker and why the industry is scared of those conversations
why Timothy makes docs that deal in truth, and not the blurring of lines between fact and fiction
how intentionally making strong creative decisions on Brexitannia practically ensure that it would not be seen on the tele
how & why we can and should be making political docs that are interesting to an audience in an effort to engage them in political discourse

Related Sources

° Watch the trailer for Brexitannia

https://vimeo.com/210570776

° A great example of Timothy’s filmmaking where doc meets commercial. Made for Adidas Originals and Boiler Room.

https://vimeo.com/179881825

° The trailer for Timothy’s film that he hates, A City is An Island

https://vimeo.com/167117333

Journey to Kathmadu

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82 – Maximizing Your Doc Life with Pedram Shojai, OMD

The Documentary Life — Fri, 13 Jul 2018 05:29:00 -0500

Pedram Shojai has been embodying the doc life now for years. In fact, one might argue that he was doing so even before he was making documentaries, building his life to his passions of Taoism, Kung Fu, Tai Chi, and practicing Oriental medicine. A few years ago, Pedram combined these passions and formed Well.org. Not long after this, he made his first documentary film, Vitality. A number of documentary films have since followed.

I think that you will find this conversation to be one of the most frank and open conversations about living one’s doc life that we’ve had in a long time.

Topics Discussed

how/why you might consider using your doc films as freemium
how Pedram believes that filmmakers need to get over their issues with making money from their projects
how there is a need for docos to be making films that bring more light instead of darkness into the world
how electing not to distribute with the Netflixs and Amazons allows you to be more intimately connected with your audiences, which increases the success of your next films

5 Ways to Increase Your Filmmaking Creativity

Get Outside
Find Something Good
Engage with Some Like-minded People
Ask for Feedback
Exercise

Related Sources

° Watch the trailer for Pedram Shojai’s first documentary film, Vitality

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAoYqKmjR_E

° Watch the trailer for Pedram Shojai’s documentary film, Prosperity

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGwySLuQdHQ

Journey to Kathmandu

Purchase of the Deluxe Director’s & Goat’s Edition comes loaded with behind-the-scenes footage, director’s commentary, shorts, and deleted scenes. Regardless if you’re simply looking for more info on the making of J2K’ or you’re a budding independent filmmaker (or just a fan of goats!), this is a must-have for anyone who enjoys gaining insight into what goes into the making of an independent documentary in a developing country.

Sponsors & Thank Yous

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81 – Hacking the Documentary Film Festival, Part Two

The Documentary Life — Fri, 06 Jul 2018 04:29:00 -0500

It’s that time again to turn our attention to breaking down the barriers of that ever-elusive filmmaking animal that we’ve all come to respect and love, but few of us truly understand… the film festival.

Last year, we ran a two-part special on the subject of the film festival for the documentary festival. Lyndon Stone, festival director of Melbourne Documentary Film Festival, invited us into his world of curating and producing a documentary film festival and he helped us better understand what all goes on behind-the-scenes of such an endeavour, as well as how we, the doc filmmaker, can best apply to these festivals and use them to leverage our film’s success afterwards. We also spoke with two filmmakers who were playing MDFF, in order to gain their perspective on what the documentary film festival experience was like for them, and how we might best be able to learn from their experiences.

Due to the popularity of that two-part special, we’ve decided to do it again in anticipation of this year’s MDFF! Lyndon will again tee-up each episode for us and we will also have two doc filmmakers who have had their film’s selected as inclusion to this year’s festival. And for part two of the special, we’ll talk with Dawn Mikkelson, whose film Risking Light marks Dawn’s fifth documentary film in which she has applied to the film festival circuit. This is her first to play MDFF, which had reached out to her a couple of years prior when they were made aware of a crowdfunding campaign for the film.

Topics Discussed

how the MDFF film selection process goes through a very specific panel process
why it’s important for festivals to be hosting more filmmaker visits
how Dawn Mikkelson’s first festival experience changed her entire perception of the film festival circuit
why it’s exciting & important for doc filmmakers to have their subjects present at some festival screenings
how festivals are a critical way for a doc filmmaker who isn’t from LA or NYC to casually network with other doc filmmakers or industry people who might help you get your next doc funded

Related Sources

Watch the trailer for Dawn Mikkelson’s Risking Light

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1qx_v7gCvI&vl=en

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80 – Hacking the Documentary Film Festival, Part One

The Documentary Life — Fri, 29 Jun 2018 04:40:00 -0500

Due to the popularity of that two-part special, we’ve decided to do it again in anticipation of this year’s MDFF! Lyndon will again tee-up each episode for us and we will also have two doc filmmakers who have had their film’s selected as inclusion to this year’s festival. And for part one of the special, we’ll talk with Tony Zierra, whose film Filmworker has been getting rave reviews at a number of festivals, including Cannes and MDFF.

Topics Discussed

MDFF’s embracing of the short form doc
how & why MDFF decided to not just simply screen films, but to build relationships with the filmmakers and to assist them after the festival
practical tips for the doc filmmaker when applying to film festivals
Tony Zierra is a filmmaker who embodies the essence of living the doc life
Tony believes that film festivals are the doc filmmaker’s gateway to the world
how Tony kept rolling with the punches during his journey as a doc filmmaker and how you can too

Related Sources

° Watch the trailer for Tony Zierra’s Filmworker

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEZ2r1YGKSA

Sponsors & Thank Yous

° Episode #80 is brought to you by BlackBox Global, creators of one of the easiest way to turn your filmmaking skills into passive income!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=14&v=BAGp0j57LNE

Go to BlackBox, Create a Free Account, and start selling your footage today!

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79 – Filming in Dangerous Environments with Doc Filmmakers, Chris Kelly & Venerable Luon Sovath

The Documentary Life — Fri, 22 Jun 2018 05:56:00 -0500

The number of docos filming in dangerous or hostile environments has been steadily increasing over the past decade, with the access to both dependable portable film gear as well as the best areas in which to tell a given story. What has not necessarily increased is a filmmaker or journalist’s safety, with 80 being killed in action and over 250 imprisoned last year, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Doc filmmakers Chris Kelly and Venerable Luon Sovath spent years risking their life and limb to tell the story of land grabbing in Cambodia. While innocent people were forcefully removed from their homes in the name of land development, Kelly and Luon were there with cameras filming the events for the world to see. And I had the distinct pleasure of sitting down to talk with them about their experiences making the film, A Cambodian Spring, in hopes of shedding some light into the process of making documentaries in potentially dangerous areas of the world.

Topics Discussed

How the choice to tell the film entirely from the Cambodian perspective is a complex and demanding, though very unique and rewarding experience
How 3-6 months living/filming in Cambodia became 6 yrs in the country
How a monk decides to become a journalist advocating for the rights of those being displaced from their homes by the government
Hostile environment training in the UK prepared Chris for dangerous areas

Related Sources

Watch the trailer for A Cambodian Spring

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7t12Am6DM18

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78 – From Producing Film DVD Extras to Doc Filmmaking with Jeffrey Schwarz

The Documentary Life — Fri, 15 Jun 2018 04:45:00 -0500

If you’re like me, you are a fan of watching the DVD extras or the making-of videos of some of your favorite films. In fact, Ive been inspired and gained some of my very filmmaking knowledge by watching some of the film extras included on dvds.

We have a special conversation with a man who did so many making-ofs and added value content for Hollywood studios that he became known as the EPK Samurai. His name is Jeffrey Schwarz, and he has over 300 producer credits and over 100 directors to his name. And he has parlayed his early career doing the EPK work into becoming a full-fledged documentary filmmaker.

Topics Discussed

how a student film turned into the impetus for lifelong subject matter for future doc films
how producing EPK and making-of videos allowed Jeffrey to practice his passion of documentary
how following your obsessions can lead to some wonderful places as a doc filmmaker
why you should always be budgeting for yourself to make a living in your film budgets

Now as an independent documentary filmmaker, I like to make sure that I include these types of extras on dvd and digital distro packages so that others may benefit in the same way that I did when I was first starting out. And I believe that by including added value like this to your film packages, you can give the consumer another reason to buy your film (instead of somebody else’s!).

5 Best Practices for Making Film Extras

In this episode I also go over 5 Best Practices for Making Film Extras, which are:

Get Best Possible Audio
Involve the Crew and Subjects
Keep a Film Journal
Storytelling
Offload Footage at End of Day

Related Sources

° Watch the Trailer for Jeffrey Schwarz’s just-released documentary film, The Fabulous Allan Carr

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jC7ltHHsek

° If you’re interested in watching Jeffrey’s film you can go here!

° You must check out Jeffrey’s thesis film Al Lewis in the Flesh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9OeAS6ofM0

Journey To Kathmandu

Check out the Journey to Kathmandu package that was mentioned in the episode. This one came chock full o’ dvd extras and making-of videos!

Behind-the-scenes footage
Director’s Commentary
J2K Film Shorts
Documentary Making-of videos
Deleted Scenes
Original artwork by W. Ryan Hatch
CD soundtrack

You can purchase this DVD for your collection here.

° Watch Journey to Kathmandu: Making of an Original Score

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l54cu-MXRVM

Sponsors & Thank Yous

° Episode #74 is brought to you by BlackBox Global, creators of one of the easiest way to turn your filmmaking skills into passive income!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=14&v=BAGp0j57LNE

Go to BlackBox, Create a Free Account, and start selling your footage today!

Apple | Spotify | Stitcher |

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77 – Mobile Filmmaking Special Pt 2, with FiLMic Pro’s, Neill Barham

The Documentary Life — Fri, 08 Jun 2018 05:35:00 -0500

In part two of our special on mobile filmmaking for the doc filmmaker, we decided to go right to the source: FiLMic Pro‘s, CEO & found, Neill Barham. And he did not let down. If you have ever even had so much as a thought to making your next doc with you mobile device, than boy is this ever the episode for you.

Neill spoke to us fresh off of Mojofest in Galway, Ireland as well as Apple’s World Developer’s Conference in California. And what he had to say on the subject of mobile filmmaking went beyond all of my expectations for the episode.

Topics Discussed

How & why mobile filmmaking is so appropriate for the doc filmmaker
Neill’s journey from indie filmmaker to founder of FiLMiC Pro
Gear & accessory suggestions for the first-time mobile filmmaker
How & why FiLMiC Pro is aimed for the pro filmmaker
When mobile filmmaking stops being mobile filmmaking

Related Sources

° Neill Barham at NAB 2018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Dob4OiGe0c

° Philip Bloom Article

Philip Bloom – you’re heard of him, no? – first blogged about the brilliance of FiLMiC Pro back in 2009. You can read that article here.

° Sennheiser “Memory Mic”

In the episode, Neill mentions Sennheiser’s unveiling of their Memory Mic at this year’s NAB. It is a wireless lav that automatically syncs up to FiLMiC Pro’s app. Read about this beauty here .

° Richard Lackey

Richard Lackey did a great video talking about how to get great exposure using an iPhone and the FiLMiC Pro app. Wonderful information to help you maximize your low light situations!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx2trCa0edk

Sponsors & Thank Yous

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76 – Mobile Filmmaking Special, Pt 1 with Anna Brees

The Documentary Life — Fri, 01 Jun 2018 05:11:00 -0500

To say that phone filmmaking has quickly turned from shooting cute home movies of your kids to full-fledged filmmaking would be an understatement. And understandably, doc filmmakers, have really been embracing this notion of creating a documentary film from a device that they carry around in their pocket.

In this episode, we’ll speak with former BBC and ITV reporter, Anna Brees, who has fully embraced the notion of shooting and editing news stories with her iPhone. And through her company, Brees Media, she is now giving workshops around the UK, arming its citizens with the power to tell the news stories that aren’t being told.

Topics Discussed

definition of citizen journalism
how documentary has changed the conversation about news & journalism
ways in which mobile devices are positively affecting our storytelling
how starting out at a small local news station empowered Anna to get out into the world and produce her own news stories

5 Reasons to Shoot Your Doc With Your Phone

And we here at TDL have decided to devote the next two episodes to this revolutionary form of filmmaking by first taking a look at 5 Reasons to Shoot Your Doc With Your Phone.

It’s Cheap
It’s Small and Unobtrusive
They Weigh Next to Nothing
4K Capabilities
Multi-Camera Potential

Related Sources

° You can check out some of Anna’s early work with the BBC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhmbybvSsGA

° Penarth SMTV

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZXakSzYlbY&feature=youtu.be

Sponsors & Thank Yous

° Episode #76 is brought to you by BlackBox Global, creators of one of the the easiest way to turn your filmmaking skills into passive income!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=14&v=BAGp0j57LNE

Go to BlackBox, Create a Free Account, and start selling your footage today!

Apple | Spotify | Stitcher |

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75 – Talking the Doc Life with My Doc Wife

The Documentary Life — Fri, 25 May 2018 04:55:00 -0500

I figured since I’m always on here prattling on about my doc life, it might be different to talk about – or actually, with! – my doc wife, Stephanie. We figured what better way to celebrate our second anniversary – of the podcast, that is – than to have Steph on the show for the first time EVER, since it’s inception back in May of 2016.

Steph and I met and started working together back in 2012. But before that, we had lives of our own, which included a combined 25+ years working in film/tv – she in feature narratives in Malaysia and the UK and myself in doc and commercials.

In this episode, we’ll take a look back on not only two years of the podcast, our various documentary project ventures, but also our documentary lives as we know it thus far; which includes – among other things – raising a family of two children while we continue our passions of documentary filmmaking!

Sponsors & Thank You’s

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74 – Archival Storytelling For Your Documentary with Tom Jennings

The Documentary Life — Fri, 18 May 2018 05:35:00 -0500

Through his production company, 1895 Films, Tom Jennings has become known for his fresh and inventive approach to using archival footage to tell a story. With both Peabody and Emmy Awards under his belt, there are few who have mastered the art of archival storytelling in the way that Tom has. After listening to this episode you will never think of found footage in the same way again!

Topics Discussed

how Tom’s print background lent directly to becoming a documentary filmmaker
how Tom and his company, 1895 Films, have transformed the way that filmmakers are now using archival footage
how through exclusively using archival to tell a story, one forces an audience to become an active viewer
how sourcing archival from local media sources can be a goldmine
best practices for contacting local media sources for use of archival materials

5 Tips for Sourcing Archival Materials

To get properly prepped for our conversation with Tom, I take us through 5 Tips for Sourcing Archival Materials. They are:

License-fee vs. Royalty-free vs. Public Domain
National Archives
Focal International
License Upfront
Cast Wide Net About Your Archival Search

Related Resources

° In the episode, Tom mentioned a tv news show entitled You Are There, specifically he talks about the episode that dealt with the sinking of the titanic. This show served as inspiration for Tom, later on becoming a documentary filmmaker who would end up taking a very different approach.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HliceHS92R4

° View the opening found footage that Tom talks about for The Lost Tapes: Challenger Disaster

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTHDApKDwrk

° Read a really great article that was basically a case study of how The Lost Tapes: Challenger Disaster was made. This is very informative, highly recommend any doc filmmaker checking this article out!

° Tom Jennings 2012 Peabody Acceptance Speech

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ou4K99TKThI

Sponsors & Thank Yous

° Episode #74 is brought to you by BlackBox Global, creators of one of the easiest way to turn your filmmaking skills into passive income!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=14&v=BAGp0j57LNE

Go to BlackBox, Create a Free Account, and start selling your footage today!

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73 – Making Great Sound for Your Documentary with Jean Umansky

The Documentary Life — Fri, 11 May 2018 04:19:00 -0500

Jean Umansky is one of the most respected sound persons in the field of filmmaking. He is a French sound engineer who has worked on over 50+ narrative and documentary films, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Sound on Amelie.

In our conversation with Jean, he guides us through some best practices for not only achieving optimal sound, but also for creating sound in a way that shapes the very story of your documentary film.

Topics Discussed

how sound can shape the story just as much as the visual
learning and using the language of sound with the director
importance of mic placement, shock mount, windscreen
tips for achieving great sound as a documentary filmmaker

5 Tips for Getting Good Sound on Your Doc

And as an opening volley to our episode on sound, I take us through 5 Tips for Getting Good Sound on Your Doc, which are:

test your gear
bring your headphones
think about location
clothing rustle
consider using a wired lav

Related Resources

° Watch the 7 Ways to Hide Lav Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D85HmR825wM

° Joris Ivens

In the episode, Jean, mentions a documentary filmmaking pioneer by the name of Joris Ivens. I have since looked this man up. You won’t believe this guy’s story! You can read more by checking out his Wiki page.

° Watch the Nenette Documentary Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQo8prT25ug

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72 – Direct Distribution for Your Documentary with Christopher Rufo

The Documentary Life — Fri, 04 May 2018 05:32:00 -0500

The topic of film distribution is, perhaps, one of the most requested topics that we’ve ever had for the podcast. And it’s no wonder. While there may seem like more options than ever for the doc filmmaker, it’s hard to know which ones may be best suited for us. Or if, in fact, self-distribution may, in fact, be the better, smarter option for the independent documentary filmmaker.

Well, Christopher Rufo is a documentary filmmaker who has cracked the proverbial code on what he likes to call “direct distribution”. Chris – who is the founder of both Documentary Foundation and Filmmaker.MBA has some very tried and true methods for getting your documentary film out into the world, seen on big screens, and helping you make some good money back on your film.

Topics Discussed

definition of direct distribution and how it applies to you and your film distro plan
how incorporating as a non-profit can be very advantageous to you
how embracing an entrepreneurial spirit is key to sustaining one’s doc life
stop trying to get to a general audience, instead niche down to your true audience
re-defining the term theatrical release

Related Resources

Watch Christopher Rufo’s PBS documentary, Diamond in the Dunes for free by going here!

10% discount on FILMMAKER.MBA

Don’t forget to take advantage of the 10 percent discount by using the promo code MYDOCLIFE at checkout!

Sponsors & Thank You’s

° Episode #72 is brought to you with support from BlackBox Global, creators of one of the easiest way to turn your filmmaking skills into passive income!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=14&v=BAGp0j57LNE

Go to BlackBox, Create a Free Account, and start selling your footage today!

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71 – Making a Netflix Docuseries with Flint Town Producer, Gary Kout

The Documentary Life — Fri, 27 Apr 2018 05:11:00 -0500

These are pretty amazing times for documentary filmmakers. Not only have the popularity of documentary films increased exponentially, not only are there far more resources available these days to doc filmmakers, but the distribution platforms that are out there are plentiful, not the least of which are the Netflixs, Hulus, and Amazons of the world. And now, these distro platforms have opened the doc playing field to the long form, the docuseries.

And for episode #71 we speak with Gary Kout, producer of Netflix series, Flint Town, about the journey that Flint Town took from a short film to a full-fledged Netflix-budgeted documentary series.

Topics Discussed

how a short film became a full-fledged Netflix docuseries
how a distro platform like Netflix can best be approached
how a company like Netflix decides to fund a docuseries project
how Netflix makes editorial decisions with a filmmaker
tips on selling your docuseries to Netflix

5 Tips for Producing Your Docuseries

Killer Pitch
Sizzle Reel
Don’t Make Reality TV
Secure the Rights to the Story
Be Friendly, Don’t Be Their Friends

Related Resources

° NY Times Op-Doc, Policing Flint

Check out the short film that became the Netflix docuseries, Flint Town:

https://www.nytimes.com/video/opinion/100000004953212/policing-flint.html

° Watch the trailer for Flint Town

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfNURrdgWTU

° Watch the T. Rexdocumentary trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkHGARt38Gw

Sponsors & Thank You’s

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70 – Crowdfunding for Your Documentary with Seed & Spark’s, Emily Best

The Documentary Life — Fri, 20 Apr 2018 04:22:00 -0500

Crowdfunding, nowadays, is one of the most common funding options out there for the documentary filmmaker. However, the crowdfunding playing field has evolved considerably since the early days of Kickstarter and Indiegogo. Take for instance, Seed & Spark.

A multitude of crowdfunding platforms now do different things, depending on your needs. And while the list of a doc filmmaker’s needs seems never-ending, it’s things like building an audience for your film, increasing your social media followers, and distribution options for your film, that are right at the top of any doc filmmaker’s list.

Which is what makes a crowdfunding platform like Seed & Spark such an attractive option. It has all of those things and more. It has been developed by industry leaders and is specifically geared to the independent filmmaker. And for today’s episode, we’ve brought on Seed & Spark founder and CEO, Emily Best, to talk about it.

Topics Discussed

how & why Seed & Spark was created to put the independent back in independent filmmaking
how a platform like Seed & Spark runs a unique educational program to ensure success before you run a campaign through their platform
how Seed & Spark rewards are all about gaining followers for your crowdfund
Seed & Spark has an astonishing 80+ percent success rate with their crowdfund campaigns
Seed & Spark has distro platform that pays the highest royalty rate of any digital distribution platform

Related Resources

#Doclifer Crowdfund

As referenced in the podcast episode, #DocLifer, Josh Davidsburg, is running a crowdfunding campaign for his film, Queen of the Capital, through Seed & Spark. Check out the trailer for his doc, then see what he did for his S & S campaign here!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7G128nlbzA

Sponsors & Thank You’s

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69 – The Art of Film Funding with Carole Lee Dean

The Documentary Life — Fri, 13 Apr 2018 05:47:00 -0500

It’s no secret that one of the bigger hurdles that we are often faced with as documentary filmmakers is that of funding. It is my intention with this episode to hopefully make things a little lighter for you, when it comes to finding funds for your documentary film.

There is a good chance that Carole Lee Dean is a name that either you know or you at least recognize. And for good reason. She has been embodying the independent film spirit and helping indie filmmakers – especially the doc makers who she has a particular affinity for – ever since she began running her non-profit organization, From the Heart Productions.

For years, From the Heart Productions has been helping documentary filmmakers get film funding through their Roy W. Dean Grant, Fiscal Sponsorship Program and the Intentional Filmmaking Class.

Carole is also the author of one of my fave books on film funding out there, The Art of Film Funding as well as the host of The Art of Film Funding podcast!

So you can imagine how excited I was to sit down with her and have a one-on-one about all-things funding for the documentary filmmaker!

Topics Discussed

the pretty cool story behind her father being the impetus behind the Roy W. Dean Grant
some best practices for approaching grant funding organizations, like the RWD Grant
various film funding techniques discussed in the book
how and why someone should apply for a fiscal sponsorship through FTH Productions

5 Common Funding Options for the Documentary Filmmaker

As promised in the episode, here are the 5 common funding options for the documentary filmmaker discussed in this epsiode

individual donations
grants and foundations
businesses and corporations
crowdfunding
fundraising events

The Art of Film Funding Book

For a much more thorough examination of some of the film funding topics that we discussed on the episode, you can purchase Carole’s book, The Art of Film Funding.

Roy W. Dean Grant

The Roy W. Dean Grant is a wonderful opportunity for you, #DocLifer, to apply for some funding and incredible in-kind services for your film. And it just so happens that the next deadline is only a couple of weeks away… April 30th!! So check out this handy video that provides some great insight & tips for applying for the grant!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUvfk9t9iWw

The Documentary Core Application Project

The D.C.A.P. is where we highly recommend beginning your documentary grant proposal writing, as many funding organisations either use this core template or something close to it!

Sponsors & Thank You’s

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68 – Wild Wild Documentary Life with Maclain and Chapman Way

The Documentary Life — Fri, 06 Apr 2018 05:18:00 -0500

Maclain and Chapman Way have recently directed, edited, produced one of the most talked about Netflix docuseries of the year, Wild Wild Country. They have become one of the hottest, most sought after doc filmmaking duos around.

Of course, their success didn’t happen overnight. From taking some calculated, but brazen risks with their first doc, The Battered Bastards of Baseball to taking two separate trips to Switzerland to woo the critical character of Ma Anand Sheela for Wild Wild Country to convincing the people over to Netflix that they had a great new idea for a docuseries, the Way brothers will inspire you to live and lead your doc lives in ways you probably haven’t yet thought of.

Which is why, after hearing our conversation with Mac & Chap, you will be left with the feeling that they are truly #doclifers, just like you and I.

Topics Discussed

the importance of taking risks, of investing in yourself
how their sizzle reel landed them a Netflix deal for Wild Wild Country
tips for approaching a major digital distribution platform like Netflix
how working with Netflix editorially was a positive and beneficial experience
the importance of making your doc an immersive, instead of simply informational experience

Film Trailers

° Watch the trailer for Wild Wild Country

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBLS_OM6Puk

° Watch the trailer for The Battered Bastards of Baseball

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RA76b5Hhvxg

Sponsors & Thank You’s

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67 – Making the Personal Documentary with Michael Wiese

The Documentary Life — Fri, 30 Mar 2018 05:06:00 -0500

In this episode we are joined by someone who is well-acquainted with making personal documentaries, or as he refers to them, as spiritual documentaries.

Michael Wiese has been making documentary films for 40+ years and is also the founder/owner of the world’s biggest publisher of filmmaking books, Michael Wiese Productions.

He joins us to discuss the inspiring ways in which he has been living his #doclife, his memoir Onward & Updward: Reflections of a Joyful Life, how Parkinson’s has positively affected his approach to filmmaking and living his #doclife, and his own experiences as a filmmaker learning about the world and his connection to it, through his films and books.

This is a conversation that will resonate deeply with any doc filmmaker who has made the craft of filmmaking & storytelling a deep priority in their life.

5 Tips for Making the Personal Documentary

Often times as doc filmmakers, we will choose subjects that are near and dear to our hearts. And usually we will have quite personal connections to these subjects. So it’s only natural when we choose to make what is known as the personal documentary.

While some of the more powerful stories in documentary can be of a very personal nature, there are things that any doc filmmaker must consider before embarking on the personal documentary journey. We discuss 5 Tips for Making the Personal Documentary, which include:

Have way to film yourself
Decide how personal you’re willing to be
Choose a topic you’re passionate about
Can you be comfortable in front of the camera?
Don’t over-explain

Related Resources

° Watch the trailer for The Shaman & Ayahuascua:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFhnm12znDI

° Watch the teaser for Michael’s memoir, Onward & Upward: Reflections of a Joyful Life:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiSfjCeJ64Y

Own a copy of Onward & Upward

Journey to Kathmandu

Sponsors & Thank You’s

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66 – Making Your Splash as a Documentary Filmmaker with Kelly Richmond Pope

The Documentary Life — Fri, 23 Mar 2018 06:25:00 -0500

We welcome CPA, Professor of Accountancy, fraud expert, and documentary filmmaker, Kelly Richmond Pope to the programme. Kelly comes highly recommended by other Kartemquin alum, and once you’ve heard this frank and open conversation about how she lives her doc life, you will surely understand why!

Topics Discussed

how a separate profession can lend itself very directly to your documentary life and films
importance of creating your own splash when it comes to festivals and distribution
how it’s actually more important to overestimate in your film budget proposals
definition of success is not what you thought it was as a doc filmmaker
using your film topic to align yourself with sponsors who will pay for your community screenings

Related Resources

In our episode, Kelly Richmond Pope talks about how she teaches accounting through the lens of film and fraud. Below you can watch a recent TedX where Kelly discusses why we hate the whistleblower.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1OoFvcTess&t=417s

° Watch a trailer for Kelly Richmond Pope’s All the Queen’s Horses:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q57ZKn-C-To

Nothing But The Truth

Check out Kelly’s brand new podcast, Nothing But the Truth:

Nothing But The Truth is a podcast that investigates fraud from the inside out. Taking us on a journey through fascinating stories of corruption and whistle-blowing told straight from the source, co-hosts forensic accounting professor Kelly Pope and conscious millennial sound editor Tim Edson challenge us to rethink what we “know” about victims and perps. In each episode, listeners grapple with the question: could you commit this crime, or tell on someone who does?

The Young Filmmaker

In the episode I talked about receiving an email from a 16 year old Luther Clayton who has been inspired by TDL to go out and create his own adventure doc series, The Adventure Diaries. Watch his mission video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=5&v=jl-JHo5LKJM

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65 – The Other Side of the Doc Camera with Up Series’, Nick Hitchon

The Documentary Life — Fri, 16 Mar 2018 06:58:00 -0500

In our first 64 episodes of this podcast we have touched upon a host of documentary-related topics and spoken with a variety of guests. However, until now, we’d never spoken with someone who has been on the other side of the documentary camera. And what better documentary subject to have this conversation with than an Up Series alum, who has been on all eight installments of the documentary film series.

William Nicholas Hitchon, or Nick, as he’s known in the Up Series, comes on the show to talk directly to the very people – us #doclifers! – who are making the films about documentary subjects.

Topics Discussed:

the responsibility of the doc filmmaker in portraying their subject
reality tv vs documentary series
awareness of culture you’re shooting in as well as culture where it will be presented
importance of sensitivity to how a film can impact the subject’s lives, often in ways neer anticipated
how Nick was first cast in the landmark Up Series

5 Ways to Shoot Verite

So many documentary films have been shot employing a verite style. But there can be a misconception that verite might be an easy or worse, lazy, way of shooting.

On the contrary, verite must be given the proper thought and attention as any other way of shooting a film. And the following list of ways in which to do so will be helpful to you as you move forward with your verite doc:

Have a plan
Roll on everything
Be ready to go
Anticipate conversations
Use a deep depth of field

Supporting TDL Blog Post:

Documentary Filmmakers & Films of Verite

Related Resources

View the first installment of the Up Series in its entirety:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LQZpiSfESE&index=1&list=PLIGJJ9cTc6TXcusb4CcEzucoRRe-79qny

Articles

You can read this great IDA article about the Up Series

Read more about Nick Hitchon’s experience with the series, check out an article run in Independent

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64 – Margaret Byrne Leads a Documentary Life

The Documentary Life — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 06:25:00 -0500

No other guest that we’ve yet had on the show exemplifies what we’ve been defining over the past 21 months here on TDL as living and leading a documentary life, quite as well as Raising Bertie filmmaker, Margaret Byrne.

Margaret went from working for MTV Networks in the US and then setting up the first MTV Network in Africa, working with Mary J. Blige and her production company, to eventually deciding to leave the New York life behind, moving to Chicago and starting making her own documentary films.

Her story of how and why she decided to this, her story of seven years working on the Kartemquin co-produced award-winning doc, Raising Bertie, is one of the most real and accessible conversations that I’ve ever had with someone on the show.

Find out why and how Margaret Byrne is truly leading a documentary life.

Topics Discussed

life considerations + sacrifices made to be a documentary filmmaker
how + why it took seven years to make Raising Bertie
how the original story for Raising Bertie
why she has chosen to stay close with her subjects long after filming
life as a single mom #DocLifer

Related Resources

° Watch the trailer for Raising Bertie:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbhiPQXGb4c

° Watch Margaret discuss Raising during the Atlanta Film Festival.

(Thanks to fellow #DocLifer and HeartFireFilm’s Rich Gedney for the piece!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNiSaFMIr2A

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63 – Stories Make the World with Documentary Writer/Producer, Stephen Most

The Documentary Life — Fri, 02 Mar 2018 06:33:00 -0500

Storytelling is always at the heart of any kind of documentary journey. And for today’s episode of the podcast, we will explore 5 Ways to Tell Someone’s Story, followed by a shared conversation with, Stephen Most, who has been working in documentary for 40+ years and he has had a hand in the writing and/or producing of four documentary films that were nominated for an Academy Award. Stephen has just released his new book, Stories Make the World: Reflections on Storytelling and the Art of the Documentary.

Topics Discussed

how & why storytelling is an essential part of the human experience
how doc filmmaking gives extraordinary access to the world’s most intimate stories
importance of truly listening to our subjects + their stories during the interview
why interviewing with a sound recorder might sometimes work better than on-camera

Ways to Tell The Story

Some of the ways, as we discuss in this episode, in which you can tell someone’s story in your documentary film:

archival photos/footage
testimonials
find the details
become the explorer
silence is okay

Related Resources

Watch the trailers for Stephen Most’s documentary films:

° Nature’s Orchestra

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdqBUXyZPF4

° River of Renewal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hq7kYfkaQ10

° Oil on Ice

https://vimeo.com/43694943

Watch the trailer for Stephen Most’s book:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJqlsqnykSs

Own a copy of Stories Make The World

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Career Doc Filmmaker + 2018 Academy Award Nominee, Steve James

The Documentary Life — Fri, 23 Feb 2018 06:18:00 -0500

So what exactly does one say to one of the most respected documentary filmmakers of our time?

What does one say to the man who literally inspired countless future doc filmmakers when his film Hoop Dreams took the world by storm in 1994?

What do you say to the man who has made a career out of telling some of the most human, humane, and heart wrenching stories about some of the neglected and forgotten and misunderstood amongst us?

And what do you say to the man who was just nominated for a 2018 Best Documentary Oscar for his film Abacus: Small Enough to Jail?

Well, I suppose that’s why you’ve tuned in to this very special episode of The Documentary Life, an episode where we sit down for a heart-to-heart, one doc filmmaker to another conversation with documentary legend, Steve James.

Topics Discussed

keys to longevity as a doc filmmaker
the filmmaker’s responsibilities after being nominated for an Academy Award
how Steve started out working as a Production Assistant, and how he nearly quit
importance of being paid for your time in your grant proposal budgets
whether or not it’s necessary to build your story around a conflict

Related Resources

Watch for free: Abacus: Small Enough To Jail

Watch the Film Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH4OMyYzjZ0

Sponsors & Thank You’s

Episode #62 is brought to you with support from BlackBox Global, creators of one of the easiest way to turn your filmmaking skills into passive income!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=14&v=BAGp0j57LNE

Go to BlackBox, Create a Free Account, and start selling your footage today!

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Filming in Extreme Weather Conditions with Doc Filmmaker, Anthony Powell

The Documentary Life — Fri, 16 Feb 2018 06:45:00 -0500

Filming in extreme environments as a doc filmmaker can be a challenging thing. Shooting in Antarctica? A whole other ballgame. Just ask Anthony Powell, who has been working on the continent for over a decade, and has recently released the award-winning doc Antarctica: A Year on Ice. He has taken what started out as a hobby shooting timelapses of the Antarctica skies and terrain, and turned it into a fulfilling career as a preeminent Director of Photography and doc filmmaker on the continent.

We had the pleasure of holding conversation with Anthony (or Antz, as he’s known to his friends and colleagues) for this week’s episode of the podcast.

Topics Discussed

shooting in extreme cold environs
how the cold affects your camera gear
how to shoot better timelapses
how to live and work in Antarctica for a full calendar year

5 Tips for Shooting in Hot Environments & Harsh Sunlight

While I don’t necessarily have much experience in the colder extremes of the world, I do have plenty of experience working in the opposite spectrum of the thermometer. So in our opening segment I lay out 5 Tips for Shooting in Hot Environments & Harsh Sunlight.

Don’t shoot in middle of the day
Keep your camera cool
Wear appropriate clothing
Wear sunscreen
Bring a photo reflector

Related Resources

Anthony Powell’s timelapses and other videos:

https://vimeo.com/136179939

https://vimeo.com/93102009

https://vimeo.com/38416148

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‘Directing the Documentary’ with Michael Rabiger

The Documentary Life — Fri, 09 Feb 2018 06:56:00 -0500

If there ever was a Bible for documentary filmmaking, for my money, it would have to be Michael Rabiger‘s Directing the Documentary. The shear volume of books, online courses, podcasts, and How-to Youtube videos that are out there for the indie filmmaker who producers narrative film is probably in the cajillions. However, the amount of material available for the indie filmmaker who is producing documentary work, pales in comparison. Which is what makes Rabiger’s Directing the Documentary all the more important and impressive.

This book literally has everything you could ever want in a book about documentary filmmaking: all phases of documentary filmmaking, the history of the documentary cinema, vocations associated with documentary, the various ways of storytelling, fundraising… you name it, it’s there. And it’s all delivered in a fun, practical, at-times philosophical approach that is quite unique to Rabiger’s vision. We were honoured to have a discussion with Michael Rabiger on this weeks podcast.

Topics Discussed

His early career in documentary with the BBC
How he ended up relocating to America in order to continue working in the industry
Tips and suggestions for documentary filmmakers on story ideas
What’s new in the 6th edition of Directing the Documentary

5 Essential Books for the Documentary Filmmaker

In this episode I provide you will a list of documentary film books that I believe to be essential, or certainly potentially highly beneficial.

Directing the Documentary

by Michael Rabiger

What more can I say about this book? It is THE BIBLE OF DOC FILMMAKERS. Do not wait. Do not pass go. Do not collect your $200. Instead use a part of what would have been your $200 and BUY THIS BOOK NOW. You’ll be able to make your money back… and hopefully more than $200 later on! (Okay, I know, I’m going a bit overboard here, but seriously, this book..!)

In the Blink of an Eye by Walter Murch

This is kind of The Bible of film editing. Am I using the phrase ‘The Bible’ maybe a little too much? Okay, how about The Koran? Or how about the Bhagavad Gita?? Seriously, this straight-forward, no nonsense approach to film editing is the best. Walter Murch IS THE BEST.

The Conversations: Walter Murch and the Art of Editing by Michael Ondaatje

Expand upon your In the Blink of an Eye love but moving to this beautiful work of art. Lots of photos, diagrams, philosophical ramblings a la The Murch, etc. I give this one away as gifts to colleagues. Oh, and Walter Murch IS THE BEST.

Shaking the Money Tree by Morrie Warshawski

We had Morrie on the programme way back in episode #15 . Morrie is the guru of documentary film funding. His foundations-based approach to getting your mission statement, your core values, and your vision statement are the keys to your film funding success. It’s all broken down nicely in Morrie’s book.

The Total Money Makeover

by Dave Ramsey

I know, I know. I’m praising the likes of the D.R. I get it, I’d probably be turned off to this suggestion as well. Like, why on earth would a podcast about doc filmmaking and doc living be talking about the D.R.? Well, finances, that is why. And you need to get right with it. Especially if you’re going to be living a doc life and especially since you’re going to be asking people for money!

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Film Funding & Distribution with ‘Big Sonia’ Filmmakers

The Documentary Life — Fri, 02 Feb 2018 06:32:00 -0500

Film marketing & promotions, crowdfunding, and theatrical distribution are topics that, at some point in time, all independent doc filmmakers will need to know about. So if you’re looking to start arming yourself with some knowledge that’s going to potentially culminate in a successful release and maybe even in theatrical distribution then this is the show for you. Among other things we give you 5 tips for crowdfunding.

Two filmmakers who know this journey as well as anyone and are currently having spectacular success with their independent documentary film is Leah Warshawski & Todd Soliday. Their current film, Big Sonia, has not only won over twelve film festival awards, played theatrically in a number of cities, but just this past week set a new record for the all-time highest grossing film to ever play the Glenwood Arts Theatre in Kansas City.

Topics Discussed

Crowdfunding strategies outside of the Kickstarter & Indiegogo platforms
How to run a successful promotions campaign for your theatrical screenings
How a company like Film Sprout can propel your film to outreach and screenings
How to film particularly sensitive scenes

Film Trailer

Watch the trailer for Big Sonia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xe1Mq_en-XY

Related Resources

Film Sprout

A boutique distribution firm that helps social-issue filmmakers create

robust community and campus screening initiatives for their documentaries. This was a service that Leah & Todd used for their doc, Big Sonia. They spoke glowingly of the work that Film Sprout did in getting Sonia out into the world!

Women You Should Fund

A rewards-based crowdfunding platform that Todd & Leah were very happy with while working together during their crowdfund campaign. They may be a nice fit for your own campaign!

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The Importance of IDA for the Doc Filmmaker with Simon Kilmurry

The Documentary Life — Fri, 26 Jan 2018 07:33:00 -0500

The International Documentary Association (IDA) has been nurturing, guiding, and contributing to the projects and lives of documentary filmmakers since its inception in 1982. In the organisation’s words

However, for many of us doc filmmakers who are not really connected to IDA, it can seem like a daunting or even elite organisation if we don’t feel like we have access to its many tools & resources or we don’t live in Los Angles, California (where they are headquartered). But I am here to tell you that it’s all a common misconception, this idea that IDA is for the really big name doc filmmakers or only for those who are working in the industry. In fact, that’s kind of the opposite of who IDA is or who they are for.

But don’t take it from me. Take it from the man himself: Simon Kilmurry, the current executive director of IDA.

Topics Discussed

Why IDA is for you, #DocLifer
All that a membership to IDA will get you and why you should really consider becoming an IDA member
What newer programs like Doc U online or the Docu Club screenings are
IDA fiscal sponsorship and grants
How IDA’s mission is meant to be for all doc filmmakers, not just NY or LA docos

Related Resources

° DocuClub

A work-in-progress screening series.

° Doc U Online

Visit IDA’s signature filmmaker development program

° Getting Real Conference

Consider heading out to Los Angeles for this biennial conference on documentary media. This three-day conference will attract over 800 participants and is the only gathering of its kind in North America. The 2018 edition will take place September 25-27, 2018 in Los Angeles, California.

You can read and/or download the Center for Media & Social Impact Dangerous Documentaries document here.

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How to Make a Music Documentary with Ian McFarland

The Documentary Life — Fri, 19 Jan 2018 07:09:00 -0500

How to Make a Music Documentary

The music documentary has a long history as well as a special place in my heart when it comes to documentary films. A couple of my favourite docs of the past few years have fallen into this category. I love geeking out on the programmes about how bands made their most famous albums. The first conversation with an industry guest that we ever had on the show was with John Pirozzi and his music documentary, Don’t Think Ive Forgotten. My wife, Steph, and I are in the middle of making our own music documentary, Elvis of Cambodia. So it shouldn’t really come as a surprise that I’m a big proponent of the music doc, since it’s basically the crossroads of two of my biggest passions: film and music.

What may surprise you is the number of sub-categories that fall into the music documentary genre. Docs about the making-of albums, docs about the music or musician, docs about a musician’s following, docs about specific instruments, docs about the history of a type of music, etc. The list goes on.

Ian McFarland, a musician and director of commercials, music videos, and documentary films, recently is making some big noise – it played Doc NYC and a slew of other name festivals – with his latest music documentary, The Godfathers of Hardcore , a film about two boyhood friends who would go on to lead one of New York’s most recognizable hardcore bands, Agnostic Front. It’s a candid conversation that happens to be one of my faves in a long time (I know, surprise, surprise, I get to talk about music and film!). There is a lot here, especially for aspiring or current music doc makers.

Topics Discussed

How documentary filmmaking is not just a creative endeavour, it’s a lifestyle
How to approach a known band with your doc idea
A rather unique approach to filming interviews without using a camera

Related Resources

Keep in touch with Ian and his film:

Film Website

Facebook @thegodfathersofhardcore

Instagram: @thegodfathersofhardcoremovie

Twitter: @godfathersofhc

Ian’s Website

Film Trailers

° Watch Ian McFarland’s film trailer – The Godfathers of Hardcore

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJCqQQbq9Fc

° Watch the trailer for one of the best music documentaries of recent years, Searching for Sugarman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDw7OqVBT-w

° Watch trailer for music documentary, The Devil and Daniel Johnston

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJZOe65eA4Y

° Watch trailer for music Documentary, Anvil! The Story of Anvil

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=ZHupiYvm8zo

° Watch teaser for our own music documentary (currently in production) Elvis of Cambodia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=GAqkmUKoEMY

° Watch in its entirety short documentary, Heavy Metal Parking Lot

https://vimeo.com/152843738

Watch the Gram Parsons documentary, Gram Parsons: Fallen Angel, in its entirety.

#Doclifer of the Week

Scott Link, and his current project If My Judges Are Ready? Check out more information about #DocLifer Scott’s film by visiting his website. We found Scott because he’s been so active on the TDL Community Group on facebook. You should consider joining too! It’s an amazingly supportive and informative community that is growing every day… and therefore needs YOU, fellow #DocLifer!

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How to Shoot a MicroDoc with Preeti Mankar Deb

The Documentary Life — Fri, 12 Jan 2018 03:54:00 -0500

The short form documentary aka micro documentary has been one of the emerging forms of filmmaking over the past decade. The demand and acceptance for this type of content has been so great that even major commercial brands are now hiring doc filmmakers to produce micro docs to be used on social media and Youtube channels.

Doc filmmakers are out there each and every day – often times armed with nothing more than their iPhone and a unique idea – and they’re telling stories that are a little easier on the budget and time commitment, and are easily disseminated to the world via the internet.

Preeti Mankar Deb works for Micro-Documentaries, one of the pre-eminent companies that have been at the forefront of the non fiction short form genre for a while now. Preeti has a great story to tell about her humble beginnings as a journalist in her home country in India, and how this led her to discover a passion a bit more fulfilling to her: documentary film.

Topics Discussed

Popularity in the short form doc genre
Advantages as well as challenges with making micro docs
Where one can get funding for their micro doc
How a company like Micro-Documentaries can inform us to make our own better micro docs

Related Resources

Definitely check out this brilliant article on the popularity of micro documentary filmmaking. Great tips for making your own micro doc as well as a great explanation of how people are now consuming content online:

Don’t Blink: A New Age of Micro-Documentary Filmmaking is Dawning

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How to Write Your Documentary Film Grant Proposal with Joanna Rabiger

The Documentary Life — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 06:46:00 -0500

How to Write Your Documentary Grant Proposal

For the documentary filmmaker, obtaining a grant to do one’s film can sometimes feel akin to the quest for the Holy Grail. And so sitting down to actually construct a well-crafted documentary grant proposal can sometimes feel too overwhelming or intimidating a task. Which is why this episode is for you, #DocLifer!

We’ve started off TDL 3.0 with a bang, tackling a subject that is often talked about but little is actually known about: the mysterious world of the documentary film proposal.

Understandably so, many #DocLifers have reached out to us, requesting a show on this topic… which is why we’ve patiently been waiting for schedules to align to have a conversation with one of the industry’s leading documentary grant proposal writers around, Joanna Rabiger.

Topics Discussed

The importance of the grant proposal teaser or 10 min cut
Why not to write your proposal like a university thesis
The people awarding the grants are often doc filmmakers themselves
How using cinematic language on paper is key

Related Resources

The Documentary Core Application Project

The D.C.A.P. is where Joanna highly recommends beginning your documentary grant proposal writing, as many funding organisations either use this core template or something close to it!

In our conversation with Joanna, she stresses the importance of a good trailer or 10 min cut for your grant proposal. One of the books she mentions is by renowned filmmaker and writer, Fernanda Rossi, and her book, Trailer Mechanics: How to Make Your Documentary Fundraising Demo .

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TDL Highlights of 2017

The Documentary Life — Fri, 29 Dec 2017 06:27:00 -0500

Highlights of 2017

As 2017 draws to a close, it feels like a good time to look back in honor and reflection on the year that was here at TDL, and to then look forward to what will be in 2018.

As we did last year, we took some choice clips from our shared conversation with a doc industry guest segments and fashioned them into a TDL Highlights episode.

I had a lot of fun putting this wrap-up together and hope that you’ll enjoy listening to this look-back on 2017 as well! And I also hope that you’ll be excited about what’s to come in 2018.

Related Resources

Here is a list and direct links to episodes that were used for our Highlights episode:

Melbourne Documentary Film Festival Special Pt. 1

Jen Brea

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5 Advantages to Shooting Solo + Conversation with iPhone Doc Filmmaker, Jack Ballo

The Documentary Life — Fri, 22 Dec 2017 10:08:00 -0500

5 Advantages to Shooting Solo as a Doc Filmmaker

Whether by necessity or aesthetic choice, we doc filmmakers often shoot our projects with minimal crew and gear, sometimes even opting to go entirely solo. There are, of course, advantages and disadvantages to such an approach. We’ll take a look at 5 Advantages to Shooting Solo as a Doc Filmmaker.

Podcast Conversation

In our shared conversation, we’ll talk with filmmaker Jack Ballo, who has recently been making waves with his latest doc, Brothers, a film that he shot entirely with his iPhone!

how shooting a film with an iPhone was initially an exercise that turned into something bigger
why shooting with your iPhone allows the filmmaker to concentrate on the filming, instead of their gear
how shooting with an iPhone almost makes the filmmaker invisible to his/her subjects
why Jack may never go back to using his “professional” gear ever again

Film Trailers

You can check out trailers to two of Jack Ballo’s films, including his feature-length doc, Destiny’s Bridge and his latest iPhone doc, Brothers. And when you’re finished there, feel free to head on over to Jack’s DIY Documentary blog. Lots of posts about Do It Yourself Documentary Filmmaking!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaWnFdy6-aA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQ9xbregii8

New to The Documentary Life?

Hot off the presses.. Be one of the first people ever to own your own #DocLifer t-shirt!

We’re sure you want to look as stylish and attractive as this young man, right!?

Head over to our online store and grab yours now.

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5 Things to Look For in a Fiscal Sponsorship + Conversation with The Film Festival Doctor

The Documentary Life — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 06:34:00 -0500

5 Things to Look For in a Fiscal Sponsorship

The fiscal sponsorship is one of the more critical aspects of a doc filmmaker’s success when seeking funds for their film. And we take a look at 5 things that can help you decide who might be a good fit as your fiscal sponsor. We discuss:

definition of a fiscal sponsorship
why the fiscal sponsorship is critical to your fundraising
5 specific things to look for in a fiscal sponsor

Podcast Conversation

Just as the fiscal sponsor is important to the doc filmmaker seeking funding for their film, the aspects of promotions, marketing, and distribution is the key to one’s success with their film’s release. Rebekah Louisa Smith founded The Film Festival Doctor, a company that helps the filmmaker design and then implement a full promotional and distribution strategy for their films. We discuss:

advice for getting into film festivals
importance of a proper social media strategy
what are the distribution platforms we should be paying attention to

Related Resources

As mentioned in the episode, we want to provide a small-ish list of some of the more known organizations that offer fiscal sponsorships and here they are:

Bay Area Video Coalition

Center for Independent Documentary

Docs in Progress

Fractured Atlas

From the Heart Productions

Independent Arts and Media

International Documentary Association

Kartemquin Films

San Francisco Film Society

Women in Film and Video

New to The Documentary Life?

Hot off the presses.. Be one of the first people ever to own your own #DocLifer t-shirt!

We’re sure you want to look as stylish and attractive as this young man, right!?

Head over to our online store and grab yours now.

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The Imposter Syndrome + Conversation with Doc Filmmaker, Lourdes Portillo

The Documentary Life — Fri, 08 Dec 2017 06:15:00 -0500

Do you consider yourself a documentary filmmaker or is that a term that you are hesitant to give yourself?

Is there something that is holding you back from your first documentary film?

Perhaps what’s keeping you from being a doc filmmaker, or making your doc film, or living your doc life, is something called imposter syndrome.

Imposter syndrome is a concept that basically describes the inability of an individual to internalize one’s accomplishments as well as having a persistent fear of being exposed as a fraud. And I’m convinced that so many of us doc filmmakers experience this at some point in time in our own doc lives. Which is what we’ll take a look at in our opening segment of today’s podcast.

Topics Discussed

Definition of imposter syndrome and how it applies to us #doclifers
Why you are already a filmmaker qualified to make a documentary
How you can overcome the fear that you are under-qualified to make your doc film

Podcast Conversation

In our shared conversation, I sat down with Academy Award and Emmy Award-nominated doc filmmaker, Lourdes Portillo. On the eve of her being awarded the prestigious International Documentary Association (IDA)’s Career Achievement Award, we have a frank and open conversation about the state of documentary: what it has meant for her in her life as well as what it might mean for future doc filmmakers and..

how she became an Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker with her first film without ever having any prior filmmaking experience
how aspiring filmmakers today make the mistake of concentrating on all of the shiny and latest camera gear and forget the most important element to a documentary: story
advice for writing your first grants for your first projects
what it means to be awarded an IDA Career Achievement Award

Film Trailer

Trailer for Lourdes Portillo’s brilliant personal documentary The Devil Never Sleeps (as discussed in the episode)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nA_jAVoY2qY

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5 Ways to Nurture Your Doc Life + Conversation with Doc Filmmaker, Rebecca Dreyfus

The Documentary Life — Fri, 01 Dec 2017 06:01:00 -0500

5 Ways to Nurture Your Doc Life

There are many ways that we documentary filmmakers take care of ourselves, or perhaps maybe more aptly put, do not take care of ourselves. And with the long hours, sometimes limited budgets, sometimes other day jobs, family life, you name it.. it’s no wonder that we doc lifers sometimes tend to neglect our emotional and physical well being.

Which is why I’m here to give you a little primer to help steer you back to the path of emotional, physical, and creative success in your own doc life.

Podcast Conversation

Documentary filmmaker (and big proponent of meditation!), Rebecca Dreyfus joined me in our shared Conversation. Dreyfus has been working in documentary for 20 years, since her first feature, Bye-Bye Babushka first came on the scene and was quickly noticed by documentary legend, Albert Maysles, who would then go on to be lead camera in Dreyfus’ critically-acclaimed follow-up, Stolen. A mentorship would soon blossom from this collaboration.

Dreyfus’ current documentary film, On Meditation, takes a look at the age-old practice of meditation as told through the eyes of established names who attribute the practice to much of their personal and professional success.

Topics Discussed

the value of true persistence as a documentary filmmaker
the importance of a mentor and how to go about finding one
key advice for first-time documentary filmmakers
what part the practice of meditation plays in the creative process

Related Resources

° Watch the trailer for Rebecca Dreyfus’ On Meditation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1_g5F_mp14

° Trailer for the acclaimed documentary film Stolen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VG0-st-5H6E

#DocLifer of the Week

As mentioned in our #DocLifer Community Question of the Week, check out the trailer for fellow #DocLifer, Jaime’s current documentary project, Masters of Mahjong

https://vimeo.com/220673394

Sponsors & Thank You’s

Free Music Archive – Special Thank You to recording artist, Dlay who supplied the song Whatever for this week’s episode of TDL. You too can download his music or other artist’s music by going to Free Music Archive today!

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5 Things to Be Thankful for In Your Doc Life + Conversation with Wildlife Filmmaker, Zoltan Torok

The Documentary Life — Fri, 24 Nov 2017 06:16:00 -0500

Zoltan Torok is one of the world’s premiere wildlife filmmakers. He spends days, sometimes weeks-on-end in some of the most remote regions of the earth, behind some of the most fantastical-looking camera setups, in order to bring you mere seconds of footage of some animal species that neither you nor just about anyone else has ever seen before.

For our shared conversation, I had the pleasure of speaking with him about this often appreciated but not fully understood niche of cinema known as wildlife documentary.

Topics Discussed

why spending time in nature is just as important as learning the techniques of filmmaking for an aspiring wildlife filmmaker
what the responsibility is for a wildlife filmmaker to show the reality of certain wildlife settings
how preparation, research, and patience are critical components to the wildlife filmmaker’s work
the precarious, sometimes dangerous situations that a wildlife filmmaker might find themselves in
3 things needed to start becoming a wildlife filmmaker

5 Things to Be Thankful for In Your Doc Life

Here in the USA, we are in the midst of our Thanksgiving holiday. It’s a time where we get together with family and/or friends, share an extravagant meal, and we reflect on the love and appreciation that we have for the people that we have in our lives.

I thought what better way to express the gratitude that I have for you, #doclifers, as well as the appreciation that I have for being able to live my doc life, than to open up this week’s podcast with a segment that examines 5 things that all of us #doclifers can be truly thankful for.

After listening to the episode, I do hope that you’ll consider leaving some comments about what you might be thankful for in your own doc life!

Related Resources

Watch the amazing full length wildlife documentary, WILD HUNGARY: A Water Wonderland, a film that has specific scenes that are referenced in this episode!

https://vimeo.com/153106452/d726db627e

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How to Become a Professional Editor with Inside the Edit’s, Paddy Bird

The Documentary Life — Fri, 17 Nov 2017 06:35:00 -0500

If editing were something we could learn from a manual or Youtube videos, we could all become great storytellers in fairly short order. We could just sit down, learn a few keys, maybe read a theory book or two, and we’d be off, right? But editing, of course, does not work like that.

If you want to truly learn how to become a professional-level editor you’re going to not only need to immerse yourself in the right movies, read the right books, study examples of editing techniques, but you’re also going to need to learn some much deeper layers of the editing process.

Enter editing extraordinaire, Paddy Bird, who has taken his 20+ yrs of editing in television and documentary film, and come up with the most comprehensive, thought-provoking, ingenious way to learn how to edit. And he has distilled it into an online course known as Inside the Edit, a program that today is making massive waves in the world of post production.

Topics Discussed

Paddy Bird’s journey as a professional editor
how editing the documentary is far more complex than narrative
how to speak the language of editing
how to have good communication, even with a difficult director
how Paddy’s programme, Inside the Edit, is THE comprehensive course for learning how to become a professional editor

Related Resources

° What Does The Editor Do?

If you want the best definition of what an editor does, you must check out this video that the good people of Inside the Edit put together. This is literally so spot-on it hurts. I will forever direct people to this video who want to know why an editor is one of the most important elements to a film.

https://vimeo.com/90125079

° Is Inside The Edit Right For You?

Watch this video to learn more about the course and decide if it’s right for you..

https://vimeo.com/103516764

Offer For #DocLifers

Paddy has very generously offered #DocLifers a 25% discount on his ground-breaking creative editing course, Inside The Edit. To apply the discount simply enter MYDOCLIFE at checkout.

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5 Best Ways to Market and Distribute Your Documentary + Conversation with Doc Filmmaker, Nathan Fitch

The Documentary Life — Fri, 10 Nov 2017 06:35:00 -0500

5 Best Ways to Market and Distribute Your Documentary

After all of the time, energy, and money spent getting one’s documentary film to completion, how does an independent documentary filmmaker market and distribute their doc once it’s finished? In this week’s opening segment we’ll discuss 5 best ways to market and distribute your documentary.

Podcast Conversation

And in our shared conversation, we talk with Brooklyn Filmmakers Collective alum, Nathan Fitch, whose documentary, Island Soldier, is making big waves on the documentary film circuit, including stops at Full Frame, Hot Docs, and this week, in DocNYC. Among topics discussed:

How a stint in the Peace Corps led to his documentary filmmaking career
The importance of becoming entrenched with a community that you’d like to film
How one goes about applying to film with the military
How the documentary life is not an easy one, but it’s a worthy one

Related Resources

Watch the trailer for Island Solider

https://vimeo.com/203928301

Impact Producer

Learn more about Impact Producer position & download free booklet & video! The Impact Field Guide & Toolkit

Places to discover more about the Impact Producer and these entities can help get your film the outreach that it deserves:

POV

Fledgling Fund

Tugg

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5 Ways to Edit More Efficiently + Conversation with Doc Filmmaker, C. Fitz

The Documentary Life — Fri, 03 Nov 2017 06:55:00 -0500

5 Ways to Edit More Efficiently

To edit a documentary can be a tricky, sometimes frustrating business, even for the more seasoned veterans. But for the less experienced, the edit can just be a downright intimidating, or worse, even project-ending phase.

We, of course, do not want this to happen to any of you. So for the opening salvo of this week’s episode, we’ve put together a list of suggestions that will not only help ease your editing pain, but it should get you to be able to edit in a more efficient manner!

Podcast Conversation

In our conversation this week, we spoke with television & marketing vet, commercial and documentary filmmaker, C. Fitz, who while finishing up on her first doc (ShowGirls, Provincetown, MA), came across instant inspiration for her latest documentary, Jewel’s Catch One, in the form of her awe-inspiring and charismatic subject, Jewel Thais-Williams.

Topics Discussed

can documentary films truly create change?
how can our documentary subjects sometimes inspire us as people?
how her reality tv experience informed her documentary work
how social media is now critical to a documentary filmmaker

Related Resources

As mentioned in our opening segment on 5 Ways to Edit More Efficiently, number four was Create a Drive Infrastructure. As promised, I’ve taken a screenshot of the drive infrastructure that I always use on projects. Feel free to use yourself. Play around with it, see what works for you, what doesn’t, add or subtract folders as you see fit. And by all means, share with us some of your drive infrastructure ideas, by leaving a comment below!

Film Trailer

Watch the trailer for Jewel’s Catch One

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXlSVZdYQ2w

Help Jewel

Please consider helping get C. Fitz and Jewel Thais-Williams get Jewel’s Catch One out and into the world by making a contribution of any size to their GoFundMe campaign.

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Taking the Leap of Faith with Your Doc + Conversation with Filmmakers of The After Hours Club Series

The Documentary Life — Fri, 27 Oct 2017 05:59:00 -0500

Believing in yourself as a documentary filmmaker is critical to seeing one’s documentary project through. With so many pitfalls and obstacles along the way, not to mention a multitude of different aspects and phases to the craft of filmmaking, how does one even get to the pre-production phase of making a documentary film, let alone see it all the way through? Well, taking a giant Leap of Faith would be a great way to start.

Taking and staying with your Leap of Faith, is one of the most powerful things that you can do for yourself as a documentary filmmaker. After all, if you don’t fully believe in your capability to pull off making a film, why should anyone else?

And in our first segment of episode #45, I take a look at what it means to take the Leap of Faith, how the faith grows as you practice it, and what you can do, as a filmmaker, in order to both, take that initial leap, and then continue the faith all the way through completion of your project.

Podcast Conversation

In our world nothing can be more certain than death and… film. No, really. Just ask the guys who have recently produced and distributed (for free!) the new six-part documentary series that explores the various cultures of death in America. Their series is called The After Hours Club, and for this week’s documentary industry guest segment, I had the pleasure of sitting down with both executive producer Morgan St. Knight, as well as director of photography, Christian Monckeberg (MTechProMedia), who had much to say about producing and selling a web series that revolves around a subject, that for most is a tad scary, if not downright taboo.

Topics Discussed

how and why Morgan, an industry vet with 25 years of television experience, decided to break away from the pack and produce the type of series that most would only scoff at
why Morgan felt that it was important to have all crew members actually be a part of the film
how DoP, Christian, went from years of corporate video, and took the leap of faith and joined on to shoot for The After Hours Club
why the filmmakers believe that distributing season one for free on the internet is the right call for the project

#DocLifer Meetup Group – North Carolina

As mentioned in episode #45, if you’re in the North Carolina area and are interested in joining #DocLifer Julie’s documentary filmmaking meetup group, click HERE.

Also mentioned in the episode was the Bechdel Test. You can check out some info as well as find out what films score high on the Bechdel by going HERE.

Related Resources

Watch the debut episode of The After Hours Club series:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-u4qYImohk

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How to Be a One Person Crew + Conversation with Filmmaker & Co-founder of Kartemquin Films, Gordon Quinn

The Documentary Life — Fri, 20 Oct 2017 06:06:00 -0500

Gordon Quinn has been making documentary films for over 50+ years with his landmark company, Kartemquin Films.

You may not know his name, but you’ve most likely seen one, if not a number of the films that he has been associated with. His impact has been so extensive and so broad in the field of documentary, that International Documentary Association (IDA) gave him the Career Achievement Award in 2015.

I had the distinct pleasure of holding a conversation with Mr. Quinn this week and we covered a number of topics including:

the need and formation for Kartemquin
how the Oscar-nominated Hoop Dreams influenced a generation of doc filmmakers and filmgoers
how the executive producer role for docs is vastly different than with narrative features
whether or not documentary can truly make positive social change

How to Be a One Person Crew

In the opening segment, I decided to take a cue from fellow #DocLifer, Richard Simko, he sent official request for TDL to do a show that talks about the one person crew. It is not exactly a rare event when we documentary filmmakers sometimes find ourselves having to work on our projects all on our own. We become the shooter, sound person, director, interviewer, editor.

I examine some of the best ways in which we, the one person crew, can make the most effective films with the smallest amount of man power. Some of the topics covered:

how to best pack and transport your gear
secret audio tips for the solo filmmaker
how to appear as if you’ve shot with two cameras
how to stay powered up

Article

Indiewire wrote an article about the pros and cons of the One Person Crew.

Related Resources

Watch the trailer for Kartemquin‘s Oscar-nominated Hoop Dreams:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=Ph2Y-epihlk

In the show we talk about packing and transporting one’s gear. Well, if you’re looking for a cheap and decent camera cart alternative check out filmmaker Lee Clements’ handmade camera cart!

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What Do You Want, #DocLifer? + Conversation with The Multimedia Ninja, Bradford Rogers

The Documentary Life — Fri, 06 Oct 2017 05:41:00 -0500

For today’s episode of TDL I’m going to do something a little different. Today, I’m going to be asking you, my fellow #doclifer, some questions. I’d like to discover a little bit more about who you are, friend.

° What sorts of things are you doing to best support your #doclife?

° Are you working in the film/tv industry, while you pursue your passion of documentary filmmaking?

° Perhaps you’re quite consciously doing something entirely unrelated to video production, in an effort to make sure and never view filmmaking as work?

Let’s discuss this, shall we?

Podcast Conversation

And in our shared conversation with a doc industry guest person, we talk with the multi-talented Bradford Rogers, aka The Multimedia Ninja, among other things, about:

what it means to be a multimedia person
how/why storytelling plays a part in all of a multimedia person’s mediums
how the freelance filmmaker can obtain more work via Upwork.com
how podcasting is another way that a filmmaker can tell story

Related Resources

The Multimedia Ninja’s podcast. I might recommend listening to his newer style format – hinted at in this episode – which started out during Hurricane Irma. Damn You, Irma!

Check out Upwork.com to discover some ways in which you, #DocLifer, might be able to put some of your filmmaking experience to good use!

#DocLifer Community Question of the Week

#DocLifer Jonathan, wrote in, setting me square on my assumption that basically all tv news B-roll was not very good. Jonathan was not only kind enough to correct me, but he also sent in some links for all of us to take a look at. These are pieces of work that emanated from the television news station that he works at. Thanks for passing these on to us, Jonathan!!

° A man made his own Ninja Warrior course to practice for the show:

https://vimeo.com/171451107

° A well-loved local fire chief who supported a baseball program. This was the first game since he passed:

https://vimeo.com/221979419

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How Our Docs Can Make the World a Better Place + BlackBox founder, filmmaker, Pat McGowan

The Documentary Life — Fri, 29 Sep 2017 16:03:00 -0500

In this increasingly growing world of content creators, but ever shrinking world of actual distributors who allow you to retain at least some rights to your work, how can the independent documentary filmmaker best work with the big boys of content distribution like Amazon, Netflix, and YouTube?

Well, film/tv industry vet, Patrick McGowan, believes that he has an answer. And it is his company, BlackBox. A company that is poised to change the very paradigm in which creatives make the work and all, in turn, co-own the work, and then forever make money on their work.

Podcast Conversation

In our shared conversation, Pat shares, among other things, his reasons why we, as creatives, should all be wary of selling our films and shows to the Netflix’s and Amazons of the world, lest we become commodities of our own industry.

Pat sees user-generated & owned content as the future and he’s built a platform that helps creators do just that. It’s an engaging conversation that will make you think about how you approach your work, who you collaborate with, and how you can all best make a living selling your work.

How are we making films in a way to be creating some impetus for change?

In our opening segment, I take a look at the idea of documentary film as a means for creating awareness and perhaps even some positive change in the world. How are we making films in a way to be creating some impetus for change? Many of us are using our films as a tool for social activism. But what about those who simply want to create a story, and any sort of awareness or change for an issue, is secondary to that story, at best? I would argue that both can be equally as effective in opening the hearts and minds of the world around us. And that collectively, we as documentary filmmakers are having some positive impact on the world around us… one film at a time.

Related Resources

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAGp0j57LNE

Go to BlackBox, Create a Free Account, and start selling your footage today!

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How to Get Your First Documentary Grant + Documentary Filmmaker, Jennifer Brea

The Documentary Life — Fri, 22 Sep 2017 07:46:00 -0500

Getting your first documentary grant can be akin to getting into your first documentary film festival. That is, it is often the first one that is the most difficult one to get. Getting that first grant can often be the keystone to making other grants happen.

So what are the tricks to getting that first grant for your documentary film? Well, that’s exactly what we’ll tackle in episode #41. We’ve had a lot of feedback that you are looking for more information on writing treatments and applying for documentary film grants. This can serve as just the beginning. (As there will be much more coming!)

Podcast Conversation

In our shared conversation with a doc industry guest, we’ll have a conversation with Jennifer Brea, the filmmaker behind Unrest, a documentary film that has taken the festival circuit and the medical community by storm.

She is the star (if you will) of this deeply personal exploration of chronic illness and how through documentary filmmaking, she has been able to find some answers not only for herself, but for a global population that are all suffering from the condition known as ME/CFS.

Unrest has its theatrical premiere on the day that we release this episode!

Film Trailer

Watch the trailer for Unrest:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvK5s9BNLzA&t=1s

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How to Shoot Great Looking B-roll + Documentary Filmmaking Couple, Jonathan Lacocque & Clara Lehmann

The Documentary Life — Fri, 15 Sep 2017 05:45:00 -0500

One of the often overlooked elements to a documentary filmmaker’s footage is their B-roll. And the biggest reason that I have to make this assumption is the copious amounts of really really bad looking B-roll that is out there in the world. Hell, there was even an amazing viral video a few years back all about this! (see below)

So in this episode we explore what works and certainly what does not when it comes to shooting B-roll for your doc, including a list of tips that can make your B-roll be the best damn b-roll it can be!

Topics Discussed

the importance of a good tripod head & sticks
how to achieve quality exposition shots
incorporating B-roll as counterpoint to an interviewee’s dialogue
drone shots & dolly moves

Podcast Conversation

I was proud to be joined by two extraordinary individuals who have made a name for themselves in the commercial and documentary world. Through their post production outfit, Coat of Arms, Jonathan Lacocque and Clara Lehmann, produce creative ideas for their clients, make their own documentary films, and raise their family. And they have found a way to do all of these things from their tiny little slice of Shangri-La, also known as Helvetia, West Virginia, USA.

Related Resources

° We Got That B-roll! The amazing viral sensation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SItFvB0Upb8

° Watch Jon and Clara’a short film Called Home:

https://vimeo.com/202485637

° Watch A Perfect Soldier in its entirety:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBXpTbDmbHc

° Watch Coat of Arms‘ Lullaby Theories: Same Same But Different

https://vimeo.com/209282871

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Attending Live Documentary Events + Documentary Entertainment Law Conversation with Entertainment Lawyer, Gordon Firemark

The Documentary Life — Fri, 08 Sep 2017 02:52:00 -0500

As a documentary filmmaker, often the idea of having to wrangle talent releases, location releases, crew deal memos, music rights, all seems like a world that is not really ours. That’s for the feature film and television people, right? Wrong. Like, you couldn’t be more wrong.

In fact, having the proper releases and for-use-opinions properly in place could be the difference in you legally being able to get real world distribution and you only being able to show your film to family and friends. And the best way to do that is to arm yourself with a great entertainment lawyer. Like, Gordon Firemark, for instance. And Gordon was so kind as to make an appearance on this episode of The Documentary Life.

Topics Discussed

importance of getting legal releases asap
definition of Fair Use and how doc filmmakers can and can’t use it
how doc filmmakers tend to hire entertainment lawyers after-the-fact, and how and why they should be consulting with one well before their project is underway
how exclusive story rights work

Attending Live Documentary Events

In our first segment, I make the argument for attending live documentary events, such as documentary film festivals, workshops, and weekend retreats. By attending these types of events, you give yourself the best chance of not only expanding your documentary knowledge, but of meeting other like-minded individuals who often have some of the very same challenges with doc filmmaking and their doc lives that you do!

Related Resources

In our conversation with entertainment lawyer, Gordon Firemark, we talk about his Documentary Legal Forms and Contracts Packets that he has put together and made available for sale to the documentary filmmaker.

Both the Starter Pack as well as the Post Production Pack can be purchased by going to www.firemark.com/thedocumentarylife .

Don’t forget to use the promo code MYDOCLIFE in order to receive a 25 percent discount!

Ask Gordon a Question!

If you’ve got a documentary legal question for Gordon, ask away in the comments section below and he may answer your question on his Youtube channel!

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5 Reasons to Study Documentary Filmmaking + Conversation with Aussie Doc Filmmakers, Matthew Salleh & Rose Tucker

The Documentary Life — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 12:05:00 -0500

The idea that one must go to school for documentary filmmaking in order to become a good documentary filmmaker is a fairly hollow assumption. There are plenty great doc films made by people that never had any sort of formal training in film. But does that mean we shouldn’t be developing our discipline in other ways? Of course not.

Just as a beginner piano player would likely take lessons from a professional, we documentary filmmakers should be learning from other doc makers who have come before us. So in this week’s opening segment of TDL, I’m going to give you what I think are 5 Reasons to Study Documentary Filmmaking.

Podcast Conversation

In our shared conversation, I speak with Matthew Salleh and Rose Tucker, a couple from Adelaide, Australia, who spent the past decade honing their documentary skills by crafting award-winning shorts, like Pablo’s Villa and Central Texas Barbecue, the latter of which turned into their first documentary feature, Barbecue, which is just recently been released on Netflix.

Topics Discussed

how short docs got them recognized by international festivals, which turned into eventual funding for their first doc feature
how they made a conscious choice to elevate their documentaries to the cinematic
how and why they believe that commercial filmmaking can be just as gratifying and challenging as making documentaries

Related Resources

Watch two award-winning short documentaries by Matthew Salleh & Rose Tucker:

Pablo’s Villa

https://vimeo.com/88706281

Central Texas Barbecue

https://vimeo.com/146852397

Watch the trailer for their documentary feature, Barbecue, which resulted from the success of Central Texas Barbecue:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KQRieY1i0o

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The (Sometimes) Overlooked Importance of Film Score to Your Doc + Conversation with Film Music Composer, Peter Broderick

The Documentary Life — Fri, 25 Aug 2017 06:01:00 -0500

I would like to talk to you about Peter Broderick. No, not that Peter Broderick, the independent film distribution guru. But another Peter Broderick. Who makes music. Really really amazing music. The kind that when you first listen to it, you think, ‘wow, this would be perfect as film music’. And you wouldn’t be the only one who has had that thought.

For a number of years now, Broderick has been crafting music – that is virtually impossible to place a genre label to – that has been used for a number of commercials, short films, dance performances, and feature films, just to name a few of the landing spots for his compositions.

I had the distinct pleasure of sitting down with Peter to record this shared conversation. Among other things, we discussed why music is often an overlooked component to a film, how to best approach someone to make music for your own project, and what defines the working relationship between the film director and the film music composer. Interspersed throughout the programme, you will also be able to listen to some of the brilliant music that he composed for the feature documentary, Confluence, which happens to also be one of my favourite soundtracks to have come out in a long time.

In the first segment, we will revisit an earlier episode of TDL, episode #4, which rather appropriately, dealt with this very topic… Score For Your Doc.

Related Resources

° Visit the FreeMusicArchive to discover a treasure trove of unlicensed music for your film.

° Also, if you’re a Moby fan, check out MobyGratis and see if perhaps something from his expansive catalogue might fit one of your not-for-profit projects!

° Peter Broderick’s incredible Music for Confluence recordings – which we heard throughout episode #37 – can be purchased here.

° Watch the trailer for the documentary film, Confluence, one of the films that Peter has composed music for:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fw4cBsu1ce0

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Workflow Tips for Your First Documentary + Conversation with Doc Filmmaker, Brian Kimmel

The Documentary Life — Fri, 18 Aug 2017 06:04:00 -0500

Over the past few months I’ve received a number of requests for a show dedicated to how one goes about making their first documentary film. And the truth is, I could probably spend the next year dedicated to this particular topic. The world of documentary filmmaking has simply exploded over the past decade. There are newbies joining the ranks of the #doclifers every day!

So while this episode doesn’t come close to covering the wide spectrum of topics that would be involved in, say, a yearly podcast on how to make your first documentary film, today’s episode can certainly be considered a bit of a primer. So in the opening segment to today’s episode we’ll take a look at the process of a first-time documentary filmmaker, through my experiences working on my first doc.

Podcast Conversation

After that, we’ll have a conversation with documentary and commercial filmmaker, Brian Kimmel, a filmmaker whom I’ve had the pleasure of working with on documentary jobs overseas.

Brian’s conversation will go hand-in-hand with the opening segment, as among other things, he talks about how documentary filmmaking goes hand-in-hand with his commercial endeavours, how his decision early on to get into documentary filmmaking shaped his storytelling abilities later on, how working early-on in reality tv honed his documentary skills, and how he went about getting his first client (Sustainable Harvest), which would enable him to break away from the freelancing and begin his own production company, Optic Nerve Productions.

Related Resources

Watch the trailer to Brian Kimmel’s documentary feature, Ingredients:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQeKkiyCluM

Check out a recent example of Brian’s work done with Sustainable Harvest:

https://vimeo.com/226765188

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Getting into the Film/TV Industry + Conversation with Doc Filmmaker & Performance Artist, Jeremy Xido

The Documentary Life — Fri, 11 Aug 2017 05:02:00 -0500

Professional actor, writer, director, and documentary filmmaker, Jeremy Xido, initially set out to do research for a documentary film about Chinese railway construction workers in Angola. What he ended up with was a film about native Angolans entrenched in the musical form known as death metal.

Among the topics covered in my conversation with Xido we discuss the rather circuitous route he took to finding his film, the delicate balance in the working relationship of the first world filmmaker and his developing world subjects, and how a familial and friend support group can be critical to the success of your documentary life.

Ways to Break into the TV and Film Industry

In this week’s show, I wanted to talk about how the documentary filmmaker can break into the film/tv industry, which is how many #doclifers do, in fact, make their livings. (I, myself, would count myself among this number.) For this segment, I share with you some of the different ways in which you can break into the industry.

Film Trailer

Watch the trailer for the magnificent Death Metal Angola:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZJ55Gc_nsI

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How to Make a Living Shooting EPK/BTS + Conversation with Digital Film Pioneer, Feature Film, and Documentary Director, Stefan Avalos

The Documentary Life — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 05:13:00 -0500

Shooting BTS (behind-the-scenes), or EPK (electronic press kit) as it’s known in the film industry, can be a great and a rather appropriate way for a documentary filmmaker to make some additional income.

I mean, who else to better create short promotional-type videos or vignettes than a filmmaker who owns their own gear, can conduct and shoot an interview, shoot some broll, then edit into a small concise package for quick delivery?

In this episode, we examine the position that is tailor-made for the documentary filmmaker, how to get into it, and how what you are already doing in your doc life makes you the perfect candidate for this industry position.

Podcast Conversation

For our shared conversation segment, I am honoured to have on feature and documentary film director, Stefan Avalos. You may remember Avalos from the very early days of digital film. And with a good reason, since he and fellow filmmaker Lance Weiler were true pioneers in the digital film field, with their ground-breaking feature, The Last Broadcast. And now, with his new film, Strad Style, winner of Grand Jury and Audience Awards, Avalos enters the hallowed halls of documentary.

To say that this was one of my favourite conversations with a doc industry guest in recent times, would be putting it lightly. Topics like his hand in digital cinema history, the influence of a doc like American Movie on his work, and the various headscarfs that his lead subject in Strad Style was prone to wearing. It’s enlightening, hilarious, and inspiring all at once. So yeah, not an episode to be missed!

Related Resources

In the first segment of the episode, I mentioned the work of documentary filmmaker, Les Blank, in particular his documentary film, Burden of Dreams, which was basically the making-of Werner Herzog‘s Fitzcarraldo. Enjoy the trailer for the film:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYOYi9WLLVU

Stefan Avalos’ digital feature film, The Last Broadcast, was not only a massive influence on my filmmaking career, but really digital cinema, as a whole. Here’s a trailer for the film:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSCptQ1M7Rs

And now, we can all be thankful, that Avalos has decided to make his first feature documentary, the brilliant, Strad Style! Check out the trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSlUiXHrpnI

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5 Ways to Make Your Documentary Film Standout + Conversation with Academy Award-Nominated Director, Scriptwriter Daniel Raim

The Documentary Life — Fri, 28 Jul 2017 05:23:00 -0500

Documentary Scriptwriting

One of the more over-looked aspects of making your documentary film is the scriptwriting process. If your intention is to just shoot, shoot, shoot, and then go through your footage and knock something up, you might be in for a long and painful ride.

Academy Award-nominated Director and Scriptwriter, Daniel Raim, has made a name for himself in the industry as one of the preeminent scriptwriters of the genre. Raim, who’s film Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story has just recently been released to much acclaim, has spent years researching storytelling and refining his documentary scriptwriting skills. And recently he has made the sum of his tireless exploration and scriptwriting experience available in the form of the Documentary Scriptwriting Masterclass.

I sat down to talk with Raim about his new film – the capper in a trilogy about the unsung heroes of Hollywood – as well as the often overlooked importance of writing a screenplay for one’s documentary film, and how he went about putting together his programme for the Documentary Scriptwriting Masterclass.

Trailer

Watch the trailer for Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story:

https://vimeo.com/143970610

5 ways to make your documentary film standout

And in the opening segment of our episode we take a look at 5 ways to make your documentary film standout. With the proliferation of cameras, and in turn filmmakers, that are out there – not to mention the increasing need for great content – it’s important to find unique ways that can set your film apart from the sea of others. This segment will help you do just that.

Related Resources

How would you like to have an Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker take you step-by-step through the scriptwriting and storytelling process?

Instructor Daniel Raim, is an Academy Award®-nominated Writer-Director, who has created a trilogy of widely acclaimed documentaries including The Man on Lincoln’s Nose, Something’s Gonna Live and, his most recent work, Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story. In addition, Daniel is a trusted mentor to other filmmakers both in the editing room and classroom setting.

Check out Daniel Raim’s Documentary Scriptwriting Masterclass to see if it’s the right fit for you and your project.

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The Importance of the War Correspondent, Documentary Filmmaker + Conversation with Legendary War Journo, Nate Thayer

The Documentary Life — Fri, 21 Jul 2017 05:00:00 -0500

The War Correspondent

History wouldn’t be quite the same without the tireless and sometimes incredibly dangerous work of the war correspondent or doc filmmaker. Ever since I could pick up a camera, I found myself somehow deeply interested and connected with the lives and work of war photographers and journos. Something about the lone wolf journalist traveling all over the world, often in major conflict zones and often risking their own wellbeing, in order to get first-hand accounts of devastating injustices, really spoke to me. The stories of these men and women have always inspired me and my work. I take a look at three of these individuals in segment one of this episode.

Podcast Conversation

War journo, Nate Thayer

In our shared conversation with a doc industry guest segment, I sat down with the genuine article, Nate Thayer, who spent nearly twenty years in and out of the jungles of Cambodia, during one of the more volatile times in its history: just after the Cambodian Genocide had ended. The object of Thayer’s work? The very architect of the genocide himself, Pol Pot, or Brother Number One, as many would know him, who had refused any requests for interviews for two decades. In fact, a number of Western journalists lost their lives at the hands of the Khmer Rouge, before Thayer would become one of the only journalists ever to be allowed access to him. In this case, it was shortly before Pol Pot’s death.

Related Resources

Watch John Pilger‘s Year Zero – The Silent Death of Cambodia, in its entirety:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEQgi48ElfM

Watch controversial excerpt from Peter Davis’ Hearts and Minds where Westmoreland makes his rather stunning general observation about the Vietnamese:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huFh760p-MA

As Mentioned in the Show

As part of my conversation with Nate Thayer, he discusses ABC News and their famous Nightline anchor, Ted Koppel, who Thayer would later sue for $30 million, claiming that ABC News had breached their contract by releasing the footage and still grabs to the world, instead of using only for Nightline. In the episode, Thayer, offers up his version of events, including public refusal to accept the prestigious Peabody Award. Well, here is the actual video of Koppel at the Peabody Awards event, discussing Thayer’s refusal to accept the award:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9QfA4gG5Q0

Here is an article detailing the”search” for Sean Flynn.

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Personal Finances & the Documentary Filmmaker + Conversation with ‘Glitter Tribe’ Director Jon Manning

The Documentary Life — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 05:12:00 -0500

Debt can be a crippling thing for anyone, and documentary filmmakers are no exception. In fact, it’s we independent filmmakers who are often hit in particular with the ugly debt stick. The kids’ daycare, medical bills, rent, a new camera for a project. The reasons an independent filmmaker can find themselves in debt are plenty. But must we all continue romanticising this notion of the starving artist or is there, perhaps, a healthier, more satisfying way to live as an independent documentary filmmaker?

I say it’s time to put an end to that rather unnecessary (immature?) way of thinking. I say that we can all make some better, more informed choices about how our personal finances should and should not affect our personal and professional lives. And the first segment of episode 31 is about just that – finding ways in which we can all lead more sustainable doc lives.

Podcast Conversation

In our shared conversation with a documentary industry guest segment, we talk with director, Jon Manning, who recently released his film Burlesque: Heart of the Glitter Tribe, a film that is currently on Netflix. Along with talking about his latest film, Jon gives us some unique insight, that we’ve not yet heard on the show, about what he found was the best way to become a director and producer of one’s own commercial and documentary films.

Burlesque: Heart of the Glitter Tribe is currently available on Netflix.

Related Resources

Excerpt from the podcast episode, including footage from Glitter Tribe:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Pz1bafT-iM

Film Trailer

Watch the trailer for Burlesque: Heart of the Glitter Tribe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvBKNWkvyMM

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TDL Now Weekly Show! + Conversation with ‘Real Boy’ Director Shaleece Haas

The Documentary Life — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 05:17:00 -0500

Welcome to the first episode of The Documentary Life‘s new weekly format! Contained within this initial release I’ll start off by detailing how the new format will work from this point forward. Namely, you’ll be happy to know that we’ll be releasing a new episode every Friday! Also, the format will consist of a topic segment hosted entirely by myself, followed by our conversation with a documentary industry guest.

Speaking of, we’re happy to announce that this week’s documentary industry guest is filmmaker, Shaleece Haas. Haas’ latest documentary, Real Boy, has already played over 70 venues, including an extraordinary number of film festivals, as well as a recent coveted run on PBS’ Independent Lens. Haas makes for a great conversation not only because of her documentary expertise, but also because of her background in education, a perfect combo for #DocLifers to learn how to best live and lead their own documentary lives!

Trailer

Watch the trailer for Shaleece Haas’ award-winning documentary, Real Boy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3v9xaA90rhw

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The World of the Documentary Film Festival, Part Two

The Documentary Life — Fri, 23 Jun 2017 06:12:00 -0500

Documentary Film Festival, Part Two

Welcome to part two of a very special two-part series that explores the mysterious world of the documentary film festival from the perspective of the filmmaker as well as the director of a film festival.

In part two we examine this topic via conversations with Richard Wyllie, whose film 5 Days on Lesvos not only will play this year’s MDFF, but was nominated for Best Documentary awards at Raindance as well as National Film Awards UK . And it is through MDFF’s festival director, Lyndon Stone, that we get the often overlooked insight of the people that are behind the selection of films for festivals.

In part one we spoke with with well-known New Zealand doc filmmaker, Costa Botes, whose film Act of Kindness was recently selected as inclusion into the 2017 Melbourne Documentary Film Festival (MDFF). You can find that episode here.

Trailer

Watch the trailer for 5 Days on Lesvos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVss6uvKce4

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The World of the Documentary Film Festival, Part One

The Documentary Life — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 06:42:00 -0500

Documentary Film Festival, Part One

Welcome to part one of a very special two-part series that explores the mysterious world of the documentary film festival from the perspective of the filmmaker as well as the director of a film festival.

In part one we will examine this topic via conversations with well-known New Zealand doc filmmaker, Costa Botes, whose film Act of Kindness was recently selected as inclusion into the 2017 Melbourne Documentary Film Festival (MDFF). And it is through MDFF’s festival director, Lyndon Stone, that we will get the often overlooked insight of the people that are behind the selection of films for festivals.

In part two of the series – to be released June 23rd – we’ll continue our conversation with MDFF festival director, Lyndon Stone, as well as speak with Richard Wyllie, whose film 5 Days on Lesvos not only will play this year’s MDFF, but was nominated for Best Documentary awards at Raindance as well as National Film Awards UK .

Trailers

Watch the trailer for Costa Botes’ Act of Kindess:

https://vimeo.com/128333059

Watch the trailer for Richard Wyllie’s 5 Days on Lesvos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVss6uvKce4

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Faith Fuller Turns Tables on TDL Host, Chris G. Parkhurst

The Documentary Life — Fri, 26 May 2017 07:52:00 -0500

TDL’s (Temporary) New Host

We are excited to announce that the new host of TDL is Faith Fuller (formerly of Desktop Documentaries)!

Okay, so maybe it’s only for one week. And while Faith still holds her post as founder/curator of doc filmmaking resource Desktop Docs, at least for this episode, Faith turns the tables on regular host, Chris G. Parkhurst, and puts him on the other side of the interview!

Topics Discussed

We delve a bit deeper into Parkhurst’s film/tv background
How travel affected his decision to get into film production
The importance of doing the dirty work and selling yourself as an independent filmmaker
Why and how he decided to do a podcast
As well as, glimpse into some of the future plans for TDL and the podcast

Teaser Trailer

Watch the teaser for our feature doc Elvis of Cambodia:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAqkmUKoEMY

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Arrested Filming Your Documentary, with Doc Filmmakers, Lindsey Grayzel & Deia Schlosberg

The Documentary Life — Fri, 12 May 2017 07:54:00 -0500

Back in October, documentary filmmakers, Deia Schlosberg and Lindsey Grayzel were arrested while filming separate but linked acts of civil disobedience. In Grayzel’s case it was for her documentary film, The Reluctant Radical, a film that follows climate activist, Ken Ward, as he sets out to make the world aware of impending massive global danger.

This particular episode has been a long time coming since I’ve been in contact with Grayzel ever since her arrest, urging her to come on the show and speak directly to my listeners about her experiences, as well as offer some suggestions for doc filmmakers and journalists alike, so that we may all better arm themselves should we too find ourselves filming in potentially dangerous or law breaking situations.

This show is a must listen, as there is much to glean from Schlosberg and Grayzel’s recent experiences!

Trailer

Watch the trailer for The Reluctant Radical

https://vimeo.com/211135555

Article

Read The Guardian article that really helped spread the message of the arrests of Schlosberg and Grayzel.

Support

As mentioned in the podcast, you can better educate yourselves on being apprehended/arrested while filming. Simply download the .pdf of Dangerous Documentaries: Reducing Risk When Telling the Truth to Power here.

Consider contributing and sharing The Reluctant Radical Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign. Raised monies will go directly to finishing post production on the film.

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Ten Hot Tips for Shooting Your Documentary Interview

The Documentary Life — Fri, 28 Apr 2017 09:21:00 -0500

The interview is the cornerstone of the documentary film. And therefore mastering the conducting of the interview is not something to be taken lightly. It is an art form unto itself. But sadly, many take this age-old journalistic practice for granted. And because of it, risk unusable content for their film or worse, yet, maybe even alienating their interviewee! Conducting a proper interview will give you thoughtful, insightful, and/or provocative sound bytes in which to cut your documentary film.

And so here, in Episode 25, I’d like to provide you with ten hot tips for your interview practice…

Get In Touch

Please feel free to leave some comments about some of your own tried and true interviewing techniques. Remember: The Documentary Life is a place for us documentary filmmakers to network and share. We have to spread the knowledge around, #DocLifers!!

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Conversation with The Filmmakers Process Founder, Robert Hardy

The Documentary Life — Thu, 13 Apr 2017 20:19:00 -0500

Many of you are probably familiar with Robert Hardy‘s work for No Film School, where he wrote film content for the popular website. But it is with his own creation, The Filmmaker’s Process, that Hardy has really come into his own, sharing his own experiences and his creative curation of content – often very well thought-out and lengthy articles – that are specifically directed to the truly independent filmmaker.

The more I became familiar with Hardy’s work – both from his website and his brilliant and thoughtful newsletter – I realised that I needed to have him on the show. Anyone who knows his writing or how he thinks as a filmmaker, would quickly understand why he’d be a natural fit for TDL. So after months of trying to schedule an interview, I was finally able to carve out the proper time to have a heart-to-heart with this filmmaking brother-in-arms.

Along with a host of other topics, we covered his definition of success as a filmmaker (which differs vastly from the Sundance template most of us have been misled by for 20+ years!), how his time working in the film industry and then as a writer for No Film School inspired the birth of TFP, and then for the first time, Hardy makes it public his intentions to produce a The Filmmaker’s Process podcast!

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How to Diversify Your Income as a Documentary Filmmaker

The Documentary Life — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 04:23:00 -0500

You’ve got to get creative with your income when you’re trying to make it as a documentary filmmaker in this world. Luckily, there are a number of different, actually pretty cool ways in which you can do this. Here on episode #23, I dive into five pretty diverse ways in which a #doclifer can keep him/herself from falling victim to filmmaking financial crisis.

Related Resources

Article about Uberstock founder, Robb Crocker.

Make passive income with BlackBox..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAGp0j57LNE

Go to BlackBox, Create a Free Account, and start selling your footage today!

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Conversation with Documentary Filmmaker, Brent E. Huffman

The Documentary Life — Fri, 17 Mar 2017 04:18:00 -0500

Brent E. Huffman‘s debut documentary, Saving Mes Aynak, is making a lot of noise these days. This MacArthur Foundation-sponsored film has played dozens of film festivals all over the globe, and its filmmaker, Huffman, has been on media outlets such as CNN, Al Jazeera, NPR, discussing the massive archaeological site, Mes Aynak, Afghanistan, which is in danger of being completely destroyed by Chinese copper mining interests.

I had the pleasure of holding a shared conversation with Huffman for this week’s TDL. We discussed such topics as filming in dangerous conditions in a developing country, the importance of one’s fixer/translation, the DIY approach to doc making, securing the afore-mentioned prestigious MacArthur Foundation grant, and a number of other topics that will appeal to any #DocLifer.

Related Resources

Watch the trailer for Saving Mes Aynak:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8_EGRxK3UM

You can watch the film in its entirety through these platforms: Netflix | iTunes | Amazon

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How to Stop Getting Derailed and Refocus on Your Documentary Film

The Documentary Life — Fri, 03 Mar 2017 16:30:00 -0500

Remember when you were incredibly excited about that new documentary project you’d been working on? The one that you even raised some funds via Kickstarter and shot about 50+ hrs of footage? Then do you remember when in the middle of production you and your wife had your first child? Yeah, you were having to work all of the time just pay the medical bills? Then suddenly it was all you could do just to occasionally post on your film’s facebook page? Next thing you know, you hadn’t even so much as looked at a frame of footage in a year.

Yeah, me too.

So this episode is for you. It’s for us. It’s for most any filmmaker that I know, who has a passion project that often goes neglected for long stretches of time, because, well… life gets in the way. Sh*t happens, you know? But not to worry! This is completely 100 percent absolutely normal! Happens to the best (and the rest) of us. And thankfully, by changing up a few bad habits that we’ve picked up on our filmmaking and life’s journey, we can refocus and get back to doing what we love doing – working on our doc!

Listen to this, episode 21, as I detail four very straightforward ways to help you refocus and get your derailed dream project back on the proverbial track. And in my usual candid manner, I share a bit about my personal and professional story, so you can see how Steph and I have currently been experiencing this with our beloved Elvis of Cambodia project, and how we plan to refocus and get things going again this year!

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20 – Conversation with Documentary Filmmaker, Justin Schein

The Documentary Life — Fri, 17 Feb 2017 00:34:00 -0500

Justin Schein is the kind of documentary filmmaker that most of us aspire to be. He is a thoughtful, sensitive, and articulate technician dedicated to his craft. And his latest film, Left on Purpose is the kind of intelligent, compassion, and in the end, impossible to forget, film that we aspire to make.

I was honoured and proud to have a shared conversation with Justin on the eve of the world wide release of his film. It’s an engaging, heartfelt look at not only what it means to live a documentary life, but just how one tackles the ethical issues that a film like Left on Purpose poses.

Related Resources

Watch the trailer for Left on Purpose:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_4V4h-tYTE

Left of Purpose can be viewed on the following platforms:

iTunes

Amazon

Vimeo

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Achieving Balance in Your Documentary Life

The Documentary Life — Fri, 03 Feb 2017 04:41:00 -0500

Work-life balance? Sure, you’ve probably heard of this. Whether in books, seminars, tv, or radio, we’re always hearing about the necessity of some sort of balance in our daily lives and the various ways in which we might better achieve this. But what about us creatives, specifically us documentary filmmakers, who more realistically have a Work-Life-Doclife to balance?

Well, I’ve got some ideas that I can throw your way. These are practices I have developed over time, and I’m hoping can help you. Because if you’re anything like me, you’ve probably dealt with an ever-increasing need to find some sort of balance in your life, lest you want to get sick, injured, or just plain lose your mind.

After listening to the show, please share in the comment section below some tips that you’ve come up to help yourself achieve a better balance in your #Doclife.

Related Resources

In this episode I mention upcoming doc industry guest, Justin Schein, the filmmaker behind the February release Left on Purpose. You can view the trailer here:

https://vimeo.com/161646623

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Conversation with Professional Storyteller, Joel ben Izzy

The Documentary Life — Fri, 20 Jan 2017 05:47:00 -0500

The term storyteller seems to be one of the more misunderstood or misused vocational words in the past decade. Certainly this seems to be the case in a world of ad agencies, video production companies, and self-styled online entrepreneurs. Joel ben Izzy is the answer to this rampant misuse. He is quite literally a professional storyteller.

And I was fortunate enough to have met him on a film job last year, where I was incredibly impressed at the way in which he not only presented stories from a stage, but how he convinced his audience that they too – each and every one of them – had their own stories to tell and why it was important for them to be telling them. So, I only found it appropriate to ask Joel to be on the show to share his wisdom, inspiration, and yes, a few stories with the future storytellers of the documentary world (aka #DocLifers).

I hope y’all enjoyed and benefit from this conversation even half as much as I did.

Related Resources

Watch How to Find Your Story by Joel ben Izzy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lrq6JtBlhUY

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Working with Someone You Don’t Enjoy Working With

The Documentary Life — Fri, 06 Jan 2017 01:11:00 -0500

Let’s be honest. We’ve all worked with someone that we just didn’t click with or downright despised, but felt like we had no choice but to stick it out with them. Or we’ve worked on that project that drove us to tears and frustration, so much so that we would have given just about anything to walk away. And yet, we didn’t. And to this day, we’re probably the better for the experience.

Today’s podcast is about finding the best ways to overcome the great challenges of working with someone you don’t get along with, for the sake of the project.

It’s also about knowing when to move on from the project or from the person when it seems like ultimately this may be the appropriate solution for the betterment of the film, if not for the people involved. It’s filled with my own practical experiences working on some pretty difficult films with some fairly difficult people, and turning negatives into positives.

Enjoy the show, and be sure to let me know what you think of it. I’ll bet you’ve got some of your own crazy stories… and I’d love to hear them in the comments below.

Related Resources

If you’re interested in watching my Nepal documentary (mentioned in the programme) , please visit Journey to Kathmandu. To take advantage of the nearly 50 percent coupon simply use the coupon discount code mydoclife when checking out. Not only will you get the 35 minute documentary, but it comes loaded with extras including special behind-the-scenes videos, full documentary commentary, deleted scenes, etc. Once you’ve watched it, please let me know what you think.

Bombhunters trailer that I spent my Christmas holiday working on in Phnom Penh. (Referenced in the podcast.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bG3r8yKzo_8

You can view the film in its entirety by going to Amazon Video

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Best of TDL 2016, Look to 2017

The Documentary Life — Fri, 09 Dec 2016 17:46:00 -0500

Are you one of those people who loves a good End-of-the-Year list? Yeah, me too. I absolutely love them, truth be told. I know, I know. Kinda cheesy… but kinda fun. And that’s why I’ve put together this retrospective this mix tape, if you will, of this, the first year of The Documentary Life‘s existence. Whether you’re new to the program or have been a #DocLifer since day one, you’re gonna dig these juicy “best-bits” culled from the conversations that I’ve had the honour of having this past year with documentary industry guests.

And lest you think that your friendly neighborhood podcast host was just having a lazy week, the latter portion of the show takes a look at what you can expect in the coming New Year. There are some pretty exciting announcements that I’m sharing with you, my listeners, for the very first time.

Think of this as my thank you to YOU, my ever so faithful listener, for sticking with me since that day in May 22nd, when I first introduced the world to The Documentary Life. It’s been one helluva journey so far, and I simply cannot wait to see where things are headed in 2017.

So, with that, I’ll just leave you to it…

Talk hard,

Chris G. Parkhurst

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Shaking the Money Tree with Film Funding Consultant Morrie Warshawski

The Documentary Life — Fri, 25 Nov 2016 08:58:00 -0500

Funding For Your Film

What bigger question does the documentary filmmaker have than ‘Where can I find funding for my film?’ ? Well, today’s documentary industry guest is writer and film funding guru, Morrie Warshawski. Morrie wrote the well-known (and well read!) book on creative, practical, and (dare I say?) fun ways of funding your documentary film, Shaking the Money Tree: The Art of Getting Grants and Donations for Film and Video Projects.

So much inspiring and practical advice to be had in this podcast! Among other topics discussed, are the importance of having the triad of a mission statement, core values, and vision. Morrie’s infamous house fundraising party and the topics of how/why you need a fiscal sponsor for your project are just a few of the topics covered!

Related Resources

We highly recommend grabbing a copy of Morrie’s book Shaking the Money Tree. It holds some very valuable insights and advice for any documentary filmmaker looking to secure funds for their film.

The Fundraising Houseparty: How to Party with a Purpose is another great book by Morrie that delves into this strategies for bringing people with money to the proverbial party, in order to raise funds for your film.

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How to Run Your Kickstarter Campaign

The Documentary Life — Fri, 11 Nov 2016 05:08:00 -0500

So you’ve heard about this cool thing called crowdfunding – or Kickstarter or Indiegogo – where people are getting their documentary films financed by people all around the world. who are interested in being a part of their project. And you’re thinking that you might like to do the same… but you haven’t a clue where to even begin. Well – surprised, surprise – I’m here to help make your crowdfunding dreams come true!

Having successfully run two Kickstarter campaigns for two different film projects (Journey to Kathmandu, Elvis of Cambodia), I want to offer some valuable advice on how to best run your crowdfunding campaign. But maybe even more importantly, I wanna tell you about what not to do, so you may avoid some rather tricky pitfalls that, if not aware of beforehand, could seriously jeopardize the success during or after your campaign. (Can you say ‘hidden costs of a Kickstarter campaign’??)

Enjoy the show, and if you dig, please feel free to share with other documentary friends and family! The more documentary films being made, the better our storytelling world, right?

Related Resources

Download documentary filmmaker Lindsey Grayzel‘s press release here: press-release_grayzel_footage

Charges dropped, but fight continues! This article contains the most recent news on Grayzel and Davis’ charges.

Watch raw footage (courtesy of Lindsey Grayzel) of climate activist Ken Ward as he shuts down a TransMountain oil pipeline in Burlington, Washington.

https://vimeo.com/188582850

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Conversation with Filmmaker Brian Jenkins

The Documentary Life — Thu, 27 Oct 2016 23:01:00 -0500

Filmmaker, and record label owner, Brian Jenkins reached out to me a little over a month ago. He was a fan of the show, as well as a contributor to the doc filmmaking online resource Desktop Documentaries. He wanted to make me aware of the upcoming release of his latest documentary film, Answering the Call, a film that takes a personal look at historical events in Selma, Alabama, that once led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. I watched Brian’s film and was enamored with his DIY approach that played so well with the storyline of the film. I thought he’d make a great guest for the show.

In the episode we discuss his roots in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he was making and producing music for his record label Riot House Records, at a very early age, and how his direct experience – especially in distribution – working in the music industry, allowed him to more easily make the transition to the film (documentary) industry.

We also took a look at his own personal connection and then journey to making his current documentary feature, Answering the Call. Animation as a great means for storytelling, how he has made music a big part of his filmmaking, and, of course, how he lives and leads his own doc life, are just a few more of the topics that are covered in this conversation.

Trailer

Watch the trailer for Answering the Call

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSyD8tlIz28

Check out the entire film Itunes | Vimeo |

Music From the Show

Wanna listen to some of the great music that was in the show or sample some of the bands (like Empty Mansions, Porcupine, White Mule, Spencer Moody) on Brian’s record label, Riot House Records?

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Filming Documentaries Overseas

The Documentary Life — Thu, 13 Oct 2016 23:01:00 -0500

Film Documentaries Overseas

Okay, so it should be noted that this podcast is being released a week after I actually recorded it since I’m currently in the ridiculously sunny and ridiculously humid climes of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico filming on Let’s Talk Coffee 2016. So while this may be a short blog write-up, the podcast is a really good one (if I do say so myself!). It draws upon my experiences producing documentary work overseas. Chock full o’ (hopefully!) helpful tidbits and recommendations.

Enjoy and let me know what you think…

Related Resources and Information

Check out behind-the-scenes of my film Journey to Kathmandu. Mentioned in the show, this is where my camera goes down.

The feature image for this show and for this page is a photograph that I took of my translator/fixer/friend, Phon Kaseka. This photograph was taken during the filming of Bombhunters, in the province of Mondulkiri, Cambodia. It won second place in the 2006 Oregonian Best of Travel Photos competition.

Music From The Show

Original score from Journey to Kathmandu by composers Samuel Ross and Jared Jensen.

Unique Child by Huoy Meas

Dont Think I’ve Forgotten by Sinn Sisamouth

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Desktop Documentaries with Filmmaker Faith Fuller

The Documentary Life — Thu, 29 Sep 2016 23:01:00 -0500

On this International Podcast Day (yes, there is such a thing!), it’s only appropriate to bring you another installment to our monthly conversations with documentary industry people. This time out, I spoke with documentary filmmaker (Briars in the Cotton Patch) and founder of Desktop Documentaries, Faith Fuller.

I’ve been following the Desktop Documentary website for a couple of years. The site is a wonderful all-encompassing resource for documentary filmmakers. Desktop Documentaries has been a passion project for Fuller and it’s grown leaps and bounds since it’s inception, nearly a decade ago. Recently, it underwent a massive re-brand and overhaul of the site, including the just-released Documentary Filmmaking Learning Center.

Among other things, Faith and I talked about how her tv news reporting and then her video producing for world re-nowned humantiarian organisation Habitat for Humanity International, best set her up for success in the documentary film world. We also discussed her EMMY award-winning doc, Briars in the Cottonpatch, including the importance of connections with one’s subjects and how documentary filmmaking transforms who we are are as human beings.

And of course, as we always do with these monthly conversations, we delved a bit into how Faith herself lives and leads her own documentary life!

Related Resources

As mentioned in the show, Faith and Desktop Documentaries have just released the brand new Documentary Filmmaking Learning Center. I encourage you to try out the platform FOR FREE with the brand new Documentary Starter Kit Mini-Course.

One of the great new features is direct access Q&A’s with the course instructor to help guide you through the filmmaking process. Plus everything can now be accessed with one simple login.

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Avoid These Common Mistakes Before ‘Jumping In’ on Your Documentary Film

The Documentary Life — Fri, 16 Sep 2016 17:56:00 -0500

I’m often asked about the most common mistakes one can avoid before diving headlong into one’s documentary project. In some ways, I can’t really decide if I’m the right or wrong one to ask this question to. I mean, I’ve kind of made some of the same mistakes multiples times in the past couple of projects alone. So, yeah, in a way maybe I am the right person to ask about this… you know, since I’ve felt the pain not once, but twice, and therefore will never make these same mistakes again..!! (Right??) Anyhow, discussing some pitfalls to avoid well before shooting the first frame of your documentary is at the heart of today’s episode.

It’s also worth noting that this particular episode marks our tenth one! Celebration time, you documentary lifers!! We’re still going, and strongly at that. Listen in to find out why and how, as well as another milestone that I’m ecstatic to share with you.

So… thank you for continuing to tune in to this show. The documentary life community is growing… one download and one subscriber at a time…

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Ian McCluskey Lives a Documentary Life

The Documentary Life — Sat, 03 Sep 2016 00:44:00 -0500

It’s episode 9 and I really feel that we’re hitting some sort of proverbial stride with this one. In this latest installment to our monthly conversations with an industry person, I spoke with filmmaker and founder of NW Documentary, Ian McCluskey. The content and style of conversation, in my opinion, is the closest I’ve come yet to what I’ve been envisioning as the mission of The Documentary Life podcast. That whole inspirational and educational thing that I’ve been talking about since the inception of this show? Well, it’s all here, in what is most assuredly my favourite episode to date!

Whether it be through one of his numerous documentary films or through one of his classes at NW Documentary, Ian is most definitely someone who is truly living a documentary life. In this episode, you’ll hear how Ian started NW Doc from the couch of his college apartment and blossomed it into one of the premiere documentary non-profit organisations of the northwest. You’ll also hear how and why Ian believes that documentary is a calling, that it’s an important and serious thing to do with one’s life. And you’ll hear about the beautiful people, music, and inspiration that brought about his latest award-winning documentary film, Voyageurs Without Trace.

Enjoy, everyone. I can honestly say that this is one of the best episodes so far, in this journey that is… The Documentary Life…

Trailer

Watch the trailer for Voyageurs:

https://vimeo.com/125594413

Read about some of the brilliant score by The Decemberists‘ Jenny Conlee and listen to to some of the music.

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How to Finish Your Documentary Film

The Documentary Life — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 23:01:00 -0500

We had an email from a listener a few episodes ago that I addressed towards the top of the show. In it, the listener discussed their struggles with finding a way to truly finish their film that they’d been working on for quite some time. (You might also remember TDL guest, documentary filmmaker John Pirozzi, talking about how it took him nine years to finish his doc film Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten.)

I got to thinking about this. I’d had my own struggles with this on my Nepal doc Journey to Kathmandu. Many times have colleagues discussed the difficulties of putting that final 10 percent into finishing their film. (And speaking of 10 percent, that seems to be about the number of people that are actually successful in seeing their film projects all of the way through!)

So I thought it might make sense to host an entire program that dealt with this very topic. In this show, I lay out a Top 5 List for finishing your documentary film. These very tools/ideas are what have allowed me to finish my various film projects, and I believe they will be helpful for you too.

So please, sit back and enjoy, and share this with other documentary filmmaking friends! The finish line IS coming. Your film CAN be finished. There are just a few things that we can all do to make it just a bit more attainable is all!

Related Resources

Brian Tracy’s Personal Time Management – This is amazing in so many ways. An extremely well traversed and helpful message – I’ve listened to this so many times I’ve lost count! – wrapped up in a classic 80s video set. Hah! Winning!

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Conversation with Filmmaker Scott Squire

The Documentary Life — Fri, 05 Aug 2016 20:00:00 -0500

Welcome to the third edition of our monthly conversation with a documentary industry person. This time out, I sat down with Seattle-based doc filmmaker Scott Squire, who along with his wife, Amy Benson, run the documentary production company, Non Fiction Media. Their first feature documentary is a film called Drawing the Tiger, and was shot entirely in the country of Nepal, a country that yours truly has quite a strong connection to himself, having shot a film of his own there (Journey to Kathmandu).

The conversation was a special one for me and one that I was excited to do from the outset. I was a massive fan of their Nepal doc and once I’d had a conversation with Scott, I knew that we had a lot of common ground that would be great to share with all of you documentary lifers! There is a bunch of great stuff in here for you guys… tips on making films in an environment like Nepal… how it’s important and why we doc filmmakers so often work with NGOs and humanitarian organisations around the world… what it’s like working in a business and creative relationship with one’s partner… and so so much more.

Enjoy hearing about two filmmakers incredible filmmaking journeys in Nepal. And enjoy learning more about how you can best lead and live your own documentary life!

FUN SIDE NOTE: This conversation was actually recorded a few months back when I began work on the show. At the time, I assumed that it might be the first of my monthly conversations with an documentary industry person. However, due to some specific timing of content in other shows, I had to schedule this one a little later in. Probably makes no difference to you guys, but going back and listening to it is kind of interesting. I can tell that I was still “learning the ropes” and trying some new things out. (Not that I’m not still doing that!)

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How to Live an Abundant Documentary Life

The Documentary Life — Thu, 21 Jul 2016 23:01:00 -0500

Okay, so the show is now five episodes old (not including this one which will give us six total). We’ve had some great conversations with documentary industry people like John Pirozzi (Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten) and Lydia B. Smith (Walking the Camino: Six Ways to Santiago), covering topics such as shooting film overseas in developing countries and the importance of laying down a solid grassroots foundation well before your film is even shot. In the other episodes, I’ve talked about what it means to lead a documentary life, choosing the right camera for your project, and ways to find score for your film.

But now I think it’s high time we get down to the nitty gritty of what we’re going to be about here on this show. And that’s how to best be leading our documentary lives. So in this show, I detail what I believe are the Top Three Critical Components to Living an Abundant Film Life. Don’t worry, though. There are only brief mentions of self help gurus like Tony Robbins or Dave Ramsey. While those cats certainly have their places in personal development – and I’ve learned from the both of them! – I’ve no interest in regurgitating that particular sector of self help.

What I am about is calling it the way that I see it. So what you’re about to get is an honest, candid, few suggestions on what I’ve experienced are the best ways that I know how to lead my own documentary life. So check it out and let me know what you think. I bet you can add to this list. So please share that with all of us in the comments below. Don’t let my voice be the only one that gets heard here. This show is about collaboration and the sharing of ideas. So, we’ve got a whole community out there that would benefit greatly from hearing what you’ve got to say.

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The Power of a Grassroots Campaign with Filmmaker, Lydia B. Smith

The Documentary Life — Fri, 08 Jul 2016 05:00:00 -0500

Tune in to our second conversation with a documentary industry person, this time award-winning filmmaker, Lydia B. Smith. At the heart of the show is her use of a remarkable grassroots campaign that propelled her last documentary film, Walking the Camino: Six Ways to Santiago, to great heights, including the twelve-highest grossing documentary film of 2014.

TDL host himself, Chris G. Parkhurst, was so inspired by her fortitude, resilience, and ingenuity, that he and his wife, Stephanie would employ some of her grassroots techniques for their own doc project, Elvis of Cambodia.

If you’re looking to better understand how an effective grassroots campaign for your film can help in building a following for your film or help in your fundraising efforts, this is definitely a show for you.

Join Lydia and Chris, as they share their stories and insight into how you can better live and lead your own documentary life!

Trailer

Watch the trailer for Walking the Camino: Six Ways to Santiago:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4nd3P1_CB0

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Score For Your Doc

The Documentary Life — Fri, 08 Jul 2016 04:28:00 -0500

In episode four, we introduce a new segment to the show: #DocLifer emails! As part of the segment, we address some of TDL’s first-ever emails, including an email that references Episode 3 guest, John Pirozzi. The #DocLifer describes his own challenges with the length of time it sometimes takes to finish one’s project.

We also discuss another #DocLifers concerns about not making the majority of your income from making documentary films.

And finally, the third email segues into the main topic of Episode 4, which is about scoring one’s documentary film. In it, we share how we were able to get band Godspeed You! Black Emperor to agree to supply their music, free-of-charge, to a documentary film, Bombhunters, that Chris was editing. We also discuss some unique places to get music for one’s film, including from international star, Moby, through his site Mobygratis.com .

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Conversation with Filmmaker John Pirozzi

The Documentary Life — Thu, 30 Jun 2016 22:27:00 -0500

Much like TDL podcast host, Chris G. Parkhurst, filmmaker John Pirozzi has been making documentary films in the SE Asian country of Cambodia for well over a decade, initially with the Matt Dillon feature film City of Ghosts, and then later on through his own documentary projects, Sleepwalking Through the Mekong, a film about Los Angeles band Dengue Fever‘s return to the homeland, as well as the award-winning Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten, a film that examines the history of rock and roll in Cambodia.

Parkhurst and Pirozzi sit down to have a frank and open conversation about what it means to film in a developing country, including how to best do it with one’s family.

Hilarious, insightful, and inspiring stories were shared. Don’t miss this great first, in a series of monthly conversations with documentary industry people.

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Inspiration

The Documentary Life — Thu, 30 Jun 2016 22:00:00 -0500

Welcome back to The Documentary Life podcast. In episode #2, a major topic of discussion revolves around one of the essential aspects of the show: inspiration. We discuss why it’s important for the show to inspire its listeners. Chris also discusses the films and filmmakers that have inspired his documentary filmmaking journey, including narrative films like Gus Van Sant’s My Own Private Idaho and early digital cinema pioneers, Stefan Avalos and Lance Weiler, and their groundbreaking digital film The Last Broadcast.

As he discusses specifically the documentary genre, he mentions filmmakers like Werner Herzog and Rithy Panh, who both seamlessly inhabit the narrative and documentary genres. Included are the films Burden of Dreams and The Missing Picture.

The second half of the podcast delves into what Chris’ approach has been to film and video cameras for his projects. He traces his family tree of the cameras that he has used for his documentary and narrative film projects. He offers the suggestion that you should use what you have, trusting that you will have what you need, later on.

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Welcome to The Documentary Life

The Documentary Life — Sun, 22 May 2016 04:45:00 -0500

Hello and Welcome!

I am uber (no, not that Uber) excited to announce today that The Documentary Life has officially become a podcast series!

There are a number of great documentary film websites out there, but most are fairly dry resources, that while helpful, don’t ever really give you a real and practical sense of what it’s like to actually be living and experiencing the life of a documentary filmmaker. Well, The Documentary Life podcast is an answer to that.

The description as found on the iTunes listing of The Documentary Life:

'Join award-winning commercial and documentary filmmaker, Chris G. Parkhurst, as he candidly shares his filmmaking stories, insights, and experiences, for all to learn how to best lead and live their own documentary dream lives.'

Tweet This

Yep, yours truly will host this bi-weekly program that will, at least initially, consist of two types of episodes. One type will be myself sharing some of my stories and experiences, successes and failures, in an attempt to give you some true and real first-hand personal accounts from someone who truly lives (and loves!) his dreams of documentary filmmaking.

The second type of episode will feature discussions with special industry guests. Already we’ve begun to assemble a veritable all-star list of Documentary Lifers, including John Pirozzi (dir. Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten, Sleepwalking Through the Mekong), Lydia B. Smith (Walking the Camino: Six Ways to Santiago), Scott Squire (Drawing the Tiger), and Ian McCluskey (founder & artistic director, NW Documentary), just to name a few.

It is my every intention and desire to create thought-provoking, sometimes hilarious, sometimes emotional, content that will inspire and educate people the world over so that they too may begin, and then soon thrive, by living a documentary life.

New Release

The Documentary Life podcast has its official release on July 15, 2016, but as a sort of introduction to the whole thing, I’m releasing the first official episode a bit early. In it I introduce myself, introduce the podcast series, and tell you what you can look forward to as The Documentary Life series grows and grows. So let this whet your appetite.

And if you like the show, please leave me a comment, or email me at Chris@BarangFilms.com (And if you don’t like, please tell me why, because that can actually be super helpful!) And if you really like, I’d be honoured if you’d share this with a friend. In advance, thank you!

Okay, without further ado, herein begins the exciting journey of The Documentary Life podcast!