How long should your documentary be?  I get this question a lot.

Before I answer, a quick announcement: I have a few spots left in my Inner Circle, which begins Monday, April 30^th. I know some filmmakers have said the Inner Circle’s $4000 price is beyond their budget.

So…if the remaining spots are not filled by Friday, I will allow two filmmakers to join at the discounted rate of $2600. You would get two consultations rather than three, plus all the other benefits of being in the Inner Circle, including support from other filmmakers, 12 Mastermind calls and free documentary seminars. Please contact me today if you are interested in possibly joining this 6-month program. Learn more at:

http://newdocediting.com/land/innercircle

Back to the question of best length.  Frankly, I think that most documentaries that were not tightly shaped by experienced editor, story consultant or a supervising executive at a broadcast outlet such as HBO are too long. And the problem of “too long”, of course, is that your audience begins to glaze over and feel restless.

So how long should a documentary be? As long as it needs to be. I first heard this truism from Academy Award-winning editor Deborah Hoffmann, whose own personal documentary, Complaints of a Dutiful Daughter, was 44 minutes long. This unconventional length turned out to be the perfect runtime for showing the film at community events and in university classes. The film did very well, according to its distributor, Women Make Movies.

Unless you are under the constraints of a predetermined runtime–for example, a 56:20 or 56:40 PBS length–I suggest that directors listen closely to their editor, their story consultant, and the feedback gathered at rough-cut screenings.  Ultimately you may decide to cut various lengths, a longish version for theatrical, a tighter version for television and an even shorter version for the web.

Why do so many directors tend to make their film too long? Famously, directors “fall in love” with scenes and can’t bear to cut them. Editors who spend too much time with the footage can also share this unfortunate, passionate attachment. Having been one, I know.  In these cases, an outside advisor can provide fresh perspective. Listen to them!

Another reason inexperienced filmmakers create long documentaries is that they haven’t developed the discipline to weed out ideas that are tangential, repetitive, or run “fat” in the form of bloated sound bites. My mentor Deborah Hoffmann was a genius at running her pen through unnecessary words in a rough-cut transcript.

What can you do if test viewers claim your rough cut is too long? First, look carefully at your characters and see if any of them are repeating the role of another character. If so, make the hard decision to cut one character.

Hire an outside consultant to work with you to cull ideas in topic-based films that really don’t serve your film’s central thesis. Often essay-style documentaries, which are structured around ideas rather than a character’s quest, overwhelm the viewer with too much information. Remember, you’re not making a book.

If you’re making a character-driven documentary, every scene must serve your protagonist’s quest. The exception is if you are weaving in an essay whose points must then be motivated by your protagonist’s actions.

A great example of how to do this can be seen in the documentary Supersize Me by Morgan Spurlock. Spurlock could have loaded his food activist film with even more research about the ill effects of fast food, but he found just the right balance, leaving the audience wanting more of his nutritional insight.

For more insight into editing tight and compelling documentaries, check out my upcoming Inner Circle, which begins Monday, April 30^th. Learn how you can get professional story consulting and stay on track with fellow filmmakers holding you accountable for your progress at:

http://newdocediting.com/land/innercircle

Note that I’ve extended the early-bird deadline for a few more days. We’re filling up fast, and the last two circles have sold out!

You’ve heard of crowd-funding. How about cloud filmmaking?

Leading the latest innovation to sweep the documentary world, Tiffany Shlain and her team at The Moxie Institute have developed a new way of creating collaborative films she’s calling Cloud Filmmaking, and it’s getting high profile treatment at the Tribeca Film Festival this week.

But first…if you are interested in joining my six-month program for documentary filmmakers, please let me know today. The Inner Circle has been attracting many talented filmmakers lately, and the last two circles sold out. You can still get the early-bird registration savings. Go to:

http://newdocediting.com/land/innercircle

So…what is cloud filmmaking?  As my story consulting client Tiffany Shlain explains it, an explosion of online video and emerging file-sharing technology is allowing filmmakers to solicit footage and voices from around the world to appear in their films.

In fact, Shlain, a director with four films in past Sundance Film Festivals, rarely shoots film anymore!

She has written a five-point “Cloud Filmmaking Manifesto” which the Tribeca Film Festival posted on their “Future of Film” blog:

http://www.tribecafilm.com/tribecaonline/future-of-film/The-Cloud-Filmmaking-Manifesto.html#.T5BY1JgZzO-

I love point number three, “To give back as much as is received, by offering free customized films to organizations around the world to further their message.”

Shlain and her team are walking their talk by customizing short films with non-profits’ taglines.

You’ll find another great example of crowd-sourced filmmaking in “18 Days in Egypt”, a collection of stories about the ongoing Egyptian revolution.

It’s directed by Jigar Mehta, once a video journalist for the New York Times (and a former documentary student of mine at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism). He’s at the forefront of this new documentary storytelling tool. Check out his work at:

http://i-docs.org/jigar-mehta.

And … please email me if you are interested in joining the upcoming Inner Circle, which begins April 30^th. I’ve extended the early-bird registration because a few filmmakers missed the announcement:

http://newdocediting.com/land/innercircle

Does your documentary speak beyond the choir?

Before I explain how to keep skeptics watching your film, and why your documentary needs a “detractor“, first an important announcement:

The early-bird deadline to register for the Inner Circle and save money is tomorrow, Friday, April 20^th. Please contact me if you are interested in joining this 6-month program. We’ve been attracting several very talented filmmakers lately, as well as some passionate, emerging filmmakers! Learn more at:

http://newdocediting.com/land/innercircle

Now back to reaching beyond the choir.  How do you keep skeptics watching your film?

Give them a credible spokesperson. Not a straw man that you’ll knock down, but a credible, even likable expert who can articulate the opposing viewpoint. As filmmaker Bill Jersey says, “Make the bad guys look good.”

As you probably know, for character-driven films, the “detractor” or bad guy comes in the form of the antagonist, the person who thwarts the protagonist’s goal.

But what about topic-driven films?  In documentaries that are structured around ideas rather than a character’s quest, the detractor is likely to be a talking head expert–but not always.

For example, check out the detractor in Michael Moore’s film “The Big One”. This little known documentary “has the president of Nike giving Michael Moore a run for his money in a one-on-one,” says filmmaker Jon Else, head of the documentary program at UC Berkeley, where I teach editing. Else also uses “Crumb” in his documentary classes as an example of feminist detractors pushing back against the protagonist.

This “pushback” factor could have kept some viewers watching the controversial documentary “Thrive”.  This recent internet hit has turned off and alienated many viewers (even before the film got to the juicy “thriving” section) by advancing UFO evidence and conspiracy theories.

If the directors Steve Gagne and Kimberly Carter Gamble had featured a detractor voice that debunked UFO’s and conspiracy theories, in essence calling Foster Gamble’s ideas ridiculous, two important outcomes would have worked in the filmmakers’ favor.

First, the counter view would have amped the film with tension, riveting the viewer.

Second, this detractor voice would have kept skeptical viewers engaged.

Some of those doubtful viewers (myself included) kept watching the documentary anyway. And I found it ultimately inspiring. But I imagine most skeptics had already formed their judgment about the film before it was halfway through. And most of those viewers probably stopped watching.

What if “Thrive” had featured a detractor saying, “Gamble is just advancing another paranoid conspiracy theory”?

Skeptical viewers would have said to themselves, “Right on!” And not only might they have felt validated but even more importantly their minds could then relax and open to the ideas being discussed.

This is the true value of a detractor.

I recently suggested that my Inner Circle client Michael Dunaway add a detractor to his humorous essay-style film “The Man Who Ate New Orleans.”

After watching his rough cut, I saw that the best way to make the case for rebuilding New Orleans was to butt his arguments up against a detractor’s voice, who would counter that New Orleans was not worth rebuilding into a world-class city. Michael and I discussed several ways to bringing in the detractor voice, from animation to a talking head/expert to an antagonist character in his film.

If you are interested in learning more about how to structure documentaries that preach beyond the choir, consider joining my upcoming Inner Circle, beginning April 30^th.

Here’s Michael Dunaway’s testimonial about his experience in the Inner Circle:

“It’s exciting enough that Karen has assembled a group of such talented and accomplished filmmakers, which turns the Inner Circle into an invaluable peer group. Karen’s own expertise and insight into my films have helped me immeasurably as well. But probably the most important aspect of the class is the environment of encouragement and exhortation Karen creates. The Inner Circle has given me an ideal incubation ground for my documentaries, and I’d highly recommend to any filmmakers interested in making their films great.”

The early bird deadline ends tomorrow, and the Inner Circle is filling up fast! I encourage you to act today because the last two Inner Circles sold out, and I’m only accepting six filmmakers.

To help you make a decision, please feel free to email me so you can get a clear idea of how the Inner Circle can benefit you. Also learn more at:

http://newdocediting.com/land/innercircle

Larry Shogbamimu was the most positive filmmaker I’d ever met in my Inner Circle program. So I began my second story consultation with Larry by thanking him for how supportive and cheerful he’d been with his accountability partners and on every Mastermind call.

Little did I know that Larry was about to launch into a tirade of anger. He reported that after years of trying to get an interview with his film’s protagonist, the governor of a Nigerian state, he’d been stonewalled once again by a corrupt public relations official, who didn’t want to see Larry’s documentary made and wouldn’t schedule the interview.

Larry was furious, ready to pack his bags and return to his home in Ireland. I advised him to chill out for the rest of the day.  We’d discuss his problem further during the Inner Circle Mastermind call, which fortunately was scheduled for that very evening.

During the call, the five other filmmakers showered Larry with ideas. One filmmaker, who was making a documentary about surf music, told Larry he had spent five years trying to get an interview with legendary surf musician Dick Dale. He had kept plugging away, and finally, just last month, he nailed the interview. Keep the faith, he said.

Another filmmaker had the brilliant idea of sidestepping the corrupt public relations official, by following the Governor to a conference in another country, and setting up an interview through the conference organizers.

Yet another filmmaker proposed confronting the corrupt official directly, saying, “Look, the Governor said he wants to do this interview, and you are not doing your job setting it up.” Ultimately, this is what Larry did.

As I listened to the filmmakers on the Mastermind call, I was touched not only by the outpouring of ideas, but the sympathy and heartfelt care that motivated the sparking of those ideas.  Filmmakers for whom Larry had been an accountability partner and who had been touched by his generosity of spirit were more than willing to rack their brains for ways to support him.

A week later, Larry announced that he’d gotten his interview by confronting the official.

This particular Inner Circle officially ended yesterday. “Though the calls may have ended, the Inner Circle is still on because I have you all helping me with my film,” said Larry. “I’m glued to you guys like a stamp on a letter.”

As I made my standard parting request for testimonials, I expected and received the usual testimonials about how my story consulting sessions had provided filmmakers with clear direction.  What I didn’t expect was the outpouring of gratitude that filmmakers had toward one another, and how much they appreciated my own encouraging tone. “The motivational boost is worth the price alone!” said filmmaker Mark Davis.

“Probably the most important aspect of the Inner Circle is the environment of encouragement and exhortation Karen creates,” said filmmaker Michael Dunaway.

While I like to think of myself as more than a cheerleader, I am also deeply grateful that this aspect of the Inner Circle program (and my own personality) has become so important to the filmmakers with whom I work.

Like many intellectuals, I spent the first half of my adult life engaged in critical thinking, making distinctions and finding fault with the status quo. This critical quality thrived at the world-class journalism school where I’ve taught documentary editing for 18 years, and it spilled into my own life. I became a highly worried perfectionist.

During the last three years, I’ve reversed this “tearing down” trait by cultivating encouraging self-talk and a positive outlook. And happily, my choice to see the glass half-full is benefitting my clients.

According to Camila Rhodes, who is making a brave personal documentary about living a full life with epilepsy, “I received so much support … from Karen and the group that I was able to get over humps that would have stopped me completely before.”

As a member of the Inner Circle, you’ll receive my steadfast encouragement, partly in the form of my newly devised Strategic Planning consultation, in which we’ll objectively assess where you are with you film and where you’d like to be.

I’m not a believer in whitewashing the truth. We’ll acknowledge any problems and then use both tactical planning and a resourceful mindset to help you complete the best documentary possible.

For anyone familiar with my rallying call to the New Documentary Movement, you’ll know that after decades of negative documentaries that point the finger and often leave viewers feeling depressed, we’re in need of your inspiring, solution-oriented films that leave the audience inspired to take action.

But first, if you are interested in my upcoming Inner Circle program for documentary filmmakers, the early bird deadline featuring great savings ends on Friday.

If you feel lonely or lost on the filmmaking process, you’ll receive strong encouragement and direction from a supportive peer environment. Please contact me if you are interested, and you can also register here:

http://newdocediting.com/land/innercircle

The Inner Circle is filling fast, and I’m accepting six passionate filmmakers!

You can find more testimonials on our new “Testimonial” page at:

http://newdocediting.com/testimonials

I recently had lunch with the guru of documentary fundraising, Morrie Warshawski, who shared a story that could change your fundraising strategy.

Before I reveal his insider advice, I want to announce that my upcoming Inner Circle begins April 30, 2012. If you need guidance crafting your documentary, the Inner Circle is a great way to structure your film with big savings off my normal story consulting fees. Learn more at:

newdocediting.com/land/innercircle

Also, in my last newsletter I shared a glowing testimonial about the Inner Circle and mistakenly attributed it to Tom Parker, rather than Tom Duncan.  My apologies to both Toms!

My lunch companion Morrie Warshawski is author of the popular guidebook Shaking the Money Tree (now in its third edition).  Morrie told me the story of how his daughter Leah, a filmmaker working on a documentary situated in Rwanda, synched the deal with one of her film’s key investors.

First, Leah set up her fundraising campaign with all the right steps in Morrie’s fundraising strategy.

As some of my former Inner Circle filmmakers learned on a recent Mastermind call with Morrie, filmmakers should begin by articulating the vision and values that fuel their passion for filmmaking.

Asking for money then becomes infinitely easier and less personal.  Rather than trying to get people to give money to you and your film project, you’re asking people to contribute to their own values!

His daughter Leah used this process, including a great Kickstarter campaign, to attract investors.

She then closed the deal with one investor by agreeing to his request to accompany her on the next shoot in Rwanda.  The investor wasn’t allowed to touch the film gear, but he was treated to the experience of an artistic venture, a world in which he had never before been immersed.

To learn more about how you can tap into the wealth of value-based investing and philanthropy, check out Morrie’s book “Shaking the Money Tree” at www.warshawski.com.

And you can email him at morriewar@sbcglobal.net to learn about working with him directly.

On another note, you can save thirty percent on the Inner Circle with early bird registration. I look forward to helping six committed filmmakers craft a compelling documentary!

newdocediting.com/land/innercircle

I’m excited to announce that my new Inner Circle 6.0 program begins April 30^th!

The Inner Circle has become an extremely popular program, helping dozens of filmmakers achieve their vision.

Last night, I held a special joint Mastermind Call with Inner Circles 4.0 (now ending) and 5.0 (ongoing).  I was so happy to hear about their progress.  With the group’s advice and support, one member had gotten an interview with an important government official that he’d been trying to get for years.

Several other members of my recently ending Inner Circle 4.0 emailed me after the call to say how much the Inner Circle’s guidance and support meant to them. You can read a few of their testimonials below.

If you join my upcoming Inner Circle 6.0, you’ll benefit from some new improvements. In addition to receiving one-on-one consultations to structure your film with a world-class story consultant (yes, that’s me), you’ll receive a Strategic Planning session in which we create a road map to finish your documentary.

You’ll also benefit from our new Resources Page, connecting you to all former and future members of the New Doc Inner Circles.

The tight knit Inner Circle group acts like your extended editorial team and crew, helping you mastermind challenges that arise while directing your film.

Learn more about how your project can benefit from the Inner Circle at:

http://newdocediting.com/land/innercircle

The Inner Circle isn’t for everyone. But if you’re a passionate, committed documentary filmmaker, consider how this supportive group can radically move your documentary forward.

http://newdocediting.com/land/innercircle

Here are two of several testimonials about the Inner Circle that I received last night after our Mastermind Call. Note they are addressed to the entire Inner Circle 4.0.

“The Inner Circle program was a very economical solution to identifying and tearing down the walls that held back my project. I especially want to thank you all for giving me the needed encouragement to continue. When you all voted to allow me into the group, I was at a crossroads and close to hanging it up. Without the courage to create I wouldn’t be watching a tangible assembly cut today. Karen’s written and video analysis of my footage, along with tutorials etc, gave me the tools I needed to stand back and re-think my vision so I could make adjustments in a more objective way…THAT’s a remarkable accomplishment, and I can’t help feel that I owe you my deepest gratitude.”

- Tom Parker, “Sound of the Surf”

“This has been an immensely enriching experience for me and you have all played a significant part in it. I am very much looking forward to your completed films.”

- Mark Davis, “Against the Tide”

If you have any questions about joining the upcoming Inner Circle, please email me at

karen@newdocediting.com so we can discuss if it’s right for you.  The early-bird deadline ends in two weeks.

I’m headed to Hawaii to meet with an Inner Circle client and to have some fun!

Meanwhile, I wanted to leave you with one of my popular blogs last year, which will help you in editing your documentary.  Here it is:

I recently heard a PBS producer use the phrase “cut until it bleeds” to refer to the often painful post-production process.  If you’re editing a documentary, chances are you’ve already begun cutting out some treasured sound bites and scenes. Good for you. In my opinion, ninety percent of documentaries that make it to a film festival could use another 10-15 percent of the footage cut out.

That’s why I was so pleased when our story-consulting client Robert James showed me his completed short, “Library of Dust”.  At 14 minutes, this compelling documentary short manages to intercut at least five storylines and more than twenty interviews.  The result was a rich viewing experience for the audience—and for James and his co-producer Ondi Timoner, a prestigious award.  The film recently won the “Best Documentary Short Film” at the Seattle International Film Festival.

To ensure that your documentary enthralls audiences with a tightly-structured pace, keep in mind these three tips while editing:

1. Weed out all repetition. If two interviewees make the same point, you get to keep one of the sound bites.  Which is more eloquent, emotional and succinct? Strike the other. And if you’ve already made a point in your narration, don’t repeat the same idea in a sound bite.

2. Apply the “need-to-know test”. In terms of exposition, does the viewer need to know this particular information to make sense of the story?  In terms of plot lines, does the additional plot or subplot somehow enhance the original storyline? As screenwriting guru Robert McKee points out, subplots must earn their keep in the film, often as a mirror or foil to the main plot.

3. Use narration. One of the chief jobs of narration is to do the heavy lifting of establishing your film’s setting and storytelling.  Well-crafted narration can make a point in one sentence that takes your interviewee 3-4 sentences. Cut those interviews until you bleed.

For a free, quality tutorial on how to write great documentary narration, check out our recent teleseminar at:

http://newdocediting.com/teleseminars/PersonableDocNar.wav

It’s jam-packed with tips for writing compelling narration.

So, my fellow filmmakers, take another pass at cutting, and if your second rough cut feels like a bloody mess, you’re probably on the right track.  Ask yourself, are the essential plot points still there? Does my film still make sense?

If the answer is yes, congratulations. If the answer is no, don’t worry. It’s quite common to overcut, and you simply need to identify the missing idea, scene or character and add them back in.

As you make your way through post-production, focus increasingly on the viewer, not the original vision of an auteur. Remember, the right question is not, “How do I get all this precious footage (and all these great ideas) into a feature-length film?”  It’s “How can I provide a compelling viewing experience for the audience, while informing and inspiring them at the same time?”

For more ideas about how to edit your film, check out my most comprehensive home study course, “The Ultimate Guide to Structuring Your Documentary”.  Right now I’m offering a special that gives you two of my other popular home study courses for free when you buy this one:

http://newdocediting.com/products/

We currently have a talented editor available. Just yesterday he finished a riveting feature-length documentary being looked at by HBO.

If you foresee needing an editor, please contact me.  Choosing the right editor is an important, albeit time-consuming process. The stakes are high and you can spend a lot of effort vetting potential candidates.

The good news is that I’ve already done a great deal of your due diligence for you.

I’ve screened dozens of applicants and then trained a few talented editors in my story-telling expertise.

Here’s why you might want to work with a New Doc Editing editor:

First, you work with an award-winning editor who is fairly young in his or her career, when they don’t cost a lot.  These days, most experienced editors worth their chops are $2500-$4500/week.  Our rate is $2600/week, at the low end of the range, but at the high end in talent.

Second, when you hire one of our editors, you also get one hour of story consulting from me per week free. At my hourly rate of $300, this is a terrific value since you pay nothing extra. Essentially, you’re getting two minds for the price of one.

Third, our editors have great track records, working with projects that screen at prestigious film festivals such as Toronto International Film Festival and SXSW, and mainstream broadcast venues such as PBS, Bravo and MSNBC.

If you’re soon entering post-production, please email me so we can schedule time to talk. If you then decide to meet one of my editors, I’ll set up a three-way meeting so you can see if the editor I have in mind has the right sensibility and fit for your project.

You can learn more about working with New Doc Editing policies and procedures at:

http://newdocediting.com/services/documentary-editing-policies

Also, to help you make a decision about hiring the right editor, check out my “Seven Tips for Hiring an Editor In Today’s Economy” at:

http://newdocediting.com/hiring-an-editor

Please email me today if you are interested in working with a New Doc Editing editor.

Here’s a testimonial from our most recent client, a director whose film is being looked at by HBO:

“As a first time film maker, I was seeking an editing team with experience and vision. I was fortunate to find New Doc Editing.

My experience over the past 13 months was nothing less than wonderful. New Doc Editing is well organized and extremely professional. My editor has stellar editing skills, is patient, and is unbelievably dedicated.

I am very proud of the film we created. It would not have been possible without my fantastic editing team.”

– Chris Carpenter, “Born in Goma”

FYI, I will be in Hawaii next Wednesday for a week (to swim with dolphins and visit an Inner Circle client there), so let’s set up an appointment before then.

Email me at: Karen@newdocediting.com

Here are the corrected links from yesterday’s newsletter.  Thanks for your patience!

To listen to the inspiring NPR interview with the “Undefeated” directors who won Best Documentary Oscar, go to:

http://www.npr.org/2012/02/15/146948697/undefeated-a-tale-of-football-teams-struggles

To get my popular online seminar “Editing the Character-Driven Documentary” for half-price, go to:

http://newdocediting.com/land/editingdocumentaryecourse/

Your price is $97, saving $100 of the normal $197 price.

The sale ends in 48 hours.

I wasn’t surprised when “Undefeated” won Sunday’s Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

Although I haven’t seen this character-driven documentary yet, I heard the directors talk on NPR about how they persisted in gaining enough trust to build a narrative arc over time.

Check out the inspiring NPR West report (link below). You’ll hear excerpts from the documentary, as well as what it took for directors Dan Lindsay and T.J. Martin to film 500 hours, including a great climax scene, during the nine months they embedded in Memphis:

http://www.wbur.org/npr/147216621/underdog-football-team-shines-in-undefeated

Quick correction: Last week, I mentioned attending a wonderful story conference in Los Angeles. The correct name is the GATE Transformational Story Conference, and the organization’s name (GATE) stands for Global Alliance for Transformational Entertainment.

Finally, last weekend I had the opportunity to teach my 2-day popular course, “Structuring the Character-Driven Documentary” at the San Francisco Film Society.

During lunch of the first day, a student said to me, “I could get in my car and go home now… and feel like I got my money’s worth.”

I continue to be thrilled how this course gets such amazing reviews (see some testimonials below). So I asked myself, what can I do get readers of this newsletter to take advantage of the online version of this course?

Here’s what I’m offering…for the next 48 hours, you can buy “Editing the Character-Driven Documentary” for half-price. Learn how to create a compelling documentary with the narrative building blocks used by screenwriters.

Click the link below to get this $197 course for $97.97. The content of this course is fresh and original.  And to remove any risk on your part, it comes with a money-back guarantee.

http://newdocediting.com/land/editingdocumentaryecourse

Here are a few more testimonials from this weekend:

“This class was better than I had imagined, more than I’d asked for, and just what I needed at this point. I’d recommend this class to people like me; relatively experienced filmmakers who could use a bump up to reset their thinking.”

- George Packard, Warner, New Hampshire

“This class was more informative than I could have imagined. It transformed my thinking and approach to making my documentary. Anyone with a story to tell or an idea to explore would benefit especially if they took the course before shooting. It helps with planning and prevents filmmakers from wasting time and funds.”

- Jen Burke, San Francisco, CA