Sundance Prize + New Doc Program

When director Chad Gracia approached me about story consulting services late last year to help shape The Russian Woodpecker, I could see that his film’s story made it a strong contender to get into the Sundance Film Festival.

We focused on making his story launch more dramatic, and I was thrilled to learn that his film won the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize. (See his testimonial below). I highly recommend The Russian Woodpecker. Stylistically innovative, it’s an excellent example of a three-act documentary structure, replete with a compelling first–act inciting incident and a stunning third–act climax scene.

I’m also pleased to announce that we are now accepting new filmmakers into our next Inner Circle program, which begins March 16^th. In this 3-month story consulting program, you’ll receive three one-on-one consultations and support from other filmmakers to significantly move your project forward.

I am accepting six qualified filmmakers, and I currently have five spots that will likely be filled quickly. Learn more and register at:

Inner Circle 9.0

Thanks to Chad for this testimonial:

“I was very lucky to have come across Karen Everett while in the final stages of editing my film, The Russian Woodpecker. While we had a strong story, there were some structural flaws in the first act that were confusing our viewers. With an eagle eye, Karen was able to diagnose the problem and help with a solution that was simple, yet extremely effective. I highly recommend her services.”