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Talented Editor Available May 18th
May 8, 2020
I have a talented editor available beginning May 18th. He’s fast, friendly, and conscientious. Let me know if you’re interested in editing with us!
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Documentary Freelancer Relief Fund – Field of Vision
April 29, 2020
During this awful pandemic, I’ve been touched by the generosity of organizations like Field of Vision and Topic Studios. Co-created by filmmaker Laura Poitras and producer Charlotte Cook, they have amassed a $250,000 fund to provide grants for freelancers working in the Documentary field. Apply here. The fund will distribute unrestricted grants of up to $2000 to support personal financial needs. If you’ve experienced hardship from loss of income or opportunity as a result of the pandemic, apply here. Although the first funding block has passed, the next one opens May 6-8, or until they reach 750 applications. Go for…
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Unexpected Boon In PPP and EIDL Funds
April 20, 2020
Many of my U.S. readers are thankfully receiving Covid-19 relief funds in the form of PPP or EIDL loans–in which the first $10,000 is essentially a grant. (If you haven’t applied yet, it’s not too late, read this.) This unexpected boon can free up cash. If you have the good fortune to make progress on your film during the pandemic, our deeply experienced editorial team would love to help! We offer: Story consulting services to help you shape an early concept, write grants, and give precise notes on your rough cut.Expertise in editing trailers—for fundraising or theatrical release.Editing services, including…
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Watch Documentary Seminar
April 14, 2020
Watch an excerpt from my live seminar Editing the Character-Driven Documentary. It focuses on ways to edit a dramatic opening for your documentary. I’m proud to say that for many years this seminar was the most popular course taught (live) at the San Francisco Film Society. You can buy the entire seminar (online) here.
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Unusually Creative Editor Available
April 13, 2020
I have a talented editor available. Her combined experience in television dramas and documentaries brings unusual creativity to non-fiction films. She also cares deeply about the projects she cuts. Please let me know if you’re interested!
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Anniversary of Barbara Marx Hubbard’s Death
April 10, 2020
The subject of my latest documentary, Barbara Marx Hubbard, died one year ago today. She would have been 90. She did not live to see the coronavirus, not her vision of a “peace room” in the office of the vice presidency. But as the New York Times obit says, “Her ideas, book and lectures had reached countless seekers looking to clarify their purpose and expand their consciousness.” What would Barbara have thought of the coronavirus? Perhaps she’d think about her 1966 vision, in which a calamity struck humanity with such force that “we all stopped. And in that stopping came…
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Funds for U.S. Filmmakers
April 9, 2020
To my U.S. readers, federal funds are available! Starting today, independent contractors and self-employed individuals are eligible to apply for Payment Protection Loans (PPP). In many cases, these loans do not need to be paid back. These PPP loans are also still available to small businesses, on a first come, first served basis. Additionally, many of you will qualify for EIDL loans, in which the first $10,000 is a loan advance, aka a “grant”. Learn more here. If you don’t think you’re eligible, think again! Experts advise all filmmakers who consider themselves in business to apply–whether you are an LLC,…
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Is It Time?
April 2, 2020
During this crazy pandemic, some of us seek a silver lining. For you, it might be on the shelf where you put your passion project. For others, it’s in the footage you recently shot. (If you were in the throes of production, like a few of my clients, it can feel ruinous to suddenly stop shooting.) Why not use this time to reflect on what’s in the can, and what’s not? To help, check out these past newsletters on specific topics that might be timely for you: Is it time to start logging footage (and also identify what’s missing)?How to…
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Godspeed For Documentation of Coronavirus
March 12, 2020
Right now there are a handful of filmmakers beginning the journey of documenting the coronavirus. I wish them Godspeed and good health. May their stories enlighten us with better science, pierce us with empathy, and inspire us with more capacity for a united, global response. To those filmmakers whose screenings were affected by industry-wide closures, including the SXSW Festival cancellations, I offer my sympathy and best wishes for distribution. To those who actually have the virus, may your pain ease and a full recovery come quickly. Finally, to those who suffer from the isolation of self-quarantine to the uncertainty of…
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Definition of Locked Picture
February 27, 2020
I recently talked with two PBS series producers about syncing up our definitions of documentary jargon. Before our editor began cutting 30 hours of footage, we wanted to have similar expectations, for example, about the purpose and length of a Rough Cut. That conversation led to my 4-part blog series on post-production terms. Today is Part 4. I invite you to check out previous definitions and add your two cents! Part 1: Definition of Assembly Cut Part 2: Definition of Rough Cut Part 3: Purpose of Fine Cut Locked Picture means just that: from now on there will be no…
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