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Editor Available + Tips on Personal Documentaries
February 12, 2019
First a little business news, then some tips! We’re currently working on four documentaries, and one will wrap in two weeks. Email me if you need an experienced editor soon! Of the four, three films came to us at Assembly or Rough Cut stage, requiring 4-9 weeks of editing rather than our usual 10-week Accelerated Post schedule. I mention this because it’s one way for directors to save money. And now…since some of the films are personal docs, I’m passing on two important tips for directors who bravely put themselves in front of the camera. First, show your face as…
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Sundance Winners Focus on Character Journeys
February 5, 2019
Most of the award-winning docs coming out of Sundance this year have one thing in common: they are riveting character-driven journeys. While it could easily have been a wonky essay doc, One Child Nation (U.S. Grand Jury Prize) examines China’s one-child policy through the eyes of director Nanfu Wang. The inciting incident? Wang gets pregnant. The journey? To return to China. The central question? What were the consequences of this population experiment? (Spoiler alert: tragic!) Midnight Traveler, which received the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award, is another personal documentary. The catalyst? The Taliban puts a bounty on director Hassan…
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Two Experienced Editors Available
January 21, 2019
I currently have four experienced editors on staff, and two are available within a few weeks. I don’t give out names and credentials until we talk, but I can assure you these award-winning cutters are talented storytellers! If you have a budget for post, please email to find out more. Here’s a recent testimonial from director Mary Umans, who just learned that her film Displaced was accepted at the London International Filmmaker Festival for 2019. Congratulations! Mary worked with us in our Accelerated Post schedule: “With insight and grace, Karen Everett helped orchestrate the completion of my film, Displaced. She…
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How We Edit Quickly
January 14, 2019
One of the things we do best is edit great documentaries quickly—making the cost of finishing a film within reach for many producers. What’s our secret sauce? First, we get you to sift the chaff. By helping you see the narrative arc and major themes, we guide you or your assistants to cull the best 30 hours from your footage. This saves our editor time. Second, we drive fast because we know the terrain. With our Accelerated Post schedule, we’ll fast-track the industry’s conventional journey through Assembly Cut, Rough Cut(s), Fine Cut and Locked Picture. Normally these cuts can take…
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Documentaries Are Not Encyclopedias
January 6, 2019
If you haven’t yet seen the recently released Divide and Conquer: The Story of Roger Ailes, check it out! Directed by my former graduate student Alexis Bloom, this biography of the founder of Fox News exemplifies a powerful storytelling principle. Bloom and her producer Alex Gibney had to decide which events in Ailes’s life were important to include and which juicy stories could be cut. Check out the Build series interview in which Bloom and Gibney discuss making the film. At 29:20, a member of the audience asks, “How did you choose specifically which moments to specifically focus on?” Bloom…
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Finish Your Film in 2019
January 1, 2019
Happy New Year! One of my saddest moments in 2018 was seeing a filmmaker who had the makings of a great documentary give up on it after years of procrastination. Wanting to help her through post-production, her father gave her the gift of a story consultation with me. She was inspired during out session, but afterwards she couldn’t sustain enthusiasm to finish the film. That’s not unusual. Working alone, many indie filmmakers falter while editing because they’ve lost perspective. I created Accelerated Post to solve that problem. In our fast-track and affordable editing program, you’ll work with one of our…
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Enroll for Intentional Filmmaking Class
December 22, 2018
I’m happy to announce that Carole Dean’s popular class Intentional Filmmaking is beginning again in early 2019! Now in its 6th year, this class is aimed at helping indie filmmakers raise funds. Carole helped me raise $110K for my own documentary. As a story consultant, I’ve also worked with many of her student filmmakers. They are highly motivated and inspiring directors! Register here and use the discount code NEWDOC35 which will take $35 off the class price.
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Panasonic Video Camera for Sale
December 15, 2018
Happy holidays! I’m selling a used Panasonic AGHPX170P video camera for $850 or best offer. Excellent condition. Includes film making gear. Please email me if you’re interested. Details below: Lightly used for 4 months to shoot a documentary. Originally bought for $4000. Great for students or independent filmmakers. Includes AC charger, wide-angle lens, three Panasonic batteries, 3 P2 cards (for recording) and P2 reader (for getting footage into your computer). Quality wireless microphone, headphone, and XLR audio cables for superior sound. Tripod, lighting equipment, two large camera bags, and miscellaneous gear. Email for appointment to test/purchase. In person local sale…
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Uplifting Documentaries Rule 2018
November 28, 2018
I’ve been saying it for years. We need more uplifting documentaries, films that take on difficult social issues with hope. This year delivered! My two favorite documentaries of 2018 rang up impressive numbers at the box office. RGB, about Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, grossed $14 million. And Won’t You Be My Neighbor, about Mr. Rogers, is approaching $23 million, ranking #12 in all-time theatrical receipts, according to Box Office Mojo. “I think that maybe it’s a filmmaker’s job to look for hope, look for good behavior, to find examples of when people do things right rather than when…
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Documentary Seminar Sale
November 26, 2018
I’m calling it a White Sunday sale! Get 50-70% off our two popular documentary storytelling courses. Check out The Ultimate Guide to Structuring Your Documentary (normally $297) Also, check out Editing The Character-Driven Documentary (normally $197) Finally…if you or someone in your life is interested in the movement for conscious evolution, my latest documentary American Visionary: The Story Of Barbara Marx Hubbard makes a great DVD gift.
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