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Birthday Gift From Karen
June 15, 2016
Today is my birthday, and I’m hiking St. Cuthbert’s Way along the peaceful Scottish borders with my friends. In celebration, I’d like to give you a storytelling gift in the form of the article that kicked off my documentary consulting career: newdocediting.com/articlebc In Reality in Three Acts, you’ll discover what documentary filmmakers can learn from screenwriters. Applying dramatic techniques to films about real life has been the hallmark of my work at New Doc Editing. At 55, I’m grateful to have helped hundreds of visionary filmmakers over the years.
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Great Film Schools
June 2, 2016
I’m headed to Budapest to teach again at Doc Nomads. Last year I learned as much as my students in this highly innovative filmmaking program. Imagine getting a joint masters degree in Documentary Filmmaking at three prominent European universities across three countries: Portugal, Hungary and Belgium. For those of you who can’t take two years out of your life for film school, consider taking my popular two-day seminar Editing the Character-Driven Documentary. Taught for many years at the San Francisco Film Society, this online seminar (filmed live) can be viewed in the comfort of your own home. It contains everything…
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Four Steps to Structuring Character
May 23, 2016
If you’ve been following my 4-part series on the transformational arc, today you’ll receive my final installment and learn the steps to structuring character transformation. If you missed last week’s Part 3, read about the Protagonist’s Statement of Transformation here. In addition to having a concrete goal, a protagonist may also have a so-called “need”, which is a subconscious psychological desire to embrace a character trait that they are lacking. Maybe they are lacking courage, or kindness, or in the case of the character Thelma in the Hollywood classic “Thelma and Louise”, a sense of independence. The first step in…
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Character’s Statement of Transformation
May 13, 2016
I hope your May is going well! Today’s Part 3 of our 4-part series on character transformation involves a special video treat. If you missed Part 2, you can read here about how the moment of enlightenment can turn the dreaded Second Act into a transformational midpoint. In good narrative films, characters needs to evolve and change. Captain America started out as Steve Rogers, a scrawny guy who was rejected for the military. He transforms into a superhero by drinking a serum. “True transformational change is a decision made by the protagonist,” says Dara Marks, author of Inside Story, a…
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Apply for Finish Your Film Program
May 11, 2016
Our highly successful Finish Your Film program is nearly at capacity. I’ll be capping participation on May 15th, before I prepare to teach at Doc Nomads. If you’re interested in getting our editorial team’s expertise to complete your documentary this year, please email me today for a free consultation. Here’s what director Larry Shogbamimu said about working with our editing team: “Dumping over 400 hours of rushes on the laps of the New Doc Editing team was a big relief. Your team’s ability to masterfully find, shape, and create an exciting and engaging story was highly rewarding. This turned out…
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Defining the Moment of Enlightenment
May 9, 2016
I’m excited to share the second installment of my 4-part series on editing character transformation in documentary films. If you missed Part 1, read about the Power of Character Transformation here. First, thanks to my screenwriting mentors, Dara Marks and Robert McKee, who have so clearly laid out the dramatic device and plot turns of the three-act structure that makes narrative scripts come alive. My job is to translate these screenwriting concepts for us documentary filmmakers. Second, I want to acknowledge the many filmmakers who’ve said that they feel “boxed in” by the three-act structure. Documentaries structured primarily around ideas…
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The Power of Character Transformation
May 5, 2016
A few weeks ago I heard a fascinating question at a story workshop: what can your protagonist do by the end of the film that they couldn’t do at the beginning? The question was asked by Dara Marks, #1 rated screenwriting consultant and author of Inside Story: The Power of the Transformation Arc. Speaking at the Esalen Inspirational Film Festival, Marks gave the example of a screenplay about an alcoholic detective involved in a murder case. “An inner transformation is required,” said Marks, “Without his sobriety, we aren’t going to find the killer.” Marks works with screenwriters of fiction films.…
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Finish Your Film Program Deadline
May 2, 2016
Happy Tuesday! May is a busy month here at New Doc Editing, as I prepare to teach at Doc Nomads this summer. Applications for our Finish Your Film program end May 15th, so please let me know if you are interested. I’ve accepted 8 filmmakers to date, and I have room for two more directors. If you are serious about finishing your film this year, consider our specially designed film completion program, which includes both editing and story consulting services to make your vision come alive. We’ll match you with one of our talented editors. Experienced storytellers, our top-notch editors…
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Last Day for Documentary Sale
April 29, 2016
Quick announcement: today is the last day you can get our acclaimed documentary seminars for half-price.
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Virtual Reality: New Documentary Format
April 28, 2016
I’ve been hearing about virtual reality for awhile, and last week I got to experience VR first-time at the Esalen Institute’s Inspirational Film festival. The hit of the festival was Academy-nominated filmmaker Lucy Walker, who passed around her VR headgear and gave everyone a peek at this emerging technology. Instantly transported into another world, I saw a Cuban dancer in a public square. With a tilt of my head to the right, I could see bystanders clapping. Turning my head to the left, I saw young men dancing. In fact, wherever I looked, visual and audio stimuli told me what…
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