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When To Use Documentary Narration
March 1, 2016
I hope your week is going well! We recently sent a terrific documentary we’ve been editing to HBO for review. Directed by Lenny Feinberg, Father’s Kingdom is an historical documentary that includes an interesting contemporary verite arc. Since I’ve been co-writing the narration, I decided to write a 2-part newsletter to help other filmmakers who may be considering using narration. Does your documentary need narration? It’s an underrated storytelling device. In Part 1, this newsletter looks at why you might want to use narration. In Part 2 next week, I’ll share specific tips for writing for screen, which is different…
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Talented New Editor Available
February 24, 2016
I hope that Spring is putting at bounce in your step! Here at New Doc Editing, we’ve been working with so many documentary directors that I’ve added three new talented editors to our growing staff. If you’ll be looking for an editor in the next few months, please let me know. One of our gifted new editors will be available soon. He’s an astounding storyteller. Versed in AVID, Premiere, FCP 7 and X, he can also help with your film’s graphics and textual treatment. Here’s what director Steve Lickteig said about editing his film Open Secret with our team: “New…
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Editing With Multiple Characters
February 23, 2016
I hope your week is going well! We are currently working with talented director Ashley Archer Tindall whose documentary 27 Months features multiple protagonists. As we play with intercutting story arcs, our editing process leverages a powerful storytelling principle that can help you edit a film with more than one character. In screenwriting lore, a “reversal” refers to a 180-degree plot turn. But “reversal” can also apply to mood. A scene begins at one emotional polarity, such as anger, and by the end, reverses to its opposite emotional polarity, serenity. Or, two scenes with opposite energy levels are butted against…
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Documentary Education Opportunities
February 18, 2016
I’m excited to be teaching documentary storytelling principles at two prestigious venues that you may be interested in finding out more about. The Esalen Institute is offering a unique, supportive community at the Inspirational Film Festival. Beginning April 10th, this innovative festival allows directors and viewers to watch films, enjoy healthy food, and, yes, soak together! Academy Award winning director Lucy Walker (Crash Reel, Wasteland) will join us, and I hope you can too! For those interested in a more formal European experience, check out Doc Nomads, where I’ll be helping students this June earn a joint masters degree in…
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Using Animation In Your Film: Part 2
February 15, 2016
Today’s newsletter explores different types of animation that you may want to consider for your documentary. If you missed part 1 of our series on using animation in your film, read it here. The first question a potential animator will typically ask is, “What kind of animation are you looking for?” This question stopped me short, until I researched the difference between classical animation, Claymation, rotoscoping, cutout animation, Flash and After Effects, CGI and more. Although my expertise remains in story structure, not animation, here is what I discovered: Classical animation, be it Japanese “Anime” style or Disney cartoons, relies…
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Planning Ahead for an Editor
February 10, 2016
Are you planning ahead for an editor? If you’ve started making calls, you’ve probably already discovered that most gifted editors are booked, sometimes up to several months. I recently received a call from a talented director who had considered for weeks hiring one of our editors through our Finish Your Film program. The good news was that she had the cash on hand for four weeks of editing. That amount would take her from a decent rough cut to a rocking fine cut, in time for a prestigious pre-screening. The not-so-good news was that although she was ready for us…
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Documentary Animation: Part 1
February 9, 2016
Are you considering using animation in your documentary? This storytelling device is as captivating today as it was when I first saw it catch the doc world’s imagination at Sundance in the 2007 documentary Chicago 10. And yet the mysteries surrounding animation continue to baffle many documentary directors. Why would one want to use animation? What type of animation is best for your documentary? And how much does it cost? I recently explored these questions in regards to my own documentary-in-progress, and I’m happy to share what I’ve learned in a two-part newsletter. Today’s newsletter focuses on why you might…
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Story of a Documentary Script
February 4, 2016
We recently helped a director who had been sitting on her footage for a few years, wondering if she had a film. The topic—coming to terms with death—intrigued me immensely. As I pondered how we could best help director Cathy Zheutlin with her personal documentary Living While Dying, I hit upon a strategy that worked brilliantly—and may for you. With no film treatment, no pile of cash to fund a 3-month edit, and waning confidence that she even had a tale to tell, Cathy wasn’t in a position to hand all her footage over to one of our talented staff…
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Empowering Visionary Filmmakers
February 1, 2016
I’m thrilled that Jim: The James Foley Story won the Sundance U.S. Documentary Audience Award! If you missed my prediction of why this documentary should win, read it here. Last month, before the fray of Sundance, I treated myself to a quiet New Year’s retreat in Sedona, AZ. My intention: to re-connect with the purpose of my business, New Doc Editing. As I walked through my girlfriend’s lovely home, a large violet crystal whispered, “Pick me up.” My woo-woo radar on high alert, I nevertheless lifted the pyramid-shaped object. Three words filled my head: “Empower visionary filmmakers.” While I’m officially…
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My Vote for Sundance Award
January 30, 2016
Tomorrow we’ll find out which films win top prizes at Sundance. As I leave Park City, my vote goes to Jim: The James Foley Story, a documentary just acquired by HBO about a journalist who was executed by ISIS in 2014. Given the gruesome subject matter and my overly delicate sensitivities, I almost dismissed this strong contender when I first read about it. A film about a beheading? Ahhh…no thanks. But then I met the film’s editor at the Art of Editing lunch, co-hosted by the Karen Schmeer Film Editing Fellowship. Always on the look out for talented editors, I…
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