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…

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…

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…

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…

January 27, 2016

Greetings from Sundance, where the docs are stronger than ever! If you’re gearing up for the ITVS Open Call, consider joining the ITVS webinar “Creating Strong Work Samples” tomorrow, January 28th. Register at: ovee.itvs.org/screenings/qy5fp Want some personalized help making your grant proposal as competitive as possible? I’m offering select filmmakers a free phone consultation to discuss how we can help you meet the Feb 5th ITVS deadline with your best proposal.

It’s a jungle out there in distribution land. So says Jillian Spitzmiller, an award-winning filmmaker who successfully designed a hybrid distribution plan for her latest documentary Still Dreaming. Having worked with Jillian over the years, I can’t think of anyone more qualified to show other filmmakers how to leverage new online opportunities to reach your audience while keeping more revenue. Check out her new film distribution workshop “How To Sell Your Film.” Held February 13th in Santa Fe, this content-packed seminar will help you navigate today’s complex distribution landscape. Register by Jan. 29th for the early-bird discount. As a favor…

January 24, 2016

I’m headed to the Sundance Film Festival to schmooze and be inspired by world-class documentaries. Last year our director/client Chad Gracia won the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize. This year, I’m looking forward to being inspired by director panelists such as Morgan Spurlock, Werner Herzog, and Joshua Oppenheimer—and meeting visionary filmmakers with works-in-progress. If you’re going, let me know. If not, consider live-streaming some of the fabulous off screen panel discussions. You can watch The Power of Story and Cinema Café panels at: www.sundance.org/festivals/sundance-film-festival Aiming to apply to Sundance this Fall? Let us help you complete your own compelling documentary…

January 20, 2016

Creative conflicts in the edit room are fine, as long as they don’t deteriorate into personality conflicts, which can cost you big time if you have to start over with a new editor. If you missed Tuesday’s seminar on this topic, go to Navigating the Director/Editor Collaboration. At New Doc Editing, our strong editorial relationships ensure that post-production runs smoothly. We not only match directors with an experienced editor, we also provide ongoing oversight from a seasoned story consultant–at no extra cost to you. Our team recently wrapped a rewarding collaboration with director Larry Shogbamimu, director of State of Expectation,…

January 16, 2016

Today’s excerpt from Editing the Character-Driven Documentary shows you how to navigate the director/editor relationship. Documentaries are only as good as the relationships that allow them to be made, according to Nancy Kates, who directed the HBO biography Regarding Susan Sontag. This is usually thought of in terms of one’s relationships with interviewees, but it’s just as true among members of one’s film team, especially one’s editor. Watch my popular seminar on this topic (taught live at the San Francisco Film Society) on You Tube, or download here.  

January 12, 2016

I’ll be speaking again at this year’s Esalen Inspirational Film Festival, and I’d like to invite you! Slated for April 10-15, this week long group immersion is unlike any other film festival I’ve been to. Eating and sometimes soaking alongside fellow attendees, we’ll watch films that empower and enrich the human spirit. This year features filmmaker Lucy Walker (Waste Land, Crash Reel) and others who explore positive psychology in film and the power of entertainment to create social change. (As a side note, I finally watched the last episode of AMC’s Mad Men in which Don Draper has a transformational…