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Editing Multiple Storylines
January 11, 2016
I’m often asked, “How do you edit a documentary with multiple protagonists?” Today’s excerpt from Editing the Character-Driven Documentary shows you how. Your first decision: choose whether to checkerboard (weave together) your protagonists’ storylines, or “clump” them (tell one at a time, consecutively). Usually, checkering your characters’ stories is preferable because it creates a more integrated film, as in the Oscar-winning documentary Twenty Feet From Stardom. But sometimes the various storylines are so complicated that telling one entire tale after the other is the only way to provide clarity, as in the Sundance hit Iraq in Fragments. Learn more about…
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How Does Remote Editing Work?
January 2, 2016
Happy New Year! I invite you to join me in a New Year’s resolution to deliver your documentary in 2016! I’m opening up my Finish Your Film program to new applicants. Don’t let your story become dated or your issue irrelevant. The single most effective way to fast-track your film this year is to hire a good editor. Remote editing is common today; and if you insist on hiring an editor who lives close by, you’ll really limit your options. Here’s how it works. First, we’ll schedule a free consultation to find out your needs. Then we’ll introduce you to…
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Free Documentary Seminar
December 31, 2015
Happy New Year! If your New Year’s resolution includes finishing your documentary in 2016 this year, please email me to talk about how we can make your vision a reality with one of our talented editors. I’m also happy to announce that Editing the Character-Driven Documentary (normally $200) is now available for free. Filmed live at a weekend seminar at the San Francisco Film Society (it repeatedly sold out), this six-part tutorial shows how character-driven documentaries can be as gripping as fiction films, if structured with screenwriting techniques. Today’s excerpt (module 4 of 6) will guide your shooting, so you…
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Finishing Editor with Storytelling Chops
December 18, 2015
The Sundance Film Festival is a month away, and Hot Docs, Sheffield and Silver Docs’ deadlines are coming up soon! (Hot Docs 2016 late deadline is January 6.) If your work-in-progress isn’t quite as gripping as it could be, I currently have a finishing editor with stellar storytelling abilities available for the next eight weeks. To inspire you, consider the case of The Russian Woodpecker. Around this time last year, we helped director Chad Gracia tweak his character-driven documentary late in the game, just before submitting to Sundance. Chad’s film went on to win the 2015 Sundance World Cinema Grand…
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Free Seminar: Edit Act Two
December 14, 2015
In today’s free excerpt from Editing the Character-Driven Documentary, you’ll learn how to edit scenes to create dramatic suspense in Act Two. But first, this announcement: I currently have a very talented documentary editor with a terrific track record who is available for the next 8 weeks. Email me today if you need a finishing editor. Now …. back to Act Two, when your protagonist confronts obstacles in pursuit of their goal. Since Act Two is the longest act (55-60% of the film) where many films get bogged down, it’s important to ramp up suspense by constructing reversals, backstories, and…
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Myth of The Super-Star Editor
December 9, 2015
Lately I’ve been expanding our editing staff. If you’re shopping for an editor along with holiday gifts, I’ve already done a great deal of due diligence for you. I routinely scan editors’ resumes for those impressive Emmys or Sundance prizes. But seriously, how critical is an editor’s list of awards? Sure, a track record is important. And most of our editors have won awards. But it’s a myth that you need a super-star editor with a stellar reputation to edit a compelling documentary. You need an editor with enough of a track record for you to determine if they have…
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Problem with the Inciting Incident
December 7, 2015
I’m pleased to release an excerpt from my seminar “Editing the Character Driven Documentary” that shows how to craft a riveting film open. This tutorial, taught live at the San Francisco Film Society, will help you structure your film’s first act in a way that hooks viewers with an inciting incident. What’s an inciting incident? It’s a catalyzing event that sets your main character off on a quest. For example, a medical diagnosis often leads to a quest to heal. Hollywood has a rule that the inciting incident is so important to your protagonist’s quest that it must unfold visually…
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Documentary Program Deadline is Today
December 1, 2015
Happy holidays! Boldly commit yourself to an early New Year’s Resolution: get help in completing your documentary in 2016. Today is the deadline to register for our Finish Your Film program. If you’ve thought about doing this, email me now to reserve the last remaining spot.
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Film Program Registration Ends Dec 1st
November 29, 2015
Happy Thanksgiving! I am grateful this weekend to all the brave filmmakers with whom I’ve worked. That includes the intrepid Pamela Tom, whose documentary Tyrus recently won the Audience Award at the 2015 San Diego Asian Film Festival. I have one spot left in our Finish Your Film program. Registration ends on December 1st. Email me today to reserve this remaining spot.
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New Ways to Log Quickly
November 24, 2015
As promised, here’s my new system for logging footage quickly. This innovative approach will help if you are feeling overwhelmed by the amount of footage you’ve shot. If you have a hefty amount of cash for post-production, this approach is likely too economical for you. Culling your footage and handing selects to an editor is one of the cost-saving hallmarks of our new Finish Your Film Program (begins Dec. 1st) which can enable you to complete your documentary within one year. Let’s say you have 200 hours of footage. How can you get that number down to your best 40…
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