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Free Flight to SF Filmmaker Retreat
October 23, 2014
I am offering six qualified filmmakers who join our upcoming story consulting program a free plane ticket to attend our one-day Filmmaker’s Retreat in San Francisco. In our newly revamped, three-month Inner Circle program, we’ll not only workshop your film in a supportive environment! You’ll benefit from one-on-one story consulting to find your film’s structure, weekly tutorials, and accountability partners. We begin Nov. 5, 2015. Learn more at: New Doc Inner Circle 8.0 Our recent Inner Circle graduate Judy Kohin offers this testimonial regarding their work in the Inner Circle on Uranium Drive-In (Directed by Suzan Beraza), which went on…
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Editing Tip #4: Establish Storytelling Grammar
October 20, 2014
Here’s an editing tip that will ensure that your documentary conveys a cohesive artistic style. I call it “establishing your film’s storytelling grammar.” Within the first 5-7 minutes of your film, give the viewer a sneak preview of all your unique storytelling devices. These include any visual, auditory or editing techniques that convey your film’s signature style. For example, if your film includes animation or a special graphic treatment, debut it within the first seven minutes. Or if you are using jump cuts as part of your editing style, reveal the first jump cut at the start of your film…
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Free Critique of Footage
October 17, 2014
Deadlines for some major film grants are coming up soon (Tribeca, ITVS), so I am offering a free critique of an excerpt from your documentary to the first five filmmakers to get back to me. Here’s how it works: First, email me a link to your cut (or fundraising trailer): karen@newdocediting.com I will review up to five minutes of footage, so tell me which section you want me to critique. Second, we will schedule a free 20-minute phone consultation to discuss what’s working and how you might improve your documentary. To further help you prepare for fundraising and post-production, I…
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New Inner Circle for Filmmakers
October 15, 2014
Last year I was sitting on the beach feeling lonely. Since retiring from teaching at the graduate documentary program at UC Berkeley, I missed the support and thrill of intellectual camaraderie. I was in the process of making my sixth documentary. I longed for a filmmaking community with whom to collaborate on a weekly basis, not just an evening workshop. Where could I go to get help with the dozens of decisions I needed to make, from raising funds to hiring an animator to judging if my narration was working? I decided then and there to create the filmmaking group…
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Documentary Editing Tip #3
September 17, 2014
I love the simplicity of today’s editing tip. It answers a question that every documentary filmmaker should be asking: How can one quickly orient the film’s audience with a structural roadmap so viewers know what to expect? Roadmaps come in many forms, from graphics to narration to an inciting incident. Here’s one classic, easy way to give your viewer a preview of what your film is about. Use a simple line of text or narration that finishes this sentence, “This is the story of…” I’ve made a short video that will show you several examples of how to do this:…
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Documentary Seminar Starts Today
September 15, 2014
First up, today’s editing tip: when you show print on the screen, take a music break. Why? Viewers can’t process both written language and voiceover at the same time. Next, I’m giving away for free your choice of one of my previous seminars when you join our new live, virtual seminar, “Directing the Transformational Documentary”, which begins today! Choose from: The Ultimate Guide to Structuring Your Documentary Or Editing the Character-Driven Documentary Or Directing the Personal Documentary If you missed our live class this morning, you can still register for it and get the first class recording at: “Directing the…
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Documentary Editing Tip #2: The Act of Killing
September 11, 2014
Have you seen Joshua Oppenheimer’s masterpiece “The Act of Killing”? Although I found the subject matter challenging, the director invented a radically creative approach to revealing the story of a warlord. Today’s editing tip showcases how the editor commanded the audience’s attention in the first few seconds of the film. No wonder this film was nominated for a 2014 Academy Award! I made a short video that shows how they did it–and how you can also hook your viewer straight out of the gate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mQ8rv31wLA&feature=youtu.be If you found this tip useful, check out our new documentary director’s seminar which begins…
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Film Financing Class
September 9, 2014
I’m excited to announce Carole Dean’s new Intentional Filmmaking Class, which I took last year. It helped me raise more than $130,000 for my own documentary. Carole will show you the latest tips on crowd-funding, as well as more traditional fundraising. I love Carole Dean. She’s an extraordinary woman who has a solid background in film financing as well as a gift for empowering filmmakers. With ten group meetings and five one-on-one consultations with Carole herself, the class starts Sept. 15th and costs $665. Use the code NEWDOC for a substantial discount. Learn more about the class at: fromtheheartproductions.com/intentional-filmmaking Or,…
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Documentary Seminar Early Bird Ends Today
September 7, 2014
I hope your weekend is going well! Today is the deadline to save $50 on early-bird registration for our new Documentary Director’s seminar. Register at: “Directing the Transformational Documentary” Are you making a transformational documentary? Find out by rating your film. Answer yes or no to the following five questions: First, does your film have an intention to create a more just, sustainable or beautiful world? Second, when the credits roll, does your documentary leave viewers feeling more optimistic than pessimistic? Third, is your documentary “participatory”? In other words, have you optimized its ability to have a high impact in…
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Why I’m A Believer of the New Documentary Trend
September 5, 2014
I want to share a personal experience. Teaching 18 years at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism (the top documentary program in the country) was a stimulating vocation with terrific colleagues and top-notch students. But I found myself becoming more cynical over time. Addicted to the nightly news, I was absorbing the hyper-critical, scandal-sniffing ethos of mainstream journalism, which gravitates toward the calamities and downfalls rather than innovations and successes. You know the adage: “If it bleeds, it leads”. Since I retired from my teaching position at UC Berkeley in 2012, I’ve noted a remarkable change in the independent documentary…
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