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Thanksgiving Sale on Documentary Seminars
November 16, 2011
In appreciation for our best year ever, New Doc Editing is offering all of our high-quality seminars for the low price of $79.97. You might want to take advantage of this opportunity if: – You Want to Improve Your Filmmaking Craft (“The Ultimate Guide to Structuring Your Documentary”) – You Are Directing A Character-Driven Documentary (“Editing the Character-Driven Documentary”) – You Are In Post-Production (“The Story Doctoring Kit”) For the next 48 hours, you can get all of the above seminars for $77.97. That’s a $625 value for $77.97! As a bonus, I’m throwing in my e-book “Documentary Editing” and…
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Revenge Documentary Creates Character Convergence
November 9, 2011
One of the joys of teaching editing for 18 years at the nation’s top documentary program is seeing wave after wave of graduating alumni go on to produce world-class documentaries. Last week I had the privilege of attending the theatrical release of one of my former student’s films, “Revenge of the Electric Car,” which illustrates a storytelling device that can help catapult your own character-driven documentary into the big leagues. I call this device “character convergence”. But first, a quick correction. My recent newsletter mis-identified the director of “Wasteland”, which was actually directed by the talented Lucy Walker. Thank you,…
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Wasteland Documentary States Protagonist Desire
October 25, 2011
I recently watched the Oscar-nominated documentary “Wasteland” (available on Netflix). I was thrilled to discover an excellent example of a storytelling principle that I shared during my keynote speech at the DV Expo a few weeks ago. I call this storytelling device the “Protagonist’s Statement of Desire”, and it’s a great way of focusing your viewer on the film’s narrative arc. After my talk, one of the filmmakers came to the podium to share her excitement about learning this new storytelling technique and how she would use it in her film. But before I continue this tutorial, let me first…
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Last Day for Discounted Inner Circle
October 13, 2011
Our Inner Circle is almost full. I have one spot left. I’ve had many filmmakers tell me they are extremely interested in the New Doc Inner Circle program, but that the $4000 cost was prohibitive at this time. So … if the Inner Circle is not filled by today, I’m offering one spot for $2600. Note that tomorrow is the last day to register for this acclaimed 6-month program for documentary filmmakers. Here’s how it works. For $2600, you will get full membership to the new and improved Inner Circle 4.0, and two (rather than three) one-on-one consultations, in which…
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Make Purposeful Progress on Your Documentary
October 11, 2011
Film director Katie Teague approached me several months ago with a common problem that many directors face. She had shot most of her principal photography for her documentary about the faltering U.S. economy, but she didn’t know how to organize her footage in a way that best conveyed her vision. In “Money and Life,” she wanted to alert viewers to the deeper meaning behind our financial crises. Like many filmmakers, Katie could have spent several months in post-production rearranging her soundbites and essentially going in circles. But Katie is a thoughtful filmmaker, so she made two purposeful moves. First, she…
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Rise Above the Details of Your Documentary
October 5, 2011
Have you lost sight of your film’s vision? One of the biggest challenges to clear directorial vision, particularly after you’ve begun shooting, is getting bogged down in the day-to-day tasks and shot-by-shot minutia of your film. So today I’m offering two resources that will help you rise above your film’s details. First, whether you’re about to begin organizing your footage or can benefit from cleaning up your current messy bin organization, check out my free video tutorial on “Organizing Your Footage”. This 34-minute complementary video reveals our industry’s best practices, derived from top editors. I’ll show you how to organize…
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Free Critique of Your Documentary Footage
October 3, 2011
Have you wondered what first impressions your documentary-in-progress is sending to prospective funders and eventually viewers? If you’re curious about what others might really think, I invite you to let a world-class professional story editor be your film’s image consultant. For the next few weeks, I’m offering 20 documentary filmmakers a complimentary mini-story consulting session. Send me up to five minutes of your footage, and I will critique what’s working, what’s not, and how to improve your film. If you are interested in this offer, I suggest you send me one of the following: Your trailer or Kickstarter/IndieGoGo campaign (your…
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Lock In Your Documentary Structure
September 28, 2011
I hope you’re having a good week! First, a quick reminder that tomorrow is the last day to receive early-bird pricing for our next Inner Circle, which begins October 15th. Learn more at: https://newdocediting.com/land/innercircle/ Now onto the main question…how decisive are you feeling about your documentary’s structure? Without a clear vision, your film is unlikely to get funded. And even if you manage to screen a completed documentary, viewers will squirm and then surrender in confusion if they can’t discern where you’re going–or at least have confidence that you know where you’re going! Here are four steps for locking in…
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Improving Your Signature Film Style
September 19, 2011
What separates great documentaries from mediocre ones? A good story, certainly, or at least a well-designed structure. But equally important, since film is a visual medium, your documentary’s signature style, or “look”, can make or break its appeal. If you’re like most filmmakers, you’ve probably already adopted some standard stylistic choices including interviews, vérité footage, and possibly title cards. But how can you improve upon a signature style that will not only make your film stand out for funders, but reinforce your film’s message for viewers? In my Inner Circle, I recently worked with a filmmaker to brainstorm an animation…
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Invite Your Viewers to Read the Screen
September 12, 2011
Today’s editing tip is a simple one, of which far too many filmmakers and editors are unaware, leaving viewers like me befuddled. But first, two quick announcements. I’m beginning a new Inner Circle on October 15th, one month from today. If you’re interested in finding out more about this transformative six-month mastermind program, limited to five qualified filmmakers, e-mail me or click here for early bird pricing registration. You’ll save $400 if you register soon: https://newdocediting.com/land/innercircle/ Second, if your documentary features strong characters, join our free tele-seminar “Editing Character Transformation in Your Documentary” on September 20, 2011, 5-5:30 pm PST.…
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