March 7, 2023

Back in 2015, I had planned to go to the Sundance Film Festival until a consciousness-training workshop in New York sabotaged my annual trek. In the middle of this heart-opening seminar, I heard news that a documentary I’d been story consulting on won the Grand Jury Prize! I shared the happy news with the group and suppressed my regrets about not being in Park City. That award-winning film was The Russian Woodpecker, and its director Chad Gracia has just announced a new distribution deal with Espresso Media & Kino Lorber. The re-release is timely. The Russian Woodpecker reveals secrets of…

February 15, 2023

Carole Dean, President of From the Heart Productions, is starting her 10th year of her Intentional Filmmaking Class February 27th.  Her co-instructor is producer/director Tom Malloy and together, they will guide you in creating a plan for funding your film and instill in you the confidence to successfully carry it out. If you are seeking help getting your film funded, I highly recommend this class.  Carole has helped her fiscally sponsored filmmakers raised over $30 million for their films.  Tom raised over $25 million to produce his own movies.  They will show you how to find and land the funding…

February 9, 2023

Now that she’s caught her breath after a marathon edit, my staff editor (since 2018) is available to help another director convey their vision. She’s picked up many tricks from editing television shows in LA, along with several docs. This cross-genre perspective makes her exceptionally creative. Check out what the director had to say about her: “Thank you, Karen, for assigning us the perfect editor. Her work has been outstanding. Numerous times she went above and beyond what was asked to help us meet deadlines. She was always sensitive to the subject matter and happy to try out different ideas.…

November 27, 2022

This Thanksgiving, I’m especially grateful for our wonderful staff at New Doc Editing.  They work hard to implement the storytelling principles for which we’re known. Learn all about documentary editing in our filmmaking seminars. It’s a three-for-one sale! Buy The Ultimate Guide to Structuring Your Documentary for $50 here (formerly $297).  You’ll receive our popular seminar Editing the Character-Driven Documentary (valued at $97.97). You’ll also get my new video tutorial “Trailer Editing: Seven Essential Rules”. This offer comes with a 100% money-back guarantee! Click the yellow “Add to Cart” button at the bottom of this page.

November 24, 2022

Hi Everyone, Happy Thanksgiving! In appreciation of all the courageous documentary filmmakers on this newsletter list, I’m offering a three-for-one sale on our filmmaking seminars. Buy The Ultimate Guide to Structuring Your Documentary for $50 (formerly $297), and get Editing the Character-Driven Documentary for free (valued at $97.97). You’ll also receive my acclaimed new video tutorial “Trailer Editing: Seven Essential Rules”. 2022 has been a successful year for many filmmakers with whom we’ve worked (seven documentaries on PBS!) That’s thanks in no small part to my talented staff of editors and story consultants. Thank you! Here’s what one Emmy-Award-winning director…

September 21, 2022

Hi Everyone, Last month’s webinar with distribution consultant Keith Ochwat (Show&Tell) received so much positive feedback that I decided to create a supplemental video tutorial. You can download this 22-minute video for free: Trailer Editing: Seven Essential Rules. You’ll receive the most detailed, visual, and comprehensive trailer editing instruction you’ve ever seen! (And if you see something better, please let me know, as I’m always learning.) Also, we now have a special Trailer Editing services page with rates and options!

September 15, 2022

Need a film trailer? Last month, I taught one of my most informative trailer editing webinars ever! And thanks to distribution consultant Keith Ochwat (Show&Tell), you can now watch the recording! (No download option available). Also, check out our new Trailer Editing services page.

August 29, 2022

This week, as Keith Ochwat (Show&Tell) and I worked on tomorrow’s Trailer Editing Webinar, we discovered we are both “cut of the same cloth” (his words).  We both strive for excellence, having revised our webinar nine times! We both are natural teachers with success in the documentary world. And we both care immensely about the filmmakers we serve! That’s my preamble and pitch for tomorrow’s webinar: Cutting Trailers: Essential Rules for this Essential Tool. This free live webinar is Thursday, 8/25 @ 1pm PT. Be ready for loads of trailer editing lore and lots of new material! 

Editing a trailer is not only important for a film’s distribution–but also as a fundraising tool aimed at gatekeepers. Join Keith Ochwat (Show&Tell) and I as we explain how to edit a trailer that will impress funders. We’ll also be inviting your questions about trailer editing! Register here for this free live webinar. It’s Thursday, 8/25 @ 1pm PT.  And yes, this webinar will be recorded for those who have registered but can’t make it live!

July 28, 2022

A few years ago I worked with a Christian filmmaker on a documentary series called “Confronting Porn”. Since I’m not necessarily opposed to pornography, having made some lesbian porn in my youth, I paused before accepting the call to help her. In the past, when I was a recovering Catholic turned Mormon, and then avowed atheist, I might have declined. But Louise Weber convinced me that her vision was to shed light on porn addiction, and I couldn’t say no to that! As we collaborated, I encountered such doctrines as (in my words) “sex is sacred” and “virginity is a…