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Photography Fundraiser For My BFF Phyllis
February 25, 2021
My assistant Phyllis Christopher is much more than an assistant. HBO has called her “North America’s leading photographer of lesbian erotica”. Now after decades of documentation, she has a book deal with a prestigious British publisher! To help pay for the high-quality edition of 1500 copies, I’m sharing her beautifully designed Kickstarter campaign and asking for your support. You’ll enjoy Phyllis’s work if you’re interested in erotic art, LGBTQ culture, politics and of course, photography. Her book “Dark Room” will be the first publication of “an explosive, tender body of photography of lesbian erotic life and political struggle in San…
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Recommending A Talented Composer
February 18, 2021
I’ve been working with two top composers on my new podcast (more on that soon). For those producers who thought their budget was too scrappy for an HBO-level composer, think again! Composer Gunnard Doboze and I have worked together on several award-winning documentaries, including Father’s Kingdom and Connected, which premiered at Sundance. He also composed music for the Academy Award-winning documentary “Saving Face” (2012). Here’s the deal: he has a huge library of already beautifully composed music that you can browse. And he’s willing to contract a non-exclusive license on select cues for far less than it would cost for…
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A Tribute to My Mentor Marlon Riggs
February 11, 2021
I’m thrilled to have found an additional distributer this week for a film that I made in 1996. It’s a loving biography of my mentor. Marlon Riggs was a gay, black man who became a lightning rod in the congressional battle over arts funding in the 90’s. I met Marlon at UC Berkeley‘s Graduate School of Journalism. He was teaching, and I was trying to figure out my career path at age 27. I remember sitting in a theater watching his personal documentary, Tongues Untied. It aired on the first season of PBS’s POV series amidst great controversy. In it,…
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Intentional Filmmaking Class is Back
January 21, 2021
My good friend Carole Dean is bringing back her Intentional Filmmaking Class February 22nd. If you need expert guidance on getting your film funded, this fantastic class is where you will find it. Carole is the author of “The Art of Film Funding, 2nd Edition: Alternative Financing Concepts”. As founder and president of From the Heart Productions, she has helped their fiscally sponsored filmmakers raise over $30 million for the projects. She is joined in the class with producer Tom Malloy. He has produced over 12 films, is part owner of Glass House Distribution, and raised over $25 million in…
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ITVS deadline is Dec 18
December 8, 2020
Reminder: the ITVS Open Call deadline is in ten days. Apply here. Our writer can help two more filmmakers apply for funding before the Dec. 18th cut off. We also give going rates for budget line items. Email me today for an estimate.
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Black Friday Seminar Sale
November 27, 2020
What are you thankful for? I’m very grateful for my work helping filmmakers. After I retired from 18 years of teaching documentary editing at UC Berkeley, I created an online seminar called “The Ultimate Guide to Structuring Your Documentary”. Initially selling for $297, our most popular and comprehensive seminar reveals how to structure any style of documentary. Now you can buy it for $50 during our Black Friday Seminar Sale! Purchase here in the next 48 hours. You’ll also receive for free my seminar on “Editing the Character Driven Documentary.”
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Two Film Funding Opportunities
November 26, 2020
Happy holidays! I’m grateful for all you courageous filmmakers who are engaging viewers with important ideas. Thank you all for taking on your film projects and seeing them through. To this end, some help! First up, here’s a grant I once won for my own film. Contrary to popular opinion, the Frameline Completion Fund isn’t just for queer filmmakers. Frameline gives up to $25,000 to emerging and established filmmakers to push LGBTQ+ film projects over the finish line. Apply here. The deadline is soon: Monday, November 20th. Next up, ITVS is America’s largest funder of documentary films. Their Open Call…
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Black Friday – Documentary Seminar Sale
November 23, 2020
Happy Thanksgiving and Native American Heritage Day to my U.S. readers! I’d also like to express appreciation for my international readers by offering a big discount on my online documentary seminar. Click here to buy The Ultimate Guide to Structuring Your Documentary (formerly sold for $297.97) for $50. With your purchase, I’m also including my other seminar “Editing the Character Driven Documentary” for free. Here’s what Emmy-Award-winning director Paige Bierma had to say about The Ultimate Guide to Structuring Your Documentary: “This class was invaluable for bringing into crystal clear focus the three-act structure as it applies to documentary filmmaking.”
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Tips for CAAM Funding – Deadline is Nov. 20
November 15, 2020
The deadline is Friday to apply to CAAM Documentaries For Social Change Fund! And ITVS’s Open Call has begun sooner than expected. Funded applicants can receive up to $350,000 for a standalone documentary. Thanks in advance to past CAAM funding recipients for these tips: If you’ve already written a boilerplate Core Documentary Proposal (the IDA template), applying shouldn’t take too long. That said, be prepared to explain additional questions, such as how you’ll be accountable to the specific Asian American community you’re covering. Some filmmakers observe CAAM moving toward topics that would easily fit into PBS series such as POV,…
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CAAM Documentary Fund + Junior Editor
November 10, 2020
Now that election day is over, I’m glad to hear that Joe Biden’s north star is “compassion”, which both sides could use right now. Two announcements: the deadline for the CAAM Documentaries for Social Change Fund is Friday, November 20th. More below. Also, I have a newly-groomed junior editor. He’s fast and highly personable and happens to be my nephew. The last doc he cut played on public television. Email me to learn more getting one-third off our normal editing rates for this auspicious collaboration. Also, we’re currently helping filmmakers apply for CAAM development funds up to $15,000. This year…
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