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Blog
Documentary Book – 3rd Edition!
April 23, 2021
I’m excited to have just completed the 3rd edition of my book! You can download Documentary Editing here! And … my apologies to the last fifty-five people who requested the book last week and received a badly formatted copy! I was so dismayed that I spent the last four days revising the book and adding brand new material. I’m especially proud of the nine new chapters, including these three: Chapter 13 Charting Character TransformationChapter 22 Cutting the 2-Minute Trailer (Theatrical and Fundraising)Appendix B Free Editorial Resources Many thanks to Harvard Film Professor Robb Moss for this testimonial about the book:…
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Editing for Fundraising Workshop
April 6, 2021
I’m delighted to announce that my colleague Keith Ochwat (Show&Tell) and I will be presenting a free online workshop about editing documentary footage for fundraising. In “Editing for Fundraising,” we’ll combine his fundraising prowess with my editing expertise. You’ll learn how to edit your existing footage (or repurpose former cuts) to pitch funders outside the usual suspects (ITVS, Ford Foundation, etc.) As Keith says, “Stop applying to the same grants as every other filmmaker!” RSVP here! You’ll also learn how to edit a feature documentary into a television hour.
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The Boys in Red Hats
March 30, 2021
I’m pleased to announce the world premiere of a documentary that we edited called “The Boys in Red Hats.” Featuring now at the prestigious Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival, it’s a superb example of how to construct a personal documentary. Remember the ‘smirk heard round the world’ that set off a media shitstorm? MAGA-hat-wearing students from Covington Catholic high school appear to mock a Native American elder on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Director Jonathan Schroder wanted to know what really happened. As the investigative protagonist in the film, he uses behind-the-scenes verite footage to comment on his alma…
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PPP Enables Discount on Editing Services
March 9, 2021
I’m pleased to report that New Doc Editing has received a second draw on the PPP (the covid Paycheck Protection Program). This allows me to give filmmakers a discount to keep my editors working! If you don’t know about our Documentary Editing Services, I have three deeply experienced editors on staff. When you collaborate with us to cut your film, you get my story consulting (normally $250/hour) for free! Note that I can give up to 5 weeks of discounted editing rates, so email me today for more details as this offer will go quickly. Also…big congrats to director Jon…
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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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