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Hello everyone. I am in Tennessee, and I am just starting my first
documentary. I have done some historical biographies before. I like
historical documentation, and I will be doing a short documentary
about a local historic business and building. I believe the business
will be going on, but the building will be coming down to make way for
condos in the near future. I am hoping that this experience will lead
to more documentaries in the future. I found this website while I was
doing a search for documentary release forms. I am sure I will be
able to learn a lot from this forum. Thanks, Tara

glad you found us, tara. good luck with your project. if you're
anywhere near nashville, i'll be coming down your way for the festival
in april.

What festival? I am in Knoxville. I have located a group here in
Knoxville called Tiptoe which stands for Tennessee Independent
Production and Talent Organization East. It is a local nonprofit.
They meet once a month, so I will be going to my first meeting Jan.
31. I am sure I will find out about different festivals and more
about the industry. There is a Secret City Film Festival in nearby
Oak Ridge TN. I believe that occurs during late summer. I have met
with the local film commissiioner here, and that was an eye opening
experience. One thing that he told me is that I need to make sure I
get all rights to my documentary. Would that be called an
"assignment of copyright" contract. I have been searching for what I
might need, but I have not found it yet. Could you possibly lead me
in the right direction. I have an initial meeting with the owner of
the building next Thursday. The film commissioner also told me that
when I finish the production, I need to send the master copy to
myself registered mail. When I receive it...he said not to open it
but to put it in a safe deposit box unopened and leave it there. He
said that would help with the copyright. Anyway, sorry to go on for
so long....just thought I would share that info.

Tara - that person misunderstood your question about copyright. When
you complete a film (not write a script which is somewhat applies to
his/her answer) simply put a copyright notice (c)2006 Tara Bush in the
end credits. You can protect yourself further by registering the film
with the US copyright office - go to their website - fill out the one
page form - send in a copy of the film/dvd/vhs with the fee ($30).
There are separate legal issues regarding permissions to make a film
about someone or a business entity. There are good books available
about making documentary films and the issues involved.

i meant the nashville film festival, tara.

Thank you. I am reading one right now written by Barry Hampe called
"Making Documentary Films and Reality Videos." It has been a big
help. I will keep on reading and looking into other books.

Hi ,

I am a recent grad of the stanford doc program, now living in San
Francisco, and finally getting around to joining D-word officially.
It's comforting to find so many people who share my obsession with
documentaries! I'm working as a freelance camera person (I own a
DVX100A) and editor around the bay area. Right now i'm working on
editing a propaganda piece about equity and scoail justice at SF State
University. I'm also working on distributing my most recent short doc
, Radio Grito, about a spanish- language radio show for migrant
farmworkers and their families in the CA valley. I'm in the
development stages of a piece about a mobile hospital truck and boat
in Ecuador that serves remote indigenous communities. .. Other recent
projects include a 16mm short doc that I did the cinematography for,
Under the Rollercoaster (directed by Lila Place), about a Coney Island
woman who used to actually live under a rollercoaster - this film will
be at Slamdance next week, and I'll be there from the 19th-26th if
anyone is around. It would be great to meet other d-worders in the
non-virtual world sometime...

thanks, and I look forward to be a part of d-word..

mike

welcome, mike. also noticed you posting in the community. good to
have you leap right in.

Hi...I wasn't sure where to post this, but in my researching, I came
across a couple of helpful DVD's. I purchased them off of the Vasst
website. "Lighting it Right" by Victor Milt - this really has helped
me with the creative aspect of lighting and took away some of my fears
of lighting. It has loads of different techniques and tips and
inexpensive lights to create whether you are on a strict budget or
not. Also, I purchased "Understanding Copyright and What You Need to
Know." This DVD covers all different aspects of copyright and has
included forms for use. Just wanted to share this information for
those who are just starting out like me. There is so much to learn!

You should also check out Ty Ford's little book about location audio
that written for non-technical people.
http://home.comcast.net/%7Etyreeford/AudioBootcamp.html

Thanks!! I will check it out.

Hi.
I too am unsure where to post this...i have begun work on my first documentary as a director/
producer running up a few bills to do so. My need right now is funding in order to continue the
project so we have created a 5 minute "trailer" or "teaser" that gives some idea what we are
documenting as well as written synopsis and budget sheet (as would be required from something
like the Sundance Doc completion funds foundation)...my question is: where do you begin
showing something like this to potential commisioning editors? Do they just appear at festivals?
Do they accept solicitations for funding requests from nut-jobs such as myself?

michael, there are a few events each year that present good
opportunities to meet commissioning editors. one is the ifp market in
ny. another is sunny side of the doc, in marseille.

a better one is the toronto documentary forum on may 3 & 4, which is
part of hot docs. it's a two-day pitching forum, and you still have
time to apply as an observer. all the top ce's are there and there's
ample opportunity to meet with them briefly and introduce yourself
during the breaks and lunches. if you have your sample with you on
dvd, they may just take it back with them. or, if you mail it to them
later, presumably it's already on their radar.

there's also the original pitching forum in amsterdam, as part of
idfa. these events are expensive, of course, but kind of the price of
doing business when it comes to raising gobs of funding for your doc.

One note - Sunny Side is no longer in Marseille. This summer it will
be in La Rochelle on the Atlantic Ocean coast of France. June 27th to
30th.
You can fly or take a train from Paris.

Hi: I am new to the forum. I have recently completed shooting and
directing my first feature length documentary, The Breast Cancer
Diaries. We screened our work in progress at IFP in September
(where we heard Doug's doc panel and found it very informative) and
are now applying to film festivals. In a previous life, I was a
foreign correspondent for ABC News and CNN for 15 years. I have
recently begun research on several ideas for my second documentary
and am looking forward to being able to speak to documentary
colleagues on the forum.

Hello, documentary filmmakers. I am glad to have run across your
community as I have been involved in the entertainment industry for
over 25 years now and have never forayed into the documentary world...
until now. It is an exciting and thoroughly engrossing field. This
is how I got involved... I was producing a little movie in New Orleans
when Hurricane Katrina changed my life, the lives of my director and
his family, as well as thousands of others. My director, James L.
Bills had taken his Sony FX-1 hi-def camera with him when he evacuated
to a downtown New Orleans hotel. He thought he was going to capture
some storm footage as it glanced by the city, but as history has
already proven, that didn't happen. Instead, the storm hit head on,
and the city was flooded. He was in there capturing not only the
natural disaster, but the man-made disaster that followed. I was in
the Baton Rouge area when he finally informed me that he and his
family were alright. A few days later, he made his way to Corpus
Christi, TX, and we decided to create a documentary about his
experience. With the help of Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Corp., who was
so kind as to send us an editing bay, we put together a
work-in-progress over the period of a month. After getting feedback
from various distributors, and other experienced documentarians, we
have now completed our first feature documentary entitled "Refuge of
Last Resort". I now have such a deep appreciation for the documentary
process, and I salute all of you who endeavor to make films that
matter! Thank you for letting me share with you this experience that
has changed my life!

welcome, linda and al. linda, we received your registration to the
community, so we'll see you there. al, feel free to join. this is
where the doc pros hang out: www.d-word.com/community/join

Hi everyone,

I have been a member for some time, but did not really use the forum.
But here I am now. currently I am still a student trying to finish at
the Munich Film School - studying documentary and camera. My last film
"Flight into Redness" was shown at Silverdocs last summer. Right now I
am planning to shoot my next film in my home town Hamburg. And I
decided to join the Forum for good now to be able to have more
exchanges with other documentary filmmakers.

welcome, diana. having made a doc, you're certainly invited to join
the private d-word community, where the pros hang out. please
register at: www.d-word.com/community/join

Welcome, Diana. Congrats on Silverdocs.

Diana - you're already a community member, no need to re-join.

Greetings from across the street...

Hi Diana. We met at Silverdocs last year and I loved your film.
Look forward to seeing you in the D-Word Community.

Hello to all here.
We have just finished our doco and its been a 5 yr struggle..self
funded and 100% indi with all the usual sweat and tears..now in its
ready to unleash on the unsuspecting viewing world..as first timers
we are relying on advice from others that are in or have been in
similar situations..so here we are ;-) .. our website is
www.valveman.co.uk
( requires flash 8 ) kind regards..mike

congrats and welcome to the d-word, mike. you'll do better joining
the professional forum, though: www.d-word.com/community/join

Thanks Doug , will give it a try.