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Hi Doug & all,
I live in Atlanta, and previously spent 12 years in Florida working
in broadcast & corp TV ( mostly as a news videographer and editor)
Then switched to writing and editing corporate video, shooting
freelance, and made a half hour doc about 1930's and 1940's aviators
and their aircraft. Becoming frustrated with distribution and the
lack of money I left TV to become a web programmer from '93 to 2001.

Now I have just produced another corp sales video on DV and edited a
musician demo. I am developing a couple of non-fiction concepts that
I want to take to cable distribution. I am trying to learn
everything I can about the business side because that was always my
problem in the past. DV solves half the problem of creating your own
docs. But distribution is always the big question.

I'm here to learn or share whatever I can. It's good to have a way
to talk to other Documentary/Reality TV makers.

Ed Hill
Atlanta

Welcome, Ed. Lots of great conferences here for you to learn about
distribution. Happy reading ;-)

hi everyone,
Just wanted to say hello and thanks for providing such a useful
site. I'm working on a film dealing with women that are abuse
survivors and outside of making a film about it, we are offering a
workshop for abuse survivors where they will be able to learn about
video medium as a way to express themselves and further their healing.
www.doggeddrama.com/Docudrama.htm

I am in Kentucky of the U.S.

Just thought I'd say hello.

Jessica

Just thought I'd say welcome, Jessica. A very important project
you're doing. Happy if we can help out in some way.

Thanks for the warm welcome!

Well, I guess the biggest help is passing the site around....we're
also collecting donations of products and what not for our
fundraiser...

or post a message of encouragement on the message board for the
survivors who post there

Thanks for the offer!

Jessica

you mean your website? (if so, what's the url?) i'm a little
confused.

www.doggeddrama.com/Docudrama.htm

the "D" in Docudrama must be capitalized

Jess

Hello All,

My name is Kate Slovich. I'm a producer, mainly focusing on
anthropological documentaries. I'm currently producing a documentary
on inner city education. I'm hoping to pick up some tech and
equipment tips on this forum, specifically relating to audio.

The director has asked me to provide a suggested equipment list and
the tech side of the biz isn't my strong suite as a producer. I'd
love any suggestions that the group could give me so I can present a
great proposal.

We're working with a $10,000 equipment budget (not including DV cam)
and we'll be shooting in inner city schools, homes and neighborhoods
over the next two years. Thanks in advance for the help.

welcome, kate. you'll need to join the community to get tech tips.
you certainly qualify: www.d-word.com/community/join

Hi everyone......

Wow...what a great site!!! Im new to documentary film and have been searching for a way
to get into contact with others who have experience and passion for documentary
filmmaking.....i could use all the knowledge and advice I can get!!! Im a 21 yr old student
who is about to graduate in 2 months and move back home to NYC where i will enter the
"real world." Im quite overwhelmed and dont know where to start, so if anyone has any
advice...please dont hold back!!!!. i look forward to talking to many of you and changing
the world through revealing truth!!
much peace and love,
deborah

Hi Everyone,

My name is Samuel Michon. I'm a production designer and
visual artist based in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
I've been wanting to move into documentary filmmaking
for quite some time and have gone to all the major
festivals, like IDFA, for years. I've been doing
research for a pet project of mine since '98, on the
development of the Paddington neighborhood in London
(and how domestic travel by rail has influenced the
area, it was one of the first major hubs in the UK) -
not a lot of shooting has gone into it yet though,
nor do I see the production taking flight soon.

I am however in the middle of securing capital for a
documentary on the resistance that quite a few foreign
exchange students (mainly from teh US and Scandinavia)
are experiencing with the teachers and management of
several universities in The Netherlands. There's plenty
of action there, with lawsuits and whatnot, but above
all, a personal story of one Jewish-American exchange
student foreign to Dutch language, culture, and
legislation - who is now trying a David-and-Goliath case
against the education boards, exposing this dire
situation (which because of the fragility of the matter
I can't expand on at this stage). I have the privilege
to move in before the big media do, and document it.

The biggest challenges for me in this project, I have
found, are scripting it in advance - staying on top of
what all the different outcomes can be - and
(in a trial-run) shooting in a way so that it's not just
talking heads, but actually *showing* the story.
I'm creative though, I've come up with some solutions to
that - even though I bet they're unorthodox, because
I haven't directly jumped for the aid of more
experienced doccers (as yet).

Anyhow, I've been perusing these message boards for a
while now, and it's been a real help. There's so much to
making a documentary, and while I am lucky to have a
light and sound guy, it's challenging to do the combo of
writer-director-DP-producer all at the same time
(I don't even want to think about editing; I already
feel way too content to have found a decent soundtrack
by a well-known artist who stands behind the project -
living the illusion of thinking I'll have sufficient
perspective after wrapping that I can single-handedly
edit the piece and end up with something that people
will want to see, is unforgiveable, I know.)

Great forum, I will definitely keep coming around
looking for clues here.

(btw, for some reason I can't get auto-wrap to work
on Safari 1.2 - so my apologies for the bump-'n-erase
earlier - this is a manually wrapped post.)

Welcome, Deborah and Samuel. Glad we can offer help and a
sympathetic ear. Feel free to ask questions in the Mentoring topic
any time.

Hi Doug, Ben, & all,

I've been working as an asst. editor for the past couple years in a
post facility, and have also made some short personal films which
have played at a few festivals.
Over the last several months I've embarked on a rather large &
long-term project (my first) - a documentary about this wonderfully
talented Cuban classical pianist/cabaret singer who is a transgender
person living in San Francisco. At the moment I'm fearing I've
bitten off more than I can chew, but look forward to perusing the
forums here to seek wisdom, inspiration, advice and ... sanity?
Thanks for hosting this!
Maureen

You're welcome, Maureen. Sanity is our middle name ;-) Happy to
have you aboard.

Hi Ewerybody.

I am a 17year old filmmaker. I have several fictionfilms( and stille
are), but I have always had a passion for documentaries.
I am making my first real atempt at a doc. as I am writing this.
I believe in the "personal-documentary" and one of my favourite films
are FAMILY, a danish documentary about a young filmmaker trying to
find his roots.

That was it.

I hope I will learn alot in here.

Welcome to The D-Word Forum, Maureen and Christian.

Don't listen to Doug, Maureen - sanity is out of stock here. :-)

What's the subject of the personal doc you have in mind, Christian?

Hello Everyone !

My name is Gary Mack,

I live in Washington state, USA.

Just finishing up a documentary about Therapeutic Riding for Special Needs
Children. This project was very interesting and educational.

The documentary was shot with a Canon XL1s and edited in Final Cut Pro.

I enjoy documentary work involving the outdoors and horses.

I'm in the planning stages of a doucumentary about the history and curent use
of an area located in southwest Washington called Indina Heaven.

Alway looking for documentary ideas and production techniques.

Looking forward to reading about your projects!

Gary

wlecome, gary and christian. glad you found us.

Hi. My name is Lora and I am also new to filmmaking. I've made
three fictional short films. I am currently working on my first
documentary about the paranormal and am looking for information and
guidance from any resources I can find on the net.
This site has been the best resource I have found so far.
I look forward to learning!

Lora

hey, lora, welcome. glad you found us and good luck with your doc.

Hi all,

First, an introduction. I am an independent producer working on my first
documentary (I've worked in corporate video for many years). It is about
fragile X syndrome, which is the leading known cause of inherited mental
disability and autism. There is a load of information about the doc on our web
site:
http://www.thinkmediaonline.com

My question is this: does anyone know where I can find legal info about the
circumstances under which I need releases from people who will appear in
our doc? I've been getting releases from primary participants (interviewees,
etc.), but what about people who are at a street festival, for example, or in a
grocery store, that end up on-camera? Do I have to get releases from them
too? Any thoughts or suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks,
Kathy

DISCLAIMER: i'm not a lawyer, kathy, but...

i make sure to get releases from anyone who talks on camera in a
visible way. i don't worry about background people, unless the
situation being filmed might cause embarrassment.

but that's me. others might be more paranoid.

Wow - I am blown away - to find such an incredible wealth of
experience and advice. Now I just have to figure out where to post
my questions to suck you brains - thank you for this forum! - I've
been lurking - reading and absorbing all the archives in preparation
for my fist real doc directing challenge. The biggest thing I have
noticed is that the questions that have been circling around my head
are questions that can be asked - that as a neophyte doc director - I
can ask anything and have it answered with respect - way to go D-
Word! You are an anomily.

So who am I? Worked in video and television for 20 years - most for
non-profit aboriginal orgs. and their counterparts - the last 14
years in the Canadian Arctic with the Inuit Broadcasting Corporation
and it's susiduaries in every concievable production capacity - now
have started a doc production company with a producer and we are
working to market this baby. I have focused on directing for the
last 5 years and it is where I was born to be - anyway - looking
forward to participating in many discussions - asking lots of
questions - thanks again for the forum - Kath

welcome, kath. you certainly have the professional experience to
register for the d-word community, where you can really suck some
major d-brains: www.d-word.com/community/join.

hi d-word,

i'm getting starting in documentary in new york this summer. i'm
here to learn about the art and trade of documentary filmmaking and
seek advice from the more-seasoned folks participating in the forums
here. looking forward to talking with all of you!

dave