Introduce Yourself: Sign In Here First

A noble project, James. Thanks for mentioning the other Utne sites.
Seem like good places to hang out.

We better take this over to "The Mentoring Room." I'm surprised Doug
or Ben hasn't been in here to shoo us out after the pleasantries.
They're the local bouncers who enforce topic boundaries.

Oops, been busy boy. Welcome, James, and, yes, shoo shoo, see you in
the Mentoring Room.

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James, working professionally in the field of documentary is our
basic criterion for the d-word community. the public forum is open to
all, but it's not really geared for the usual utne back and forth.

"the public forum is open to all, but it's not really geared for the
usual utne back and forth."

What is it geared for? I don't see a lot of recent activity.

It is what people make of it, James. I've spread the D-Word gospel
as have others, but we don't force people to join. Part of the lack
of posts, too, is that the "mentors" who answer are often
overwhelmed with their own tasks. Doug is editing his film to appear
on HBO. With that kind of pressure, it's a tribute to him that he
gets around here at all. Look at it this way: Due to the lack of
competing questions, you have everyone's attention -- even
if "everyone," for the moment, is me.

Just signed up yesterday. I'm producing my first documentary
about raising money for AIDS Project Los Angeles by training for
the Dublin marathon and my uncle who's HIV positive. He's the
reason I'm runnning. Anway I was happy to find out about D-word.

Welcome, Jamila. Gonna shoot while you run?

good to have you here, jamila. how did you find us?

Thanks for the welcome, Doug and Steve.

My plan is to shoot while I run both in training and during the
marathon, and to tell my uncle's story. This is my first movie as
producer so I've been looking to gather as much info as I can
while I was at ifpwest I found D-Word.

Oh I forgot to mention I'm shooting all my fundraising events too.
Some of which will take me across the US.

Let us know your schedule.

July 2 @ 7am at Griffith Park I have a group training run with
other APLA fundraising marathoners. Then I run during the week.
The run is October 31, but I was planning to go around the 25th
since I lose a day. I want to be able to get used to the weather,
run there before the actual marathon, and possibly drive the
course. Feel free to email me at jkgaskins@yahoo.com.

Hi. Just signed up. Getting ready to shoot a doc of sorts (could
turn out to be experimental) with a gl-2, me, and a couple of
people helping out to record the music. A US choir tour in Europe
with members aged 8-64. I have some clearance/consent questions,
so I'll head to the mentoring room. Great to be in the fray!

welcome kathryn. i'm pretty new too. best of luck with your
project.

yes, nice to have you here, kathryn.

hello. i've been a member for a while. my place got robbed and i lost
all my equipment so i've laid low, but now i've replaced my cam and
computer and have thrown myself into a bunch of projects.

i'm teaching a friend to shoot and edit an art piece he wants to do
for a show in Ghana this fall. he's a metalworker and sculptor, and
he's filming his West Indian customers, employees and friends.

i've worked on a couple of docs and informational pieces for the local
department of education, done a portrait for someone's reality show
application, and am now working on shooting footage for a doc about
teen performers in a musical.

i use borrowed equipment and/or the client's equipment a lot of the
time, but otherwise i'm using a Panasonic GS150 and editing on FCP.

really excited and feeling blessed by the opportunities to shoot these
new projects. thanks everyone for the community!

well, glad you've finally come forward and introduced yourself,
christina. and good luck with your project. sounds like fun.

Hola!

Benjamin from Puerto Rico. Currently preparing to do a documentary
about the first Puertorrican Governor under USA mandate.
I work as a multimedia specialist for around 18 years. Just finished a
Movie making seminar for new directirs in Puerto Rico and Did my first
shortfilm and creating my first commercial one.

welcome, benjamin. what kind of access do you have with the
governor? seems like that will make all the difference.

Welcome, Benjamin!

Hi everyone---I'm Keri and I have recently been considering creating
a documentary for awhile, but I have no training at all in the field.
There is an injustice being committed, due to ignorance and lack of
education, which desperately needs attention in order to stop the
current atrocities, but that's about as far as I have gotten with the
idea. If the expense stays under $8000, I can fund the project
myself, but I am afraid that I will not turn out a great film or even
finish it. If that happens, I will have failed in helping with this
issue---should I find a professional to assist in the process?

welcome, keri. don't know if you need a professional, per se, but
you do need someone who knows how to shoot and someone who can edit,
not to mention have access to equipment. but hard to advise when you
don't say how long the film will be or what's involved. maybe you can
take this to the Mentoring Room.

Welcome, Keri. Yes, please tell us more.

Hello,
I recently made the career leap from the tech world to documentaries
and docudramas. I've worked on a few small productions, but nothing
that is yet completed. Currently I am working on :

- A 30 minute educational documentary about the Camisea natural gas
pipeline in Peru
- A longer documentary about the environmental and human rights
issues created by the pipeline construction and operation
- A silent docudrama about social stratification in America by
following the lives of illegal immigrants, legal immigrants, and the
poor and the wealthy brought together by a small restaurant
- My father's 35th high school reunion, which has had quite a few
requests for weight adjustment and hair color touchup effects

So I gave up the suburban condo, moved into the city, and am snug in
a basement apartment. I'm taking the next year or so to learn as
much as I can about all stages of production, taking classes,
volunteering on shoots, and being nosey.

I have my own camera and editing system and in the past 5 months
have filmed in Vermont blizzards and Peruvian rainforests. Loving
the independance... Wondering how long the savings account will
last. :)

Looking forward to being a part of the community and being an active
contributor as time goes on.