Introduce Yourself: Sign In Here First

I guess. It's very different. I'm actually planning to put the feature
film process that I'm used to when I do my documentary. You'll hear
more about it when I start asking questions.

Greetings Everyone.

My name is Brent. I have a B.F.A. in film productions from Rowan
University and am currently enrolled in graduate film school at
the New School University to earn my M.A. in Film and Media
Studies, with an emphasis on the documentary format.

For the past 14-months I've been in production on an historical
and cultural documentary on an 80-year old vaudeville/motion
picture theatre in Southern New Jersey. Its my 1st feature project
thats independent of my scholastics and it happens to take place
in my home town.

Thats me in a nutshell!

welcome, brent, in a nutshell.

And let's face it, you've got to be nuts to be in this business
sometimes...

Welcome Brent & Monster!

Hi all,

I'm Jesse. I'm new to film making, but have high hope for what I can
accomplish. I'm from NJ but I will be leaving the US for Israel in
the next week to make a documentary on special scools there that
promote mutual understanding between Arab-Israelis and Jewish-
Israelis. I am posting in hopes that someone who has experience
working in the Middle East and Israel, in particular, can give me
some advice about working there. What resources are available there?
What must I bring over with me from America? That kind of stuff.
Thanks so much in advance.

Best,

Jesse

My name is Gary (or Mr. Green as my students say). I teach at Adele
Harrison Middle School in Sonoma, CA. Each year I have my GATE
students shoot films, edit on iMovie, and burn onto DVDs. I want
them to make a documentary this year and want to give them the basics
of a documentary. Does anyone have a good list of what should be in
a documentary? For example, is there a "set-up piece" followed by
other, specific pieces?

Would really appreciate help on this so that I am giving my 6th, 7th,
and 8th grade students the correct information.

Gary - are you asking the students to do a news piece - typically
40-90 seconds -- or a documentary?
Documentaries have no set structure. A news story does. For example,
watch how three of your local stations cover the same story. You'll
get the idea pretty quick. The best way to start thinking about
documentary is to watch some. Suggestions: Any doc by Jon Else, Werner
Herzog, Ross McElwee, or the Maysles. Hope this helps.

Welcome Jesse and Gary. Wish I could help, Jesse, but can't. Gary,
Robert is absolutely right - have your class watch a doc or two and
talk about it.

Gary, have your class watch more than a few docs since they vary so
much in tone and structure. For contrast with Robert's suggestions,
offer up one or two "by the numbers" programs from the cable
channels so they'll see how an independently done doc differs from
what they may be used to catching on TV.

Hello all, I am so new to documentaries, i can barley even be seen as
a noob. I have been searching for sites about docu, and found this
forum, this is my first reading in a thread, and am so far very pleaed
i went throught the trouble of actually signing up. normally i just
look for the easy to get ones. anyway, home to see some of you in the
forums!!

justin time for what? anyway, always good to have another noob here.

hello all,

I am joining this forum to float an idea/offer to be part of one of
the more unusual performance car events that happens each year; The
One Lap of America, or more commonly known as the Cannonball Run. I
have driven this event for the past couple of years and think it is
a decent subject for a short film. There is real drama (not the
invented sort of NASCAR), a plethora of personalities and the cars
and tracks make for interesting filming/angles etc.

My idea is to find someone who wants to participate as the co-driver
of my car. His/her duties would be to help me pilot the car between
events and be on their own at the tracks to pursue the film thing.
If there is interest, reply on this board and i will arrange an
email contact or phone call to discuss the details.

PS: we will be piloting a Corvette-powered Porsche.

Hi all,

I am new to this forum. Just came to New York City after finishing my
MA in documentary filmmaking from the Documentary Institute,
University of Florida. I am originally from Mumbai, India, and had
worked in mutual funds industry for three years before I came to the
U.S. for school.

I am interested in making social issues documentaries concerning
immigrants, minority communities, India, etc. I am currently working
with Carrier Productions, New York, for their documentary film on
Native Americans.

While at school, I had made a 25-min documentary, "Tell Me a Story."
The film witnesses an unusual friendship between an oral historian and
her 84-year-old Japanese patient, as the historian helps her patient
overcome severe depression by sharing memories. Shot in cinema-verite
style, I have been able to capture their relationship since the
beginning. Right now I am also busy marketing the film and need
advice on film festivals and stuff.

If there is an informal get together of doc filmmakers in New York
City, I would like to be screen my film and get feedback.

Thanks

Hemal

greetings, hemal. try docuclub: www.docuclub.org. they usually
screen feature length docs in progress, but might pair yours up with
another shorter one.

Thanks!

I am also new to this forum, I live in Los Angeles and am currently
working as a freelance shooter. I love shooting, but I love all
aspects of documentary production. I recently have been focusing on
creating a production company (www.occupantproductions) with the goal
of producing my own documentary series and films. I am hoping that
this forum will give me some guidance along the way.

Chris Baron

welcome, chris. notice you've also posted on the d-word community,
so double welcome. if you haven't posted an intro there already,
please do.

{erased by cmaclean Sat, 23 Sep 2006 06:01:03 GMT}

{erased by cmaclean Sat, 23 Sep 2006 20:16:39 GMT}

hi corina. link doesn't seem to work.

Hi
I am Alessandro, an italian documentarist.
I am a freelance somethimes I write docs, some thimes I shoot and
somethimes I edited (but I never did all of this in a single
doc....)
I am a member of doc-it, the italian indipendent documentariy
association.
I am also a journailist for a football magazine. I just start
(we'll have the first interview tomorrow afternoon, mmm I'm so
excited...) to find stories for an enviroemental issues tv show
made in NYC (the name is built green).
I never know what to write in presentations...I hope it's enoguth,
isn't it?!!!!
so that's me! I hope to know good people and know each other.
greetings from rome
Alessandro

Welcome Alessandro, you sound like a busy guy. Tell us about Doc-it -
is it only in Rome or are there members in all Italy. Is there a
website?

Google found this - is this the association you mention?

<http://www.documentaristi.it/eng/societa.htm>

Welcome, Allesandro. Visited Rome last December for the first time,
LOVE your city! Glad to have you here.

Hi,
My name is Christopher Wong, and I'm a first-time documentary
filmmaker working out of Los Angeles. I am currently in
post-production on two separate documentary films -- one about
one-year-in-the-life of an experimental new school in the South Bronx
(NYC), and another about television game show fans and their quest to
appear on their favorite game shows. Both are shot "verite-style" with
a minimum of interviews and no narration. I'm interested to keep
learning from other filmmakers out there, and to discuss any current
trends in the doc world.

welcome, christopher. your experienced enough to join the
professional community, if you haven't already:
www.d-word.com/community/join.

Hi everyone,
I'm new to this site. I'm an old time wanna be documentary producer.
I haven't done anything for a long time. My last was a doc about
California Art History back in the 70's. Also a short on religion
for a local TV station. I have several projects that I am working on
now and need contacts to move forward. I am looking for professional
producers, etc. Of course I lack funding like everyone else. I'm
hoping that if I get the right team together, I will be able to get
the funding I need. The companies that I intend to contact are not
willing to give away bunches of money without a track record. The
projects are of an historical nature. One of these will lead to a
full length motion picture.

Hi there,
I'm Ken and I'm a film/video post production professional from
Vancouver BC. I enjoy post but my passoion lies in the art and pain
of storytelling. Other than student productions and other frivolous
(but fun) stuff, I have done nothing. That's about to change. I am
emarking on a new personal journey to explore my past and how that
relates to everyone else who has a past. I think this will be the
hardest thing I have ever done and at the same time the most
important. I hope to find like minded people here and by the looks
or the posts I believe I will. I look forward talking to you.

Hello,
I am an aspiring documentary filmmaker, currently pursuing
Documentary Media Studies at the New School University. I'm just
starting to shoot a 30 min film which is a part of the curriculum,
and I'm sooooooo thrilled about it (I know I probably won't be half
way into production, and especially post-production). But, for
anyone out there, who's interested in getting some documentary
education, I would deffinitelly recommend this program at New
School, which is a one year Graduate Certificate program, and is so
well organized and engaging (we had D.A. Pennebaker yesterday as a
guest speaker, and he was amazing). This is the first year they're
doing it, so I guess we're sort of their guinea pigs. But anyways, I
know I will need some advice, once I delve deeper into this amazing
adventure of documentary filmmaking.

Welcome, Ken and Tiana. Ken, good luck with your personal journey
into the past. I know exactly what that process is all about:
www.51BirchStreet.com.

Welcome, everyone, from a co-host who has lately been too busy to
hang out here.

J.E. - I filmed the Playersrun twice in the past. Other documentary
makers film weddings for a living, I did silly stuff like this:
<http://www.playersrun.com/roadrally/d02/Slides/38.htm>. However, I
can't see how anyone can make a decent film about such a rallye
while being stuck in one car for most of the time. We had our own
van, and in one year, two additional cameramen.

Alessandro - See you in our professional forum,
{LINK NOT IMPORTED}.

"oldmetal" - Welcome, what's your real name?

Hi Ben, I'm Gary Parker. I didn't realize that I removed my name
when I first posted. I moved over to the Mentoring Room. I'm in
preproduction on an historical documentary. All the research has
been done. Now it's time to review about 40+ hours of taped
interviews, letters, pictures, etc. I've contacted several
institutions for resources and have preliminary approvals for use of
copyright materials. I'm also working with the main historian about
the subject. I'm looking for other interested parties such as
producers, editors, writers, cinematographers, etc. I plan to have
this made for broadcast and haven't decided whether to go with
digital video or film for the final product. That's one of the areas
that I need advice about.

Hey Guys,
My name is Paul Cypert. I'm an american living in Bangkok, Thailand.
I am a photographer getting more and more into documentary films.

Paul

welcome, paul. glad you found us.

Do people still use this forum? Doesn't seem like there's many
posts...I'm trying to find a good community for doc stuff.

Paul

This is The D-Word's public forum where all newcomers are welcome.
The forum for those with professional doc experience is The D-Word
Community, and that's where the lion's share of posts are. You're
pretty much limited to The Mentoring Room topic here. And of course
you can read the special guest topics we have from time to time.

Hope to have a makeover of The D-Word in a few months where the
public forum will be expanded. Stay tuned.

I guess I'll just have to wait till I'm approved or whatever for the
other forum. Pretty sure I did things correctly, but not sure...

Paul

did you apply?

Yeah,
Well I sent something where I detailed out my doc experience and all
that...


Paul

Okay, having a bit of a time navigating the pages, but I'm trying to
jump through the right hoops to become a community member.

I found the site through a posting on DVinfo.net, where I usually
hang out.

I have more than twenty five years of professional experience in
radio, television and film. I've worked as a television
cameraman,audio engineer, radio newscaster, actor, theatrical
producer, stunt coordinator, screenwriter and yes, filmmaker.

My first first long form doc, AMERICAN JOUSTER
www.americanjouster.com won some awards, and is selling well - so I
am happy with it.

Hoping to make some connections and always looking for new friends.

Richard

richard, welcome. to register for the community, go to:
www.d-word.com/community/join

Hello,

I work as a radio producer to pay the bills, but I currently have two
documentary films I'm working on. The first, which is nearly
completed, is called Waiting for Hockney directed by Julie Checkoway.
I served as assistant director on the film, conducting about one-third
of the interviews. You can learn more at www.waitingforhockney.com

The other project's working title is Open Secret. It's a personal
story about a secret kept from me for much of my life. Here's the
brief pitch:

What if everything you thought you knew about yourself was wrong? Who
your siblings were? Your parents? Even your heritage? Now imagine that
everybody in your community knew the truth except you. Open Secret
tells the true story of how a farm boy from Kansas discovered who his
adoptive family really was, his connection to the Holocaust and why it
took 30 years to uncover the truth.

A very short "trailer" (something I submitted for a grant a couple of
years ago when I didn't know anything about making a film can be
viewed here: http://www.waitingforhockney.com/movies/Open-Secret.mov)

Now, I have a real director of photography and much more footage.

Anyway, I've been a lurker here for years and now I'm diving in.

Many thanks,

Steve

steve.lickteig@gmail.com

Hello!

I too have a day job to pay the bills (and after grad school those
are many) and want to work with documentaries, mainly focusing on
underpriviledged children around the world. I've wanted to work
with helping children and tried joining Unicef but hey, I'm not the
office diplomat type. I want to be on the road.

So I googled and ended up here. I know the basics of video
production and have worked with the media in different capacities.
I find that documentaries are a way of being a journalist with
creative room.

I'm very passionate about social issues and am one of those people
who's not happy with her job being just a job. I need to be
involved with my work. I'm figuring out where to go next and being
in NYC helps of course. I'd like to research and write (perhaps
eventually produce).

I'll keep it at that for now and if anyone has any suggestions,
ideas, or comments please do share. Thank you for having me here!

Ana

Welcome Ana and Steve. Glad you found us. Ana, hard to give
suggestions without specific questions. Maybe you could take one or
two to the Mentoring Room topic.

Thank you Doug! I'll try that.

Hello all,

I am a 30-somthing guy from Seattle Wa. I've recently taken up an
interest in documentaries. I'm going to try to take the creative
plunge and see what I can do with making one or two or ....?

I actually was looking for a place to post some specific questions
but found this topis, so, just sayhing hi!

Robert

howdy, robert. post your questions in the Mentoring Room topic.

{LINK NOT IMPORTED}

Hi, I am Andrew, 16 years. I hail from PA. I have just started with
documentary's. My first one was on Myanmar in 8th grade. And I am
working on my second and third this year.

That's terrific. Welcome. The hosts will chime in soon but they are in
Amsterdam at the moment.