Introduce Yourself: Sign In Here First

Hi D-Word'ers,

I just signed up. It's great finding this community. After surfing through several of the forums I'm blown away by the quality of the discussions and the good solid advice being passed around.

While I do have a doc on the back burner – I'm a post-production guy who does a lot of work with documentarians. Doc work is my most satisfying work... and often the most challenging.

I run my own boutique post house in NYC, specializing in Final Cut Studio workflows. I am also the President of The Moving Pictures Collective of NYC ( www.mopictive.org ), which is 501c3 and a D/B/A of the NY FCP User Group. Its mission is educating digital filmmakers through monthly meetings and educational events.

Since I'm a vendor-type guy as it relates to docs, I'll cut short the details of my business life and just say: Thanks for having me! I look forward to helping out when I can. And I'm sure I'll have some questions for all of you!

Sincerely,

Patrick

Good to have you here, Patrick. Glad you found us. Feel free to jump right into the discussions.

Hi everyone,

I'm a filmmaker from Zimbabwe and I've been in the industry for almost 5 years. I've been researching two docs for about a year now both focusing on our capital city, Harare – one on water and the other on garbage/waste management, both hot topics here. We hope to start shooting in the next couple of weeks.

It's really exciting to find such an incredible resource on the web – thanks so much to all of you D-Worders who make it happen.

Nigel

Welcome to The D-Word, Patrick and Nigel.

Nigel, you might want to connect to our other man in Harare.

Welcome to Nigel and Patrick. I remember your posts at Creative Cow, Patrick, your expertise is welcomed. As Ben says, you're our second member in Zimbabwe, Nigel, so go out and spread the D-Word!

The hidden section? Oh yes...

Good day to all, I am fuelled! Is that the way I should begin? I have written a book and script which tells true accounts of the wrongs within the justice system. There has been a great deal of interest in hearing this story. Now I am searching for direction as to how to get this very important film out there. After reading many of the posts, I am confident that forum will help me acquire knowledge that will guide me.

www.marianevans.com

...and for now, I thank you

Marian

No rules on how to begin, Marian. Good day is as good as any ;-)

Is your script for a fiction film or doc? Is it finished?

In reply to Nigel Hulett's post on Sun 28 Mar 2010 :

Hello Nigel!!

(I didn't even tell him about D-word, I swear. I was keeping this secret all to myself.)

Nice work with Mana by the way – Nigel is quietly going about saving our most beautiful National Park from being destroyed.

And he lent me a spare battery and some filters for my recent trip to Mozambique.

And he organised the Age of Stupid screening here.

And other good stuff.

D-word rules!

Thanks for the welcome and kind words Ben , John and Simon. Glad to have found the D-Word treasure chest, even though my fellow countryman was keeping it secret!

Hi, I have an idea for a documentary short that has 1st place at Sundance etc written all over it. It's called "The Holy Ark of the Covenant – The Crystal Meth Controversy."

I have been able to prove on paper that the Ark of Covenant (and the Batteries of Baghdad) were used to manufacture amphetamines in a process similar to the way Crystal Meth is produced today. You can read all my evidence here at http://ark-of-the-covenant-crystal-meth.blogspot.com/ to see that I am not kidding around. This is a very real and bonafide Biblical, Archeological, Societal, Anthropological etc bombshell. This information will literally change the way we see the ancient world and just might influence the shape of the modern and future world for all times sake. This discovery is that important.

A little about me. First of all I don't know anything about film making. I have worked before as a production assistant and back ground extra on some feature films before but that certainly has not prepared me for anything quite this spectacular. I do have an associate of arts in creative writing and a diploma in business administration. So, I should be able to pull this off with a little help from an organized producer. What I need is someone who 'sees the light' and really believes in this project for it's cultural significance. But, more importantly I need someone who can make this thing work financially and just get it done and off to the market because I know already this film will be a big hit and very controversial. So, in other words it has what it takes to make it big.

If this sounds like a project you are interested in then just email me and let me know.

I am ready to start work on this anytime.

Norman Christian Hoffmann
hotlikecold@hotmail.com

Just embarking on a video production of documentary/interview style on material related to machinery and vehicles specifically.
Narrow target market but of great interest to the petrol heads and machinery nuts out there. Think Top Gear and Long way Round.

Hello all. I don't know how the D-Word escaped my grasp thus far. I'm a documentarian lucky enough to be based in Austin, with a sizable and supportive film community including a fairly sized documentary filmmaker cohort.

I've produced a number of "successful" documentary shorts and have been wrestling with my own identity as a documentary filmmaker for too long. I have finally accepted my destiny and the associated constant scrambles for funding.

Have researched for years and just recently started production on a feature documentary about the late Dock Ellis which I am writing, directing and producing. Dock is best known for his LSD inspired baseball no-hitter, but the back story on his life and times is perhaps even more fascinating. If you're curious, subscribe to the @dockumentary twitter feed. We're shooting interviews on DSLR and (despite the constraints) I find it to be a game-changing format for documentarians.

My core interests converge at the intersection of 21st century information architecture and classical ethnographic documentary. I think regularly about applying software development best practices like scheduling and asset management to the documentary sphere; crowd sourcing – funds, transcriptions, animation, and even user-generated content. I like to think about how the iPhone/iPad and mobile devices can be incorporated into documentary production. I also have some some thoughts on the crossover of gaming and documentary film, which I hope to apply to the current project.

Hi Doug,

Thank you for emailing.

The script is a completed true story dramatic film dating back to 1979, Sexual assault by a uniformed police officer. This was a groundbreaking case that set three precedents and changed law across Canada. There has been great interest in the case that people are getting hold of me and asking an awful lot of questions so I have begun speaking to groups about the legalities and assault of 1979 and the civil suit of 2008.

Some individuals have suggested that I do a documentary first and a film later, anything is possible.

I could go on and on about this – enough about me.

Thank you for asking.

Marian

In reply to Doug Block's post on Sun 28 Mar 2010 :

Hey all-
I'm a doc filmmaker and TV doc/series editor (pays the bills) and programmer for a sweet up & coming, invitation-only doc fest I helped create three years ago here in my old hometown of Salem, Massachusetts (I'm back here after 30 yrs in NYC). Since returning, all those juices I put into my doc making have been diverted into community actions and the creation and sustaining of Salem Film Fest. Looking for new inspirations here to re-juice my filmmaking; and wanting to keep my eye on films for year 4 of our fest (March of 2011). We have kind of a different model for our fest – no application fees, and everyone who screens gets an honorarium paid by a sponsoring local business.

Joe

welcome joe. sounds like a very refreshing take on film festivals... please, please invite me ;)

Welcome Joe, Marian, Jeffrey, Phil and Norman! Lots of new folks around here. Norman, could this be an explanation for Jesus walking on water?

Hi Joe! Joe directed HAND OF GOD, an amazing doc that played at our festival a few years ago, and won our audience award for best documentary. It's a very compelling and personal look at Catholic Clergy abuse. A timely subject given recent headlines...

Hi Joanne-
All hail the Ashland Indie Fest!!

Funny how the subject of HoG just won't go away, huh? I guess it's clearly no longer an "American problem," which is how the Vatican tried to explain it away before.

Hi, I have been producing and directing documentaries since –can't be true! – the early sixties back in the days when network owned TV stations were fearful enough about losing their valuable franchise on the public airwaves that they put some of their ill gotten gains into what used to be called Public Affairs programming. Was a fantastic opportunity for a guy right out of Journalism school to learn and learn fast. At WCAU in Philadelphia we had a weekly doc series, four major documentary specials a year, three shooters and three editors and won our share of Peabodys, Ohio State, Emmys and film festival awards. Moved on to Westinghouse station in San Francisco to head up a four man unit that produced four or five documentaries a year, where I got my first Steenbeck editing experience. Since then spent too many years producing and directing syndicated magazine formats with doc segments and couple of reality based kids shows for syndication and PBS.
Couple of years ago formed JC Productions, fancy name for a one man band, writer-producer-director, DV shooting, Premiere and Avid editing – producing affordable short documentaries for non profits like the Salvation Army and Make a Wish group Sunshine Kids Foundation and non profit housing developers.
Right now taking a big leap, self financing a process documentary on a LA African American Dance Company's production of a ballet based on Laurence Dunbar poem about having to "Wear the Mask" to get by in the white world.
Exploring non profit status thru the IDA but finding funders is a whole new ballgame to me, love to find a co producer who is a pro.

Welcome aboard the good ship D-Word, Jim, and good luck with your funding.

Hi, I'm Marina, and I'm a producer in Brazil. Now I'm producing a documentary film wich has footage in Lima, Peru; Washington and Michigan, US. Wolud like to recive informations about procedures filming in these cities. Mainly about Temporary Importation, because of the equipaments My directors will take.

Hey D-Word types,

I just joined up after leaving my job as a Interactive Creative Director in advertising. My background is in documentary film making and motion graphics. I've got lots of ideas in the works and am writing proposals and treatments like crazy right now. I am really interested in the potential of interactive, non-linear story telling in documentary. If you are into the interactive possibilities as well, hit me up. Interactive story telling is the wild west right now and anything can happen. I'd love to kick ideas around.

Welcome to The D-Word, Marina and Cory. Glad you found us.

Cory, there's a solid d-word crew in Seattle- keep an eye on the "face 2 face" topic for the next get together, or suggest one yourself. Beer always seems to go over well with them.

Hi Cory – I'd love to talk with you further about this. I've been thinking about non-linear storytelling and interactive possibilities a lot on my own and then was extra buzzed after having a great chat with my friend, Elan Lee, and also attending a couple wonderful panels at SXSW. I'm also currently plotting out an interactive project to complement the doc I'm currently producing. Drop me an email or call to talk about storytelling anytime.

Hello D-Wordians!

I'm just getting my feet wet in the world of documentary and, lacking a formal education in the field, I'm starting very much from scratch. So I hope there is some space here for a someone with training-wheels.

My ambition is to transform how tourists experience a place by using documentary story-telling to create engaging and informative multi-media guides. Kind of like your guide-book on steroids.

For example, I want the tourists standing outside Buckingham Palace in London to see more than just concrete and marching soldiers. What is the history of the building? How did it become the symbolic seat of the monarchy? What is it's significance in Britain's history? Why is it relevant today?

I think a guide presented as an historical documentary can be an exciting way for tourists to learn about their surroundings – one that is more appealing than the standard-issue guide book.

I am from an (IT) technical background so I feel pretty comfortable about content delivery. However, content creation is going to be a challenge. At the moment the largest hurdle seems to be sources of affordable footage and stills. Getty/Corbis etc. have scary prices for someone without corporate backing. It would be great to hear if there are any other sources of material for historical documentary makers.

Hi all,

What a wonderful site! I am a screenwriter and freelance journalist based in Derry in the north of Ireland. My passion is movies, documentaries and music. I am currently conducting research for my third movie script (recently finished the final polish of my first script with my second on its third draft). I have a few ideas for documentary films / series that I have been developing (only really in subject research for now) and am currently finding out the best ways to get the first project underway – getting a team together, getting it financed, getting it picked up etc. It will be great to hook up with some like-minded souls on here, and I look forward to getting in touch with some of you soon.

All the best,
John

Welcome, Jasper and John. Very ambitious project, Jasper, and hugely expensive, I'd imagine. Hard to see proceeding without corporate backing, or someone like Lonely Planet. Or, hell, maybe even Google. John, it's a little late to go to the pitching sessions at the Toronto Documentary Forum as an observer, but keep IDFA in mind for November. A very valuable way to meet broadcasters and learn what kind of projects they're seeking. And how others go about financing their docs.

Thanks Doug! I would love to check some of those out. Sadly, being based in Ireland, it's not as easy to get to those over on Canada. There's never anything like that here in Ireland. But, I shall do my best to seek some out!

Hello, everyone! I am currently in production of a feature length documentary about the different viewpoints at play with revitalizing urban neighborhoods.
I am filming here in Cincinnati OH USA. My film focuses a great deal on the legacy of the late social activist Buddy Gray. One aspect of significance with my project in today's world of documentary filmmaking is that I am shooting with super16mm film rather than video. This aesthetic is very important to me for this project.
I joined D-Word because I want to 'go public' with the project and learn how to make the most of available resources and best-practices. I am ready to start applying for grants and could really use some guidance in this area.

Thank you!

Mark Hood

Welcome to The D-Word, Mark. Feel free to register for full membership, which will give you access to the vast majority of discussion topics.

Hi John, IDFA's in Amsterdam. AirLingus tickets, when ordered in advance, cost nothing (you can get a roundtrip for under 100 euros)

Hi I'm a first time documentary filmmaker and I was hoping to get some example of grant applications that have been funded and ideas for style and distinct visual/technical elements. Also will be interested in which documentary film festivals are your favorites. Thanks!

Hello, I am michael gatti trying to make a documentary and well getting funding is kicking my arse right now. My so called 'production company' is Max Ham Productions and I am out of Derry, N.H

welcome to the d-word, michael. most everyone's getting their arse's kicked these days, join the club.

Hi everyone, I'm a long time fan/recently turned Member of the D-Word. I'm a first time doc filmmaker as well, and feel fortunate to say that after 7 unbelievable years, my personal doc--A Lot Like You--is finally enterring its home stretch.

My friend Basil, whom many of you know, helped us design our movie website (www.alotlikeyoumovie.com), which contains our latest trailer. I would greatly appreciate any feedback on our trailer and/or the website, which we are currently beta testing...

What a tremendous resource this is. Thank you all for being here!!!!!

In reply to Cory Fisher's post on Thu 11 Feb 2010 :

Hi Cory. You should check out www.documentaryhowto.com. They have alot of great information, webinars, teleseminars, budget templates, distribution contact information, etc. to help you get started with your own documentary. Good luck!

Hello All:

I am new here to the D-Word and currently in production on a feature-length doc about an inspiring medical maverick.

We're looking for a DP. Is this the best place to post for this or perhaps under another topic? I can include a synopsis and where interested DPs can contact us.

Cheers all!!

Welcome, Kiira. The Classifieds topic is the place to post for a DP. Good luck with your project.

I don't know what took me so long to join!

I am a filmmaker and interactive media professional (web site strategy, redesigns and most recently, managing an interactive toy platform for children).

Currently, I am in rough cut stages of a film called "Every Day Is a Holiday," a character-driven documentary about a WWII prisoner-of-war who also happens to be my father.

I recently attended Loni Ding's NYC memorial – I did not know her, but knew of her work and I have friends who were her students.

Look forward to meeting everyone.

welcome theresa! always great to have another asian american documentary filmmaker in the D-Word...

Hey Ya'll!

I'm a filmmaker in Atlanta, GA. I have a short in the finals of the International Doc Challenge and will be at Hot Docs. If anyone else is going to be in Toronto...Holla! I've got a bunch of stuff cooking--and here's my last film's website www.theculinarybrowns.com. Excited to be a new member of the d-word. Also in pre-production (and soon to be production) on a feature doc shooting in India. Would love any "words to the wise" from anyone whose worked or working in India.

Welcome to The D-Word, Phoebe and Theresa. Phoebe, you might want to look over the special Hot Docs topic, which I'm sure will get more active as we get closer to the festival. But we'll be figuring out a time and place for a D-Word f2f soon.

In reply to Eliaichi Kimaro's post on Sun 18 Apr 2010 :

Hi Eliaichi, the site looks good. Love the colors. The trailer is bold and inviting ! Am a sucker for old pictures. Reminded me of my family album .Best of luck

In reply to Phoebe Brown's post on Tue 20 Apr 2010 :

Hi Phoebe. Where in India will you be shooting? I've shot both in Pakistan and India and if you're in either of the two place in summers, you need a lot of sunblock! Also lately there have been a surge in power outages so you might wanna look into getting extra battery packs.

Am a gringo in Brazil, and have lived here since end of 2006. I have a UK registered company, but am a bit far from the UK/French/European commissioning circus. Am a DP and animator, and own an XDcam HD PDW350 for dry or wet hire here in São Paulo.

Since arriving in Brazil, I have helped local brazilian producers develop coproduction projects in the animation field, did a stint of distribution for the Brazilian market and now am back where I love best which is behind the camera.

Last month we did some executive production/camera work for Best Boy Production from Newfoundland on their Soccer Shrines series and I shot/edited a piece for the Financial Times on agribusiness.

And last but not least, I design/animate maps for documentary makers.

Am loving being in Brazil, discovering every day a bit more about this continental country.

Me on youtube: www.youtube.com/storyunlimited

Welcome, Nick. Great to have you joining us.

Dear All,

My name is Fateh Ahmed, I am an audio engineer/music composer, and currently attending a filmmaking college program where I am working on my first documentary.

I was looking for some help and direction if someone would have stock footages/photographs any of the following I would be grateful:

1. the first gulf war in 1990 when iraq invaded kuwait.
2. Swiss air crash in Peegy's Cove in 1999.
3. Halifax explosion December 6, 1917.

Thank you:)

In reply to Cory Kelley's post on Mon 5 Apr 2010 :

Hi Cory!

Are you new to Seattle or just new to D-word? Definitely keep your eyes open for d-word d-rinking.

In my 9-5 (1.5 years now) I am a shooter/producer/editor for a large hospital. I do anything from covering events, filming surgeries, to miraculous survivor stories, and profiling programs at the hospital. I have also done some commercials.

I spent a year in marketing that I'd rather forget.

Started out in local news for 3 years as a graphic designer, editor, and producer.

Beyond the day job I'd love to make a documentary. Of course I don't have any money, equipment(outside of work), or help. Have pleanty of ideas though:) I am saving up for my own equipment.

I have always been lacking a mentor in this field and usually figured things out on my own.

After reading some earlier posts I'm wondering if I should I look for help in making a documentary or just do what I have always done? Me, a camera, and a good story?