This is a Public Topic geared towards first-time filmmakers. Professional members of The D-Word will come by and answer your questions about documentary filmmaking.
In reply to Reid B. Kimball's post on Fri 16 Sep 2011 :
Btw, I wasn't able to find the whole movie streaming online, but I did find it via bittorrent file on xxxxxxxxxx :)
Jennifer, we don't appreciate links to illegal downloads at The D-Word, which is why your post has been edited.
As it happens, The Cutting Edge, The Magic of Movie Editing is available new and second-hand at Amazon
As you are currently editing your first full-length project, it might be worth thinking about how you plan to survive in a business where the fruits of your labours are made available for free. It's basically the difference between a hobby and being able to pay the rent.
Hi John,
I was wondering after I posted that if someone would say something.
First, just because a file is available for download through a bittorrent site does not mean it's 'illegal', and also in my case, I will make my documentary available for people to see for free, as well as purchase hard copies, as many in the genre I am working in are doing.
I support people in the industry by buying documentaries from them (usually after I have watched them) and I often give them away to people.
That being said, I appreciate you communicating with me about your edit
The movie in question is not available legally through any bittorrent or download site, Jennifer – if you believe it is, please email the link and we will happily post it. It may be available on Netflix to subscribers in the US for online streaming – but that's not bittorrent.
Actually John it is available. You can watch it on Youtube and it has a standard license. It can be found via a simple search. The first part has over 90,000 views and was posted in 2006 so the assumption would be that it is legally available to watch for free.
Documentary filmakers might want to think about how they plan to survive in the business without considering other ways of distribution. This is the reality, embrace and think outside the box.
Although some sections are there on Youtube, the whole movie is not available to watch, as you acknowledged in your original post.
The bittorrent link that you posted which we removed was certainly not legal – is that what you meant by "thinking outside the box"? :)
As it is, D-Worders are already exploring alternative methods of distribution online, such as our Distrify and The D-Word Topic.
That was my original post? I've not posted a bit torrent link. I wouldn't encourage illegal downloading but I would encourage 'thinking outside of the box' when it comes to distribution and not just assuming that making your film available for free is not part of a viable distribution plan. This is a model that threatens the more established filmmaker and it shouldn't. You get what you pay for.
Sorry Jeremy, the illegal link was posted here by the other poster which we removed – and I think the smiley shows that she knew it was content you didn't have to pay for. I mixed the two posts up – my mistake.
ARCHIVING/LONG TERM STORAGE FOR DIGITAL ORIGINAL MEDIA
Hello all-
For some reason having a really hard time getting folks to talk to me about this issue so wanted to throw it out to the D-word community (doesn't seem to have been really covered in past forum posts.)
I work for a small, non-profit arts organization that produces a pretty high profile nat'l documentary series for PBS. We’ve got a growing amount of digital original video material (multi-GB, broadcast-intended digital video files; mostly XDcam EX and P2 original) and we need to get serious about more long term/archival preservation – a system where I can reliably expect to access the media 5/10/20 years down the line. Currently all this media lives on multiple, but non-networked, non-RAIDED external drives; given the life expectancy for these kind of drives, I realize they’re really only a short term solution. Up to the last couple of years, almost all of our original footage was shot to tape; we’ve been creating protection masters, and storing masters and protections in separate climate controlled facilities. Obviously digital material requires a different solution.
One important thing to know about us – we have serious aspirations to preserve all of our originally-produced footage beyond the life of the organization, to eventually make publicly available for researchers, students, etc. So this is not a client-mandated need but instead something generated internally, motivated by our contemporary art and media centered mission. Being smart now about how we ensure the longevity/future usability of this material is crucial for us.
I know the terms "archival" and "long term" probably bring up more questions than answers but I'm wondering how folks in similar positions – smaller production companies producing a consistent (if not broadcaster level volume) of digital original material, who own their media and have a vested interest in preserving it – have dealt with this. Transferring to LTO5 tape? Some kind of cloud/network-based solution? In house? Out-sourced?
Honestly, very surprised there isn't more discussion out there about this. Really hoping I can spark something here.
Sincerely, Nick
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