Documentary

How to Film Abroad: An Interview with David E. Simpson

Nikki — Mon, 18 May 2009 20:09:28 -0500

The modern filmmaker has no fear of flying. From the blue whales of the Galapagos to the Bhangra dancers of Punjab, it seems there’s nowhere a camera can’t go. But what do you need to know to film overseas, and how is it different?

The Doc Doctor's Story Strategies: Debunking the Myths of Storytelling

Nikki — Fri, 15 May 2009 15:43:32 -0500

Myth #3

“A good story will find its audience no matter what.”

“Good marketing can make any story succeed.”

The myth in all its glory

Filmmaker Q&A: "Con Artist" Director, Michael Sládek

Nikki — Tue, 12 May 2009 13:40:50 -0500

Brooklyn-based filmmaker Michael Sládek directed and produced, as well as shot and co-edited the film Con Artist. The riveting, hilarious portrait of '80s art star Mark Kostabi, whose addiction to fame hit its extreme with his kitschy public access TV show Title This, where contestants vie for the chance to title his paintings.

Story Strategies: Debunking the Myths of Storytelling

Nikki — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 14:10:46 -0500

Myth #2

“If I keep shooting/editing, the story will come to me -eventually.”

Practical?

The myth in all its glory

Story Strategies: Debunking the Myths of Storytelling

Nikki — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 19:52:08 -0600

Introducing....Story Strategies

Beg, Borrow, or Steal? Deciphering Fair Use for Filmmakers

Nikki — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 20:52:20 -0600

David Van Taylor first engaged questions of Fair Use when he was working on his film Dream Deceivers in 1990, a documentary that explored the lawsuit filed against the heavy-metal band Judas Priest by the family of James Vance, a teenager who tried to commit suicide after smoking marijuana and listening to the group's lyrics. The film incorporated copyrighted music and clips.

After the Oscar: An Interview with Cynthia Wade

Nikki — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 22:23:22 -0600

As a sophomore at Smith College, Cynthia Wade found herself witness to a small scandal: a friend discovered she was pregnant and decided leave college, marry her boyfriend and have her child, going against the feminist attitude many of her classmates held. So, in true documentarian form, Wade’s first instinct was to get it on film.

2009 Oscar Preview: The Shortlist

Nikki — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 16:49:27 -0600

After three-quarters of a century of recognizing excellence in cinema achievement, the Oscar Awards presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, needs little introduction.

The Doc Doctor's Anatomy of a Film: "Twelve Disciples of Nelson Mandela"

Nikki — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 12:38:11 -0600

About this column: Many filmmakers ponder in anguish, How do other people—celebrated people—do it? Am I taking too long to make this documentary? Does everybody spend as much money as I am spending, or am I spending too little? And when filmmakers share their lessons learned in interviews in the glossy trade magazines, their tales seem to follow the arc of otherworldy heroes rather than real documentary makers, i.e. human beings like you and me. So each month, the Doc Doctor will go out into the world (this real world) of filmmakers who are successful and find out how they made it. The "Anatomy of a Film Column" is a chance to learn from filmmakers' hits and misses in real life examples. —Fernanda Rossi, story consultant a.k.a. the Documentary Doctor

Making the Decision to Re-Release

erin — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 14:24:30 -0600

In 1981, filmmakers Carolyn Strachan and Alessandro Cavadini received acclaim for Two Laws/Kanymardra Yuwa, a documentary about the struggle for Aboriginal groups from the Northern Territory to live within both their own and Australian law.