Ask the Doc Doctor

In her 7th installment of "Story Strategies: Debunking the Myths of Storytelling," Doc Doctor Fernanda Rossi debunks the idea that Ms. or Mr. Right producer is just a phone call, or Facebook chat away... and once together your film will live happily ever after.

In her 6th installment of "Story Strategies: Debunking the Myths of Storytelling," Doc Doctor Fernanda Rossi examines production priorities. Should storytelling trump technical perfection? What do you think?

Is voiceover a red flag for bad storytelling? Doc Doctor Fernanda Rossi enters the debate on whether or not narration can be a creative tool and explores the prejudices associated with the use of voiceovers, suggesting why documentary filmmakers may want to consider the device when crafting stories.

Doc Doctor Fernanda Rossi explores whether or not putting yourself as a character or narrator in your documentary film will solve structure problems. Using her expertise as a story consultant for over 300 documentaries, scripts and fundraising trailers, Fernanda discusses whether your presence will make or break your film, by showing you when it works and when there may be a better solution.

Doc Doctor Fernanda Rossi discusses how to find an audience for your film. Is it the story that grabs viewers, or is it all about the marketing? Using her expertise as a story consultant for over 300 documentaries, scripts and fundraising trailers, Fernanda breaks down the statistics on just how much is in the directors hands, and how much is just good marketing. Don't miss out on the Doc Doctor's structure and trailer workshops coming up this month. Learn more about it at her website, www.documentarydoctor.com.

In the second installment of her latest column for The Independent Doc Doctor Fernanda Rossi breaks down the common myth that continuous shooting and editing will eventually lead to a story and highlights common ruts that all filmmakers fall into at some point in the career, from following a stale formula to spotting the difference between story and storyline.

In a brand new column for the Independent, Documentary Doctor Fernanda Rossi, story consultant for the 2009 Oscar nominated documentary, The Garden, directed by Scott Hamilton Kennedy (view the trailer here), will expose the myths of documentary storytelling. This month, Rossi tears down a common misconception to which many filmmakers subscribe: No conflict? No film.

This month, Doc Doctor Fernanda Rossi, breaks down the making of Thomas Allen Harris's latest documentary, Twelve Disciples of Nelson Mandela (view the trailer here), which explores Harris's journey to South Africa to confront the death of his stepfather who, with his eleven comrades, spoke out against the apartheid system and helped raise support for Nelson Mandela in the 1960s.

The Doc Doctor, Fernanda Rossi, checks out Made In L.A. (See the trailer here), a documentary that takes a look at the experiences of three immigrant women fighting for their rights as they struggle, working in the garment sweatshops of Los Angeles.

The Doc studies Mitchell Teplitsky's first film, Soy Andina (check out the trailer) and takes a behind-the-scenes look at how Teplitsky went from marketing director to successful filmmaker living in Peru. This October, the Doc will be presenting her signature workshops on story structure and fundraising trailers in Tucson, AZ and San Francisco, CA. For details check www.documentarydoctor.com. Also, check out the Doctor's previous Anatomy columns.