Introduce Yourself: Sign In Here First

Hi! -- Finally succeeded in logging onto this list serve. looking
forward to reading about distribution here, esp. as I"m looking
forward to beginning that phase of documentary post-post production
in the near future. I'm nearing completion on a documentary I've
been obsessed with for eight years. I forget who I'm paraphrasing
but someone said he pitied people who were not obsessed by
something. Not sure I agree -- I would love to feel my time was my
own -- but it does take some of that quality to get one of these
things done.

My documentary? It's a personal doc, and it's a family documentary
and it's about my brother, who was born with a very severe
developmental disability, and who was institutinalized at a young
age.

To make this description short, I'll refer anyone who wants to know
more to my website: www.withoutapology.tv/

Looking forward to reading, and writing more later.

Susan

Greetings and welcome, Susan. Just so you know, The D-Word is NOT a
listserve, which is when the posts come to you as emails. You have to
log on here because it's web-based. And all the posts are archived
according to topics.

Hi all,

I'm Pamela Turner and while I don't work in documentary, (I'm an
animator)I teach in an undergraduate video and animation
area (at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA)and often
advise students regarding grants, distribution, and graduate schools.
I am very interested in the documentary film and find that when at
film festivals I inevitably veer towards them when having to choose
screenings. So I am sure this forum will be educational for me!

But no grades here, Pamela ;-) Welcome.

Hello, I'm a filmmaker with one short film completed so far. I do
most of my work in Cuba and live in Los Angeles. I come from a
background in digital art and technology. I was a digital arts
artist and consultant on "Babe", "Coca Cola Polar Bears". Now I
am a emerging filmmaker wondering how to finance this habit.

My short autobiographical film "Havana Witch Club" screened at
the Cineaccion Film Festival and the Berkeley Film and Video
Festival where it won Best of Show for experimental .. though I
entered it a documentary. One woman's real life can look pretty
experimental, I guess.

Looking forward to sharing information with others here on all
related topics.

hi everyone,
this is veena almad from india. i am a student of mass media and
wish to be a film maker. i also like know filmmakers like you all and
would like to take suggestions for my future.
I have assisted in ad film production and also going to asisst
in editing but i dont know how to work on real film please advice me
how to join a production house of film.

looking forward to talk to you.
veena almad
india

Hi. I am a new doc producer, working on my first project
"Fulani for All Fifty."

Fulani for all Fifty is a one-hour historical
documentary giving voice to a team of ordinary people that brought
the first black woman to the U.S. presidential ballot in all fifty
states for the 1988 election.

We are currently in production, and learning our way around
distribution alternatives.

Hi Jennifer, Veena, Lisa. Nice to have you joining us and hope
you'll learn a whole bunch about distribution this week (sheesh, it's
10:40, NY time, on the first day of our panel and no one's shown up
yet - do distributors just sleep late :-?)

Veena, we'd be happy to answer any questions you have in The
Mentoring Room {LINK NOT IMPORTED}, but you'll need to be a bit more specific. What
do you mean by "real" films, exactly? Do you include documentaries in
that category (some don't, you'd be surprised)? And are you looking
to relocate? If so, to where?

Hi. Im also a relatively new doc producer working in DV. I have
several co-productions currrently being shopped at various cable
networks. I am also working on a feature about a Needle Exchange in
Manhattan. I also have exhibition experience.

Hi.

I'm Brigid Kelly. I'm about to start post production on a film about
a 31 year old man with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. We are
setting up a G4 with Final Cut 3 and want to start digitizing this
week. I'm sure I'll be asking lots questions about post
strategies.

Welcome, Stephen and Brigid. Happy to try and answer your questions.

A warm welcome to all the new faces.

Jennifer, do you mind if I send you an e-mail asking you about
working/studying film in Cuba?

I think I have to sign in here to join the Distribution discussion,
but I"m not sure. I'm not very good at this internet stuff all the
time.

It would be great if all people who are planning to join the
discussion in our online panel, MAPPING THE DISTRIBUTION LANDSCAPE,
would quickly introduce themselves here.

This, of course, does not apply to the actual panelists since they
were introduced in the topic itself {LINK NOT IMPORTED}.

In order to avoid chaos, Doug lets us "normal folk" only read (and
not post) in that topic for the first two or three days, but he will
open up the discussion to all of us after the first couple of rounds
...

Hope this makes sense to you now, Nina.

Hello.

You can click on cinecitizen above to find out more about me.

Pleased to meet you all.

Eric Stacey here. Just returned from the IFP Market where I was
pitching a feature project, but also plan to continue making
documentaries... since 1997, I've co-produced one 6 hour series for
PBS, a half hour one off on the health effects of air pollution, which
aired
on about 15 PBS member stations, and a 1 hour doc on Waldorf education
methods used in a number of public schools across the U.S. I'm
looking forward to sharing and learning here, but signed up especially
for the Virtual Doc Conference with Albert Maysles and Susan Fromeke.

Welcome everyone!

Eric, are you aware of our private forum for professionals?
More info at www.d-word.com/community

Thanks Ken. I've just sent email to the D-Word Community.

You're welcome, Erin :-)

I'm sure Doug will handle your access request shortly.

Joining discussion late. But happy to be joining.
I'm an independent documentary producer based in Charlotte, NC. Always
looking to learn more from other producers and to find effective means of
distribution.

Are we to sign-in here? If so:
Rod Pyle
Cinema Pacific Productions
Pasadena, CA
TV and sell-thru docs. Also affordable visual effects for non-
fiction (my partner and I worked on Star Trek:DS9 in a previous
life...).

Email is rod@cinemapacific.com

Office Manager/Awards Coordinator/Web Mistress for the
International Documentary Association. I look forward to
learning from and contributing to this community.

Hello all,
I'm just finishing my first documentary "In the Eyes of a Child"
about two non-profit organizations in Brazil which help street
children and women with domestic violence. I am curious about
the distribution of documentaries and just about to start
submitting to festivals.

Eric, Beverly, Rod, Sarah, Holly, thanks for saying hi and letting us
know more about yourselves -- and help us get a sense of who's
checking out the panel discussion. Welcome.

hello from jim of animalcharm, a nomadic, autonomous, off-
braodcast channel of video remix anarchy. I also spent 8 years
as the equipment and facilities manager of Kartemquin Films in
Chicago, IL, most well known for "Hoop Dreams". They have a
new feature directed by Steve James coming out in early 2003,
called "Stevie." I currently live and work in Los Angeles,
freelancing on a variety of fronts, most recently as a cameraman
in Vietnam with Renee Tajima-Pena for a CPB/Kartemquin
documentary series on immigration, tentatively titled, "New
Americans." I have worked as cameraman & sound recordist for
many of the series segments including those produced by
Vangie Griego, Gordon Quinn, Jerry Blumenthal, Steve James,
and Peter Gilbert.

Welcome, Jim. Those are great doc makers you've been working with!

Once again, let me remind those of you with professional experience
to join The D-Word Community and be part of the ongoing discussions:
www.d-word.com/join.

When you register, we ask you to tell us about your professional
background. Feel free to cut and paste what you've written here.

Hi folks blake from australia livin in germany here
i am aperforming artist about to turn doco maker well an extension of that
world actually.
Check out http://standstill.va.com.au
for what i do pics etc
basically i do event entertainment and stree theatre
nice to be here
looking forward to participating
seeya
bb

Thanks for the intro, Blake. Welcome. We can use a little more
street theater in here ;-)

Saludos a todos. Rich Potter checking in. I'm a young filmmaker
currently living and working in Panama City, Republic of Panamá. I do a
bit of everything--fiction, doc, commercial--in DV and edit with FCP on
G4's. Primarily signed on for the distribution discussion, thinking of
the half hour narrative short we just completed, but I see there's more
going on here than just that. Look forward to learning a few things
from you all.

Bien.
Rp.

Goodmorning. I've been making films for more than 20 years. I did a
dramatic version of a play I wrote about Edith Wharton called "Songs
From The Heart" which aired on BRAVO and many PBS stations, a
documentary about Nicaragua in 1990, and have just finished a feature-
length documentary about GE and PCBs.
Thanks for hosting this,
Mickey Friedman

Just finished the IFP Market in New York with our Hudson River Film
and Video production "Manhood and Violence: Fatal Peril" about a
violence-prevention program in the San Francisco County Jail that
reduces violent re-arrests by 80%, You watch part of the process as
these men are transformed. Just started to apply to festivals.
Wanted to check out this forum to see what it was about. If we have
questions later how could we get in touch with you or other
panelists?

Ask away in The Mentoring Room {LINK NOT IMPORTED}, Michelle. Welcome to you,
Mickey and Rich.

I'm Fel Blake from Sydney, Australia, and I've accidentally started a
documentary production company. I have a slate of three at the
moment, an investor is waving money at me, I have a bit of equipment,
a lot of contacts and I've written scripts/ treatments for two docs,
but that doesn't change the fact that I don't have a clue!
I have a degree in film and work in the development side of the
industry here in Australia, but have little production experience.
I hope to commence production on my first Doc (DV, shooting in the
M.E.) next March.
Thanks for having me at this forum- I look forward to chatting with
you all, and learning from those better informed than myself!
- Fel.

Hi, Fel. Congrats - having an investor waving money at you is FAR
more important than having a clue ;-)

Producing docs is 80% hard work and persistence, 20% good ol' common
sense. I'm sure you'll do just fine, but we're happy to help in
whatever way we can.

I suggest you join The D-Word Community: www.d-word.com/join

Hi. I'm Alysa Nahmias from New York; currently producing and
directing a doc about the history and architecture of the National
Art Schools in Cuba (see www.ajnafilm.com). I'm a first time
filmmaker happy to be in dialogue with all these experts.

Hola!
Is this Cuba week or something?
I am Bette Wanderman and my film " A CUBAN LEGEND" just finished a
week's run at a theatre in New York. I literally just came back from
the theatre with the spoils which are, 2 movie posters, 3 trailers , 2
DVtapes and the tour de resisitance, a great The New York Times
review!. I hope to find some tips on distribution in other
territories and different media.

Best!
Bette
www.cubanlegends.com

Welcome, Alysa. Nice to have you here. And kudos, Bette, and good
luck with the rest of the run. Hope the Times review opens some
(theater) doors!

Hello all,
I'm putting together a proposal for a short on
girls and civic/public expression. Just starting the process actually,
and looking around for good resources/guidance. A workshop leader at
Women Make Movies in NYC recommended this forum, so here I am.
-Christina

Well, you got a good steer, Christina ;-) Welcome to our virtual
corner of the world.

Hello to everyone on the forum,

I'm organizing a new networking group for NYC producers and directors
(both documentary and narrative film). The group focuses on bringing
together producers and directors in the independent filmmaking
community, with the goal of getting directors together with the right
producers for their project and vice versa. We'll be meeting on a
monthly basis, and our first event is this coming Tuesday, Oct. 29, a
cash bar Happy Hour at the Screening Room, 54 Varick Street, on the
2nd Floor Lounge, from 6:30 - 8:30 pm. If you're interested in
attending or would like to be placed on the mailing list for future
events, send me an e-mail at digitalnyc@hotmail.com with info on your
previous or current projects, to facilitate introductions.

Thanks.

i'm a producer with our new doc company in California called
Pacific Rimshot . We have a development slate of several
shows, and I'm looking to meeting other filmmakers and sharing
ideas.

doug block or ben should be along any minute to invite you to
join the professional side of this community.

welcome.

Welcome, Una and Mary. I've mentinoned it any number of times, but
anyone with professional documentary experience is welcome to join The
D-Word Community: www.d-word.com/join.

Hi there all. My name is Leslie Bielanski. I am President of LNB
Productions/IndieSource. I am a documentary filmmaker who started a
production company with my husband in January. We are documentary
producers who also rent digital filmmaking equipment. We were
recently at an IDA conference where we learned about this site. We
are excited to be a part of a this documentary community.

Hi everyone!
My name is Sy, and I am an forth year honours student studying in
Scotland. As part of my degree I am producing and directing a
documentry about Bengali dance. I discover this website by accident
and although most of you guys are halfway around the world, I feel I
can gain something from this site.
Cheers!

Welcome to The D-Word, Syeda (and all other newbies!)

Most of us guys are half-way round the world, but there is the
occasional Scot in here (three in total, plus myself counting as
honorary one).

Where in Scotland do you study?

Hi Doug--and Syeda!

I was trying to find an appropriate place to thank Doug for the Al
Maysles-Susan Froemke dialogue. A HUGE THANK YOU! After joining
early this year, I'd been too preoccupied with
equipment/funding/paying my rent etc. This reminded me why I was doing
all of the other stuff.

And of course I discover Syeda--a Bengali doing a project on Bengali
dance in Scotland. I am a Bengali from west of the Padma. What kind
of Bengali dance? Write me if you read this.

Thanks, Jayasri. Nice to hear from you again and hope you'll find a
little spare time to join us more often on The D-Word Community.

Lots of people have expressed their appreciation for the conference.
We'll definitely try to do more like it in the future (though Al and
Susan are one-of-a-kind).

Hi Doug and Jayasri!

I am studying in Dundee, a little town about a 30 minutes drive away
from the capital, Edinburgh. As for the Dance documentry, I am
directing a documentry about the bengali community here in dundee,
and the dance school that has arisen from it. I'm looking forward to
producing and directing it, as this is my first major project , and I
will be glad to recieve any comments or tips!

I was in Edinburgh many years ago but never made it as far as
Dundee. I look forward to seeing your doc, Syeda. I am sure your
University is putting you in touch with the doc community in the
U.K. You are lucky to have a lot of public support over there. I
have relatives in England and Wales--may be useful when the time
comes for distribution. Have you seen a Canadian doc called "Little
Red Dot" made by a South Asian woman? Not directly related to your
subject, but I just like the tone and style. I know she has a
website for it--see if you can take a look. Keep us posted on your
progress.