Introduce Yourself: Sign In Here First

Hello everyone! My name is Michele Josue, and I'm brand new to this site. I'm currently directing my first documentary feature entitled "Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine" about my friend Matthew Shepard, who we lost in a brutal anti-gay crime in 1998. Through the voices of his friends and family, our film tells the story of the Matthew behind the headlines.

We're currently going the Kickstarter route and have been doing pretty well. One of our supporters recommended I check out the D-word, and I'm so glad she did!

Our Kickstarter video, which includes our film trailer, can be found here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1253709612/matt-shepard-is-a-friend-of-mine

Thanks for having me! I'm excited to be a part of this community!
Michele

Welcome to D-word, Michele. You'll hopefully get the financial support from Kickstarter, and all the other (equally or more important) forms of support from D-word :)

Hello! Name is Adam Johnson and I'm a first time producer... Green as Gumby. Worked mostly as a Prod. Mgr for the last 5 years to help support a family (barely). Working on a project now, feeling the highs and lows associated. I'm hooked.

Just from reading many of your posts on this great site, I don't know how much I can contribute, but I hope to be in the game for awhile. Maybe over time and some hard lessons learned- someday I can contribute and help others out as you have already helped me in the brief time I've already spent here. But, more importantly I hope to make a few friends along the way.

Please don't be a stranger! I'm located in Orange County, CA and am pretty dialed in to crews and equipment in the area- I personally have access to cameras (AF100, 5D), audio, lighting, etc. and can get them for you for near nothing.

Grateful to be here!
Adam

And we're glad to have you here, too, Adam. Welcome aboard, and thanks for the generous equipment offer.

I help independent filmmakers and documentarians with their copyright problems.

Just a quick e mail or call to 800 370 1776 will get you free advice.
You can check me out at 4cpermissions.com

Excited about meeting new people.
Cheryl

Hey Folks,
My name is Ray Metoyer and I've been a member of the site for a few years, but I just recently filled out the application to be a professional member. Thanks for accepting me.

As for me, I'm a news guy who started as a photographer and became a reporter/anchor and a producer. My early experience as a shooter made me a much better writer for broadcast projects. In fact I can still shoot great video today.

I've been in the business for awhile, working in Omaha, Denver, Houston, Dallas, and Atlanta. Over the years, I've gravitated to long form story telling; first a series of related news stories and eventually entire programs. I hope to meet new colleagues here and that we can inspire each other to do great work.

Welcome Ray, good to have you on board!

Hey folks, Mike here. Just joined. I have a feature documentary 'Kink Crusaders'that's making the 2011 film festival rounds – and it took Best Documentary at CineKink NYC.

It is my current project that brings me here. I'm hoping to be able to gain insight of how to best handle the subject matter and the narrative.

Based out of Los Angeles. Heading to IDA's The Art of the Personal Documentary.

Well, I guess I'll see you there, Mike. Welcome to The D-Word and be sure to register as a Professional member for access to all the discussion topics. A warm welcome to Cheryl and Ray, as well.

Greetings! I'm Larry Peter and I've been in the film/video industry since 1985 beginning as an editor in New Orleans, then working virtually all crew positions over the next few years – from grip to sound to cinematographer and director. After several years of national TV commercials and music videos I left the production company and opened a post house so I could stop traveling and raise a family.

With kids grown, I'm behind a camera again with my focus on documentaries.(although commercial work still pays the bills for now) Completed a documentary in 2010,"The Art of Living," currently airing on Midwest PBS affiliates and have just applied for fiscal sponsorship for my current project, "They Wore the Red Suit," a film about the handful of men across the nation who have devoted their lives to being Santa Claus 24/7/365.

I look forward to getting to know all of you and learning as much as I can from your experiences.

Welcome Larry :)

Welcome Larry! I'm fairly new here as well. If you are looking to profile Santa Clause- there is a guy here in Orange County that I know of that does that very thing 24/7/365. Drop me an email if you are interested in someone out here in CA. I'd be happy to help. adam(at)m2gmedia(dot)com

Hello! I am currently working as a production advisor / producer with a Human Rights based organization in Chiang Mai Thailand and I'd like to be able to use the d-word to create links with others working out here and in the field. Thanks!

Welcome, Stephanie. It's easy to find D-Word members who are currently in Thailand. Click on People (at top of every page) and then Advanced Search –> Thailand and you'll find 8 others. Contact info is on their profile pages.

Greetings from Montreal!
I am about to release my first feature film called Neverbloomers: The Search for GrownUphood, which attempts to answer the question: does anyone ever really feel like a grownup??
Neverbloomers evolves from the style of filmmaking I have been producing since my youth, which I call the "autodocumentary" (namely, turning the camera back on oneself to tell one's own story). While in the age of the webcam and YouTube this confessional style of filmmaking is extremely pervasive (perhaps too much so!), when I was a young woman I felt that there was a side of the female psyche not represented by the mainstream media, and I wished to fill that void.
I am really pleased with how Neverbloomers has turned out – after ten years of work! (I am the quintessential Neverbloomer) and look forward to sharing it with the world.
Thank you for this wonderful community, what a great idea.
Sharon.

Welcome to The D-Word, Sharon. Good luck with Neverbloomers.

Sounds VERY interesting Sharon, best of luck! Count me as a "neverbloomer"- I always knew I had it, just didn't know there was a name for it!

Well, there wasn't a name for it, that's why I invented one! Thanks for the encouragement!

Welcome to D-word, Sharon. Your doc idea seems interesting :)

Hello D-worders ! I am a film lover working on my first documentary with my wife Pitchapuk who was a finalist in "The Asian Pitch 2010". The project is about Street Teachers in Bangkok and I am having an amazing ride so far. So much to learn and such amazing stories discovered through this community, it seems that every door that is opened leads to 10 more doors to open ! I was a Hollywood film advertising photographer and have shot a few 16mm video projects, but this is my first leap into the documentary world in HD video. So many QUESTIONS and I am sure you will bump into me on the forums very soon...
I have a whole new respect for you guys and am excited about starting this new journey !

Welcome to The D-Word, Bruce, and feel free to have Pitchapuk register, as well.

Hello,

I'm really excited to find this community. I've been working for a year on my first ever documentary and I think I've found my true calling. Despite never having done this before, things are just clicking.

My film is about people with digestive conditions (IBS, Celiac disease, Crohn's disease & ulcerative colitis) who use alternative treatments when conventional ones fail. Conventional treatments can have dangerous side effects and surgery can lead to a vicious cycle of requiring more surgery.

In the film I attempt to use alternative treatments to put my Crohn's disease into remission or even cure it. I do this by traveling to interview others who have done what I aim to achieve.

I was able to raise over $11,000 late last year for the production of the film using Kickstarter.com. I have a growing community of supporters through Twitter and Facebook.

Autoimmune diseases like Celiac, Crohn's and ulcerative colitis are rising at alarming rates. The idea that they can treated using alternative treatments is met with harsh skepticism from the conventional medical community. My documentary aims to prove this is possible (I'm the proof) and support those who wish to take this route.

The film will explore concepts of what it means to be "healthy", how to "listen to your gut" when everyone has an opinion and to ask just who the medical system is supporting, the patients or the corporations?

I have many questions and look forward to exchanging information with this community.

You can see my work here:
Trailer #1 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nYKYW4hcH0
Most recent piece – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqmOSEmbqAw
http://crohnsend.com/

Regards,

Hi Everyone. My name is Maggie Hadleigh-West and I'm happy to be joining the D-Word (again;). I'm in the process of marketing and distributing my second feature doc Player Hating: A Love Story about a young hip hop artist from Crown Heights, Brooklyn who's trying to pull him and his crew out of poverty and violence. Just screened at Union Doc in NYC (2 sold out screenings) and tomorrow I head to Paris for two screenings in Filmer le Musique.

You can check out my trailer here if you like. http://www.yomaggie.com/currentprojects.html

Look forward to working with everyone.

Maggie

Hi there fellow doc lovers, I recently returned from Hot Docs in Toronto where I listened to Doug speak about this site. Looking forward to some creative conversations. Best, Rachel

Welcome to Reid and Rachel. Good to have you aboard (and glad my panel at Hot Docs bore fruit). And welcome back, Maggie. Player Hating has been a long time in coming, so much congrats on finally finishing!

Sad I haven't discovered this site until today! Happy to be here. Just finished my first feature doc, The Elders (http://bit.ly/iZHYvv) which I'll start submitting this summer/fall to festivals. Been shooting shorts and commercials for years, looking forward to the next phase of "feature" life through distribution.

Headed out of the country (US) for 7 weeks on a shoot for the Joseph Campbell foundation, so I won't be online much until I get back, but I'm hoping to do more crowdfunding articles while on the road and when I get back. You can read the latest one here, for those looking for some tips on getting started: http://bit.ly/jDM3g0

Thanks for the site Doug/Ben – looking forward to contributing.

Cheers
Nathaniel
http://www.nathanielhansen.com

Better late than never, Nathaniel. Welcome aboard and have fun on your Campbell shoot.

In reply to Doug Block's post on Tue 31 May 2011 :

thanks, been an interesting first day here. Nothing quite like finding yourself being called a shameless self promoter on a forum you've never been to. Good times.

Well, hope you'll get past our little opening day blip, Nathaniel and share in the good times. There are good times, really.

Hi, Everyone!

I recently finished my grad school thesis film, "The Past and Pending" (no, it has nothing to do with the song by The Shins), and also graduated with my MFA. I was initially drawn to this site because of Doug Block's involvement, but I hope to make some friends on here, as I plan to move around the world for a while making micro-budget single-person crew films.

"The Past and Pending" is a personal film with me behind the camera (at this point you're probably thinking "oh, THAT'S why he was intrigued by Doug Block's involvement with this forum..."), exploring a broken promise, which caused my family to fall apart, in the process of migrating from Puerto Rico to Florida.

My initial goal with the film was therapeutic and academic, as I did not want to exploit my family's trust in letting me interview them and use the family's home movies and photographs. However, after doing several screenings at my university, and seeing the incredible response the film has received, I've decided it's a film that truly deserves an audience. It seems to hit certain nerves with people, and I truly was not expecting it (although, I never once thought that the film was strictly for me; I always consider an audience).

Now I am in the process of assessing how good my film actually is, and determining which festivals to submit to as a result. I'm also about to make a big move; leaving my comfort zone in Orlando and most likely relocating to Chicago in September.

I'm really excited about being a part of this community! I hope to gain a lot of knowledge and inspiration from fellow documentary filmmakers!

Best,

Sam Torres

What I've noticed

Alright, blushing here, Sam, but welcome to The D-Word anyway. Good to hear about the reaction to your film. Personal docs are exceptionally hard to make. But when they work they elicit strong, heartfelt responses and it's hugely satisfying.

Welcome, Nathaniel and Sam. I already am interested to know more about your doc, Sam!

Hi everyone, my name is Joseph Eulo, I am documentary studies student at the New School in New York. I have just finished a 8 min documentary called the "Last American Shoemaker." http://vimeo.com/23475543 This was my first doc.

I have several ideas in development one call "God, Country, Corps: An American Muslim's odyssey in the US Marines" its about Affraz Mohammad an American Muslim marine who was arrested on base and charged with being a member of a sleeper cell of terrorist. He was charge and tried in Military court and found not guilty at trial. The doc is about what happend and its effect on his life.

I am also getting ready to shoot a documentary on New York's Indie Improv scene centered around six members of an Indie Improv Group called the Day Camp Kids (DCK). I will interview club owners and performers and will follow each member of the DCK during their daily lives. I have a few other Ideas but I will not bore you with them here.

I and a few other doc students founded the Students FILM Collective an organization with the purpose to provide others who are studying the craft a opportunity to gain experience by working on group and individual projects.

Hello D-Word!
My name is Jake Salyers and I'm a recent college graduate who is just getting his feet wet in the documentary game. During my junior year in college, I had the opportunity to study abroad in Tanzania and was inspired to film a documentary. Focusing on a small town on the cost, Bagamoyo, my documentary investigated the litte know east African slave trade, its lingering effects and my journey through the town. It's called "Bagamoyo, Lay Your Heart Down" http://vimeo.com/21568003

I have started to submit the documentary to festivals around the country but am still searching out opportunities for it to be view any way i can. Good criticism is hard to come by and as this is my first documentary, I know I have much room for improvement.

I am happy to have found a documentary community such as this and would love any comments, criticisms, and suggestions(especially about appropriate festivals to submit it to) y'all have to offer about my film.

Thanks,
Jake Salyers

In reply to Jake Salyers's post on Wed 8 Jun 2011 :

Hi Jake I am new here too. Watched your film and here is some feedback (I posted it on your vimeo page as well)

Hi Jake, great story, and photography. I think you should let the images in the beginning set the location and tone of the film without the narration. It competes with the visuals.

Your soundtrack is too loud during the first interview, the wind in the boat beach scene is also loud. My suggestion is to remove the audio from this clip, so as not to distract from the narration or music.

On some parts where your narrating, the music is loud, and competes with what you are saying. I would dip the sound down while your speaking, and have it play as a low ambient background music.

Move in on your subjects during the interviews. For example you show a subject sitting down in the first interview, almost her entire body is in the shot, thats great, you cutaway to something else, but when you come back its the same shot, instead I would zoom in closer to a medium shot or a close up shot, that way it makes it more personal.

Hello Everyone:

My name is Lillian, and I'm developing a semi-personal cross-media project on nonverbal learning disorder (nld/nvld), a neurological disorder similar to Aspergers Syndrome. I signed up for D-word last year and am just getting involved in the community. I'm looking forward to hearing about your projects and getting some advice!

Best,
Lillian Baulding
http://theoddbirdblog.com/
@nlddocumentary

Good to have you leaping in here, Lilian. Welcome and come back often.

Hello I'm making a documentary exploring the relationship between people with disabilities and their aides. I think I have kind of a unique view on how aides should be hired and directed as employees. Since I spend so much time with my own aides I want us to become friends but also maintain the balance of a professional relationship. The most important thing is mutual respect which many people with disabilities and their aides don't have. This documentary will feature an awesome comedian and playwright who will talk about her own experiences, my own exploration of my relationships with my aides, and you will hear from the people who have worked for us. Please spread the word. http://aidedoc.weebly.com/ or thejoyofaides (at) gmail (dot) com

Welcome, Eva. Great to have you here with us.

You may not realize the Introduce Yourself topic is in the public area of The D-Word and thus your post will show up on search engines. So I edited it to make your email address unavailable to spammers.

Hello all. I'm a journalist turned filmmaker and I'm working on my first documentary, "9-Man". Looking forward to being part of this community!

Hi! I've been on here for a while, but I never introduced myself. I'm a little forum-shy.

So I usually use the old finger quotation marks when I tell people that I'm a "filmmaker". I'm finishing up my first doc, called PEACE AND THE QUIET, this summer (http://peaceandthequiet.com). It's an intimate portrait of two women in the dusk of their lives struggling to make their work matter in a climate of irony, greed, and disillusionment. Looking forward to going through the finishing process with Modulus this fall, and submitting to festivals.

I also work with the Principle Pictures team as a shooter, assistant editor, and associate producer. (www.principlepictures.com)

Looking forward to meeting you on Monday at the Docyard, Doug! I'm thrilled they programmed your film, I have been wanting to see it.

Cheers!
Beth Balaban

Hi Beth,
Interesting trailer. Can you tell me what the speaker (~1:50 in the trailer) says. "The reason that 2% of .... is because they were ... before they went off to war." I've played it a couple times and can't hear well enough to figure it out.

Welcome, Ursula, and glad you overcame your shyness, Beth. Look forward to meeting you on Monday, too, so don't be shy in person, please introduce yourself. In the meantime, I highly recommend you drop the quotation marks. If you're a D-Word professional member then you're a filmmaker, period.

Hello everyone! I am very excited to join d-word!
I have degrees in journalism and film, and have loved documentaries ever since I was little.
The only thing I love more than watching documentaries, is making them. :)
I look forward to collaborate with fellow documentarians in interesting projects.

In reply to Marth Christensen's post on Thu 16 Jun 2011 :

MMM. Could use some audio work, sorry about that.
"The reason why 2% of soldier are never driven insane by war...is because they were already insane before they went to war." That's Paul Chappell, the author of "Will War Ever End".

Ahhh. OK. Must be my artillery ears.
Thanks

Great to have you here, Sharon. We can always use someone who speaks 4 languages fluently (and not even including the language of cinema).

hello to all, I am a writer, nothing published or produced, I have been writing a non fiction book about contemporary America, called The Psychotic Society for alittle over twelve years now and I was thinking maybe I should take this book apart, take out what I consider to be the most important parts and do a documentary film on it, so, of course, what I need it help, I need an Exe. Producer who has done doc. film projects and I need somebody who is familiar with writing grants and/or raising the money to do the project, also I will need a production Mgr. as you can see I have lots of needs, so if anybody has some suggestions on where I can start to look for these souls please let me know, at jmscrosby04@gmail.com, thanks so much, Jim C.

Welcome, Jim. You might want to start at... www.shootingpeople.org

Hello all!

I have a feeling this forum is going to be extremely helpful! I will be working on a few short documentary film projects, the first in Perú over the summer for college credit (topic undecided – suggestions definitely welcome!), and another film immediately following in Cairo, for which I have a more precise plan. These will be my first film projects and I have so many questions that I don't know where to begin. Instead, I will just say hello for now and I'm excited to have found this forum! ~Thanks Fiona Otway!

Cheers everyone!
-Jeff

In reply to Ursula Liang's post on Thu 16 Jun 2011 :

welcome ursula! i always make a point of welcoming other asian american filmmakers – there are so few of us, and we need all the encouragement we can get.

btw, i am intrigued by your film title 9-MAN. that wouldnt somehow be related to that particular brand of absolutely crazy volleyball that is so popular among asian players, is it? just a guess...

Greetings, Jeff. Your questions are welcome in the Mentoring topic whenever you're ready.

Hi All,

I'm new, so I thought I'd introduce myself!

My name is Kali Holloway, and I do work supporting filmmakers in outreach, grant proposals, research, ghost writing interviews, doing PR, social media stuff, crowd-funding strategy, Kickstarter campaign, etc. Recently, I worked on two great documentaries from new filmmakers, Nancy Schwartzman ("The Line" and "xoxosms") and Katie Dellamaggiore ("Brooklyn Castle").

I'm also a freelance writer – I've written for Prefix and eMusic, and I'm the promotional copywriter for the DFA Records label (LCD Soundsystem, Holy Ghost!, The Rapture). I defected to film after previously working as a speechwriter for a NYC Commissioner and as the Deputy Director of Communications for the New York courts.

Thanks so much for having me!

Hi Kali, thanks for joining us. If you haven't seen them already, check out our topics for Marketing and Distribution , Social Networking , and Community Engagement .

[This may have been written by my ghost writer. ;-)]

In reply to Beth Balaban's post on Thu 16 Jun 2011 :

I love that quote! Welcome to D-Word :)

Hello everyone!

I'm new to this forum but I'm very excited to have found a helpful forum. I am currently studying journalism at the University of Wyoming and I have a passion for film which I hope to turn into a career someday. This summer I was finally presented with an opportunity that I've been waiting for, which is to work for a film production company. I currently intern for Burning Torch Productions (http://www.markpedrifilms.com/work.html) out of Laramie, WY and we are working on a documentary called "Energy, Oh Energy," which is about trying to find the best energy using only the facts we get from experts and industry professionals. Working for this production company has finally given me the inspiration I was looking for and experience I know I will need in this industry. If anyone has any film advice, I'd be grateful to hear it!

Thanks everyone!

In reply to Kali Holloway's post on Fri 17 Jun 2011 :

Hey Kali! Welcome to D-word. Wanted to mention how fantastic it was working with you on xoxosms – and let folks know how skilled you are with ghostwriting interviews, social media strategy and outreach for busy and frazzled doc filmmakers!

Welcome Kali and Bridget. Great to have you both here with us. Bridget, easier to give advice if you have specific questions. Feel free to ask them in the Mentoring Room topic.

Hello Everyone,

My name is Nick Bygon and while I am new to the film world I have an extensive background in art. You can view my artwork on my flickr at www.flickr.com/photos/nickbygon My main interest in film came after I researched the spectatorship or audience relation to paintings over time. The conclusion I came to was that at one point in time individuals viewed paintings for extensive intervals of time where they would contemplate its deeper meanings but in the 21st century you are lucky if you can even get someone to look at a painting. In the 21st century films had adopted that space in time, at least for most individuals and because of that I changed my major. My goal is to speak to people in the hopes of engaging them about the pressing issues that are at stake in our day to day activities.

One thing that I am struggling with and hope to get some feedback and guidance from all of you is what should I major in? I have a 4.0gpa and have a good list of resume items to transfer from my community college but I am not certain what programs are the best to take. I have seen that a lot of documentary film makers majored in english, philosophy or journalism and I just want to pick the best programs and the best schools to apply to and any help with that process would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers
Nick Bygon

Hello, again, I was away from this site for a while. Here I am again.

I am storyteller living in LA, I write, I produce, I direct and sometimes I do camera and edition as well. Not new for anyone of us here that has multiple hats.

I have a doc short accepted to be screen at La short films and I am looking for help in advices about transfer. I need to give them a HD cam copy. Is a 3.25 minutes short, I wonder where can I do it that in an affordable rate. I am based on LA but I am in Maine for the following 2 weeks Maybe I can send the short on the web to someone that can make the proper tape in other location. Help!!!

Thanks
Florencia

Hello, My name is Joe. I have always been very into films, especially documentary films. I never thought I would be one to actually create one, but after some major issues came about in my life I thought it was something worth documenting. My sister who after a long bout with pancreatic cancer decided to use the death with dignity law available in Oregon. I was with her thru this process, and was asked to film it. However after reviewing the footage and its personal nature, I have been struggling with how to move forward. I have no professional film experience and no ties with anyone who does. All I have is some very powerful and personal footage of something I think should be shared. So figured some guidance with some people who have dealt with making documentaries of a personal nature would be helpful. Sorry for the long winded introduction.

Well, now what?

Hello folks. I live in Brooklyn with my wife, three kids, two birds, and one freak dog named Smudge. We have a documentary production company, New Animal Productions (note – our site hasn't been updated for some time and I blame Smudge).

We're working on our latest film and should be finished, scratch that, it WILL be finished in August. In fact the edit dungeon beckons.

over and out

Seth Skundrick

Greetings, Seth, Joe, Florencia and Nick.

Nick, hard to advise you on a major. But there are some schools with renowned doc programs, like Stanford, Duke and Temple, as well as up and comers like the School of Visual Arts in NYC.

Florencia, D-Worder Eli Brown can probably help you out.

Joe, as someone who's made personal docs, I can say firsthand they're very difficult to pull off successfully (especially without any filmmaking experience). And you have the further problem that there's a great new doc on the subject, HOW TO DIE IN OREGON, that was at Sundance and has gotten a lot of attention. However, if you're really intent on making it, this might help.

Now back to the dungeon one and all ;-)

Hey everybody, my name's Aaron and I live in San Francisco. I have a long time background with computers, software development, and video production. During the day, I design and make software for iOS devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch), but in my spare time I'm trying to make a feature-length documentary about Peak Oil, The Postmodern Condition, and how we need to change the way we address problems in order to coherently address our current energy crisis. I'd like to work on this documentary full-time, but until I secure funding I can't quit my day job.

This is my first feature-length anything and I'm planning on distributing my documentary entirely online. I am also creating an iPhone app that viewers can download after watching the film that will help them take action to reduce their energy consumption and encourage local and sustainable living.

I have a strong editing background using Final Cut Pro, and I think I'm the only one that's really excited about Final Cut Pro X :D

I'd love to meet people that are more experienced with filmmaking, and more specifically, the logistical aspects of putting together a documentary (funding, booking interviews, acquiring licensing rights for music, etc.). I'd also like to meet some great writers!

cheers,
-aaron

Welcome to The D-Word, Aaron. I'm sure you've seen A Crude Awakening and are going to do something different?

In reply to Ben Kempas's post on Tue 28 Jun 2011 :
Thanks Ben! I have seen A Crude Awakening and I loved it. However, a lot has changed since it came out in 2006. In addition to that, I want to directly address the the subject of The Postmodern Condition and how it affects the way people address the problem of peak oil.

I also want to make a point of not appealing to sensationalism, while still making the subject matter approachable and interesting. I feel most films that address peak oil try to sensationalize it so it sounds like the world is ending, when in reality, we are transitioning to a much simpler form of living. Michael Ruppert's Collapse is a good example of a film that I feel was overtly trying to communicate a catastrophic message.

While we do have very serious problems to address, we need to address those issues in a holistic and rational way as fear will only bring chaos.

Good morning all, Scott Stead here, avid doc watcher and enthusiast, organizer of www.documentaryclub.org or www.docclub.org, screener for AFI Silverdocs, one time musical doc editor.

I've been in TV for 13 years and gravitating toward the technical side, hoping and trying feverishly to get back to a creative place. I am currently a broadcast engineer at CNN and do a lot of web videos and live streaming on the side to stay sharp. I have a strong editing background and I've done just about every job in television from writing and producing to audio, graphics, shooting and field engineering.

I'm looking forward to meeting more of you, contributing to the conversation and ultimately I really do hope to work on some films.

Regards,
Scott

Welcome, Scott. Upgraded you to professional status since you obviously qualify – and it's easier than giving you instructions on how to do it.

Hey Doug – thanks so much. Loved 51 Birch Street. Glad to be getting involved in here finally. Ran into some friends at Silverdocs that definitely get a lot of the group and decided it was time. I also keep tuned in on Doculink. Lots of great resources.

Thanks again and looking forward to the conversation.

Cheers,
Scott

In reply to Doug Block's post on Mon 27 Jun 2011 :

Yes we had actually watched it together. It was one of the reasons we decided to move forward with the project. Things are actually getting rolling with it now though, Will keep you all posted as it goes forward. Thanks for link. I greatly value your opinions on the subject. I very much enjoyed "51 birch st" and "The kids grow up". To make two docs about such personal info, AND make them good, is no easy task. Thanks again.

Hello All,
My name is Andy. I'm pretty good with DSLRs, final cut, and generally getting stuff together. I graduated last December from Georgia State with a major in film/video and minor in history. I'm looking to get a documentary web series about living in Atlanta then and now – kind of like a super-localized travel show with an emphasis on culture and history. That's my main focus but I always have other ideas on the back burner.

I'm slowly building my gear. I have a rebel t2i and some vintage lenses. It was hard to lose the access to university equipment, but I was hired by the university upon graduation – so I'm trying to find a way to get my hands on the stuff again.

I'd love to hear from fellow doc enthusiasts from the south – AND EVERYWHERE ELSE!
Get in touch with me at:
tadeloach (at) gmail dot com

Welcome, Andy. While you don't have a lot of professional experience, I'd still recommend you register for professional status here, which will give you access to all 50 discussion topics.

Hello Everyone,
so great to be here and to have found this great page through my documentary friend Line. I am a documentary film maker based in Berlin.
I am so much looking for new ideas in: how produce films and I am so tired of hearing... „this is not possible“. I have the feeling that D-Word is an enthusiastic community of people who want to bring projects further and who love what they are doing.
I have been directing 3 one hour documentaries. The last one was „Shosholoza Express“ which successfully ran on many festival around the world.
I grew up in South Africa that shaped my later life as a documentary film maker a lot.

Further I am very interested in the whole crowd funding topic, where I also started a new project on, called „Restless“. A film about my generation of women turning 30! Please check it http://www.indiegogo.com/RESTLESS.

I am looking forward to share lots of ideas with the community.
My contact: info(at)beamoeller-film.com
www.beamoeller-film.com

Bea

Welcome to The D-Word, Beatrice. As luck would have it, I'll be in Berlin from July 17 to 23. Showing my last two docs at Arsenal on the 17th and 18th (with my ZDF/Arte commissioning editors doing Q&A's with me) and speaking at AG Dok on the 20th. So hopefully I'll get to meet you in person.

howdy everyone,
i'm a DIY documentary filmmaker and just started production on a social issue documentary about higher education reform [www.elephantoncampus.com].

peace out,
mike

Hello Dough
how great. Would be good to meet you in person. Will make sure that I am there. Ohterwise, if you have time, we can meet for a coffee. Let me know: info(at)beamoeller-film.com
Regards
Beatrice

Hi Michael, welcome.....I will check out your website, sounds interesting!

I thought I would re-introduce myself briefly, since I haven't been around in over a year.

My name is Jason Caminiti, I made a Documentary a number of years ago called Pawtucket Rising (www.pawtucketrising.info) which played on RIPBS. You can view the entire doc on my page through Vimeo.

Currently, I have been thinking about working on a documentary that I had the idea for during my work on Pawtucket Rising. Unfortunately, now that I have made a documentary, I know what work really needs to go into it. This makes me extremely worried about starting a new project. But, I figured I'd come here for some encouragement and comiseration.

Hope to see you all in the forums!

DON'T DO IT, JASON! (Sorry, couldn't resist.)

Welcome back and remember that procrastinating on The D-Word is almost as good as actually making a documentary. And much less expensive. Good luck!

Lol! Thanks for the sage words of advice. BTW. I've been wanting to see your new doc, is it still making the circuit, or is it out on DVD yet?

As a matter of fact, THE KIDS GROW UP comes out on dvd next week, July 19. Includes 4 dvd extras with 45 minutes of bonus material. And you can pre-order it now!

Wait, is this the Shameless Self-Promotion topic?

Hi,

I'm new here. I am an artist-curator-librarian who is currently working on a documentary film about Joybubbles – a blind phone phreak (telephone hacker). I made an audio documentary collage of sorts on the subject, which anybody can listen to over the phone at 718-362-9578.

I'm here seeking general advice about doc filmmaking for newbies.

My first question has to do with legal stuff. Is there a good general template out there for interviewees to sign – granting me permission to use them in my doc, for promotion, etc.?

I'm also wondering if there are any organizations out there that are more likely than others to give money to emerging filmmakers like myself?

Thanks!

Rachael

www.rachaelmorrison.com

Hello...

Another newbie here.

After years of toiling cutting indy features, editing series TV (Numb3rs), I returned to my first love, docs, three years ago. Since then I've cut a doc feature on the Dalai Lama (Dalai Lama Renaissance), directed and edited my first doc feature (HomeGrown) and cut a biopic of the Native American leader Dennis Banks (A Good Day to Die)

I look forward to learning and sharing with ya'll!

Robert

Hi everyone!

My name is Melissa Silvestri. I was Assistant Editor for Filmmaker Magazine for two years, and have covered independent film for several film websites, including IONCinema, Cinespect, Women & Hollywood, Dance on Camera Journal, and Film Monthly. I truly enjoy writing about documentary films, because there is so much depth in topics that aren't as well-known to the public.

Currently I am working as a freelance writer, and am looking into doing transcribing jobs, such as transcribing from audio interviews. I am so interested as well in getting to know filmmakers and possibly covering them for future stories.

Rachael, I really liked your website, especially the 20 Things About Me part. That is cool that you are a librarian! I'm interested in being an archival assistant, but a few librarians advised me against getting an MLS degree, saying too many libraries are in trouble these days to make the investment for one.

Welcome to The D-Word, Rachael, Robert, and Melissa!

Phone hacking... how topical!

Welcome, everybody :)

Hi all,
My name is Bonnie Friedman and I just completed my first doc. It was a total labor of love and the process keeps me sane while working my "day" job. I now need guidance on the business side of things and hope to find that here.
thanks

Welcome Bonnie. Just ask away in the Mentoring Room .

Hey Everyone,

My name is Andrew James. I co-directed a documentary called CLEANFLIX which had a pretty decent festival run last year. It premiered at TIFF in 2009 and screened at a bunch of other festivals. Its about the movie sanitizing industry (which started in Utah) and the Mormon culture which created it and supported it. We are working on a small distribution deal right now.

I'm currently working on a new project about how people are adapting to post-industrial spaces in Detroit. We are taking a direct cinema approach. No interviews. No graphics. No voice over. The subjects never even break the fourth wall. The working title of the film is STREET FIGHTING MAN. We are shooting with the 7D.

I'm happy to be here, looking forward to connecting with other filmmakers, and excited to take part in the sharing of ideas.

In reply to Andrew James Schleiffarth's post on Mon 25 Jul 2011 :

Welcome, Bonnie and Andrew....

Hello everyone – I joined D-word a few days ago after meeting Doug in Berlin. It seems to be a great network! I just finished my third feature documentary with Eric Black, “Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth” after wonderful 13 months living and filming with the Maya in Mexico and Guatemala (and a few difficult years of financing and post production…). The film will have a theatrical release in Germany on November 17. In this world of vanishing documentary slots on television and after some negative experiences with world sales agents, I am especially looking forward to discussing new ways of distribution.
Kind regards, Frauke

Welcome to The D-Word, Frauke! Meeting you and Eric last week was a real highlight of my week in Berlin, so it's great that we'll get to see each other here from time to time. Or maybe we can lure you to join us in NYC on Aug 11 for The D-Word's 12th birthday bash ;-)

Dear Doug, August 11 is also Eric's birthday AND the beginning of the ancient Mayan calendar... But unfortunately I'm afraid we won't make it to NY so soon...

Ok, nice excuses so we'll let you off this time. Just two words for you: Film Forum. And two others: Fingers crossed.

Hello All!

Great to see all these introductions. Right now I guess I don't have too much to say about myself, but I have worked in production for a few years, now. I love storytelling, educating, and allowing people to tell their stories.

Right now, I am looking at creating a transmedia project that would be ongoing. I just need to get things ready to apply for grants. So, if you have any suggestions, please throw them my way.

Thanks!
-Kim

Welcome everyone!

In reply to Doug Block's post on Tue 26 Jul 2011 :

Isn't The D-Word's birthday in September?

Hello all – I am film composer who was introduced to D-Word by friends at the 2011 Silverdocs Festival, where my film, "Long Way Home: The Loving Story" was screening with HBO. Feel free to give a shout out if there is anything I can help you with on the musical front. I will be at the party tonight and am very much looking forward to meeting you all. My D-Word link is here:

http://www.d-word.com/people/dmajzlin

Cheers, David
www.davidmajzlin.com

David, terrific to see you here. It was great to make your acquaintance at Silverdocs – and as I told you then, I think the music for The Loving Story plays an eloquent, effective role in a very powerful film.

Hi Everyone

This is Jessica Miller from Transcription wave that offer an assortment of transcription services for audio, video and interviews at an unbelievably low cost. Our transcription services are available for a wide spectrum of customers: interviews, conference calls, focus groups, film and television production companies; raw footage/B-roll and closed captioning of scripts. Inward we accept audio or videotapes and all digital file formats like mp3, wav, wma, mov, avi, mp4, etc.

In reply to Frauke Sandig's post on Tue 26 Jul 2011 :

Frauke and Eric are fine filmmakers. Congratulations on the new film and welcome to The D-Word...