Introduce Yourself: Sign In Here First

Hello Everyone,

My name is Tal Levitas. I have experience in the film festival world, as I have worked in various capacities with the Silverdocs film festival for several years. Since moving to Los Angeles, I've been working on narrative productions as a Production Assistant.

I am working on an independent documentary project and while my production skills are fairly green, I probably have some insights related to the film festival process.

I have a passion for documentary film and am excited to meet with others who share this.

You're in the right place, Tal. Welcome to The D-Word.

Howdy-
I am producing/directing (and so far, just about everything else) my first film, a documentary about race-based inequities in the American education system. I started out as a teacher in South Central, Los Angeles and have been working as an advocate for urban, minority students ever since.

I decided to make TEACHED because it seems to me that much of the public doesn't really understand the racism inherent in our system--or dismisses it, blaming inner-city kids (in particular), and their families, and their culture, for their lower academic performance instead of making sure they get as good of an education as their white and wealthier peers.

Stepping off my soapbox now.....a new friend (an experienced editor) introduced me to the D-Word as a good place to look for an editor for TEACHED (and a place to find general advice, contacts, etc.). I will post an ad today– hoping to finish TEACHED before 2010 is out!

Cool site. Very happy to be here.
Kelly

And we're happy that you're here, as well, Kelly. Sounds like an important film you're making, so hang in there.

Feel free to register as a full member which would give you access to all 50 discussion topics.

Hi Kelly,
I'll send you a copy of our "walk Right In" if you will send me an address.

Hello all,

I am eagerly about to dip my toes in the documentary world and in need of some advice I found this site. I'm sure this isn't the exact place to post questions so I'll end my intro here and figure out where to go next.

Cheers,
James

In reply to Jason Fredric Gilbert's post on Sun 29 Aug 2010 :

Hello Jason! I just signed up to this site and immediately saw your post!
I'm heading to Tel Aviv in a little more than three weeks time shooting a documentary about the Royal Winnipeg Ballet's first tour to Israel since 1975.
On top of the Israeli/Palestinian issue you've picked up on a truly universal theme for your doc – getting the thing funded!
Good luck with your documentary. Getting everyone together again would be amazing, but even just documenting all the reasons it won't happen is enlightening.

Cheers,
James

Welcome, James. Questions can be posted in the Mentoring Room topic.

Deirdre Towers, Dance on Camera Festival Director, co-produced by Dance Films Association and Film Society of Lincoln Center, is looking for documentaries involving dance for our 39th Festival. Please see our website with the on-line entry form – http://www.dancefilms.org

I just finished a dance film which can be seen on Vimeo – http://vimeo.com/15124459
(Black) Light

Love to see your documentary James

Dance on Camera Festival 2011

Please see our website with the on-line entry form – http://www.dancefilms.org

Hi all,
we are a team of writers, filmakers and producers for tv-series and documentaries based in Rome,Italy. You can follow us on twitter @StoryFactoryDoc

Welcome, Story Factory. So you know, if you want to register for full membership at The D-Word (and we certainly hope you will) you'll need to do so as individuals rather than as a company.

The "real name" policy counts for everyone – you can only join The D-Word as an individual, not as a team or production company.

Hello! I took the "real name" policy literally and included my middle name. I wasn't trying to sound pretentious ... honest! "Enthusiast" is a perfect description for me. Currently, I'm a Big Fan/consumer of documentary ~ especially when Hot Docs rolls around. Am trying to get a sense of The (doc-making) Life to sharpen my appreciation as an audience member.

Welcome, Ann. Nice to have a genuinely enthusiastic enthusiast here in the mix. Hope you find what you're looking for.

Hi D-Word,

I am way overdue in joining this amazing community, and am glad to finally be a part of it. I made my first documentary in 2004 with Tim Nackashi, Dirty Work (dirtyworkdoc.com), have worked for hire as a cinematographer and producer and director in various corners of the non-fiction film and tv-making worlds, and am now in the middle of making my next documentary feature, called My Own Man, about my middle-aged masculinity crisis (check out myownmanthemovie.com for more details on the project). In some ways I'm an experienced filmmaker but in some ways I also feel like a newbie, especially when it comes to the business of attracting funding and building an audience and getting films out into the world, so I'm here to offer what I can while benefiting from the mentorship of this sprawling network of documentary nuts. Thanks for having me, David

Part of the business seems to be discovering that however much experience you accumulate along the way, it's inevitable to find that you're a newbie again and again.

You're welcome to share your crises at The D-Word, David.

Hello,

My husband and I run a post-production facility here in NYC and for some reason have found ourselves working with a lot of documentary filmmakers. We mixed "Dark Days" here as well as "King Corn" and "Herb and Dorothy". I love working on docs and I hope I can add something to the discussions as well.

Hello D-Word,

I am an aspiring documentary filmmaker who is currently researching film schools and am in need of some professional advice. I hold a Bachelor's degree in a field unrelated to film and have very little experience with production, editing, distribution, etc. In your professional opinion, do you think my time and money would be better spent pursuing a Master's degree that may focus heavily on history and theory, or pursuing more of a "hands on" program such as the one-year documentary filmmaking program offered by the New York Film Academy? I have read some varying reviews on the NYFA in general, so any advice or opinions you may have about that school would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you so much for your help!

Todd

It's a couple of years old already, but have you seen the Independent's The 10 Best Academic Programs for Documentary Filmmakers ?

Welcome, Todd, Barbara and especially David, who I've known for a while now (as well as his impossibly lovely wife). You may feel like a newbie but you're not. Dirty Work showed great talent and can't wait to see how My Own Man turns out.

In reply to John Burgan's post on Wed 29 Sep 2010 : Thanks for your quick reply, John. I have been researching the programs mentioned in the Independent article and it has been a great starting point. Please let me know if any other advice comes to mind.

Spend your money getting experience. Volunteer for one of the many top-notch doc makers running around NY, Phila, or DC. Then decide if you want/need a masters. You are more likely to find employment by being a great volunteer than by going to school.

Hi,
My name is Teresa Pigeon; I live in Cary, NC. I am a photographer, but have recently branched out into documentary video. At Duke's Center for Documentary Studies, I learned how my reach can be extended by moving into the video field, and I'm working to use these new skills to tell stories.

I'm currently working on a short about a local eccentric. Also, I'm documenting the making of a local film. Next, I hope to work on a piece about the use of therapy dogs in Hospice (where I volunteer). I'm only in the planning stages of this – but there are so many things to consider.

As is true for most folks, I learned so much in shooting and editing my very first video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAjuCfvaw0k.
I learned what to do and what to NOT do (and it's apparent in the clip!)

Very recently I've decided to put much more time and effort into documentary video, and hope to learn from your experiences. I'm excited about some recent work I've done using the 5dmkii – and it's possibilities (while very aware of the limitations). Examples of my photos: www.pigeongallery.com

Welcome, Teresa. A great program you went to at Duke. And you're doing the right thing by just plunging in and making films. Best of luck.

Hi Everyone – wow, it's been 5 years since my last sign in (where does the time go?). Anyway, thought it'd be time for an update and looks like there's a LOT more people here now. Make a long story short: Documentary (corporate media/events producer to pay the bills) producer/director . . . . moved to the Jersey Shore – exit 102 – Asbury Park. . . . . large arts and cultural component in a never-ending up and coming seaside city . . . . NO movie theater. . . . . in a city that used to have 7 (count 'em 7) movie palaces in its heyday (Walter Reade had headquarters here) . . . . couldn't believe that every art genre represented but film . . . . couldn't let that alone . . . . have opened a 56 seat art house theater in the downtown that for the past 16 months has developed a growing, appreciative audience in a considerable radius of the city . . . . it's called The ShowRoom Independent Cinema – www.TheShowRoomAP.com – so now I'm an exhibitor as well as a producer! . . . . quite an odd couple of hats, but very enjoyable and exhilarating to be able to workshop my productions as well as be the salon for others who are making film and looking for an audience. . . . . . and I thought it would be a good time to reconnect and network with everyone on the DWord since I still have a member status here. . . . . right now we're producing short docs that screen before the features, so we keep producing while we're exhibiting. . . . quite a ride . . . . look forward to chatting with you all. . . . Thanks

Hi all! Greetings from the Bay Area. I am a writer-producer-director with a decade of narrative filmmaking experience in Los Angeles behind me. Have produced, acquired and distributed numerous syndicated tv shows, independent films (foreign and domestic)as well as documentaries. Just completed my cinema verite feature (as Director/DP) on a highly contentious issue:immigration from the south, approached from an unexpected and controversial angle. The main protagonist is a rabid iconoclast, self-proclaimed revolutionary and an embodiment of the Tea Party philosophy. Please do check out the website and trailer at WWW.MAXKENNEDYTHEFILM.COM. The film is due for wide release early 2011. Please click the facebook link on website and 'LIKE' for constant updates. Thanks.

Welcome, Vikram, and a warm welcome back to Mike. Nice to hear what you've been up to, and about The ShowRoom. What a great thing to be doing.

Hey everybody. My name is Mike and I'm looking for feedback on the promo to my new documentary "Buscando a Toño Bicicleta". We raised a small amount of funds to shoot this promo and are currently in talks with a few investors to get the full amount. Any feedback would be appreciated.

http://vimeo.com/15514989

Thanks!

Hi there everybody
My name is Jonathan, and I'm an director and editor from Montreal. My entry into documentary + video in general came a few years ago, during an extended stay in South Africa and Mozambique, where I was doing media workshops and working with video in the townships. I've also worked for a doc program in Montreal, as an editor and technical advisor. I actually heard about D-Word through a German filmmaker friend (what's up, Magdalena? when are you coming back to Montreal for more bagels and cream cheese?), and looking forward to meeting some of you.
I'm currently researching a film about Polish refugees who ended up in Africa during WW2, including my family. So I'm planning a research trip to England, Poland, Belarus, and Tanzania this fall. If anybody has tips about shooting in Belarus or Tanzania, it would be appreciated. I might be looking for some help finding fixers/translators in both places, too.

Merci!

Hi – Richard Baron from Australia. I'm a dedicated documentary producer/director who managed to get my first short feature up and into festivals with no funding or assistance from anyone. Yay for me.

http://www.lanfranchismemorialdiscotheque.com/

I love your films Doug!

Thanks, Richard. Great to have with us at The D-Word. Love your accent, too.

Hi-I'm a documentary maker and editor from San Francisco. Another filmmaker I met at Sidewalk Film Festival told me about D-word and all the helpful forums. Looking forward to meeting other doc makers here.

I have made 2 short documentaries, The Recyclergy and The Legend of Toilet-Seat Charlie, and eager for my next one.

The Recyclergy focuses on a unique group of professional recyclers in the SF Bay Area. You can view the film here:

www.kqed.org/arts/programs/trulyca/shorts/episode.jsp?essid=12107

The Legend of Toilet-Seat Charlie is 12 minute piece on about the inventor of the toilet seat guitar. It's not yet online, but soon! Here's the website:

www.charliedealdoc.com

Jeremy

Hi everyone! This is Cristina, I'm Italian/American currently interning at American Documentary | POV and Outreach Coordinator for 21 Below, in New York City. After working for over a year for the Documentary Foundation, a non profit organization where I managed an educational program for high school students, and did event planning and fund raising.

I looking for a position as Assistant, Coordinator, PreScreener, and/or Event planner for an organization involved with filmmaking in New York.

I speak four languages and am extremely dependable. I have many references, please get in touch at crismis16@gmail.com

Thank you!

Welcome aboard, Jeremy and Cristina.

Thank you, Doug! Please spread the word about my job searching in NY!

Hi all, my names Jason and I'm originally from Southern Africa, and am now residing in NZ. I started making a documentary to help the future generation on getting a more detailed understanding of abusive&addictive substances. I have went down a wasted 10yr path of night clubbing and drugging, and have now given my profession in the Audio Visual industry a break, to complete this doc. I am going to need all the help I can get.
Cheers....or as we say here...Kiora

Hi All,
I'm a Cinematographer & Producer. More info on my site: http://www.noeldonnellon.com

Hello All,
I think I joined D-Word (gulp) five years ago or something and have lurked occasionally, but never long enough to engage in a real conversation. Trying to amend that since I feel woefully behind in the world of non-fiction, except as an audience member.
I made a personal doc called The Grace Lee Project in 2005, plus a few shorts before that; but I also work in fiction (most recently in 2007, a 'fictional documentary' feature called American Zombie). I got sidetracked for a couple of years with family stuff but am now working on a new film about 95 yr old Detroit philosopher/activist who has devoted her life to social justice and the promise of the next American Revolution. I look forward to learning and contributing more to this great community!

Sounds fascinating Grace, I love films about people in their later years.. so much to reflect on, especially a life of action... that's nearly a hundred years of living history embodied in her.

Welcome back to D-Word, Grace. The Grace Lee Project is one of my favorite documentaries of all time. Curious – were you introduced to the subject of your current film by the Detroit Grace Lee?

Hello
My name is Mark Fuller and I've been making television now for two decades. I'm based in Vancouver, BC. I've written/directed/produced across several genres, including documentary – mostly series for History, Discovery, AMC, CBC etc. My most recent project is 'Ice Pilots NWT' (writer) for Global/History and I'm about to start work on a similar doc series for History called 'Dust Up'. It follows a group of crop dusters in Saskatchewan.
More info about me on my website: www.tribunebayproductions.com . I'm looking forward to exploring this site – it looks great.
Cheers!

I'm a documentary filmmaker in Miami Beach, FL. I'm finishing up my first feature length documentary called Bots High (www.botshigh.com), which follows high school robotics teams build kick ass fighting robots.

I also run a production company, www.coffeeandcelluloidproductions.com, where I create short form documentaries for companies and broadcasters.

Welcome, Jason and Noel, Mark and Joey. Coming so fast and furious we can barely keep up. And welcome back to The D-Word, Grace. Looking forward to your contributing here, as well.

Hello friends! It's wonderful to see such a positive use of the internet in a forum like this- too often it is the negative that receives all my attention.

Anyway, I'm a young filmmaker living between Richmond, Virginia and Nairobi, Kenya at the moment working on a project to develop education and filmmaking in both places. My dedication is just that: inform the youth of our world as to the power they have with digital media at their disposal. I anticipate one day seeing a world where everyone owns some form of a camera, where media is completely democratized, where the title 'documentarian' is synonymous with 'human' or, more politically, 'citizen'.

I am happy to find a group of like-minded people, and I wish you all the best of luck in your endeavors!

-Matt Wilder

Welcome Matt,
When you are in Kenya, you might check our friends out.
www.globalroots.org

Hello! My name is Riccardo, I am a documentary filmmaker/producer based in Rome, Italy. I run a production company, www.visitorq.net. We are now launching a crowdsourced documentary project, more details soon!

Looking forward to hearing more, Riccardo – welcome to The D-Word

Hi Doc folk – My name is Christopher Morris – live and work in wales – 20 years (so far) making docs for British TV – but in 2003 took a left hand turn and went into University – I now run Newport Film School (set up by John Grierson in 1966 – www.newport.ac.uk) Newport has been producing nearly fifty years worth of Documentary filmmakers! Really interested in contacting old Newport Alumni. Hello John Burgan!!!

Chris

Chris is being typically modest about his achievements, both as an award-winning film-maker and also the fact that the doc film course he set up (and which I have just inherited) is rated as one of the very best in the UK.

Not sure if there are many Newport Alumni at The D-Word, Chris, but would be interesting to track them down – check out the search tool