Archive for the ‘Documentary’ Category
The Joy of Stats – making data visible (and fun)
Hans Rosling’s BBC program “The Joy of Stats” is a real “mind-opener” for non-fiction storytellers who want to engage audiences in the swirling world of data that surrounds us today.
THE RIGHT WAY TO APPROACH CROWDFUNDING
I’ve long followed Peter Broderick and even used his consulting services on Skatopia. In this article he outlines how the phenomenon of crowdfunding can be done right… or wrong. Worth a read.
Peter Broderick, the president of Paradigm Consulting and a guru of the digital distribution revolution, was on hand to moderate a panel about crowdfunding at the 2011 Film Independent Forum. He brought
Peter Broderick and Nick Lewis speak at the 2011 Film Independent Forum
with him the masterminds behind two highly successful crowdfunding campaigns; the team for I AM I an indie narrative written and directed by Jocelyn Towne, and Nick Lewis, co-director of the soccer doc, Rise and Shine: the Jay Demerit Story. Ready to start soliciting money from people you know and people you don’t? These tips come straight from the experts!
- Make a really really really good video. I mean it, it has to be really good. The director and producers of the film I Am I had set a goal of $100,000 and ended up raising over $111,000! You know why? The director made an extremely fun and personal video that really connected with people she knew and didn’t know. When I say “good” it doesn’t have to be slick, well-edited, or even clever. It just needs to touch a people on a personal level, something that most internet videos fail to do.
- Have a strategy. Ok, this one seems obvious, but all the really successful crowdfunding campaigns had a very detailed strategy that took at least a month to plan out. What is your fundraising goal, what will be your rewards structure, who will you target first? Second? Third? How will you keep your donors engaged throughout the campaign? What is your website going to look like (Yes, you definitely need to make a separate website for your film). If you can plan it out and execute it smartly, you’re much more likely to reach your crowdfunding goal.
- Who is your audience? This is, of course, part of your strategy, but it’s a huge one. Nick Lewis had a fairly easy time of identifying his audience – soccer fans! The producers of the film needed over $215,000 for their film (for licensing, rights, etc) and they raised around $223,000! You’d be right if you said a lot of their donors were European soccer fans. Be smart about who your audience is and market to them. (Marketing is part of the whole strategy-thing).
- Pick the Crowdfunding platform that’s right for your project. What’s the difference between IndieGoGo and Kickstarter? IndieGoGo allows you to keep the money, regardless of whether you’ve reached your goal – however, they take a larger percentage of the money on the back end. Kickstarter is all or nothing – if you don’t reach your goal, all the money gets refunded to the donors, but they also take a smaller percentage of the money in fees. There are a few other differences as well which you will need to research before deciding which one is the best for you, but those are the big ones.
- Have a schedule. Make sure you spend the money that you’ve raised crowdfunding in the same year that you received it! Otherwise things will get hairy on your tax returns, and you may end up claiming it as income and having to pay a lot in income taxes before you even get to use the money!
The best way to figure out how to run your campaign is to peruse both Kickstarter and IndieGoGo. Look for patterns and trends with what works and what doesn’t. With crowdfunding taking off in this day and age, you’re chances of successfully raising funds will be a lot better if you take the time to research it!
– by Film Independent Fellow Shilpi Roy for Film Independent
Buckle up: Traditional TV is in for a heck of a ride
Good overview on where media may be headed. “MSO” refers to multiple system operators, the big cable companies.
The first wave of commercialization on the Internet had a tremendous impact on our lives and has disrupted most — if not all — industry value chains. The print industry was in the eye of the storm, with decline in readers and advertising budgets forcing many major magazines and newspapers to shut down, while the survivors continue to scramble to deal with the disruption. The primary reasons for the debacle of the print industry were:
- High fixed cost structures left incumbents unable to match the niche segmentation requirement and accountability benefits of online advertising
- Professional publishers denied consumers’ appetite for short form and user-generated content
- High debt loads on the legacy businesses created an inability to cannibalize core revenues
Film Threat – Skatopia: 88 Acres Of Anarchy
This new review on Film Threat spends so much time talking about Skatopia the place… it makes me think he must’ve liked the movie!
SKATOPIA: 88 ACRES OF ANARCHY
If someone told you that a bastion of pure, unadulterated freedom exists in the United States, where would you expect to would find that place? Unless your answer is “in the middle of nowhere, Ohio,” you’re probably wrong.
Brewce Martin’s Skatopia, all 88 acres of it, floats out in the Ohio wilderness. Part skate park, park skateboarding legacy and museum and part anarchistic commune, it’s a grimy bubble of pure freedom; a skateboarder’s dream and end-of-the-world Thunderdome all at the same time. Drop by and party at their huge blowouts, live on site, skateboard, set your car on fire, have your own demolition derby, engage in an orgy of fireworks (or just a regular orgy)… anything goes at Skatopia.
Laurie House & Colin Powers’ Skatopia: 88 Acres of Anarchy offers an unflinching gaze at what this complete freedom looks like, for better or worse.Continued…
Sundance Award winning Documantary “If a Tree Falls” – watch now on PBS
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation FrontWatch the full episode. See more POV.
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front explores two of America’s most pressing issues — environmentalism and terrorism — by lifting the veil on a radical environmental group the FBI calls America’s “number one domestic terrorism threat.” Daniel McGowan, a former member of the Earth Liberation Front, faces life in prison for two multimillion-dollar arsons against Oregon timber companies. What turned this working-class kid from Queens into an eco-warrior? Marshall Curry (Oscar®-nominated Street Fight, POV 2005) provides a nuanced and provocative account that is part coming-of-age story, part cautionary tale and part cops-and-robbers thriller.
It’s a Classic!? Turner Classic Movies is selling Skatopia!
Skatopia: 88 Acres Of Anarchy (2010)
What else would you call a skateboarding-centric Utopia but…”Skatopia”? Observing everyday life on an Appalachian farm commune formed by hillbilly skating fanatics who maintain a demolition derby society otherwise governed by anarchy, this documentary reveals the rural location as a cult-like haven for enthusiasts looking to escape conventional attitudes of all kinds.
It may be classic, but discriminating buyers want the Collector’s Edition.
Lance Weiler is bringing a transmedia education project to Montreal
Forty children and two teachers on different sides of the continent will work together this fall to produce stories and artwork about a robot. These artifacts will board a commercial rocket and, through an actual space launch, make their way to the International Space Station. The “dean” of transmedia is taking transmedia storytelling in some great (and local) directions.
Robot Heart Stories
This fall I’ll be releasing an exciting new participatory storytelling project focused on experiential education, storytelling and creative collaboration.
A robot has crash landed in Montreal and now must make her way to LA in order to find her space craft and return home. Two third grade classes in underprivileged neighborhoods, one in Montreal (French speaking) and the other in LA (English speaking) engage in an experiential learning project that utilizes math, science, history, geography and creative writing to place education directly in the hands of students. By using collaborative problem solving and creative writing the students help the Robot make her way across North America. The project concludes with an actual space launch! That’s right the robot along with copies of the students stories and artwork will board a commercial rocket that is headed to the space station later this fall.
Jeb Corliss the flying man
I had seen some brief videos of base jumpers and their wingsuits, but today saw an editor’s reel that featured this “wingnut”.
Corliss is pretty wild – his dream is to land from a free fall without a parachute. He wants to build a giant landing ramp that he would slide down stomach first (at 110 mph or so) to come to an eventual halt.
In the meantime, he keeps practicing ever more extreme flights to refine his control while flying the wingsuit.
In his most recent video he decides to get a close up look at Switzerland’s geology:
Rediscovered my favorite site for DIY audio
I’ve lamented the loss of Alan Barker’s wonderful site that gave us the technique that worked for our year of shooting at Skatopia. Thank you Alan!
I just remembered the fabulous Wayback Machine at the Internet Archive and REDISCOVERED this lost site.
We don’t agree with his assertion about the DVX100, but we’ve used his mic recommendations for 100′s of hours of verite shooting in extreme conditions.
Check out this great resource from a very accomplished doc sound recordist and producer.
A few other sound resources I’ve used (and each has good used equipment):
Trew Audio: I’ve rented from them and like their reviews and white papers. They gave us a great rate because we were independent, knew what we wanted and treated them (and their gear) professionally.
Professional Sound Services, NYC – not to be confused with PSC that make sound gear… these guys rent gear and make custom cables among other things. Seems like they’ve added training to their mix.
Finally, though audio is not their sole specialty like the others, Talamas Broadcast in Boston is one of the friendliest and most issue free rental houses anwhere. It’s enough to make me think up stories to go shoot in Boston! Also check out their white papers… like how to check Back Focus… if you don’t know what that is and you’ll be shooting professionally, you’d be wise to read this paper.
Enjoy!
Skatopia hits PBS… Brewce & Laurie Video Interview
Laurie House and Brewce Martin of Skatopia are interveiwed by Thom Hallock of Mountain Lake Journal about Skatopia: 88 Acres of Anarchy. The movie will be playing June 11 at 11PM at the Lake Placid Film Forum.
Athens Film Festival Photos – Better late than never
This is an older post that I forgot to put up… oops!
We had a fantastic pair of screenings in Athens, OH. Sold out twice. Here are some images.
Out front of the classic Athena Theater courtesy David Hooker
Selections from Skatopia's museum
Brewce Martin's mom Pat came out
Brewce brought a high school sweetheart - Susie
Producer’s Resource: Writing a Better Treatment
Below is an invaluable tool for anyone seeking to write a pitch document for a grant, private investor, foundation or broadcaster. I’ve been referring to it for several years and re-read every six months or so. I’d add to the discussion several key points:
1) Describe (early in your treatment) what you want to accomplish with the project – is it a call to action?: Do you hope to get people to start a garden, cherish their kids, write their congressman, discuss your story with their friends, boycott the mall? Or is it a personal exploration? By exploring your sexuality, probing your family’s past, or creating animated fantasy worlds you hope to inspire others to reflect on the universal stories we share. Even if your project is a “straightforward” history doc or science show – try and define what reactions you are hoping it will stimulate in your audience. This will help define your entire project.
2)Consider your print format: find ways to bullet or break up your key points into quickly readable bites (you never know if you’ll be pitching this in person and your audience chooses to grab your paper and scan it while you talk.) Nothing is less appetizing than a solid mass of text with narrow margins and few paragraphs – no matter how well written.
3) Be sure to consider the ways that your project will stand out from others under consideration. What storytelling innovation are you bringing? Do you have a niche audience? Do you have 5000 followers on Facebook? Is there a video game or app attached to the project? Will you be screening on rooftops? Today, more than ever, funders are looking for innovation.
WRITING A BETTER ITVS TREATMENT
“If a story is in you, it has got to come out.”
- William FaulknerTREATMENT
In the treatment section of the ITVS proposal we ask you to communicate your passion and to explain how you envision translating your story from page to screen – taking into account structure, theme, style, format, voice and point-of-view. What do these words really mean? Here, members of the programming staff offer notes on writing an effective treatment. Remember, these are only suggestions; your treatment will undoubtedly be unique – tailored to the specific demands of your story.PASSION
When writing the treatment, don’t be afraid to infuse your words with passion. Your excitement and sense of urgency should be contagious.STRUCTURE
Like the frame of a house, or a human skeleton, structure holds up all the parts of a story, supporting and organizing the elements into a coherent and interrelated dramatic whole. Structure determines how the story will unfold dramatically, how it will build – moving through moments of tension and conflict – from beginning to middle to end. Structure is the road a reader takes through the dramatic terrain of the program.Article continues…
