Profiles
The 10 Best Academic Programs for Documentary Filmmakers
An overview of the best programs from Duke to Stanford to Maine
September 23rd, 2008 | Caitlin Graham
Choosing the right school is hard, but it can be even harder when you have a specialized focus, like documentary filmmaking. Whether you're a novice or a veteran filmmaker looking to try something new, this top ten list of the best documentary film programs, both degree granting and non-degree granting, boils down the programs so you can find exactly the right fit.
These days, it’s fairly easy to find an excellent place to learn how to make narrative films. Ten Best lists exist by the fistful, and a Google search of “learn filmmaking” returns more than 30,000 hits.
From Dreams to the Screen: From Nightmare to Toronto
Australian screenwriting duo, Armstrong & Krause talk about their writing process, horrific influences and how near-death experiences led them to the craft of portraying nightmares.
September 22nd, 2008 | Courtney Fathom Sell
Up-and-coming Austrialian screenwriting duo, Armstrong & Krause, talk to the Independent about brainstorming horror films and their new film, Acolytes (see trailer), which screened at the Toronto Film Festival in September.
For the most part, our nightmares are something on which we try not to dwell. However, in the case of Australian screenwriting duo Shanye Armstrong and S.P. Krause, nightmares are explored, outlined and used as the basis for many of their chilling storylines.
Living with a Mutation
An interview with the director and subject of "In the Family," a documenary about living with the breast cancer gene.
September 11th, 2008 | Amanda Axelson
Joanna Rudnick, director and subject of the documentary In the Family (see the trailer) discusses living life with the knowledge she has an 85 percent chance of getting cancer and what effect this documentary has had on her life, so far.
It’s hard enough being a single woman dating in your early thirties. But, imagine having to tell the person you're dating that you carry the gene mutation for cancer, and will eventually need to remove your ovaries and possibly breasts. Now, imagine having to tell that person you’re delaying the process because you’re waiting to have kids.
The Doc Doctor's Anatomy of a Film: "Sync or Swim"
The Documentary Doctor takes a look at filmmaker Cheryl Furjanic's "Sync or Swim."
September 1st, 2008 | Fernanda Rossi
In the spirit of the Summer Olympics, the Documentary Doctor takes a look at filmmaker Cheryl Furjanic's Sync or Swim, which goes behind the scenes with the synchronized swimmers of the 2004 Summer Olympics. Also, check out the Doctor's previous Anatomy columns.
About this column: Many filmmakers ponder in anguish, How do other people—celebrated people—do it? Am I taking too long to make this documentary? Does everybody spend as much money as I am spending, or am I spending too little? And when filmmakers share their lessons learned in interviews in the glossy trade magazines, their tales seem to follow the arc of otherworldy heroes rather than real documentary makers, i.e. human beings like you and me. So each month, the Doc Doctor will go out into the world (this real world) of filmmakers who are successful and find out how they made it. The "Anatomy of a Film Column" is a chance to learn from filmmakers' hits and misses in real life examples. —Fernanda Rossi, story consultant a.k.a. the Documentary Doctor
Boom or Bust: The Cinema Guild's Ryan Krivoshey
Cinema Guild director of distribution, Ryan Krivoshey talks with the Independent about the evolution of independent film distribution
September 1st, 2008 | Jericho Parms
Ryan Krivoshey, the Cinema Guild's director of distribution, talks with The Independent about the evolution of independent film distribution, how the perception of the documentary has evolved since 9-11 and how Internet distribution has had an impact on the way films are seen.
Much has changed since 1968 when Philip and Mary-Ann Hobel created The Cinema Guild and television was the niche market for all things educational.
The Doc Doctor's Anatomy of a Film: "This Is Where My Dog Is Buried"
July 10th, 2008 | Fernanda Rossi
The Doc Doctor takes a look behind the success of Israeli Producer and Director Nir Keinan's documentary This Is Where My Dog Is Buried. He describes the mistakes he made and the smart moves that ultimately led to the financing of the film. Also, check out the Doc Doctor's previous Anatomy columns.
About this column: Many filmmakers ponder in anguish, How do other people—celebrated people—do it? Am I taking too long to make this documentary? Does everybody spend as much money as I am spending, or am I spending too little? And when filmmakers share their lessons learned in interviews in the glossy trade magazines, their tales seem to follow the arc of otherworldy heroes rather than real documentary makers, i.e. human beings like you and me. So each month, the Doc Doctor will go out into the world (this real world) of filmmakers who are successful and find out how they made it. The "Anatomy of a Film Column" is a chance to learn from filmmakers' hits and misses in real life examples. —Fernanda Rossi, story consultant a.k.a. the Documentary Doctor
Filmmaker's Journal: So Much for Taking a Break
Jason Rosette went to Southeast Asia to take time off after his second film wrapped. That's where the subject of his third and latest film grabbed him
June 11th, 2008 | Jason Rosette
Jason Rosette made two films in the U.S.—Bookwars and Susan Hero—before moving to Southeast Asia. His original plan was to travel a bit and learn how to teach English as a second language. But on a stopover in Cambodia, Rosette found himself infatuated with the country and its people. And since the once-troubled nation lost a generation of artists and journalists, he also saw an opportunity and even a responsibility to put his media-making skills to good use. So he organized a film festival and started a production company that works for a number of NGOs. He chronicles his work in this first journal entry for The Independent.
In 2007, an article in the New York Times hailed Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia, as “the next Prague.” Soon thereafter, every footloose hipster in the West seemed to home in on the place. But the city they found was a far cry from “the next Prague.” It is still too alien to most Western sensibilities, and it is at times dismayingly dark, violent, and desperate.
The Doc Doctor's Anatomy of a Film: "Plagues & Pleasures on the Salton Sea"
Chris Metzler and Jeff Springer braved camera-melting heat to film their documentary
May 6th, 2008 | Fernanda Rossi
The Independent's Doc Doctor Fernanda Rossi analyzes the success of Plagues & Pleasures on the Salton Sea (view the trailer), directed by Chris Metzler and Jeff Springer. The filmmakers talk about sleeping in their car, having a camera melt in the heat, landing John Waters as a narrator, and re-editing their film after its world premiere at Slamdance. Also, check out Rossi's last "Anatomy" column on The Longing. Attention Colorado Filmmakers: The Doc will be conducting her signature workshops on story structure and trailer mechanics in Denver on May 17 and 18; she is also speaking at the Boston Media Market on May 30. For details, visit Documentarydoctor.com.
About this column: Many filmmakers ponder in anguish, How do other people—celebrated people—do it? Am I taking too long to make this documentary? Does everybody spend as much money as I am spending, or am I spending too little? And when filmmakers share their lessons learned in interviews in the glossy trade magazines, their tales seem to follow the arc of otherworldy heroes rather than real documentary makers, i.e. human beings like you and me. So each month, the Doc Doctor will go out into the world (this real world) of filmmakers who are successful and find out how they made it. The "Anatomy of a Film Column" is a chance to learn from filmmakers' hits and misses in real life examples. —Fernanda Rossi, story consultant a.k.a. the Documentary Doctor
The Doc Doctor's Anatomy of a Film: "The Longing"
The deeper she got into shooting, the more emotionally engaged filmmaker Gabriela Böhm became in her subjects' plight. The result is a very different film from the one she set out to make
April 5th, 2008 | Fernanda Rossi
The Independent's Fernanda Rossi interviews Gabriela Böhm about her film The Longing: The Forgotten Jews of South America. Böhm initially intended to make a dispassionate historical documentary complete with reenactments. As she became emotionally attached to her subjects, however, Böhm decided to rethink the tone of her film. The result is a compelling documentary that has been screened at more than 20 festivals worldwide.
About this new column: Many filmmakers ponder in anguish, How do other people—celebrated people—do it? Am I taking too long to make this documentary? Does everybody spend as much money as I am spending, or am I spending too little? And when filmmakers share their lessons learned in interviews in the glossy trade magazines, their tales seem to follow the arc of otherworldy heroes rather than real documentary makers, i.e. human beings like you and me. So each month, the Doc Doctor will go out into the world (this real world) of filmmakers who are successful and find out how they made it. The "Anatomy of a Film Column" is a chance to learn from filmmakers' hits and misses in real life examples. —Fernanda Rossi, story consultant a.k.a. the Documentary Doctor
The Doc Doctor's Anatomy of a Film: "I Was a Teenage Feminist"
Therese Shechter talks about where the idea—and the money—came from, for this very personal, irreverent film
March 19th, 2008 | Fernanda Rossi
The Independent's Fernanda Rossi looks at Therese Shechter's film I Was a Teenage Feminist (watch the trailer), which has screened at more than 50 festivals worldwide. The filmmaker assembled an impressive advisory board to help her make the film. And she financed a portion of the post-production with money raised from a Canadian television network — but only after a true stroke of luck. Attention New York Filmmakers: The Doc Doctor is bringing her signature workshops on story structure and trailer mechanics to New York City on April 12 and 19. For more information, go to DocumentaryDoctor.com.
About this new column: Many filmmakers ponder in anguish, How do other people—celebrated people—do it? Am I taking too long to make this documentary? Does everybody spend as much money as I am spending, or am I spending too little? And when filmmakers share their lessons learned in interviews in the glossy trade magazines, their tales seem to follow the arc of otherworldy heroes rather than real documentary makers, i.e. human beings like you and me. So each month, the Doc Doctor will go out into the world (this real world) of filmmakers who are successful and find out how they made it. The "Anatomy of a Film Column" is a chance to learn from filmmakers' hits and misses in real life examples. —Fernanda Rossi, story consultant a.k.a. the Documentary Doctor
The Independent's