My Doc Journey: Recent Episodes
Maureen Maloney
A show about how to create a feature-length documentary. It is hosted by producer/director Maureen Lee Maloney, and follows the progress of the film Voice of Vanilla, as well as explaining how to become a documentary filmmaker.
Bettina Dalton is a documentary producer specializing in nature films. She's best known for the film Playing with Sharks, which you can watch on Disney Plus.
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Interview with Hsuan Yu Pan and Nancy Wolfe about their new documentary short, Alone/Together.
Currently, Alone/Together is available to watch via
https://www.panvideo.net/watch-a-film
Also check out the facebook page https://www.facebook.com/alonetogethermovie
Find out more about Hsuan Yu Pan at https://www.panvideo.net/
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Today I’m going to
- Update you on what’s happening in Madagascar and where we are with the film
- Update you on what I’ve been doing over the past year while we’ve been unable to film
- A lesson hard learned from this past year
Learn more about the film at VoiceofVanilla.com
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Visit Mydocjourney.com
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Please support the Seed&Spark campaign for Voice of Vanilla at https://seedandspark.com/fund/voiceofvanilla
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Find the core application at Documentary.org
Archival footage links:
- Archive.org
- Britishpathe.com
- https://nofilmschool.com/2015/10/need-public-domain-footage-your-documentary-here-are-5-great-sources
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Jessica Jones is an Emmy nominated documentary filmmaker. Her work focuses
on community, cultural representation, and race with a specific focus on both Black and multiracial identity, often with a focus on women and the arts through character-driven narratives. Her work has appeared on Independent Lens, The New York Times, BBC,
KQED, among others publications. She is a part of two-time Webby award winning If Cities Could Dance filmmaking team and in 2016, she received an Emmy nomination for “Women Dancers Redefine Oakland’s Street Dancing Scene”, published on KQED Arts. She is a
part of the creative team behind Mixed People’s History, an online story archival project. She was the 2011 George Stoney Fellow at Working Films, and a 2013 BAVC Mediamaker Fellow. She is a graduate of Northwestern University, and George Washington University’s
Institute for Documentary Filmmaking.
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1) Don't solicit; Elicit.
2) Keep contributors updated
3) Think beyond money
4) Techniques for facebook
5) Techniques for Insta
6) Clubhouse and TikTok
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Seed & Spark
Crowdfunding for Filmmakers
1) Audience research
2) Pitch video
3) Determine how much you can raise
4) Incentives
5) Be ready for day 1
6) Make it your full time job
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Visit MyDocJourney.com for list of gear
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It's important to be able to articulate the importance of documentary filmmaking. There are many reasons, but here are a few of mine.
Also, I watched the 3 hour long Stage 32 webinar about pitching Netflix, and here are my thoughts.
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Tips:
- Getting out of the slump: LAUGH
- Hold a pencil in your mouth
- Meditation
- Create a sanctuary
- Break things down into small tasks
- 20-30min work sprints
- 5min activity break each hour
- Drink lots of water, eat hard candy
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Watch Imitating Life online through Salem Film Fest https://salemfilmfest.com/2020/movies/imitating-life-the-audacity-of-suzanne-heintz/
Find out about future screenings at https://www.journeyman.tv/film/7841/imitating-life-the-audacity-of-suzanne-heintz
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Visit Mydocjourney.com to download the free ebook Roadmap to Becoming a Documentary Filmmaker
- Write your mission statements
- Get a fiscal sponsor
- Create a trailer
- Start applying for grants- this is a long game, so if you think you’re going to film this next month and edit it the month after, forget about this for now
- It takes a lot of time, and you have to apply several times before you really have a chance
- There are benefits beyond money, like connections to distributors, film festivals, and labs
- Build your community
- Create a spreadsheet of your entire circle of influence and start talking to people
- In-person request for help is always going to be the best way to get support, and widen your sphere
- Make sure you keep notes on all your meetings and follow up
- Create an “advisory board” of friends and mentors
- Create a social media plan (figure out best sites to post on) and post regularly
- Find newspapers, magazine, website related to your topic- submit articles for publication (build awareness and credibility)
- Create a spreadsheet of your entire circle of influence and start talking to people
- Develop your pitch
- Short and sweet (20-30 sec) makes them ask, oh that’s interesting, tell me more
- Be passionate
- Pitch 10 times a day
-
Events -
- Build community, raise awareness
- 2 ways to raise money here: get sponsors (put logos on stuff), have an auction
- Online events during covid- no overhead, people can attend from anywhere in the world
-
INDIVIDUALS
Where to find them?
- In your head
- Address book
- Family
- Local newspaper: look for ppl w/ interest in the topic area; business & society columns
- Brainstorming party
- Net: websites, blogs, social networks
How to approach?
- One-to-one direct, in-person ask
- Fundraising houseparty
- Direct mail
- Personal letter from you to a few people you know, or by avid supporter who will write their friends
- Mass mail appeal sent to a list you've acquired
How to approach them?
- one-on-one
- Fundraising House Party
-
Crowdfunding
- Before you do this you must have already done the work of building your community and email list, so if you’re a first-time filmmaker…
- Go to seedandspark.com and watch their fundraising class!!!!
-
OTHER NONPROFITS
Where to find
- Professional journals
- Conferences
- ITVS
-
VFW, Knights of Columbus, Lion’s Club, Rotary International
-
GOVERNMENT
National sources
- Natl endowment for the arts
- Natl endowment for the humanities
- Corp for public broadcasting
- Misc (e..g. Forestry, IRS)
State
- State arts agencies
- State humanities councils
- State tourism board
Local
- local/regional arts council
- Commerce & growth associations
- City tourism board
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Alana DeJoseph is the producer, director, and editor of the feature documentary film, A Towering Task, which explores the history and current relevancy of the US Peace Corps.
Learn more about her film, and how to watch it at http://www.peacecorpsdocumentary.com/
Learn more about my documentary, Voice of Vanilla, about Madagascar vanilla farmers at http://voiceofvanilla.com/
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Get your guide to becoming a documentary filmmaker at MyDocJourney.com
HotDocs 2018 Documentary Audience Research study https://telefilm.ca/wp-content/uploads/hotdocs2018-doc-audience-report-en.pdf
Peter Broderick blog about Distribber http://peterbroderick.com/distributionbulletins/distributionbulletins.html
How to develop your audience
DON’T assume you know who your audience is. Do some research.
- Make a list of topics/keywords related to your film
- Research what exists
- Other films, news stories, books, blogs, reddit groups, twitter chats, businesses, influencers
- Create a spreadsheet/ organize findings
- Make list of types of content that gets shared, the way people communicate, what topics people are talking about or asking about
- Make list of conferences or other events
- Bonus is that you learn even more about your topic!!!
- Here’s where you’ll find the groups/influencers who you will reach out to to spread the word about your film
- Follow unexpected leads to find things you hadn’t thought of- add to list of keywords
Create a composite sketch of your audience with 3-5 examples
- Beliefs and mindset are most important aspect- not age or sex
- Go out and talk to people who match your sketched and make sure they really are interested
Develop a relationship with your audience
- Share your WHY
- Engage in-person as much as possible
- Start building your email list
- Make sure you’re offering value
- Ask audience for their feedback/ideas
- send your list a survey asking them about their lives and interests. Ask them what intrigues them about your documentary project and what topics they’d like to see covered.
- Bring them back to your site by giving them ways to participate
- Blog: about filmmaking process, about characters/themes; expand narrative beyond the film by working with/connecting to grassroots orgs that work on the social issues your doc covers; post content from film
Write articles that can be shared by people/groups/orgs
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Intrinsic Motivation requires 3 elements
- Autonomy
- Mastery
- Purpose
Give yourself a FLOW test to help find purpose
Use Deliberate Practice to achieve Mastery
Create your own Goals and give yourself monthly Performance Reviews
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FREE E-booklet: How to Become a Documentary Filmmaker
available at MyDocJourney.com
Make a tax-deductible donation to Voice of Vanilla at www.tinyurl.com/vovdoc
Since many of you will be visiting family, I thought I’d talk about interviewing, so that some of you can practice on your family members. Consider this your winter break homework.
This is an especially great exercise to do with older family members who may have great stories locked away that you never knew. It’s also a fantastic opportunity to preserve memories of loved ones. You can totally just use your phone if you don’t have a camera, and just have fun with this.
So here are things to think about with interviews…
Sound- be aware of your environment. Listen for heaters turning on and off or refrigerators. If you’re near a busy street, try to move to a room furthest away from the street. It’s best to always listen through headphones, because it’s easy to realize what is being picked up by the microphone.
Lighting- have a light to the front, and slightly to the side, that way it lights up their eyes so you can see a little light reflecting from them- that’s called eyeshine and without it eyes can look dull and flat. It’s also nice to have a light above and behind the person to shine on their shoulders and hair. It adds depth to the shot.
Composition- if you just have 1 camera I would frame the shot from just above the hips to just above the top of the head. Following the rule of thirds, their eyes should be off to one side of the frame, looking toward the other side of the frame. I’ll post an example on the blog and facebook page if you have absolutely no idea what I’m saying here. Also, if you can, make sure the subject is not backed up to a wall. Having depth behind the subject will make for a more interesting shot, especially if it is at an angle to the wall or facing the corner. Ideally the background is interesting, but not cluttered. If all you have is a plain wall, try shining a small light on it to give it a splash of brightness.
Once your shot is ready, and your subject is comfortably seated, it’s good to have a little conversation with them to help them relax. Being in front of the camera is super scary for most people, so I like to let them know that they’re going to be looking at me (not the camera) and we’re just going to be having a conversation. They can pause and think, just like they would normally.
I also let them know that I will not be responding to them verbally while they talk- do not make noises while your interviewee is talking. We’re used to saying “uh-huh, ok, hmmm” while people are talking, but you don’t want that recorded in your audio. Just nod your head and react with your eyes, ok? Also, DO NOT start talking as soon as they finish a thought. There are 2 reasons this is important. 1) it’s going to be difficult to edit if you start talking right after the person finishes and 2) they may have some great facial expressions or interesting insights that come to them if you just give them time to sit in the moment.
Now, you may have prepared questions ahead of time, which is a really good idea, especially if there is some specific information you want to get because it is REALLY easy to forget things while your interviewing. So write down the important questions, and make sure you review them throughout the interview. HOWEVER, do not just focus on the que
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On this episode I discuss why you shouldn't try to be a full-time freelancer, but instead develop a business structure.
Find us online at MyDocJourney.com
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Just got back from Baltimore Next Media Web Fest where my web series Girl Aspiring won Best Documentary Web Series and I got a cool glowing trophy. I’m feeling inspired, and motivated, and generally pumped about filmmaking. So today we’re going to talk about film festivals.
First- attend a film festival and see what’s out there
- Go to smaller one where you can actually talk to the creators
So now you have some idea of what goes on at a festival. Now how do you submit yours…
- Filmfreeway.com
- LOTS of festivals, and you don’t want to waste money submitting to ones that just don’t match your project
- Unfortunately search feature on film freeway isn’t awesome, so this will initially take some time
- Organize favorites w/ heart icon
- Read description; look at categories; double check rules (time limits)
- Email organizers if you still have questions
- Other things to check: is it online or is there an actual event? Is it Oscar qualifying?
- Can you attend? I prefer events I can attend, because that’s the real benefit
Benefits of attending film fests
- Meet other creators (can lead to future opportunities)
- Build community & credibility
- Build following
- LEARN!
- Be inspired
- Forward momentum (get out of the vacuum)
Strategy
- Bring swag, or at least some marketing materials- definitely have a business card
- Go to lots of screenings!
- Go to parties, mixers, GET TO KNOW PEOPLE
- Connect & follow up
Warning: You will be rejected by many festivals. Lots of films/ limited spots.
- You can always reapply as long as you’re not a douchebag
- Organizing festivals is a lot of work...be nice to organizers
YOU DO NOT NEED EXPENSIVE EQUIPMENT TO HAVE GOOD PRODUCTION QUALITY!
All you need to do is learn camera basics, lighting basics, and sound basics.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wqUWYx3UrY
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Don't feel bad if you're not making money from your art, but also don't feel bad to ask for money to make art.
Also, I complain about gear (and rave about a some).
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Itty bitty episode before I leave for Madagascar!
Check out the MDJ website! www.mydocjourney.com
Listen to my interview with Ian from How They Did It: Filmmaking
In case you missed it, I did a livestream on facebook discussing the gear I'll be bringing.
And be sure to follow Voice of Vanilla on facebook, instagram, youtube, and twitter for videos during the trip.
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If you're in Denver, check out the great new dating app Swoovy https://www.swoovy.com/denver
Here are interviews I have coming up:
How They Did It: Filmmaking podcast http://howtheydidit.buzzsprout.com/
Cook True facebook live
Steps to develop a great story:
- Determine what your goals are as a filmmaker. What impact do you want to have?
- Determine what the goals of the specific film will be.
- Find a story people can relate to.
- Find a compelling character.
- Identify the conflict or challenge.
- Ask yourself "What is unique or surprising about this story?"
What "The magical science of storytelling" at https://youtu.be/Nj-hdQMa3uA
Read about Joseph Campbell and the Hero's Journey at https://www.jcf.org/
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Check out the event page for Voice of Vanilla's first event! https://www.facebook.com/events/385835305466061/
Learn about Shayao Mcfarland's organization that helps nonprofits put on cool fundraising events, Project Careaoki
Here are her points of advice:
1) Talk to EVERYONE about your project. Don't worry about what their reaction will be- expect people to be supportive!!!
2) Always have a donation package to handout at businesses.
includes: donation letter, donation form, event flier
3) Make a list of people/businesses who could benefit from your event, and make sure to have a good idea of HOW they can benefit.
4) Have a sponsorship agreement for sponsors to sign.
Managing social media: Create 5-10 social media posts, and rotate them
- past events
- current events
- event updates
- what your company does
- upcoming projects
- questions like "Are you interested in...?" "Do you want to check out..."
Finding corporate sponsors: reach out to Marketing team; list benefits such as posting logos on all blog posts, marketing materials, email blasts, etc.
Lynda.com is the cool tutorial site that will teach you anything. It's free through many libraries (with a library card).
Check out the new website! http://mydocjourney.com/
and Join the facebook group https://www.facebook.com/mydocjourney
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This week I was feeling burnt out from writing, so I decided to work on fun, creative stuff instead. I share some insights into how I organize my tasks so that I can be flexible and work on the right tasks at the right time. The big thing is that I use a bullet journal, and I do a weekly brain dump of all my tasks spread out so I can scan through them easily. I make sure to divide big tasks into small tasks that are easily manageable/not overwhelming and ideally take less than 30 minutes to accomplish.
If you'd like to learn more about perfect timing and the brain, check out Daniel Pink's book When.
Types of Documentary https://blog.nfb.ca/blog/2014/08/04/types-of-documentary-films/
Yes, I realize many places list 6 types, but participatory is basically the same as reflexive, and experimental is basically the same as poetic. Keep it simple, know what I mean?
Here is a very academic discussion of representation, but I think that Kirsten Johnson's film Cameraperson will help you understand the issue more closely.
Questions or comments? Email me! Maureen@wildairfilms.com
And follow the podcast on facebook @mydocjourney
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On this episode I discuss becoming a reality TV host worrying about someone stealing your idea. Also, I started a facebook page for the podcast www.facebook.com/mydocjourney
This week's big accomplishment was that I created a pitch deck to send out to businesses for sponsorships. You can download it at https://www.voiceofvanilla.com/media
Next I discuss a really fantastic podcast, Producing Unscripted with Joke and Biagio. If you're interested in reality TV, this is the podcast to listen to.
Episode with detective Pat Postiglione https://producingunscripted.com/pat-postiglione/
Pitch TV series, not profile pieces https://producingunscripted.com/pitch-tv-series/#more-1641
Creating Reality TV worlds https://producingunscripted.com/reality-tv-worlds/
Once you've created something, submit it to film festivals through Film Freeway
And learn more about creating for Youtube through the Creator Academy
And as always, feel free to email me with comments or questions: Maureen at wildairfilms.com
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In this episode I give you 3 steps to start your own doc journey:
1) Create your vision and write it down
2) Find your community and network
3) Learn the basics
Here are the links mentioned
- Interview with Ava DuVernay and Justin Simien (you will have to sign up for Sundance Collab. It's free, just do it) https://collab.sundance.org/catalog/EVENTS/Online-Events/Art-as-Activism-with-Ava-DuVernay
- Lynda.com (go to your library's website and look for it, or go to the library and ask if you can access it for free)
- Film Riot https://www.filmriot.com/
- Jesse Driftwood https://www.youtube.com/user/PMbasementshow
If you want to find out more about my documentary, Voice of Vanilla https://www.voiceofvanilla.com/
Like the facebook page https://www.facebook.com/voiceofvanilla/
Or donate https://fromtheheartproductions.networkforgood.com/projects/51992-documentaries-voice-of-vanilla
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Welcome to My Doc Journey! In this podcast I will take along every step of my process toward creating a feature-length documentary film. Yes, you will hear all my struggles, successes, and most importantly, my failures.
Along the way I will tell you how I got to the point where I am even able to create a feature documentary. It has taken me 12 years to go from Biologist to Filmmaker. It doesn't need to take you that long. Whatever profession you're in, there is no need to go to film school. I will help guide you toward sharing your amazing knowledge with the world through film.
If you'd like to know more about the doc I'm making just visit www.VoiceofVanilla.com or follow us on facebook/IG/twitter @VoiceofVanilla
In this episode I mention creating a proposal using the Sundance application or the IDA Core application. Here are those links:
http://www.sundance.org/programs/documentary-film
https://www.documentary.org/core-application
Feel free to email me Maureen@wildairfilms.com
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