Doc/Fest Blog
How Far Can You Go?
By Ben Taylor 05 March, 2013
More4 chief Peter Dale and Channel 4 legal guru Prash Naik leads three hypothetical discussions on problems producers may encounter whilst pitching their documentary concepts to commissioners. From moral dilemmas to encounters with the legal system, these three role-play scenarios map out the do’s and don’ts when it comes to tackling difficult subject matter.
In part one Emma Cooper of the BBC puts to the panel the problems faced when discovering disregard for the law, within its own walls. After filming a recce in South Carolina and unearthing the police force’s misuse of confiscated drugs, a problem arises as whether to continue filming, consequently misleading the subjects as to the film’s purpose, or to cancel the filming and to report the findings.
Jo Abel, in part two, brings to the panel an encounter of domestic abuse whilst filming a documentary centred on a mother and her 11 year old daughter. Having only received the information from the daughter the panel is divided in how best to proceed with such a difficult case. In part three (available next week) Steve Bouton looks into the dilemma faced when attempting to use the documentary form to expose a suspected paedophile. After being acquitted by the courts is it right or fair to then release the perceived evidence to the public?
All lively and interesting debates from industry professionals, ‘How far can you go?’ can be found on iTunes at Sheffield Doc/Fest.
By Anna Pintus
What Filmmakers Can Learn From Pirates
By Ben Taylor 21 February, 2013
Headed up by chair Jess Search, this panel explores the relationship between the filmmaker and the ‘pirate’, the fall of illegal downloading giant Pirate Bay and the possibility for collaboration in the future. Amelia Andersdott, from the Piratpartiet (Pirate Party) of Sweden discusses the benefits of a more relaxed copyright policy: nothing over ten years old needing clearance, making it easier for emerging documentary/filmmakers. Take the song ‘Happy Birthday’, written way before Copyright existed, however still requiring monetary clearance to be used in a motion picture.
Back in 2006 director Jamie King documented the movement against intellectual property with ‘Steal this Film’, a series released via the Bit Torrent peer-to-peer protocol, through sites such as Pirate Bay. Exercising the right to be copied, the film was downloaded over 2 million times, even prompting a sequel to be made.
Alongside this was the creation of VODO.net, a site which allows filmmakers to submit their work, to be released in a similar way to ‘Steal this Film’, encouraging users to share the work with their friends.
There is a need for a new meritocratic culture in which filmmakers are able to get their work into the public domain without the need for excessive amounts of money. With the help of VODO and filmmakers like King, if the work is good, it will find an audience on the web.
Search iTunes for Sheffield Doc/Fest to download this episode and previous episodes of the Doc/Fest Podcast.
By Anna Pintus
Art on Film – Who Cares?
By Ben Taylor 15 February, 2013
Led by chair Phil Grabsky, this podcast explores the possible resurgence of the arts on television or whether broadcasters are simply paying lip service to MPs, Offcom and the Press. Can films truly be labelled as works of art or are they simply arts films? Art was famously declared as dead on television and through the testaments of commissioners from the BBC, Channel 4 and 5 the struggles and strategies behind preventing this are exposed in this interesting discussion.
Kim Pete begins the discussion with an insight into Channel Five’s policy on broadcasting the arts. Contracted to transmit 26 hours of arts programmes per year, Pete talks of Channel Five’s tendency to stick with mainstream, high profile visual arts projects. From a Channel 4 perspective, Jan Younghusband emphasises the importance of looking at subjects from a different perspective. Innovation is the key. Channel 4 do however come up against some issues in funding arts projects, resulting in the ideas often having to comply with the money available to make them.
The discussion then moves to the BBC and Mark Harrison. The BBC believe that art programmes should compete with other popular genres such as history and science and they aim to develop particular ideas to suit each of their channels. There is a popular conception that arts programmes are dull and Harrison promotes enthusiasm and public engagement as a remedy to this.
Overall, there appears to be nothing to suggest that the arts are fading from our screens and if anything television commissioners are working even harder to make arts based programmes a regular feature.
Search iTunes for Sheffield Doc/Fest to download this episode and previous episodes of the Doc/Fest Podcast.
By Anna Pintus
Beyond Broadcast: Filmmaking opportunities outside television in the UK and beyond
By Ben Taylor 12 February, 2013
This podcast looks beyond the conventional and explores alternative ways to get a documentary film funded; from supportive foundations, to DIY distribution, to international co-production. Leading the discussion is Tom Kirk from Film London with contributions from filmmakers Nora Meyer, Lucinda Broadbent and Dan Gordon and 4Docs Emily Renshaw Smith.
Tom Kirk begins the discussion looking at Microwave: Film London, a guide to micro-budget feature filmmaking and marketing (http://microwave.filmlondon.org.uk/). Open to both established filmmakers and emerging talent, Microwave challenges film-makers to shoot a feature film for no more than £100,000 with cash and in-kind support. He encourages an entrepreneurial spirit and a solid grasp of a marketing strategy before submitting any film. This ties in with advice from filmmaker Dan Gordon who emphasises the importance of support material when pitching a film idea to commissioners. A taster tape is the most effective way to get noticed as it is difficult to envisage a concept just from a piece of paper.
Lucinda Broadbent then moves the discussion onto European production. European production companies have a wider range of sensibility, form and style than in UK television, giving a greater sense of freedom to emerging filmmakers. Emphasised is the importance of finding somewhere that has an interest in what you do and being open to the possibility of finding money from multiple sources.
Rounding off the podcast is Emily Renshaw Smith from 4Docs, a branch off Channel 4 who give new documentary filmmakers the opportunity to upload a four minute documentary to their website (http://www.4docs.org.uk/). The four judged the best are then sent to Kate Vogel, commissioning editor for ‘3 Minute Wonders’. It is a foot in the door for any aspiring filmmaker and it is an effective way of getting noticed in such a competitive market.
Search iTunes for Sheffield Doc/Fest to download this episode and previous episodes of the Doc/Fest Podcast.
By Anna Pintus
Errol Morris Masterclass
By Ben Taylor 31 January, 2013
Interviewed by Kevin McDonald, this podcast explores the work of seminal documentary maker Errol Morris. Morris is known for his innovative style of filmmaking; most notably his interview process in which he allows for free talk. He is interested in how his subjects see themselves, subsequently allowing them to talk at length without a constant feed of prompts or questions. In relation to one of his most well known works The Thin Blue Line, Morris discusses how this element of spontaneity and the relative unknown led to a convicted murderer’s release from prison when a miscarriage of justice was revealed.
Framing his subjects, so as to give opportunity for interesting digression, Morris as the interviewer only appears via live video images on teleprompters, giving the illusion of a straight-to-camera dialogue in the final cut. Dubbed the ‘Intertron’, Morris jokes it is the camera that cares. The discussion then moves onto Morris’ controversial but fascinating work Mr Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter. Through Leuchter, an execution device designer and Holocaust denier, Morris uses Holocaust denial as a route back to an investigation into the Holocaust itself; all with the intention of uncovering the mystery of the human heart and the distorted ideas that are still attached to such a historically impactful event.
Truth isn’t guaranteed by any particular style and too much direction can often lead to fictional filmmaking. Morris rounds off the discussion by emphasising the importance in his work of allowing the stories to reveal themselves, moving away from a stylistic truth and into a more realistic representation of reality.
Search iTunes for Sheffield Doc/Fest to download this episode and previous episodes of the Doc/Fest Podcast.
By Anna Pintus
Copyright, Licensing and Free Speech
By Ben Taylor 28 January, 2013
Pat Aufderheide, American University professor and co-author of ‘Reclaiming Fair Use: How to Put Balance Back in Copyright’ leads a discussion on the issues that arise when using copyrighted material as a documentary/film maker. Joining her in the discussion is Julie Goldman of Cactus Three Productions, Canadian producer Michael McMahon, Italian producer Gioa Avvantaggiato, Matthew McMahon, a lawyer working with PACT and finally filmmaker Jamie King.
Julie Goldman discusses the creation of the ‘Statement of Best Practise and Fair Use’ in America; a tool by which filmmakers can educate themselves about copyright law. Following this is a comparison with Canadian law, led by McMahon who discusses the difficulty of representing reality when it is necessary, according to law, to remove many of the realistic elements. Also covered is incidental copyrighting and the difficult of obtaining legal rights for all the small details appearing in a film without specific purpose.
The final part of the discussion focuses on UK legislation and its differences to the American system. Issues discussed include: copyright as a monopoly, as opposed to the US conditional right and the absence of a ‘right for use’ condition when the content of a documentary or film is in the interest of the public.
Forced now to become lawyers themselves, Jamie King rounds off the discussion with a look at how filmmakers must inhabit the language of the law in a creative environment: ‘The law moves when we force it to move’.
Search iTunes for Sheffield Doc/Fest to download this episode and previous episodes of the Doc/Fest Podcast.
By Anna Pintus
2013 Documentary Oscar Nominations
By Ben Taylor 21 January, 2013
Last week documentary Oscar nominations were announced to honour the best in documentary filmmaking. Previous winners include ‘Undefeated’, a classic American underdog story, which was screened at last year’s Doc/Fest and ‘Inside Job’, a comprehensive analysis of the 2008 financial meltdown.
This year sees a number of nominations that were also screened at last year’s Doc/Fest. These include Emad Burnat and Guy David’s 5 Broken Cameras; a first-hand account of non-violent resistance in the village of Bil’in after they are threatened by Israeli settlements. 5 broken cameras: each with their own story. Structured around the use and destruction of each of the cameras, the documentary tracks Burnat’s son as he grows up alongside the struggle against the separation barrier. Critics have called it a ‘powerful personal testimony’ as Burnat uses the cameras to confront life and survive.
Another film screened at last year’s festival was David France’s, How to Survive a Plague; a striking documentary following the efforts of activist groups ACT UP and TAG and their battle against the government in the midst of the 1980’s AIDs epidemic. By infiltrating the pharmaceutical industry and revealing promising new drugs the activists fought to change the attitude towards AIDs and provide hope for those who believed it was an instant death sentence. Critics have heralded France’s work as ‘moving and essential’, a piece to take notice of.
The opening night film at last year’s Doc Fest, Searching for Sugarman tells the story of a star that never was, in 70’s American folk singer Sixto Rodriguez. The documentary follows Stephen ‘Sugar’ Segerman and Craig Bartholomew Strydom as they search for the singing enigma who became a symbol of anti-establishment in South Africa’s Apartheid. With little to no information on the musician, the pair set out to uncover the truth behind Rodriguez’s rumoured suicide and use his lyrics to find out where he is now. A phenomenon in white South African history but completely unknown in his home country, the documentary has been a resounding success with the critics and is a sure contender for the Oscar.
Also worth a mention is the nomination for ‘Best Song’ received by Before My Time, a song taken from the stunning Arctic documentary Chasing Ice, a film also shown at last year’s Doc Fest. Written by J. Ralph and performed by Scarlett Johansson and Joshua Bell the song is a mournful and haunting track played over the closing credits.
The other two films in the documentary category include The Gate Keepers and The Invisible War. Directed by Dror Moreh, The Gate Keepers moves from the Six Day War of 1967 to the present day and follows six of the surviving heads of the Shin Bet, a secretive Israeli security service. An agency whose activities and membership are closely held state secrets, the documentary is a fascinating insight into the controversy surrounding collateral damage, torture and targeted assassination. In a mixture of interviews, archival footage and animation Moreh offers an intimate look at the Palestine-Israeli conflict from a previously unearthed source.
Finally, Kirby Dick exposes an epidemic occurring within the US military in his groundbreaking investigative documentary The Invisible War. A movie that ‘cannot be ignored’, sexual assault within the military is exposed as an epidemic with only eight percent of cases leading to prosecution and two percent to conviction. The most prominent narrative comes from Kori Cioca as she brings a civil suit against the Department of Defence for a failure to address sexual assault in the US military. A daring and revelatory piece of filmmaking, an abuse of power is brought to light in an organisation whose job it is to protect.
All potential winners, having all received impressive reviews, it will be fascinating to see how the Academy narrows down its choices to honour one documentary with its prestigious award for 2013.
Shocks and Awesome
By Ben Taylor 17 January, 2013
In an interview with Nick Fraser and Fiona Stourton this podcast explores the importance of documentary in contemporary culture, with particular reference to, and clips from, BBC Storyville. Fraser discusses the importance of saving documentary platforms such as Storyville and continuing to commission filmmakers who are knowledgeable about their subject and understand where their projects are going.
Documentaries on TV are becoming less and less true representations of reality and in contemporary culture Fraser encourages documentary makers to be more ruthless about promoting their work. He discusses how many TV bosses are oblivious to documentary, leaving an uncomfortable division between the two. For him, this can be resolved with pragmatism and adaptability, two of the traits he deems important in a documentary maker.
Overall, Fraser and Stourton explore the importance of narrative. For a documentary to be successful the audience must finish feeling like they are more knowledgeable on the person or place that has been explored.
Search iTunes for Sheffield Doc/Fest to download this episode and previous episodes of the Doc/Fest Podcast.
By Anna Pintus
Bob Connolly Masterclass
By Ben Taylor 11 January, 2013
This interview delves into the life and career of Australian documentary maker and screenwriter Bob Connolly, charting his varied career and successes; from his beginnings as a junior current affairs reporter in 1960’s Australia to his daring and innovative documentary making throughout the 80’s , 90’s and up to the present day.
After failing to find his feet in studio interviewing or ‘foot in the door’ journalism, Connolly took initiative and began to develop a style of documentary making that not only observes, but also takes a further step back to look at the observers themselves. Described as a subtle and intelligent method of observation, Connolly believes that by stepping back and eliminating any time pressures, reality will fully emerge.
Connolly talks of his early work, notably in Papua New Guinea, where he led a team investigating the first contact made between the country’s highland tribes and three Australian explorers in the 1930’s. Connolly goes into projects fully aware of their tumultuous nature and unpredictable outcomes. For him however, this is how documentary filmmaking should be.
Search iTunes for Sheffield Doc/Fest to download this episode and previous episodes of the Doc/Fest Podcast.
By Anna Pintus
MeetMarket Opens for Entries
By Charlie Phillips 08 January, 2013
We're delighted to announce that our pitching opportunity, MeetMarket, is now open for your applications, and we're inviting everyone to enter.
This will be the 8th MeetMarket, building on the success of previous MeetMarkets which have led to a total of £27m being raised for 369 documentary and digital projects, from 35 countries, via 5,900 one-to-one meetings. In June 2013, it could be YOU benefiting from our determination to get the best documentary and digital projects in the world made and seen. MeetMarket works brilliantly as a pitching format because we give personal service to you and make sure that you only meet with the people who can help with your project, whether funders, mentors, experts, co-producers, sales and distribution reps, marketing gurus, and anyone else of use to you as a collaborator.
We've made sure to enhance our hints and tips section on the MeetMarket information page so that you can make your MeetMarket application the very best it can be. Do have a good read through this section - it'll help you get a better sense of why we select the 65 projects we do.
The projects we select to pitch, and the most successful ones when it comes to MeetMarket itself, are those which best communicate what's special about them for audiences. We know that you want to impress potential funders, but we want you to also think about how your work-in-progress will excite and challenge audiences through your storytelling, and show them something they've not seen before. Indeed, also something that they NEED to see.
Think about your audiences at the end of the line, and get that across in the way you write about your project and the way you present your visual materials to us in your application. It can be a feature doc, it can be a factual genre like factual entertainment or science, it can be an interactive project, and it can be anything in-between and beyond these. But whatever your genre, we want to see a passion of engaging audiences through amazing on-screen and on-device stories.
So what have you got? Show us.