Wednesday, February 18, 2009

"We Need to Make Films to Feel Alive."--Erin Hudson

Members of today's discussion on short-form documentary give their advice to anyone seeking a career in doc filmmaking.

  • Start small; if it needs to grow, let it grow.
  • Work in scenes to determine length, but include as many scenes as needed to convey your story.
  • What should drive you is content.
  • Think of it as making lots of little shorts put together when making a feature.
  • Let the subject determine the length.


  • Things to consider:
    • There seems to be more paying work in doc filmmaking than in fiction filmmaking.
    • Consider trimming your feature down--it may work better that way.
    • Posting online may affect its possibility of being widely distributed.
    • Wear lots of hats; learn to do one or more thing in the business.

    Questions to ask yourself:
    • Are people's attention spans shortening or are they just more hungry for solid content?
    • How do you feel about posting your shorts for free?
    • Who would want to watch this film?
    • What's the film's niche market?
    ____

    Thursday's panel is on the business of documentary--how to distribute your independent work in the world of mass media. Moderated by Chris White. 2pm at the Crystal Theatre.


    Photo by Cathrine Walters

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