Join master editor Doug Blush (20 Feet From Stardom, The Hunting Ground) on a virtual, insider’s tour of his editing suite as he focuses on several key aspects of the editing process: how to make great openings and endings for your films and how to plan for a detailed post production process that will put you on the pathway toward a successful festival and distribution run. In this 2.0 version of last year’s sold out Editing Master Class, the class will be led in a hands-on workshop-like style and composed of two parts.
As a special aspect of this class, you are invited to submit either the first 3-5 minutes of your film-in-progress or the last 3-5 minutes of your film. The first five filmmakers submitting samples will have their films workshopped in class by Doug. (Details will be sent to you upon registration.)
Part 1
How do you begin and end your film in the most powerful and effective way possible? How do you grab audiences and make good on your promise that your film is worth their time? Do you state your themes right up front, or do you use a more cinematic and gradual entry? Then as you close…how do you “land the plane”? What’s the most satisfying finale?
We’ll also look at plenty of examples of openings and closings, both from Doug’s films (both the versions that appeared in the released films, as well as those that didn’t make the cut…) and your films.
Part 2
How do you plan for a successful post-production process? Who should you call in first, and who do you need later? How do you set goals for festivals and distribution, and how do you handle “mission creep” when your film takes an extra two years?
This class is designed for:
- Documentary directors who want to improved their storytelling skills and speak the same language as their editors
- Editors looking to bolster their skills, improve their efficiency and develop their eye for documentary storytelling
- Film students and recent graduates
- Attendees of last year’s Doc U Master Class with Kate Amend looking for additional and practical advice/strategies
Built into the Master Class will be a generous amount of time for Q&A.