Back in the 20th century, filmmakers had to cut on film by hand or the equally arduous off-line tape method. In the early ’90s, several non-linear editing systems appeared, such as the Media 100 and Lightworks. But it was the arrival of the user-friendly Avid that captured the imagination of editors everywhere, allowing them to digitize their footage onto a computer hard drive and manipulate the material faster and with infinite possibilities. Now, in the new millennium and the current digital frontier, there’s a new kid on the block—Final Cut Pro—and documentary filmmakers are taking notice
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Over the past seven years, Slamdance Film Festival has evolved from scruffy upstart, taking on Sundance, the eminence grise of Park City, with a DIY alternative in 1995, to a wiser, but still mischievous older brother, having spurred a bevy of alternaDances—Slumdance, NoDance, TromaDance, DigiDance, Slamdunk, et al—that have pitched their tents in the tony Utah resort town every January. And for Peter Baxter, Slamdance’s founder and artistic director, that’s just fine. “Generally speaking, we’re very supportive of any film festivals in Park City or anywhere, for that matter, that are
As the plane descended, I could see New York, Paris and Monte Carlo framed in the same window. It was Las Vegas—dazzling lights, towering skyscraper facades and, for one week, home to television’s foremost dealmakers. NATPE 2001 (held January 22-25), the largest television market in the United States, was holding court. Savvy television producers, new media pioneers and first-time exhibitors from all over the world converged on Vegas to pitch new television product, create co-production deals with the studios and majors, and attract television broadcasters to stylized kiosks to sell, sell
The IDA has been going through lots of changes and the positive manifestations are just beginning to emerge. The IDA party for the Oscar® nominees drew the biggest attendance ever; corporate sponsorships were also up. As a result, not only did we have a great time, but we made money on the event. All of this was due to the hard work of our new managing director, Melissa Disharoon; the event’s committee headed by Rick Trank and Ann Hassett; Lynne Littman, who put together the clips and script; and a whole host of other volunteers who made the evening sparkle. We have retained the firm of Double
Dear Readers, In this issue and next, we will look at some of the specific ingredients that go into documentary filmmaking—shooting, editing, writing, composing—exploring the technical subtleties of the craft and the less tangible, more ethereal aspects of the art. Over the past five or six years, the documentary art form has evolved in dramatic ways, with the advent of dynamic new equipment that has served not only to facilitate the process but also to democratize it. Much like the birth of synchronous sound and portable cameras in the late ’50s and video in the late ’60s, the dawning of the
Best Documentary Feature INTO THE ARMS OF STRANGERS: STORIES OF THE KINDERTRANSPORTProduced by Deborah OppenheimerDirected and Written by Mark Jonathan HarrisNarrated by Judi DenchEdited by Kate AmendPhotographed by Don LenzerMusic Composed by Lee HoldridgeDistributed by Warner Brothers Pictures117 min. For nine months before the outbreak of World War II, Britain conducted an extraordinary rescue mission, unmatched by any other country at the time. It opened its doors to over 10,000 endangered children -- 90 percent of them Jewish -- from Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia. Into the Arms of
Sure, you grew up watching every flick you could get your hands on, had an after-school job selling Goobers at the Bijou and worked your way through college as the trivia geek at the Videorama. You were the one in film school who could quote whole scenes from Double Indemnity, and not just the famous exchange about Mrs. Dietrichson’s ankle bracelet. Or maybe you were the pop culture vulture who could recite the full names of all six of Charlie’s Angels. Then again, who couldn’t? Across the ever-widening universe of cable television, there are hundreds of hours of nonfiction programming
The unassuming title of this documentary belies what is one of the most remarkable nonfiction films ever made. From 1971 through 1976, Ed Pincus recorded on 16mm film episodes of his life with his wife Jane, their two young children and the several women with whom Ed had love affairs. It's also a portrait of a particular era—the early 1970s—a time in which a willingness to experiment in life, love and political expression was still present, but on the wane. That title—Diaries—is as unadorned, direct and honest, as is the film itself. What I experienced when I first saw Diaries was not a sense
It’s Oscar time, and the International Documentary Association is proud to be able to say that at least one of the producers on every single nominated documentary – long and short – is a member of IDA. Here are the films with their producers. Bold indicates the IDA members, as always. Best Documentary Feature Into the Arms of Arms of Strangers: Stories of the KindertransportDeborah Oppenheimer, producer; Mark Jonathan Harris, director/writer. LegacyTod Lending, producer/director/writer Long Night’s Journey Into DayFrances Reid, producer/director; Deborah Hoffman, director/editor Scottsboro: An
Dear Readers, Welcome to the Oscars® issue. Winning an Academy Award in front of millions of viewers after years of toiling in relative obscurity can surely change one’s sleep patterns, if not one’s life. Just ask Susan Hadary (see cover), the producer -- with William Whiteford -- of last year’s winner for Best Documentary Short Subject, King Gimp, which profiles artist and writer Dan Keplinger and his valiant struggles to live a productive life despite cerebral palsy. “We’ve been on speaking tours, continuous speaking engagements, continuous press events,” Hadary recounts. “And for Dan, he’s