The Documentary Life

When it comes to documentary film - and really film, in general - one of the forgotten heroes is often the film's music composer. And yet, it's often the music that truly elevates a film from good to greatness, making the storyline and all of its visuals just a bit more rich, complex, and emotional.

In today's episode I'll take a look at 5 Considerations for Music for Your Doc.

This will be followed by a deep dive discussion with world-renowned film composer, Nainita Desai, the multi-award winning and internationally recognized composer of 2019 Academy Award nominee, For Sama.

Topics Discussed

• five considerations for music for your documentary
• how a background in both sound and film brought Nainita Desai to composing for film
• how she immerses herself in the material of a doc project that she will be scoring
• best practices for the doc director to approach their working relationship with a music composer

Sponsors & Thank Yous

Music Vine

Thank you to music licensing platform, Music Vine for contributing the wonderful music that we’ve used in this week’s episode.

We’ve used many music licensing platforms over the years for commercials, corporate videos, and documentaries and these guys are definitely different.

Their music catalogue is truly fresh, diverse, full of character, their search engine is as straight forward and user friendly and their licensing fees? Unlike anywhere else we have come across.

If you need any music for your doc project, we can honestly recommend Music Vine.

And make sure to use our promo code to get an additional 15 percent off of any subscription!!

PROMO CODE: doclife15

° Free Music Archive – Special Thank You to recording artist, Dlay who supplied music for this week’s episode of TDL. You too can download his music or other artists’ music by going to Free Music Archive today!

If you have found value in this podcast please leave a review so it can become more visible to others. Simply click the link and then click on the Ratings and Reviews tab to make your entry. Thank you for your support!

We doc filmmakers are no strangers to mental health. Whether by the very nature of being doc filmmakers or from the subjects of our documentaries, we're often dealing with levels of anxiety, stress, and/or depression on a daily basis.

Still it's not something that we often openly talk about. That is, not until recently, as more and more doc filmmakers and more and more documentary organisations are having open and honest discussions about the topic of mental health as it related to independent documentary filmmakers.

And our guest, documentary filmmaker and psychotherapist, Rebecca Day (Film in Mind) is often leading these discussions!

Enjoy today's episode as both Rebecca and I delve into this immensely important topic that may, in fact, be more relevant now than ever!

Topics Discussed

• ways in which our host has dealt with bouts of mental illness
• how doc filmmaking brought Rebecca Day to psychotherapy
• sustainability for the doc filmmaker is not only financial, but emotional
• how to immerse yourself in your subject but also protect yourself
• how we doc filmmakers can be dealing with the added stress & anxiety of the coronavirus

The following resources come from Rebecca Day's Film in Mind site.

"The documentary career is as demanding and taxing as it is rewarding. On the one hand, there are the occasional honours, accolades, fellowships and grants, along with the impetus that your work can make a transformative difference in both moving the art form forward and making substantive social change. But the documentary profession is a long-odds game, one often fraught with disappointment and struggle."

In collaboration with IDA and D-Word, Rebecca discussed this topic with the documentary community. Here is a reflection on what took place.

"There is an incredible surge of supportive conversations, and the creation of an online community within our own sector, in ways that we haven't witnessed before."​

BFI Network - How to manage your mental health as a filmmaker during coronavirus

Music Vine

Thank you to music licensing platform, Music Vine for contributing the wonderful music that we’ve used in this week’s episode.

We’ve used many music licensing platforms over the years for commercials, corporate videos, and documentaries and these guys are definitely different.

Their music catalogue is truly fresh, diverse, full of character, their search engine is as straight forward and user friendly and their licensing fees? Unlike anywhere else we have come across.

If you need any music for your doc project, we can honestly recommend Music Vine.

And make sure to use our promo code to get an additional 15 percent off of any subscription!!

PROMO CODE: doclife15

° Free Music Archive – Special Thank You to recording artist, Dlay who supplied music for this week’s episode of TDL. You too can download his music or other artists’ music by going to Free Music Archive today!

If you have found value in this podcast please leave a review so it can become more visible to others. Simply click the link and then click on the Ratings and Reviews tab to make your entry. Thank you for your support!

When it comes to being affected by the coronavirus, we doc filmmakers, of course, are no exception. Whether we work in tv broadcasting, run video productions, or are freelancers, we are all feeling the impact of the massive shutdowns happening due to Covid-19.

So in today's episode I'd like to offer up some ways in which we might all stay positive and stay focused on our documentary projects and on a bigger scale, our documentary lives, which have already been significantly affected by recent events so much.

Jiayan 'Jenny' Shi, is a first time doc filmmaker who has been directly affected by these recent events, as her first documentary film, the extraordinary, Finding Yingying was set to premiere at this year's SXSW, only to lose its premiere once that festival closed its doors due to Covid-19.

This candid conversation about coronavirus and her time spent filming the tragic events of Finding Yingying is a conversation that I'll remember for quite some time. I think that you will to.

Topics Discussed

• ways in which we all can stay focused on our documentary lives
• how a first-time doc filmmaker came upon the tragic story that would change a family's lives as well as her own life
• the cultural differences involved in filming in two completely different cultures
• the delicate balance between a grieving family subjects and the doc filmmaker
• how the closing of SXSW is changing the whole distribution and film festival plan for her film

Please check out all that Kartemquin has to offer by going HERE.

Sponsors & Thank Yous

Music Vine

Thank you to music licensing platform, Music Vine for contributing the wonderful music that we’ve used in this week’s episode.

We’ve used many music licensing platforms over the years for commercials, corporate videos, and documentaries and these guys are definitely different.

Their music catalogue is truly fresh, diverse, full of character, their search engine is as straight forward and user friendly and their licensing fees? Unlike anywhere else we have come across.

If you need any music for your doc project, we can honestly recommend Music Vine.

And make sure to use our promo code to get an additional 15 percent off of any subscription!!

PROMO CODE: doclife15

° Free Music Archive – Special Thank You to recording artist, Dlay who supplied music for this week’s episode of TDL. You too can download his music or other artists’ music by going to Free Music Archive today!

If you have found value in this podcast please leave a review so it can become more visible to others. Simply click the link and then click on the Ratings and Reviews tab to make your entry. Thank you for your support!

One of the most compelling, intense, and well done documentaries that I saw in all of 2019 wasn't even a feature length film. In fact, its run time was only 39 minutes.

But it was 39 mins of riveting documentary that was financed and distributed by Netflix, and it came from ZCDC's Zachary Canepari and Drea Cooper. And Cooper sat down to discuss with us, among other things, what it was like working on this incredible. film.

And speaking of run time, in our opening segment, I discuss how to decide what the proper length for your doc films might be. And how, in fact, we may be doing a disservice to our stories, by trying to adhere to a set of arbitrary time lengths.

Topics Discussed

• how Cooper & Canepari came to the decision to make this a 39 min film
• how Netflix fully supported their film change of plans to pivot to this story
• how & why the usage of people’s phone footage became a powerful storytelling device
• Drea Cooper’s recommendsfor covering a catastrophic event on film

Trailer for Fire in Paradise

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KNAl23NwME&t=8s

Trailer for Netflix's Flint Town

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfNURrdgWTU

And if you haven't already done so, you can LISTEN to our episode that we did with ZCDC's producer, Gary Kout!

Sponsors & Thank Yous

Music Vine

Thank you to music licensing platform, Music Vine for contributing the wonderful music that we’ve used in this week’s episode.

We’ve used many music licensing platforms over the years for commercials, corporate videos, and documentaries and these guys are definitely different.

Their music catalogue is truly fresh, diverse, full of character, their search engine is as straight forward and user friendly and their licensing fees? Unlike anywhere else we have come across.

If you need any music for your doc project, we can honestly recommend Music Vine.

And make sure to use our promo code to get an additional 15 percent off of any subscription!!

PROMO CODE: doclife15

° Free Music Archive – Special Thank You to recording artist, Dlay who supplied music for this week’s episode of TDL. You too can download his music or other artists’ music by going to Free Music Archive today!

If you have found value in this podcast please leave a review so it can become more visible to others. Simply click the link and then click on the Ratings and Reviews tab to make your entry. Thank you for your support!

The playing field for distribution, promotions, and marketing for independent documentary filmmakers seems to be changing daily. But one thing that remains, is Jon Reiss, the veritable guru on all things film distro, promotions, and marketing. And for this week's episode he weighs in on this latest, including how social media marketing and ad placements are becoming a very important part of the doc filmmaker's toolkit.

And for my segment, I delve into 5 Tips for Getting Your Documentary Into a Festival!

1. Give a good hook
2. Get great sound
3. Enter fests early
4. Evoke emotion
5. Use Film Freeway

Topics Discussed

• the importance of giving great thought to your potential audience before filming
• partnerships and how they benefit the doc filmmaker
• how social media plays an integral role in marketing for your doc
• ad social media over organic social media
• understanding how your audience gets their information

Sponsors & Thank Yous

ATHOS Insurance Services

Make sure you and your film gear are protected!

Over the years, so many of you #doclifers have asked us about best ways to insure your yourself, your shoots, and your precious film gear. And Aylene and Kat of ATHOS Insurance Services are experts on the subject. Get an INSTANT QUOTE today.

° Free Music Archive – Special Thank You to recording artist, Dlay who supplied music for this week’s episode of TDL. You too can download his music or other artists’ music by going to Free Music Archive today!

If you have found value in this podcast please leave a review so it can become more visible to others. Simply click the link and then click on the Ratings and Reviews tab to make your entry. Thank you for your support!

Joshua Riehl was a first time doc filmmaker when he decided to make a film about his passion for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League. So how exactly did he manage to pull this feat off, including getting actor Jeff Daniels and some of the world's most recognizable names in hockey to agree to be in his film? Trust me. I wanted to know the same!

Topics Discussed

• how having audacity to believe in yourself is half the battle
• how sending handwritten letters to key personnel scored him the critical first meeting
• moved his location to a place where he most likely could raise financing
• how he ultimately found the one person who believe in his project and financed the entire film
• what it was like working with an animation team in Ukraine

ATHOS Insurance Services

Make sure you and your film gear are protected!

Over the years, so many of you #doclifers have asked us about best ways to insure your yourself, your shoots, and your precious film gear. And Aylene and Kat of ATHOS Insurance Services are experts on the subject. Get an INSTANT QUOTE today.

° Free Music Archive – Special Thank You to recording artist, Dlay who supplied music for this week’s episode of TDL. You too can download his music or other artists’ music by going to Free Music Archive today!

If you have found value in this podcast please leave a review so it can become more visible to others. Simply click the link and then click on the Ratings and Reviews tab to make your entry. Thank you for your support!

Are you thinking of traveling for your doc any time soon? Awesome. You know how much we love to travel for our doc filmmaking. And Chris has got some super useful tips for your doc filmmaking travel adventures!

And whether you're traveling abroad or just down the street for your next bit of filming, make sure you and your film gear are protected! Over the years, so many of you #doclifers have asked us about best ways to insure your yourself, your shoots, and your precious film gear. And Aylene and Kat of ATHOS Insurance Services are experts on the subject. This is the episode to listen to ensure (and insure!) that you and your film investments are properly protected!

Topics Discussed

• hot tips for doc filmmaking travel
• why the independent doc filmmaker even with limited funds should still seek insurance coverage for their gear
• what the process of making a claim is
• common mistakes made when seeking gear insurance
• set, shoot, and gear insurance coverage
• policies for doc filmmaking abroad

• book smart flights, not cheap flights
• fly with your camera
• pack sustenance and vit C
• pack change of clothing
• taxi or rideshare

In today's episode, we mentioned our Essential Travel Doc Filmmaking Gear List blog post, which you can find HERE.

° Free Music Archive – Special Thank You to recording artist, Dlay who supplied music for this week’s episode of TDL. You too can download his music or other artists’ music by going to Free Music Archive today!

If you have found value in this podcast please leave a review so it can become more visible to others. Simply click the link and then click on the Ratings and Reviews tab to make your entry. Thank you for your support!

Shouldn't you be making 2020 your breakthrough year in documentary filmmaking? We all know how difficult, sometimes frustrating, it can be getting our doc films made. And how trying it can be living our doc lives. No one knows this better than I. Which is why in this episode I have decided to challenge you (and I!) to make 2020 a breakthrough year in our doc lives.

And speaking of breakthroughs, for the first time on this programme, we host a full documentary discussion with a true blue #doclifer. Josh Davidsburg has been listening to us since the beginning. And in that span of time, he not only created his first documentary film, but that film, Queen of the Capital, is set to screen this month at the Slamdance Film Festival!

Topics Discussed

• making 2020 our breakthrough year as documentary filmmakers
• how Josh Davidsburg went from listener of the program to an award-winning documentary filmmaker
• how Davidsburg leads his doclife by teaching at a university and making doc films during his time off
• the importance of thinking about your film's audience from the outset
• the importance of having a good understanding of Fair Use when using musical performances
• how TDL helped Davidsburg with his doc film and doc life

Additional Resources

Watch an extended trailer for Queen of the Capital

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7G128nlbzA

Did you know that we now have workshops? Check out our full roster and reserve your seat today!

° Free Music Archive – Special Thank You to recording artist, Dlay who supplied music for this week’s episode of TDL. You too can download his music or other artists’ music by going to Free Music Archive today!

If you have found value in this podcast please leave a review so it can become more visible to others. Simply click the link and then click on the Ratings and Reviews tab to make your entry. Thank you for your support!

Welcome to your Season Two BONUS episode! In which you'll find selections from five of some of my favorite conversations that I've had with documentary filmmakers over the past 120 episodes of the show. Below, you can click on the full episodes to listen to the conversations in their entirety. Have a safe, happy holidays and we'll see you in 2020, #doclifer! Additional Resources Steve James conversation Margaret Byrne conversation Maclain & Chapman Way conversation Pedram Shojai conversation Irene Taylor Brodsky conversation

° Free Music Archive – Special Thank You to recording artist, Dlay who supplied music for this week’s episode of TDL. You too can download his music or other artists’ music by going to Free Music Archive today!

If you have found value in this podcast please leave a review so it can become more visible to others. Simply click the link and then click on the Ratings and Reviews tab to make your entry. Thank you for your support!

Filming the ones that we love and making documentaries about them can be a challenging, but ultimately very rewarding experience. It can be full of emotional pitfalls. It can bring families closer together . And no one knows this better than Academy Award-nominated and Emmy Award-winning director, Irene Taylor Brodsky.

We'll speak with Irene on the eve of the release of her latest HBO Documentaries film, Moonlight Sonata: Deafness in Three Movements.

Topics Discussed

• the profound nature of using documentary as a form of cultural currency
• how documentary filmmakers are often viewed as altruistic people, but we may be telling these stories for our own self-interest
• making doc films with your family as main subjects
• the importance of making the audience the hero of your story

Additional Resources

Watch a trailer for Moonlight Sonata: Deafness in Three Movements

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBV43REbk-g

° Free Music Archive – Special Thank You to recording artist, Dlay who supplied music for this week’s episode of TDL. You too can download his music or other artists’ music by going to Free Music Archive today!

If you have found value in this podcast please leave a review so it can become more visible to others. Simply click the link and then click on the Ratings and Reviews tab to make your entry. Thank you for your support!