Jtm-pnw-session-journalists-filmmakers

Session Notes:

When journalists become filmmakers. Stephen Silha

Present: Cate Montana, Suzanne Tedesko, Cate Gable, Bill Weaver, Irv Kass, lion Kimbro, Leslie Lanin, Sandy Foster, Harold Shinsato

Stephen explained the Big Joy Project and showed his 5-minute trailer about his documentary about filmmaker and poet James Broughton. He also showed the website http://www.bigjoy.org

Background/what other people want out of this session:

Cate Montana - edited TV 16 years. Reporter. Marketing “What the Bleep” / Now working with Betsy Chasse – feature film / with documentary elements /

Suzanne Tedesko – started in video / TV / was with chn 9 until 1980. Money raising was so hard. NEA grant through cn 9. Used to be easier to get $. Now want to talk about web / fundraising / production for health project video

Cate Gable. Poet. Chinook Observer. Musician. Photography. Film project. Drama.

Leslie Lannin. BA Journalism. Worked in production and writing. Film school. Came to Seattle because Spielberg was going to open open up something around Fremont. Chickens made more money than I. Now in social learning technology. Still in storytelling.

Irv Kass, San Diego CA. NYU film school. BFA filmmaking. George Stoney was mentor. Ambulences in NYC. ABC – Leonard Goldenson. Had son with CP. News producer/director in San Diego. 3 TV docs. Eyes of community activist. Medical doc about medical missions to Honduras. SD Office of Education. Younger people are lucky because technology makes filmmaking cheaper.

Bill Weaver. Dofin Alabama. TV news. Georgia. Montgomery Alabama. Portland. KETU (Fisher) KETW (KING) stations. Independent. Produced 10 docs. Largest budget $99,000. Got tired of fundraising. Discovered invoicing. Now Midway trip. Beyond plastic, environmentalism. What are we feeding ourselves. Media diet. Incantations to cast spell to shift consciousness into action and activism. Reality shows midgets shooting penguins. What about web-distributed film … Might translate into $$$. [Do you know Curtis Ebesmeyer – mr flotsam – in Seattle?]

Lion Kimbro. Movie theatre is my temple / church. Open Source developer. Most communications were in text. Screencasts now. Problems with volume, not mumbling, timing.

Question: How is documentary morphing in the new media ecology?

Filmmaking is now two-way, like journalism. Get feedback from interested people as you make the film.

Important: Start off with legal issues. Permissions. Errors and Omissions insurance, etc.

Fundraising discussion:

• Build a community around the project. For example, Big Joy has natural poetry, film, and gay/polyamorous community. • Get your pitch down! • Edit appropriately for different audiences. • Films are a two-way street. You give, sweat blood, and you get back. • Innovation and creativity. • Go to other countries to tap groups that might be tied to subject matter (Broughton might be more revered in Europe) • Develop multiple income streams: tangential products such as mugs, t-shirts, greeting cards [1] • Have fun parties (Big Joy parties) that are thematically appropriate and invite people to upload videos on YouTube

Is the Executive producer function passé or is it better to use a web savvy promoter?

Possible online resources: http://www.kickstart.com http://www.indiegogo.com http://www.fundable.org

Get to mainstream media. Beachcomber article not enough: http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/vashon/vib/lifestyle/51340557.html

Look at international filmmakers.