Documentaries

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Comment by Terry Dodge Jr. on March 29, 2009 at 10:31am

I agree with you, making a documentary film is a major undertaking. We just finished a documentary film about a World War II Marine Aviation Squadron and all that they went through. (http://www.bluedevilsmovie.com) It is a first person account from members of VMF-451. My first interview for the doc was in March 2005. With no budget and filming as time and money allowed takes time and patience. So many times the guys would ask how soon will it be shown on the History Channel or the Military Channel. Its sad to say that the History Channel is not currently interested in WWII films like they once were. There are still other options and we are exploring them so that their story can be told.

Blue Devils has shown in two film festivals so far. Both times the audiences really enjoyed the film and want to see it on TV. After the showings, other filmmakers I've met have given me suggestions on places to market the film for TV that I wasn't aware of. They've also told me of ways to get reviews for the film that will help in finding an audience.

Here's my question to Adventist Filmmakers.com how can we get together and/or share the kind of information I've found the rest of the world so willing to share with in the confines of this website or Adventist film festivals? I don't want to step on anyone's toes AND I STILL HAVE A LOT TO LEARN as I cannot afford to go to film school at this point, but I am willing to share what little I've learned so someone else doesn't have to go through what I have to find an audience for their films. One of the hardest things to do is to find the right person or group who will appreciate your work and will help you get it out there.

Lets start talking and sharing.
~terry

Comment by Jonathan Fessler on February 23, 2009 at 11:23am

join my documentary group "Climbing for Health care in Nepal" http://adventistfilmmaker.ning.com/group/Nepal

Comment by Lisa Rodriguez-Zuniga on February 1, 2009 at 5:39pm

I think the challenge primarily is what you're up against when you commit to making a doc.

Chiefly the content must be moving, or else you might find yourself downstream when you're trying to go upstream. (The change-able nature of documentary material).

Another challenge is Hollywood...Look at Morgan Spurlock of "superSIZE me" fame. I guess it can be done? Either that or he hit on a strong undercurrent of McDonald's conspirators.

Ultimately I think the content HAS to be moving in order to get the teens, and twenty-somethings to watch it. Think about it, what spiritual subject is BOASTful enough to capture the audience's attention? (Food for thought).

-Lisa

Comment by Kent Kingston on November 13, 2008 at 2:55am

Hmmm... Awful quiet 'round here. Good to see a fellow Aussie has been by, albeit three months ago.

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie - Oi Oi Oi!! (it's a kind of Australian warcry)

So Mr Portbury, how are you enjoying your work with Mr TED? London would be getting chilly this time of year, I imagine.

I understand Hope Europe is a little more racy than Hope US/International? Any interesting programming in the pipeline? And any plans to produce programming primarily for the mainstream market?

I did have a look at "The Mountain Within" stuff. Some sweet cinematography there, but the trailer said nothing to me, apart from "people climb mountain - nice scenery". Until you checked out the background info, there was no way of understanding that some of the climbers were intellectually disabled; ie, no conflict/urgency/sense of barriers to be overcome. There was some location sound (talking) on the trailer, but the background music kinda drowned it out. Maybe it was a compression / conversion to internet thing.

Still, once I understood it, it seemed like a really interesting project. Is it definitely going to air on the BBC? Any chance of international distribution?

And on another, more general topic (sorry everyone for chatting personally to Kyle only there)...

It seems to me that a lot of filmmakers put a lot of effort into creating their product, only to see it languish on YouTube, or at best to win a prize at a local film festival or something. (Or the kiss of death: Hope Channel - ouch!, that was really mean)

So what's the deal with distribution? Maybe I'm not committed enough to my art, but I don't see the point of making a docco if no-one's going to see it.

Is the problem that short pieces are unlikely to make it to broadcast/cinema release, but short pieces are all emerging filmmakers can afford to make? Or is it that we creative types are clueless when it comes to networking, marketing and successfully targeting our audience?

I can't believe the garbage I see on my public broadcasting TV station here in Australia - garbage in the sense of (1) not particularly well shot (2) not particularly interesting, insightful or educational (3) about weird, sorry, "special interest" topics.

I mean the other day there was a docco about a guy who has an obsession with Michael Jackson and really wants to meet him. It was grainy, handheld, plotless, aimless and boring. But the ABC bought and broadcasted it!

So why don't some of us have a chance? 'Cos apparently, you don't have to be a genius filmmaker like Mr Portbury (and I mean that sincerely), to end up in the mainstream.

Or is it only me who wants to go mainstream? Spiritual content yes - but mainstream.

Comment by Kyle Portbury on August 10, 2008 at 12:53pm

Hey everyone check out the feature doc 'The Mountain Within' at www.themountainwithin.com