I’ve decided to make a list of 15 16 movies I feel have outstanding soundtracks. This means I feel that not only did the soundtrack create the magic the viewer experiences by watching the film but that the soundtracks are just as powerful and entertaining alone.

1. Ray

Fantastic music hands down. I could listen to it every day. I actually had no idea how great Ray Charles’s music was until this film. I was a child of the 80′s and the only time we saw Ray Charles was when he was slamming his hands down on the piano and kicking his legs up from side to side while playing some jingle or what not. Like my new found love for the music of James Brown, I was delighted to hear some of his more soulful music that truly reflected his talents.

2. Wild Orchid

I love most music with trumpet melodies and I was immediately mesmerized by this one. This soundtrack is extremely powerful not only because of the fantastic theme song that featured an outstanding trumpet melody but combined with amazing Brazilian rhythms it was absolutely perfect for the movie. Wild Orchid was such a wonderfully unique story it was only right that the music be equally so.

3. Siesta

Two words. Miles Davis. This soundtrack is just hauntingly beautiful. My favorite song from the soundtrack is Los Feliz. It is “Siesta” summed up into one song. Amazing move. Amazing soundtrack. I’ll be learning how to play this one for sure.

4. 5th Element

This soundtrack has a sexy mix of charged rhythms and delightfully elegant opera. Opera is another favorite of mine and a singing style I happen to be pretty good at. So I have quite a bit of fun singing along with Lucia Di Lammermoor performed by Inva Mula-Tchako. Overall this soundtrack is extremely inspiring if you are a filmmaker and is perfect for sitting around on a rainy day putting together a large puzzle.

5. Alien 3

Ahhh where do I begin? Well the movie was so horrible, it was the first time I wanted to riot after a film. However, the sound track is by far the most amazing thing I’ve heard. I can’t even be specific about why this soundtrack is amazing other than it’s moving and for a creative person such as myself, it really provides fuel for my imagination. I can instantly think of at least ten stories that would fit this soundtrack. I live for that!

6. Collateral

This soundtrack really solidified my love for jazz. More Miles Davis. I love it! Boy did this soundtrack have a sexy & eclectic mix of music.

7. Yesterday

Moving music for a moving film. The guitar pieces in this film were just beautiful.

8. Coffy

This is one of my all time favorite films featuring Pam Grier. The first time I watched this film I knew I had to have the soundtrack. The main theme song is HOT! It made me want to dance and dress badly and throw a house party where everyone else dresses and dances badly too. This soundtrack is packed with gems from the 70′s. I love it! Original Radio Advertisement for “Coffy”

9. Tsotsi

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful soundtrack, just like the movie.

10. Beat Street

The most appropriate thing to say about this soundtrack is “Oooooh Snap!”. This one takes me way back and I love it! It reminds me of all the fun music that came out of the 80′s and a lot of fond memories I have of break dancing and having music be at the forefront of my life.

11. Snatch

There is a lot of different music styles on this soundtrack and it works well. It either makes you want to party or sit around with a cigar and a glass of wine.

12. Monsoon Wedding

This film had AMAZING music. There were different styles; different energies… just wonderful. This really belongs in the top 5. This soundtrack is nothing but the truth in music.

13. Blue Streak

This soundtrack is slammin. I remember going to see the movie when I lived in Idaho (yeah I can’t believe I lived there either) and I couldn’t wait to get the soundtrack. It featured songs from many of my favorite rap & R&B artists and I played it until the CD couldn’t be read anymore. Mmmhmmm sure did.

14. Casualties of War

This is another rainy day soundtrack, however it would not be wise to listen to this when you are not at your emotional best. This soundtrack was simply an absolutely brilliant match with the film and I think without it, it definitely wouldn’t have been such a moving film. Elegy For A Dead Cherry is just simply classic cinematic scoring. It’s absolutely moving. It reminds me of all the great films I’ve seen growing up when filmmaking was still an art.

15. The Signal

One day I stumbled upon this film and was like “Whoa! Where did this gem come from?”. Not only was The Signal a fantastic movie but on some level I found myself watching it more than once just so I could listen to the music. This film has a very skillful mix of music types that really makes the film and soundtrack standout. Heaven’s “Leave” is featured prominently in this movie and although it is a rather simplistic song, it’s absolutely addicting. I believe I listened to that song every day for over a month after watching the move.

16. Hannibal

This was a last minute addition to this list. I can’t believe it wasn’t the first soundtrack I thought of. I LOVE to sing along to Vide Cor Meum on this soundtrack. I was not a fan of the movie. The filmmakers dove into the abyss with this one. However the soundtrack, like that of Alien 3, is just outstanding. I listened to it for a good year on a near daily basis. Again, it was fuel for my creative mind. I can dream up wonderful stories listening to this.

The biggest issue I’m having right now is how long it’s taking me to edit projects. Editing all of them simply takes too long. I definitely need to obtain an editor for all of my wedding films. I find myself editing them as if they were a feature film! I have to keep telling myself that its “good enough” for what it’s for. I’m not saying I plan to slack on wedding projects, just that they don’t need composting, camera movement, and special effects like a creative film project would. It took me 6 months to edit my first wedding!

I’m finding that I want to enter into the short film festivals over at dvxuser.com. They are a great way to get used to making films, editing quickly, and having your work viewed. I’d neglected the short film route for some time because I wasn’t very interested in doing fictional films. However, they have been a great way for me to build my editing skills.

The biggest issue I was recently faced with was how slowly I’ve been working on one of my big projects “Our Side of Joy”. I decided this past weekend I’m going to present the film in the format for which it was intended instead of trying to create a shorter version for film festivals. I’d mentioned in previous posts that this film was several films but I filmed it for academic audiences (volumes for higher education courses). If it were intended for general audiences I wouldn’t have picked such a broad topic. I was just about to play myself on this one.

I’ve had this film down to an hour and fifteen minutes for months now and I just couldn’t go back to it. I’m very unhappy with this length. It feels like a long “preview” for what I intended to shoot. I felt as if I should make this film for general audiences and do the whole film festival thing. In doing a little soul searching… I’m just not a 90 minutes or less kinda filmmaker.

I have no problem taking a lot of info and making it into shorter volumes that represent an entire body of knowledge. But I can not just cut and cut and cut until my message is a mess at my feet and I’m putting out into the world some other animal.

Pre-Production:
Movie Outline Software http://www.movieoutline.com – It is essential to make a detailed outline of your film before you do anything. It will help you understand your story better which will help you move to the next step of writing the script. This software will help you to quickly and easily create an outline for your film projects. I’ve even written an entire script in this program (not what the software is for). The price has gone up significantly since I first purchased it so I can only recommend it if you really really need it.

Celtx Software http://celtx.com – This is thee software to have if you are an independent filmmaker. It is the one stop shop for all your filmmaking needs (wow that’s corny… but true). I use this program exclusively for writing outlines, scripts, creating lists of cast, crew, props, and sets, putting together my shooting schedules and much more! And best of all… It’s FREE!

Production:
I don’t have anything to add as a resource during the production phase because all I’m concerned about during this time is shooting. I’m not logging any tapes, filling out any forms or any other paper work. I’m shooting my scenes according to my shooting schedule, making changes to my script on the fly and watching the tapes after each shoot to catch any issues that need to be addressed by re-shooting.

Post-Production:
I’ll also keep this section simple because I don’t want you to get hung up on what tools to use for editing your film if you decide to edit the films yourself (I don’t plan to edit my films anymore.) You do need professional tools for editing; not necessarily for trimming and ordering but definitely for color correction, effects, transitions, and audio processing. I use Adobe Premier because it’s very easy to use. I use it to trim my footage, put the film together in the sequence it’s going to be in, and arrange the audio for the film. I use Adobe After Effects for everything else (for the video only. I never import the audio.), such as color correction (the first thing I worry about), and any other necessary effects like camera movements and transitions. Lastly, I use Adobe Audition to process any problematic audio (I try my best to shoot perfect audio so it is not something I have to “fix” when editing). Once I’ve corrected problematic audio in Adobe Audition, I import it back into Adobe Premier. Adobe Premier automatically links to Adobe Soundbooth for editing audio but Adobe is crazy. Soundbooth is a substandard audio program and I don’t know why they think film audio doesn’t need as much care as a musician’s audio. Adobe Audition has been around for longer than Adobe has owned it (used to be Cool Edit) and has outstanding, easy to use audio processing tools.

Release:
Kunaki.com – $1.75. Yes, that’s right. For $1.75 each you get retail ready DVDs plus full color covers and inserts using Kunaki.com. These DVDs and the printing are of the same quality you see in retail stores. To make this even sweeter, these DVDs are made on demand! So you don’t need to shell out hundreds or thousands of dollars for stock you may never get rid of.

Filmbaby.com – If you want great personal customer service from a respected industry company with a great history with indie artists, this is the company for you! Filmbaby.com is owned by the same people who own CDbaby.com and they offer affordable easy to use services for selling your films. And best of all, they accurately report sales and pay you when they are supposed to pay you…consistently. Switching all of my films over to them is the best thing I could have done for myself.

Promotional:
I can’t stress to filmmakers enough how important it is to have a website for your film company and/or your individual films. Let’s face it, many of of the earth’s inhabitants are slaves to the web. *Smile* It is the easiest and cheapest way to get the word out about your films. Making a website can be free or near free so there is really no reason not to have one.

4 Steps to getting your website ready:
1. Get good hosting (linux/unix hosting with Cpanel is highly recommend) – Hostgator.com is my favorite.
2. In Cpanel (fantastico), or on your own, install a content management script (Joomla.org, Drupal, WordPress.org, etc.).
3. Fill it up with content about your film company and film projects.
4. Invest in an outstanding design template if you have no graphics design skills. I can not stress this enough. An uninteresting site is a worthless site, just like an uninteresting advertisement is an invisible advertisement (i.e. you website should not look like it was made in the early 90s). If you need great templates for many of the popular, free content management scripts visit: Templatemonster.com, joomlart.com, and many others.

If you need outstanding quality print media, I’d recommend GotPrint.com. I haven’t had too much of a need to use them for my films (but have used them for my publishing company) but you will need print media if you plan to work the film festival circuit.

Tutorials:
Videocopilot.net – If you are interested in producing professional quality films with great effects, or just to learn how to use Adobe After Effects, this is the site for you. Not only do they have incredibly useful tools for purchase, they have fantastic free tutorials and an entire website dedicated to help you learn the basics of Adobe After Effects; a boot camp if you will.

Enjoy your art, Cheers!

I have always made an effort to travel light however, my trip to Germany and Ireland in 2007 was the first time I officially traveled as a filmmaker. I took with me my Panasonic DVX100B, full sized tripod, mini tripod, one full sized high wattage light, 15″ laptop, and a whole host of other gear I never used. It was the first time I’d carried a large suitcase as well. The suitcase needed to be large enough for my full sized tripod to fit collapsed. That’s still a pretty big bag. I didn’t like it at all.

So now I’m planning what looks like a trip to Singapore and Thailand and I have to travel light. Here are some of the issues I faced on my last international trip.

1. I worried about overweight baggage fees every time I had to catch a flight. At my home airport, I had to run to a gift shop, buy another bag, and transfer some items from the large bag to the new smaller bag to avoid paying $80 in overweight baggage fees. Later, I ended up having to pay $250 Euros on my trip from Ireland to Frankfurt because of my overweight bag. That was almost $200 Euros more than the actual cost of the plane ticket! **The airline was Lufthansa which does well on long flights (I flew from the US to Frankfurt with the same bags with no charges) but does not do well on short flights (I guess you have to travel damn near naked on short flights).

2. I had to lug around a heavy bag and my backpack. I did plan ahead with this as best as possible but the reality is, my bags were heavy. The smaller bag I had to buy at the airport fit on top of the larger bag and the large bag had wheels so I could just pull them around but again, the bags were heavy and I felt like I was running a marathon anytime I had to move them. I also stayed in a 3 story hotel in Germany with no elevators (yep I was on the top floor), and a 3 story B&B in Dublin with no elevators of course (and on the top floor again). So it was quite unpleasant trying to get my bags up and down the stairs. My backpack was also heavy because in it were my Panasonic DVX100B, 15″ laptop, batteries, tapes, microphones, etc.

3. I drew too much attention for my taste by using my fancy camera and carrying around my tripod. This by far became the biggest issue for me, although I had no idea I would be bothered by this prior to this trip. This is more of a personal preference if you will. I know many filmmakers who have no issues with drawing attention while they film, it comes with the job. However, I do not like this at all. For me there are some safety concerns as well as creative concerns. Some things to consider… I was grilled at the airport in Frankfurt about whether or not I’d filmed anything when I went to the Reeperbahn. My camera is always thoroughly checked at the security check points. This means pulling out all your gear for everyone at the check point to see (Not very safe; especially when they do it while you have to take your shoes off and on and you can’t glue your eyes to your stuff).

A funny thing… I was carrying around my tripod in it’s bag while in Dublin and I was riding the buses a lot. I got on this one bus and the driver asked me “Is that a gun?”. I had to laugh, it did look like a rifle bag. But what was really interesting is that the driver was serious but he didn’t seem at all concerned if it were a gun. Funny those Irish folks are. :)

I’m not exactly sure what is being taught in school these days but how to write effective letters and inquiries must not be one of them. When I was growing up, we were indeed taught this in school (and I’m not that old). So let’s say you are my age and you skipped school those days or you are younger and are a victim of modern substandard schooling and you find yourself writing gems like this (Yep, I’m using a few real e-mail messages):

Your e-mail:
“I’d like to be a part of “XYZ” film. Thanks, Some lazy person”

“Interested in working on “X” film and “Y” film.”

My Response:
So what?

*And let’s not forget the messages sent entirely in capital letters.

Your e-mail:
“Hi, I have a book proposal for “XYZ” book for “ABC” audience. It’s serious info. presented in a slightly comical manner. Are you interested in hearing more?”

My response:
Why on earth would I? You’ve given me little or no reason to be interested.

I’m typically all about anti-conformity and pro-creativity, however, when it comes to getting someone to invest in you and your craft, you have to get their attention. That means being both professional and creative at the same time. If you are professional and creative in how you present yourself and it is clear that you value your craft and its place in your life then you are on the right path, even if others still choose not to invest in you. *If your art (writing, acting, and/or film crew member) is all about business than you are on a hustle plan I can’t help you with (for example, if the only way a filmmaker can make a film (i.e. do their art), is to get funds from investors for which they have to pay this money back and then some, then your art has become a business deal. Whereas if you make the best film you can make with your own money or from “gift” money, then your art remains art (and this art may become financially viable as well).

I find that people who do not take time to present themselves in professional and creative ways such as with the examples listed, usually lack the energy, commitment and drive that is vital to a working relationship and to their craft. Publishers and filmmakers see far too many inquiries from short-term energy sucking individuals and are conditioned to weed them out based on a set of warning signals. I personally feel these are valid warning signals unlike those used in 99% of standard job interviews (yes that’s a little jab. *smile*).

Ok, so now that you’re face has been ripped off, let’s put you back together here. It’s all about being helpful. At the least, you want to practice BASIC letter/inquiry writing. That means picking up a book or two or surfing the web and finding info on the correct elements required in your basic professional letter or inquiry. You also want to always use your spell check and double check your grammar. An e-mail or written letter is not an instant or text message conversation. Do not use “web” or “mobile talk” outside of your cell phone or instant message. This is the bare minimum to at least get people to respect your inquiry (now there is a word no one seems to be familiar with anymore).

If you are an author looking to be published there is absolutely no excuse for making unprofessional inquiries. The Writer’s Market and many other books have provided step by step instructions on how to write query letters for the publishing market. The Writer’s Market also provides information on how to contact publishing companies to obtain their guidelines for submissions. In addition, publishing companies with websites, usually list this information directly on their sites.

Those serious about acting should always write a professional letter to gather information about the production and to provide some information about your abilities. If possible, send a demo and resume and definitely a head shot. For acting talent, I’m personally less interested in the resume and more interested in a demo. I definitely put a high premium on a demo. Demos help filmmakers visualize how you might fit into their production. In this case the professional letter is a formality that commands attention and respect. From there, your demo helps me make a tentative choice.

Do not take rejection personally when you have done the right thing. Not everyone will be interested in what you love to do. That is a simple, unavoidable reality. Even if NO one is interested, it does not mean you have to change how you feel about your craft. You should be doing it for yourself anyway (no matter how cliche that is).

None of us can afford to give in to lazy people with power. Have you ever, in searching for a job, happen to read any of the contradictory articles about how to write a resume? The US is relatively the only country that uses what I call the “lazy man’s” resume. Whereas most other countries require a Curriculum Vitae to apply for jobs or universities. Upon reading the contradictory articles one thing stood out. The bulleted resume is for lazy people with power. CVs can and are concise but at the same time give the most accurate level of information for making hiring decisions. We must always present ourselves with the most accurate level of information. Period. Before you shift into powerless mode, ask yourself… Do I really want to develop a working relationship with anyone who can’t spend 20 minutes reading about me and my craft? (because just like how not being professional and creative says something about you, not taking the time to choose the best talent and crew or new author says a lot about them). In addition, presenting yourself to publishers and filmmakers with the best level of information will also give you an opportunity to review your accomplishments. This is always a good thing.

1. Purposeful Content
The first thing for filmmakers to consider is the purpose of their content. If your content has no social purpose, then why are you making it? Responsible filmmaking is entirely in your hands. Don’t get me wrong, this social purpose can be purely entertainment, have deep meaning, or both. I’m just saying filmmakers need to make sure the films you make are not hurting society, but enhancing, educating, and/or entertaining it.

Examples of responsible filmmaking:
The Color Purple, Nuts, Bin Jip, A Tale of Two Sisters, The Signal, American History X,The Accused

Examples of irresponsible filmmaking:
300, Birth, Training Day, Halloween (2007), Bastard Out of Carolina, The Professional, Tropic Thunder

2. The Money Crisis
This is by far the fall of the art of filmmaking. When filmmaking went from being a grassroots art to big business … I take that back, when filmmaking became about big budgets and box office sales is when we began to see the incredible decline in filmmakers’ abilities to tell good stories on film. It’s funny, when filmmakers first started using more CGI in films, they always claimed it significantly brought down the cost of making films. That wasn’t all it brought down. It brought down the quality as well. Also, while this may have been true initially, why is it the cost of making films have reached such astronomical numbers? Compare the cost of the movie Aliens to any major box office sci-fi movie since 1996 and you will find an astronomical increase in production costs. When we decide to perfect the art of making great films with less money, only then will filmmaking resurface as a true art.

3. Gear Rip Off Madness
Ahhhh the great gear rip-off. This is the insanity where manufacturers and sellers of film gear convince filmmakers that great films can’t be made unless they own the latest and greatest equipment that they make and/or sell. But here is where your critical thinking has to kick in. Were great films being made prior to this new and improved “must-have” gear? And even more importantly, did you enjoy these films made prior to this new and improved gear? Of Course! So it’s important to realize when you are being brainwashed for the sake of profit. Folks can argue you down about gear and format quality but none of that matters if the film itself is of poor quality or exceptional quality. I enjoy movies on film, I enjoy them on VHS, I enjoy them on DVD and I will enjoy them on whatever else they make them on. Likewise, for what they were created with.

4. Reclaiming the filmmaking community
The sooner the filmmaking community gets rid of elitism the better. Film snobs have no place in art. Nothing ruins a film community faster than the seeds of negativity and arrogance. Either you are in it to create something fantastic or you need to walk away. You won’t find a painter needing his ego stroked by his brushes will you? How many film projects have fallen apart because of egos and attitudes? How many have gone to ruin because of directors, cast and crew, who thought they were too good to listen to a good idea or creative criticism? You’ve all seen it, felt it, heard it. Solution: When you find these people, drop them. Let them go create by themselves like the little kid in school who couldn’t get along with others. Cast, crew or talent think they are too good to show up when scheduled or on time? Drop ‘em. What about the contract? Add attendance and attitude clauses. This may sound harsh but we are talking about an art that takes collaboration from entire groups of people. The last thing this art needs are internal knives when there are many external ones every step of the filmmaking process.

She’d written about this emerging business model where on and offline companies, including broadcast and cable networks are essentially paying filmmakers less than what they deserve for creating digital content. In addition to paying less, they are also offering less supportive services to these filmmakers as well such as covering licensing fees and insurance, etc. She mentioned that the end result will be that it becomes the norm that filmmakers make little if any money from creating films and digital media and even worse; we come to accept this.

One only has to take a look at the book publishing industry to see what the true end result of this can and will be if we allow it to continue. Publishers, particularly vanity publishers, have been robbing authors in this same fashion for decades. They have taken it a step further, requiring authors to actually pay them to publish their work. So filmmakers should beware and take this very seriously. The next step is being asked to pay to give some company world rights and total ownership of our footage.

Mrs. Bernard’s article made me give more thought to the entire process of not only being paid for footage but also thinking about the worth of the work I do. For instance, there are many such websites out there offering a mere $100 or less for video you create and edit. In addition to that, they own all the rights to the video footage. So if you think about it in terms of labor, they are paying you $100 or less for a completed video that will take at least a few days for you to finish. To break it down even further, you may spend on average 6 hours a day on the video getting it finished. And based on what I know about artistic filmmakers, the real number of hours one would spend on the video would be closer to 10-12 hours a day.

Let’s take a closer look at this. let’s go with the very least amount of hours you would spend on it; 6 hours. Then let’s say it takes you 2 days to complete the video. If you are being paid $100 for the finished video, you are being paid $8.33 /per hour. That kind of hourly rate may be fine if you are working at McDonald’s but that is not OK at all when you are making any type of film or video. The amount is even more ridiculous if you spend longer hours and/or more days to finish the video. Imagine having to add a voice over or motion graphics to it as well…

$100 is actually being pretty generous from the sites I’ve visited. Many only offer $50 or less per video. If you upload some clips on free sites, you still own the clip. So there is a difference. You can upload your work for free and then do whatever else you want with it; including create your own DVDs to sell. Trust me, you would make more money selling your own DVDs than you would giving your footage away for peanuts to these companies. They need to pay according to licensing. If they want world rights, they need to pay for world rights. It is unethical to pay filmmakers $50-100 for world rights for any footage. Period.

Why so many business models that resemble that of the plantation, slave master and slaves relationship? Why are executives being paid obscene amounts of money relative to those who create the content? Their business and organizational skills are irrelevant if they have nothing to organize. Like any group being taken advantage of, we have to assess our collective self esteem and our egos as well. We can’t be so hell bent on seeing our work on TV that we give away the rights to it for less than what should be paid for those rights; thus making it impossible to make a living as a filmmaker and to get it to the audience for which it was intended. This is exactly what happens to authors; hence the term “vanity press” is used to describe publishing services that mainly attract authors who are more hell bent on seeing their work in print than they are with effectively managing a writing career.

We also have to watch out for deception as well. As with Current.com, it clearly states on their website that compensation for videos selected to air on TV range from $2,500 to $60K. So why was I only offered $500 to put something together with cutdowns from my documentary for TV? I’m glad that I found Mrs. Bernard’s article because after having read it, did more research and given things more thought, I decided not to go the route of being paid for content unless what I am being paid is fair for the license use requested. Seriously, I used to be annoyed by what I thought were insane licensing fees charged by photographers for a single image. But I’m thinking filmmakers need to learn from them and begin to reassess our worth and the value of our art.

If you would like a general idea of what you should be charging for your time and work, please visit this reference article at NJ Creatives Network.

Shooting my first documentary was pretty straight forward. However, it wasn’t until I went to Ireland to film a documentary about Lesbian relationships that I realized the enormous personal and social responsibilities involved with filmmaking. It wasn’t some profound revelation; just a simple acknowledgment. The women were very afraid to be in the film. I had to understand their fear. I couldn’t let my own thoughts about how free they should be overshadow the fact that they weren’t. That was their reality and the film did not get done. But I had a wonderful, welcoming time there and enjoyed conversations I had with the women a great deal.

Not long after my trip to Ireland, I began planning my two new documentaries, Our Side of Joy and Charise: A Portrait of an African American with Albinism with a new appreciation for filming the lives of others. In order to film Charise: A Portrait of an African American with Albinism, I had to think about the feelings of my best friend Charise. I had to be sure she was ready and willing to tell her story and to what extent. Whatever she was ready to reveal, I would have to work with. I also had to consider if I was going to reveal, by interviewing myself, what she wouldn’t and how I would go about doing so in a productive manner.

Having known Charise for over 15 years, it is easier to talk to her about her concerns and expectations as well as mine. However, because I haven’t known identical twins, Marlene and Michelle Tamayo as long or as well as Charise, I had to put far more effort into my filmmaking process. For instance, I have to consider the feelings of the entire Tamayo family (over 30 people). I have to think about how this film will impact all of their lives.

Up until the time I arrived in Florida, the twins’ father was very concerned about the questions I was going to ask him. I had several phone conferences with the twins during pre-production to find out more about their lives and to discover what my story would be. During those conversations I was informed about a few subjects that would really upset their father. Their father would not participate if I was going to ask questions about those subjects because quite simply, they would upset him too much. So I agreed not to ask him anything about it. He did continue to worry that I would. He had every right to worry. It is so common place for filmmakers to ask hurtful or difficult questions after gaining a subject’s confidence that interviewees are justified in being concerned.

When I was done interviewing him and his wife (joint interview), I could see how relieved he was. He was so happy. I was very happy as well but sad that this is what non-fiction filmmaking has come to, where people think they will be hit over the head when they least expect it because of predatory filmmakers.

It would have been predatory for me to have decided that because I wanted to film the truth I was going to ask him about subjects I already knew would upset him. What I filmed was the truth. It was the “despite that” truth. Think about that.

I was also going to speak with a woman in Florida about doing a documentary on her life. She was in the Korean war and fled the country to save herself. When I got there, she was too afraid to do the film. Family left behind in Korea were lead to believe she was dead. If I were a predatory filmmaker I would tried to convince her of how the world really needed to hear her story even though I was already told by her children that she suffers from post traumatic stress and even watching a few minutes of footage about the war sends her into a near-catatonic state.

There are so many different things a filmmaker has to think about when dealing with the lives of others. I’ll share some examples of predatory filmmaking and a few examples of responsible filmmaking.

One example of predatory filmmaking involves a scene from the documentary, Children Underground. While overall, I found this film very riveting; there was a scene where 14 year old Violeta ‘Macarena’ Rosu was being beaten by a stranger because he didn’t like that she was crying. She was crying because she was so hungry she didn’t know what to do. So while sitting on the ground, the stranger came over to her and started kicking her and trying to stomp on her head with his foot. I was disturbed that this grown ass man would beat on a 14 yo girl instead of help and I was just as disturbed that the filmmakers did nothing but stand there filming it. It took a 16 year old to get him to stop, while other adults in the station just watched or walked by. Why would the filmmakers just stand there filming this girl being kicked and stomped by a grown man? For realism? So we can see just how brutal their lives are? Well, you know what? We don’t have to have them being beaten on film to know that being a homeless child is probably beyond hellish. And why did a 16 yo have to wedge her body between the beaten girl and the abuser while grown ass people just watched and filmed? I found the filming of this girl being beaten to be predatory. I’m sure they thought they were getting good stuff for their film all in the name of realism no doubt. It would have been effective, and in my opinion more real, if they would have intervened and added a voice over that went something like “An man, angry at Macarena’s cries of hunger, tried to beat her and we had to intervene” and add something about it being a part of the hardships of being a homeless child and how more times than not, there is no one there to help.

I also felt I needed to speak on this issue because of the new filmmakers out there who are 100% predatory. The way they approach their art is about taking away from someone, what they feel they can feed to the audience and profit from regardless of what it may do to others and they do so in such diabolical ways (i.e. Borat). I’ve seen filmmakers become damn near orgasmic upon capturing something horrible or emotionally upsetting on film.

Now consider this example of responsible filmmaking. Six year old Danny Lloyd who played “Danny” in The Shining had absolutely no idea he was in a horror movie until years after the film was released. This was because Stanley Kubrick went through great lengths to make sure he was protected from a subject matter he knew would be harmful to the child at his age. It wasn’t until years later that his mother showed him the film. Stanely Kubrick took responsibility for his filmmaking. As did the makers of Taxi Driver, making sure Jodie Foster had counseling about the part she would play in the film and using her adult sister in the racy scenes. However this wasn’t the case in the films she was in after Taxi Driver (see also Movie Review: The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane). I mean, as cute as they wanted Bugsy Malone to be, it was still children acting out a very adult story.

I could cover thousands of movies that were made by predatory filmmakers and thousands that were not, however I simply wanted to point out there are some things one should consider while filmmaking:

1. Be humble. No one owes you anything. This means you aren’t entitled to tell any story you feel like just because you decided to pick up a camera.

2. The philosophies of Journalism are wrong. The world does not need every story by any means necessary, no matter who gets destroyed in the process.

3. Think about how you can tell the story you want without information you felt you really needed. If you can’t choose another subject for your film. Don’t be so emotionally attached to what you want to film that you are willing to do it at cost to other people. In the end, it will never be worth it.

4. Don’t put people in compromising positions, especially children and young adults. There is no excuse for doing so in any fictional film. If you are shooting non-fiction and need to expose some evil corporation or business owner or something, fine, just know who to shoot and when. Don’t make other people pay for the actions of your evil subject.

The art of filmmaking shouldn’t be 100% about the audience or business. It should be a nice balance between your enjoyment of the art, sharing it with others, and being concerned about the business end just enough for a little financial sweetness.

I was reminded recently about the importance of sharing knowledge. Although I’m not a big Hollywood filmmaker (by choice), that doesn’t mean that my methods and particularly my early methods of filmmaking are of no use to anyone. So I decided to write a post about how I filmed my first documentary. Hopefully this post with help anyone trying to get started in filmmaking with little or no money.

First things first… Back in 2002, I impulsively decided to film a documentary on Black Homosexuality covering topics I felt were important. I don’t even remember what motivated this decision. All I know is that in the end I had a three volume documentary and a trip to Ghana, West Africa.

Over the years I’d acquired a great deal of information on most of the subjects I was going to cover so I felt I was doing a story about something I was already very familiar with. Then I put an ad on Craigslist and tons and tons and tons of Yahoo Groups. I also connected with a local group for LGBT people of color. Hooking up with this group was what jump started my project. There were my first interviewees. I was also able to get a few people from my ads on Graigslist and the Yahoo groups. A gentleman who answered my Cragislist ad was hosting an after party for an annual conference dealing with the issues of black gay men. He invited me to this party and set me up in one of his bedrooms where party-goers could come up and do an interview. This was just what I needed. They would come in, sign a release form and sit down for an interview. Easy as pie.

I interviewed a straight woman who was raised by a lesbian mother which added a different dimension to the film. I also interviewed a woman in D.C. because at the time, I was going to D.C. a lot to visit my cousin. The woman I interviewed in D.C. was an older lesbian who had a lot of information to add about being a lesbian in the 70′s and also spoke about the gay issue in regards to Africa. She took a group of black women to Africa twice a year. The first trip was a “Welcome Home” trip and the second was always a medical relief trip where supplies and help would be brought to villages in need. So after I was done filming, I went to Africa with one of her groups. This helped me see for myself the atmosphere in which homosexuals in Ghana lived. One couldn’t speak for the whole of Africa but it was interesting to be able to report on the one place.

What I really want to share in this article is information about what equipment I used because this seems to be what keeps people from making the films they want to make. You must understand that everyone has to crawl before they walk. Do not be ashamed of growth.

I filmed my three volume documentary on a Panasonic PV DV100. At the time, this was a $400 camcorder I bought at Devil-Mart (Wal-Mart). I wanted three things in particular out of a camera: Manual Focus, an External Mic Jack and a Firewire Port. This camera had it, I went with it. I also bought a $3 external shotgun mic on Ebay. Actually it was this Sima SZM but it was being offered for cheap on Ebay. I bought a bunch of MiniDV tapes and gathered up a couple of those “burn your face off” halogen work lights from Home Depot.

Here is the trailer from the film: Shades of Love: Black Homosexuality

The interesting thing about this is, at the time you have to understand that I did this on impulse and didn’t approach it with the same limitations that one may put on themselves if they were waiting for say the “right” camera, the “right” mic, the “perfect” whatever. Even on my limited knowledge this doc still came out pretty good. Also, at the time, I only used Adobe Premier and it wasn’t very sophisticated. I wouldn’t even touch Adobe After Effects.

If I knew then what I know now about editing, this film would have looked a lot better than it does using the same equipment. Had I learned Adobe After Effects then, I could have fixed 99% of the problems I have in this video; color correction in particular.

So my advice to you would be to use what equipment you already have and what you can afford and spend more time making sure you have well composed shots (i.e. no talking heads in the center of the frame), all the B-Roll footage you need, clear audio (this wasn’t an issue on this film), and learn how to effectively use Adobe After Effects for color correction and camera movement.

The biggest differences between my first film and my new films are:
1. More pauses between answers to interview questions which is necessary for editing
2. More B-Roll footage so the entire film doesn’t consist of “Talking Heads”
3. Color Correction, color correction, color correction
4. Better shot composition
5. Professional camera movement (created in Adobe After Effects)

Although I did end up upgrading my equipment, I still have and use my old camera. But the point is, upgrade when its time to and when you can afford to but don’t let equipment keep you from making great films. I could have just as easily bought a more expensive camera and made terrible films with it.

In addition, don’t be afraid to make your film whatever you want it to be. For instance, if it’s “too long” make it more than one volume. These do well when selling to academic institutions. It is helpful to plan to sell to academic institutions anyway. There is always some Humanities or Social Science class out there in need of good documentary media for learning. If you don’t want to add music, then don’t. Just make sure your documentary contains interesting information. I noticed on some HBO documentaries they will have an entire doc without any background music and its just as captivating. You can too!

In Summary:
If you have little or no money, you can still make a great documentary film. Buy, borrow, or rent a camera and mic you can afford. Learn how to use it well and learn it’s limitations. Decide what story to film and put out free ads on Craigslist, Yahoo Groups, MySpace, etc. Once you get responses, schedule interview times and places and shoot your film. Be sure to compose your shots well. There are many sites online that will tell you how to compose shots. It’s pretty easy. Be sure to light your interviewees well. This is critical. Lighting can ruin an entire film. I would not recommend using the Halogen lights I used but you can if it is all you have. Just use light sources that will allow you to light the subject pretty well with little or no harsh shadows (I don’t like them). When the film is shot, cut it in Adobe Premier or an editing program of your choice and rock it in Adobe After Effects. The best site to learn how to use Adobe After Effects is VideoCopilot.net. Once you are done, burn it to DVD, promote it, sell it, share it!

Quite frankly, all of the books were a waste of money. When I buy a “How-to” book I want to know how-to and why in concise steps. A lot of “How-to” books fail at this. If you can find a seasoned filmmaker to learn from or attend a workshop, then do so. Nothing can replace the value of apprenticeship.

The filming of both documentaries went so smoothly, I knew I had to share my process with other documentary filmmakers. It isn’t that one should expect a film project to not go smoothly, it’s just that there are many areas where your film can fall apart if you don’t have a plan. So, I’m sharing with you my plan.

*Note: My plan is designed for the self-financed filmmaker. There is no fundraising step. All of my films are self-financed from a regular 9-5 job.

1. Find yourself a worthwhile story: May I suggest that you first look to yourself, your family, and your friends for a good story. Then perhaps consider filming a documentary about people you knew in school, growing up or at work. If this is your first or second documentary, try to avoid elaborate subjects (those that will require archival footage, searching for people, extensive research, etc.) unless you are fully prepared and/or fully funded.

2. Make a list of potential participants: Choose the best and most accessible people to tell your story. Once you have decided who you would like to invite to be in the film, ask each of them if they would like to participate. Explain to them what your film is about and what you hope to accomplish with the film (i.e. to educate the public, etc.) Give them some time to consider your invitation. Check back with them in a reasonable amount of time; a couple of weeks, to see if they have come to a decision. Never try to hound a person or make them feel guilty if they choose not to participate. It is also considered unethical to offer compensation for participating in documentary films (this doesn’t usually include expert information (i.e. doctors about a specific medical issue, lawyer about specific laws, etc.). Some may require compensation for their time). I completely agree with this. If you are going to ask people to be in your film, be sure to let them know up front that there will be no compensation for their participation. So far this seems to be widely accepted and I’ve had no real problems with this.

3. Gather your crew if any: Once you have your story and your list of confirmed participants it is time to gather your crew if you choose to. I shot both recent documentaries alone so a crew is not entirely necessary. However, I will say that I would have liked to have had one other person with me to set up the lights while I readied the camera and audio. That is about it. It is up to you to decide how many crew members you will need. Keep in mind you are filming a documentary, so you don’t need the hordes of crew you might find in fictional feature films. This is also a good time to find a photographer(s) for your film’s promotional material. I used two photographers for my current films. This is essential for having professional photos to use in your press kit and other promotional material. You can schedule photoshoots or have the photographer on set to take pictures while you are shooting. Be sure to ask photographers  if they will do Time for Prints/CD if you are on a limited budget. Also be sure to obtain the rights to the images from the photographer. You only need a few photos for your promotion so you should be able to work something out at reasonable rate or at no cost.

4. Make your:
___ Story outline
___ List of Interview Questions
___ List of B-Roll footage you need to get
___ List of Equipment
___ List of Shooting Locations
___ List of Forms: Talent, Location, Photographer
___ Shooting Schedule
For your equipment, if you don’t own it already, this is the time to call around for rental prices and add to your shooting schedule when you will need to pick up and return equipment. I used an income tax return to purchase my equipment. I did this because I currently do not live in an area where one can rent film equipment and I also film quite often, even if it isn’t available for public viewing (i.e. Filming my Travels, experimental shorts, etc.). Choose the best option for you and your budget when considering equipment. I also want to add that your shooting schedule is what makes your film actually happen. It should be tight and accurate. Stick to it! Your shooting schedule should reflect the availability of your subjects and thus there should be no issues other than possible emergencies. Skip anyone who can not consistently stick to the schedule. You just may not have time for someone who keeps giving you the run around. If the schedule was mapped out months before hand and rechecked/confirmed a week or so before shooting, then all participants should be available for filming unless an emergency has arose. It may be worthwhile to interview more than one person or expert about the same subject/topic in case one changes their mind or otherwise can not stick to the schedule. Use your own judgment on your schedule but just keep in mind, your project does have to move on to the next stage at some point and shouldn’t linger in one stage too long.

5. Create your shooting Binder & make any travel or special arrangements if needed: A shooting binder is absolutely essential for a solo filmmaker or small crew. It is just a cheap 3 ring binder that has only the essentials for shooting your film from start to finish. It should include a contact list for your participants, your shooting schedule, interview questions, B-Roll footage list, equipment checklist, and all of your release forms. I also included my packing list for traveling. At this point you should also take a day or so to make any travel or special arrangements.

6. Shoot your film & Obtain all:
___ Home video
___ Archival video
___ Photos
___ Other supporting documents and Media
___ Signed releases for these items
___ Signed releases for your participants
Make sure you view the footage you shoot every day on the day you shoot it. This will give you a chance to find problems with your footage early enough to re-shoot if needed. Doing this allowed me to schedule a re-shoot of bad footage from my first day of filming on one of my recent films. Carry a high capacity USB drive or portable hard drive in case you need to scan photos or transfer video footage from various sources. For instance, I had a portable hard drive to which I scanned all of the family photos to be used in both films. If you are going to obtain home videos in particular, make copies or if you have to use the originals, transfer them to your hard drive or DVD immediately and return the originals. Also as a courtesy to the participants allowing you to use personal videos, do create a DVD of this footage for them if the originals are on any media other than DVD.

7. When you are done shooting go home and:
___ Cut your film
___ Create your film website
___ Create the Previews
___ Start your press kit
This is an important step. Working on these items before delving into your film will help you process your footage (for some people. This works well for me but may not for you. Give it a try). You will find yourself more in tuned with what you actually filmed. I shot a lot of footage for both of my documentaries. The first thing I did was cut it when I returned home. In doing so, it left me with over 8 hours of footage for each documentary. That is a lot of information! It wasn’t until I finished all of the previews that the best story for each film became clear. By the time I started the press kit, I knew exactly what each film will focus on. This is also when you want to start promoting your film. Release your previews on every relevant internet outlet you can find (i.e. YouTube, DailyMotion, Vimeo, BabelGum, etc.). Be sure to promote your film’s website every chance you get. Create and distribute a press release. Get familiar with print media outlets. Don’t depend solely on the internet for promotion. Get in contact with magazines that may be interested in the topic of your film and inquire about being interviewed for the magazine.

8. Edit your film from start to finish: Get to it! Be life-less for a little while. If you have a job, use your time wisely when you aren’t working. I edit all of my films so I’m writing this under the assumption you will also edit your own film. If you will be using an editor, use one who has wonderful time management skills. This should be a rule of thumb for your entire production. Stay away from people who can not complete their portion of the project in a timely manner. When editing, you want to create an interesting visual story, but at the same time remind yourself that you are editing a documentary. It doesn’t have to be fancy; just effective. I watched films like Chernobyl Heart and Children Underground to remind me of how simple a doc can be and still be extremely captivating. It’s up to you how you want to spice up your film while having the story progress in a straight forward manner.

9. Submit your film to festivals & Say Thank You: This is entirely up to you. In the end, why not? If you’ve worked hard on a film and you feel you have a good story that people will enjoy watching, then by all means submit your film to festivals. This is also a good way to promote your film and build a fan base. Not only will these fans buy your film but they will also support your future films. With this exposure, you may also find yourself with invitations to participate in other film projects. This has happened to me and I haven’t even submitted my films to festivals yet. Do not forget to say a special thank you to all who participated in your film. Invite them to EVERY festival where the film will be screened. Make sure all of your credits for the film are correct. Give credit where credit is due. This is also true for promotional material.

10. Show your film at festivals, promote and sell your film: This is the grind. Have FUN showing your film at festivals. Be relaxed on this journey into filmmaking. This is supposed to be creative fun. When it becomes anything other than that, it’s time to evaluate your life goals. With this in mind, let the kinks along the road roll off and keep moving. Show your film at festivals and enjoy yourself. This attitude will in turn help sell your film. Talk to viewers and be positive, even if they aren’t. Keep in mind that it really doesn’t matter what they say about the film, it’s already been made. It’s not going to change. *Smile* So with that in mind, take it easy.

*Another Note: I must add that above all else you must believe in yourself and your film. Even the participants in your film may not even care about it or may not care about it until it’s complete. So have this understanding before you get started. If you hear other filmmakers say “no one cares about your film but you.” for the most part this is correct. This seems to be directly related to “The Making Of” because of course people care about the film once it’s complete. This is important to understand beforehand because it is easy to get discouraged if you feel like no one cares about what you are doing. They don’t. They just care about the end result of what you are doing that will educate, entertain or make them money.

It was this 10 step process that helped me film the following documentaries:

Charise: A Portrait of an African American with Albinism

Our Side of Joy