spoke digital films

In my last post, I discussed my unexpected frustration with respect to writing the treatment for my documentary film, Shielded Brutality. Actually, the writing is getting better as of today, and that is in no small part due to a couple of excellent books. In fact, there are a handful of books that have been an enormous benefit as I’ve embarked on making my first feature length documentary, and I thought I’d share them. I’ll write about them in the order that I obtained and read them:

1. Making Documentary Films and Reality Videos, by Barry Hampe.

This was the first book I bought about documentary filmmaking and I’m glad that’s the case. This is a great text intelligently written in plain, easy to understand language. It covers all aspects of making a documentary from the earliest stages of preproduction to the last steps of postproduction (with even a few words regarding distribution and so forth.) For those who have never made a documentary but intend to do so, I highly recommend this book. For those with more experience, I might suggest you thumb through a copy to see if it’s worth your while. My guess is that the experienced filmmaker would not choose to own this book, but would likely find a nugget or two of wisdom nonetheless.

My only minor criticism is that the tone can occasionally come across a touch too narrowly authoritative. As with any book, the reader should take the advice of the author with a grain of salt and remember that all “rules” are made to be broken or bent. It’s better to know them before breaking them, though, and this book does a great job of familiarizing the less experienced filmmaker with the norms of documentary filmmaking.

2. The Ultimate Filmmaker’s Guide to Short Films: Making It Big in Shorts, by Kim Adelman

First of all, this book is not specific to documentary filmmaking. If anything, it discusses narrative filmmaking much more often. Nonetheless, almost everything discussed in the book could just as easily be applied to documentary or narrative filmmaking alike. As the title suggests, it focuses exclusively on short films. In particular, the book discusses how to use the short film format to produce work that can act as a “calling card” or career builder. It covers all stages of planning and production in very generalized terms. The Guide to Short Films also covers marketing and festival strategies to maximize exposure to audiences, funders, and investors.

In stark contrast to Barry Hampe’s excellent book discussed above, this book celebrates the many diverse approaches to filmmaking rather than establishing only one or two conventions as expected practice. It has an informal, almost conversational tone and seems geared toward the less experienced filmmaker. If you’re thinking of making a short to submit to festivals, or if you haven’t had the success you’d hoped for with past short films this book is for you.

3. Documentary Storytelling for Video and Filmmakers, by Shelia Curran Bernard

This is easily my favorite book on this list. I would recommend it for any documentary filmmaker that has not already won an Oscar, Emmy, or Peabody. It focuses on the most important and most basic element of documentary filmmaking - storytelling.

One of the things I find most impressive about this book is how it takes this most basic element of filmmaking and discusses it in every aspect of filmmaking. I once had a painting professor in college who would walk around the studio and remind us students while we were painting to “always be drawing.” In other words, don’t just dab or “color” but remember that every mark your paintbrush makes should be serving a purpose. Bernard’s book seems to say “always be telling a story”. Whether you’re researching, writing proposals, shooting production, or editing - always remember that telling a compelling story is the function of your actions.

Documentary Storytelling covers strategies for narrative structure at all stages of filmmaking. It offers multiple excerpts from actual scripts, treatments, and proposals. Successful filmmakers from differing positions and approaches are interviewed in the last quarter of the book offering insights and anecdotes about how to tell a successful story in the documentary format. The interviews are a great finish to a hugely useful text.

4. Shaking the Money Tree: How to Get Grants and Donations for Film and Television, by Morrie Warshawski

Well, this is probably been my second favorite book in terms of its usefulness. It actually works great as a companion to Documentary Storytelling and I highly recommend buying these books in tandem if you’re thinking about making a documentary that might be funded through grants and donations (rather than through investors or for commercial gain). Shaking the Money Tree does an excellent job of de-mystifying the fundraising process, though it never claims that the process itself is easy. In fact, it shows that fundraising is a lot of hard work, but at least Warshawski gives you the necessary tools to ensure that your hard work is not done in vain or without the benefit of others’ experience and wisdom.

Shaking the Money Tree covers all aspects of fundraising from finding out who has the money to how to get their attention. It covers strategies for getting grants from government agencies and private foundations as well as soliciting donations from individuals, corporations, and small businesses. The book offers advice for grant proposal writing as well as fundraising letters, emails, websites, and even fundraising houseparties (a favorite technique of Warshawski’s apparently.) It is extremely well-written and well-organized and offers numerous real-world examples of successful letters and proposals. I find myself constantly referencing this enormously useful text.

5. Trailer Mechanics: A Guide to Making Your Documentary Fundraising Trailer, by Fernanda Rossi

As the title indicates, this book is a roadmap to building a successful fundraising trailer. The type of trailer Ms. Rossi describes is a trailer designed to accompany grant proposals when submitting to foundations or other agencies. It is not a guide to making those flashy two-minute trailers that serve to market a finished film, like the “previews” we all see in theaters.

Overall, I find this to be a good book with useful information. I say that with a couple of caveats, however. First and foremost, it has a tinge of the “self-help” or “motivational” book. It is definitely not a straightforward “just the facts” type of book. To the contrary, the book has the tone of a cheerleader pumping up your self-esteem and resolve to make a film (or at least a film trailer.) It offers a number of strategies to avoid creative frustration and unproductive work habits. None of that information is specific only to fundraising trailers, which is an aspect of Trailer Mechanics that could be viewed as an asset or a distraction depending on the reader. To be honest, I initially found all this “touchy - feeley” stuff a little distracting at first. However, when I put aside my initial expectations for the book, I found the information to be pretty useful.

Of course, the book does talk specifically about fundraising trailers and how to make them. It offers a gameplan for those who might not even have access to decent production equipment, as well as for those who have all the equipment they need. Several interviews are included with individuals who work for grant-lending bodies. Their insight into what makes for a successful trailer is very valuable. According to the author, the book is designed for beginners and experienced filmmakers alike, but I think beginning filmmakers will get the most value from this book.

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