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Documentary is for everyone starting out...
1. You don't need Kevin Costner, in any capacity (although I admire the man).
2.You don't need Panavision.
3. You don't need ILM.
But you do need perspective, deadlines and distribution.
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He had the excellent good fortune to be allowed allowed to make some suggestions (some of which were used) while watching the editing of the last Golden Globes, and has been allowed some minor but useful duties in the post work for series of documentaries on religion and history in India. These experiences have kept him going, and I will surely pass your email address to him if it is OK.
PS: Have you ever worked with Cheryl Downey? (long time assistant director).
posted by
majroj
on September 2, 2003 at 9:51 PM
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Majroj - Have your son contact me
I teach a course in funding and marketing for filmmakers (my expertise is documentary, not theatrical - he's in LA so maybe documentary is not fo him) but perhaps I can be of some help. My company does distribute first time filmmakers.
posted by
Cynthia
on September 2, 2003 at 8:18 PM
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Contracts don't save friendships.
It is the disinterested third party enforcing it which can. You can each point to the evil taskmaster and unify behind that.
My son had another experience. He was required to make a film for his class, spent the majority of his time on it (not studying for his finals), managed to thread the trails of working with other students, and submitted it. Post-production nearly drove him to distraction.
The instructor had his teaching assistant, who wears leather shirts stictched with rawhide cross-stitches, put all the students' work onto one reel to show at the end of the term. After all the BS and the trying to make a representative showing instead of studying, the reel was shown and as it progressed, the sound fell further and further out of sync. My son's was last 
.
Next, his film was one of a few chosen for a seperate showing. HOWEVER, the venue would not play music on the student films without proper permissions. No one had any permissions, and qute a few had the soundtracked mixed and the originals were gone, so they were either silent, or no-shows. Happily he still had the dialogue track without the overdubs, but still...probably cost him a slot in the film school.
And his partners? Bailed. Didi-maued. Finals were a disaster. But he has hooked up with some serious co-students and is pressing on through a "MultiMedia" major and interning for a second period with a small documentary company near L.A.
They needed a producer, no?
posted by
majroj
on September 1, 2003 at 9:49 PM
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What about those prenuptial agreements?
Maybe just by bring up the subject it saves a lot of marriages from happening that should never happen in the first place. But I don't have any statistics to back it up.
posted by
Cynthia
on August 31, 2003 at 9:33 AM
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Yes Cynthia that is good advice
I once went to a meeting with a TV company organised by a friend/colleague. When we got in there I was appalled at what she was saying and had to try and suggest alternatives which did not like she/me/us look like idiots. It is probably a good thing we didn't land a project together.
The other time when it is worth doing that, or at least having a comprehensive discussion, perhaps is when you plan a vacation with someone for the first time. It is not nice finding out the worst things about people while on vacation with them.
posted by
beachbelle
on August 31, 2003 at 8:31 AM
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