dianafilms

crowdsourced film, Life In A Day

 

Just in case you haven't see this yet, wow, Life in A Day is a crowdsourced documentary that covers 192 countries, used almost 4500 hours of footage, and was whittled down to 90 essential minutes.  As a concept it works incredibly well.  I would love to see more projects like this, this is a genre that has much more to offer than meets the eye.

George Kuchar R.I.P.

"Remember to work in obscurity and never have your first film become a giant hit because then you are in trouble and in danger of being a major flash-in-the-pan. Become a big soft plop-in-the-bowl, but create such a stink with your picture that people cannot ignore it. Things that stink become even more potent with age."

— George Kuchar, 1942 - 2011
 

Advice to the budding documentarian

I just answered a question posted by a colleague who is working on her first documentary and I thought this would be useful to some of the folks who visit here as well.  The text is below.

Hey Sabrina,

Great question and open to many answers.  I'll stick to some process oriented bits of guidance:

1) Write a master proposal that you can tailor for different grants and project phases.

i.e. some grantmakers only fund development, others prefer to fund projects at the finishing phase.

 

2) Build a community around your project, find people who want to support you and who would benefit from seeing the film.

         a) Reaching out to this amazing group is a good start, also check out Doculink and folks from IDFA, The Flaherty Seminar

         b) When I think of people who benefit from the film, I think of people who are very familiar with the subject, issues you're dealing with, groups are good for feedback as well as support.

 

3) Find a few mentors who can coach you through your various growth phases: 

         a) One type of great advisor is someone who has made many docs before,  

         b) Another key advisor group you'll need are the people who are subject matter experts.  

 

4) Once you have a clear roadmap for the film, you've identified your target audience; it’s a good idea to make a realistic assessment of who would fund your project.  A great place to start is the Foundation Library, while you're doing that you can also explore indiegogo and kickstarter and build an online campaign for your development phase.  That is the hardest phase to fund since there's not much more than an idea to demonstrate. If you've made a trailer that closely matches your vision and intentions you can create a compelling case and make that idea more tangible as well as showing your ability to craft a good story.

 

Hope this advice is helpful to you.

Patience, perseverance and persistence,

Every day, just move the project forward a little. 

Make a phone call, send an email, do a little research, write up a pitch document when you're good and fired up.  Take risks, make foolish choices and give yourself permission to make mistakes.

You'll get there.

Warmly,

Francesca

LOVE

Keep the focus on the story, enjoy the work, respect the audience and most of all, find joy in the doing. Kvell because of the community y/our project created, think of all the careers you're supporting and the jobs you're creating.  You're very fortunate!

If you can, allow yourself to fall in love with it (the process), just a little.  That bounce in your step and that joy is contagious, that top down happy thing has its own momentum and inteligence.  It makes good projects great and difficulties bearable.

 

excerpt from: Notes to New Producers
© Francesca Prada All Rights Reserved 2010

All About Diana Films: Who we are, what we do and how we do it

Who We Are
Established by Francesca Prada, Diana Films was founded to provide high quality talent to creative projects in the advertising and entertainment industry.  Diana Films also remains committed to creating more opportunities for women, emerging talent, and self-identified minorities.

The award winning independent film work, as well the multi-award winning ad campaigns we've produced have all benefited from the judicious and well timed deployment of resources, talent and content.  On message, on time and on budget for 18 years.

What We Do
We serve as a part-incubator and creative engine for most media centric projects, as well as serving production, agency and start-up clients in the film, advertising, gaming, digital media and TV industry.  Our bilingual staff can handle the full cycle of production, supporting clients in need of production services for English and Spanish language projects.

We also develop and produce independent films, advertising campaigns, integrated branding initiatives, documentaries and transmedia projects that put technology in the service of art and the brand story.

How We Do it
Our productions embrace the triple bottom line and make every effort to deploy best practices involving: green production methods, value engineering, effective workflows, leadership development and mentoring.  Many of the projects we've managed had "many tentacles" and in addition to relying on traditional media, we have also used social and earned media (free media) to both promote and in some instances execute the work.

How can we help your next great project exceed expectations?

Services:

• Project Consulting: Production, Marketing and Content Strategy for Media & Entertainment Start Ups, Independent Filmmakers, Documentary Projects, Non-Traditional Marketing Campaigns, Mid-Sized Branding Consultancies
  
  
• Content strategy for Online Ventures including digital content programming initiatives, curatorial services; as well as talent & member acquisition, community engagement and retention strategy 
  
  
• Agency Producing for TV/Radio/Integrated Campaigns in the General and Hispanic Market. We can take your campaign from as early as the research & pitch phase all the way through to QC and site launch and/or shipping/uploading for air 
  

• Producing & Production Services for Commercial Production Companies (Union & Non)

• Script & Story: Consulting & Editing, as well as subject area research & dramaturgy
  
  
• Proposal drafting, bidding, budgeting & scheduling, P & L, marketing and film festival outreach for independent films and documentaries

• Spanish Language Production

• Internationalization
  
  
• Mentoring, Training, Teaching and coaching
  
  
• Directing talent for audio sessions, on camera, live performance or public speaking
  

 

 

 

Indie & Spot Montage sequences

 

Clips from past work as a producer and director. Independent films, commercials documentaries, time based art.

Politically Correct

 

Trailer for Independent Film Politically Correct. Featuring ensemble cast Julie Eccles, Lee Kopp, Dan Hiatt, Neva Hutchinson. Directed by Francesca Prada and written & produced by David Jones. Syn: Allenesque and slightly dark comedy of manners where a dinner party goes bad.

Original Announcement for Sexy Food the Lit Series

Hey there,
Started this tribe for the scribes, foodies and supporters.
Please join and feel free contribute your words, recipes etc. or just your comments.
Our first event in SF is in October, the call for writing is below. This event should be lots of fun!
Francesca


Get Lit @ CAV
Presents
SexyFood®
An evening of genrebending fun for cunning linguists©

Are you a cunning linguist?
Of course you are, well at least we think so.
Does your writing elicit the occasional moan and peel of delight?
How would you like to read it to an appreciative audience, lovers of food and lovers of love and the love artists who love them?

When is this? Sunday October 15th. What will happen at the reading?
5 or 6 writers will have 5 to 8 minutes each to read any of the following:
short story, poem, recipe, essay, neo-benshi, ditty (acapella or acoustic), short-short or flash fiction or an excerpt from your novel, play or screenplay. Requirements: if you are a food writer/culinary expert/chef/sommelier please submit erotica. If you write erotica please submit something that has culinary leanings. Keep your voice, switch genres for a night or two…

What about my chapbook? My novel? My zine? My anthology? My art?
If you’re one of the performers then please bring your wares, we’ll set up a table in the back for the sale of such good works; also, rumor has it you’ll get a drink ticket to sample some of CAV’s fine wines and beverages. Performers should bring their mailing list as well, so your people can see more of you.

Well, its settled then, please send us your writing published, pending or new
DEADLINE: by early deadline 9/7/06 or 9/15/06 as the absolute deadline.
Pdf’s and Mp3’s can be sent to Email Address: sexyfood@gmail.com, and you can join our tribe: http://tribes.tribe.net/sexyfood Questions, brainstorms and logistics: Francesca  ###-###-####
                       
SexyFood® is a digital and paperless operation. We are only accepting digital submissions at this time, if you need help just call us, we’ll be only too happy to help.

About the series founders: Francesca Prada is an award winning filmmaker and theater director, her films have screened at over 70 film festivals and have aired on PBS, Sundance, IFC and HBO. When not making films or directing she works as a script & story consultant.
Francesca’s blog: http://tribes.tribe.net/sexyfood

Joan Gelfand is the Vice President of the Women’s National Book Association and “Seeking Center,” her book of poems is published by Two Bridges Press. Her 2nd book of poems and a collection of short stories are due out next year. Read Joan’s blog: jg.typepad.com/ciel

Oh

Believe nothing,
No matter where you read it,
Or who has said it,
Not even if I have said it,
Unless it agrees with your own reason
And your own common sense.

Da Buddha

Sometimes as a consultant my best work is done when I question everything, especially my own assumptions.

on art, life and inspiration...

Artists & Creatives require time to stare out the window. The words are sometimes right outside, just waiting for your gaze to soften long enough to see without looking. If that does not work you can always glue your ass to the chair and get to work.