Happy Anniversary?

Today marks the 7th anniversary to the start of the US-led war in Iraq.  My friend pointed it out, actually.  I  heard nothing in the news about it. 

When I went online to find more, there was very little available regarding the anniversary from any major news outlet--national or local.  In fact, the news that was easily accessible and readily available was mostly about Sandra Bullock's husband, March Madness and the debate over our healthcare policies. 

I recognize that a quick visit to a randomly select group of news sites is no scientific study, but it shows me that either (a) the news outlets don't see the war as important enough to give it a prominent spot or (b) Americans don't care about it enough to force the news outlets to give it a prominent spot.  Either way, the anniversary is likely to pass quietly without much attention paid to it.

As I have been studying what happened in history, I see a lot of eerie similarities to what's happening today.  I'm no war strategist, politician or historian, but you don't have to be an expert to see history repeating itself.  The realist in me tends to shout: we're just a small group, what difference can we make?  Then the optimist in me wins out with one of my favorite quotes:

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that has.

-Margaret Meade

We may be doing a small, independent film in the making, but there's hope there.  Hope that this film can shed light on the respect and brotherhood shared by the U.S. Special Forces soldiers that served with the Montagnard people during the Vietnam War.  There's hope that this little film might cause the U.S. government to change it's foreign trade policies with Vietnam to improve human rights in that country.  There's hope in capturing this focused bit of history, culture, language and tradition so that it can be shared with future generations.  There's hope that broken promises can, in fact, be upheld even if it's 30 to 40 years late on the delivery. 

We face a lot of compassion fatigue.  We are asked to give time and money to so many organizations fighting different things: cancer, hunger, children's illnesses, the environment, etc.  There are thousands and hundreds of thousands of messages fighting for our attention every day.  We are brand loyalists, consumers, overachievers, in constant contact with the people in our world through a variety of instant messaging means.  We get so overwhelmed with the problems of the world that are so much bigger than us, we don't know how to handle taking any action at all, so ... we do nothing.

But this is our country.  And I want it to be a great one.  I want to seek the truth and find opportunities to make our nation, our home, our relationships with the world better.  I don't have the answers and I don't know what the future looks like from here, but I do know that it is definitely time for a season of positive change.  And it's up to us to be sure that happens.

Super 8 Adventures Continue, Part 2

In the war on digitizing this Super 8 footage, I have long felt like I was on the losing end.  But just like Col. Donlon said during his on camera interview, winning the battle is not about more than just the number of soldiers on the field or the equipment they use to fight.  It's also about the spirit of the warrior: what makes someone motivated to fight, keep fighting and carry on long after it seems impossible to win.  And let me tell you, friends, this warrior is far from giving up.

In fact, tonight marks one small victory at the Battle of the Elmo Projector!  Thanks to help from a great number of people, the Super 8 footage shot by Surry in Vietnam played in my living room tonight!  So many hands have helped make this happen.  

Josh Steadman tried to help me view the footage at his office once, even going so far as to take photos of it and then trying to scan it in.  That attempt helped us at least see some of the stills, which was at the time a huge step forward.  The projector wouldn't budge, though.  It refused to work.

More recently another new friend, Neil Grant, borrowed the projector for a while and fixed whatever ailed it.  I believe he actually took it apart and slaughtered something back together.  Huge pat on the back, Neil.  I don't have a clue what you fixed, but you did the trick!

The projector made its way back from Wilmington, N.C., to Raleigh, N.C., in the caring hands of my old Meredith College friend Sarah Barbee and Neil Grant.  We finally got a chance to meet up while they were in town, saw a show at ComedyWorx, and made the exchange after we caught up.  Neil, quite the gentleman, even carried the projector to my car for me because it's relatively heavy.

The projector came home with me that night, but quickly traveled to Goldsboro with me where I met up with my dad.  He took a look at the projector and showed me how to thread the film through it to make it work.  This photo at the left shows dad holding the projector, figuring out how the film threads through the inside so we didn't accidentally ruin any of the footage.

That day, for the first time, I finally got to see what was on one of the reels!  I thought I'd jump out of my skin when it finally started playing.  Surry has been very humble about the footage, trying to keep my expectations low because it's been so long since anyone's seen it.  But I think what I saw that day (and tonight), it's perfect for our film.

During that visit, dad even took the time to thread a piece of header film through the projector so I wouldn't forget how to do it by the time I got home (he knows me so well).  It helped a lot tonight when I sat down to start working on it again.  I took pictures of how it was threaded through so I didn't forget once it was no longer there.

Tonight, for the first time, I was able to view about three reels of film in the comfort of my own living room.  It took me about two hours from start to finish: threading the film, "rewinding" it (putting the film back on the right reel again), and figuring out how to thread the film through the projector so that it worked properly.  

You can see in some of these photos that most of the insides of the projector (on one side of it) is metal, but there's a way to thread it through properly.  After a while you figure out how to get it to thread right part of the way, and then let the projector thread it the rest of the way (while watching it to make sure nothing jams).  Every now and then something would go wrong, causing the reels to jump off the projector, film to get tangle up, threading of the film to go wrong...the list goes on.

I must have been muttering to myself for a while.  Chris Moore was in the other room editing video, and heard me making a racket.  He came out to check on me and tried lending a hand, too.  He watched the few minutes of film with me.  I don't think I've ever been so excited to see Super 8 footage!

After playing about three of the reels, the projector became coated in the white stuff that rests on the reels.  I'm guessing this is a mold of sorts.  It's white and flaky, so I doubt there's anything else it could be, right?  In this photo you can see a bit of the mold stuff on part of the projector.  It's pretty gnarly, and I wish there were a DIY way to clean the film safely but I'm a bit tentative about going down that route.  It'd be so great to have the help of a professional, but at the same time making a film on a limited budget makes you even more creative, no? 

Last week I talked with a guy who owns a conversion shop in Cary, N.C.  He will take your old media and convert it into your new media of choice: A tracks to CDs, Super 8 to MiniDVs, or what have you.  In December he quoted me about $200 for the conversion.  

In the scheme of things that isn't a bad deal, but when you've already invested a fair amount into a project, that small amount becomes a big one.  (Which was part of my decision in raising funds to go to the Full Frame Film Festival.  I felt that if I were going to spend a few hundred bucks on something, it should go towards converting the film, you know?)  I talked to him last week about perhaps bartering, but he didn't seem too keen on it.  I'll stop by again, per his request, to talk about it in person some time in the coming weeks.

Tonight, though, I shot some terrible (read: terrible lighting and handheld/shaky) footage of the Super 8 film playing with my Blackberry.  I was so excited about watching the footage, that my phone was the only thing I had within reach to capture footage of the footage.  I'll try to download that later, and perhaps put it online somewhere should anyone be curious about it.  The priority right now is getting the Super 8 film converted, though.

There are a number of online articles about how to do it.  You have to play the film on a solid white backdrop, preferably in a room that has no vibrations.  For example, you don't want the projector sitting on hard wood floors where co-inhabitants are walking around to make the projector jiggle.  It's better to do it on something super solid like a cement floor.  Also, you have to make sure the frame rate is right and you should film a reflection of what's playing from the projector.  I did a bit of research on how to do it, and will now have to start spinning those wheels once again--now that the projector works!

There are a few friends who have said they'll lend a hand with this part of the process, which is very comforting.  It's great to be surrounded by men who are just as curious and determined to get the thing to work as I am.

Until next time, the adventure continues...

Previous posts about the projector include:

• The 8mm Projector (3 Feb. 2009)
  http://montagnardfilm.blogspot.com/2009/02/8mm-projector.html
• Super 8 Kodachrome Film (13 Dec. 2009)http://montagnardfilm.blogspot.com/2009/12/super-8-kodachrome-film.html
• Super 8 Adventures Continue (19 Dec. 2009)http://montagnardfilm.blogspot.com/2009/12/super-8-adventures-continue.html

Thank you

Wow, in less than a weak, friends and acquaintances have helped me raise $215 towards attending the Full Frame Film Festival!  Thank you all so much for helping me go!!  I promise to take lots of photos, live Tweet during the festival (but not during films), and follow up with blog posts here so you can take the journey with me.

Making this film has been a life-altering experience.  By working on Abandoned Allies I have met some of this world's finest and bravest people.  They've permitted me the great honor of telling their story to the world, and this is not something I take lightly.  Attending this film festival, watching other documentaries, talking with filmmakers, learning new techniques and rules...all are vital to making sure this film as great as I can make it.  I truly believe that attending the festival will help because I feed off of that type of energy.

We are assembling a rough cut of Abandoned Allies, and are drawing very near to the end of post-production.  I am hustling to make sure it's ready by this summer for private viewings and eventually, perhaps, a public screening.  My family, friends, and acquaintances whom I don't know all that well yet: it will be a  pleasure showing this film to you.

Thank you all for making dreams come true.  I am so humbled and honored by your generosity.

Contributions can be made here: http://camden.chipin.com/full-frame-film-festival-tickets-and-donation.

Contribute to Sending Camden to the Full Frame Film Festival

Visit this page to learn more: http://camden.chipin.com/full-frame-film-festival-tickets-and-donation.

Thinking Creatively: Seeking Ways to Raise $515 to Attend the Full Frame Fest

Today I got the news that I did not get the grant to attend the Full Frame Film Festival in Durham, N.C., this April.  While this news could be crushing to some, I see it as a new challenge.  I've had my share of challenges working on this film, and believe that it builds a bit of character.  While my focus must remain finishing the film, I am brainstorming ways to raise funds so that I can still attend.

The Full Frame Fest is dedicated to documentary filmmaking.  As a first time filmmaker working on a documentary it would be an honor to be there as an attendee, soaking up everything and feverishly taking notes.  I'm fairly starved for opportunities to talk with and learn from other filmmakers, and being in a setting such as this festival would satisfy that craving.  Film is a collaborative form of art, and so conversations and interactions like that are critical to making the final result much better.  When you learn as you go, often times learning from other people who have been through the same things is best.  Our film is about a group of people that deserve to have their story told in the best means possible.  Being in an environment where I can watch other documentaries and listen to other filmmakers will help us make drastic improvements.

A Festival like this offers a sustained, concentrated exposure to the sheer emotional power of documentary filmmaking, its ability to communicate the drama embedded in human experience. In Durham last weekend, you could walk into the stately dark of the Carolina Theatre and lose yourself in real life. —A.O. Scott of The New York Times

The festival website lists the Priority Pass cost as $515 total.  This would be my ultimate goal but there's also a Festival Pass listed at $210 total.  I truly believe that raising $515 in a short amount of time is possible, but so desperately want to focus on finishing the film.

Making a film on a zero-dollar budget leaves room for creativity.  If there's a will, there's definitely a way.  In the grand scheme of things, those passes may not seem too expensive to some people.  But when you know that digitizing Super 8 footage costs about $200 or more, you have to prioritize how money is spent.  Attending a festival is great, but getting that film digitized so that we can finish the film has to come first.

So I'm now accepting creative ideas for ways to attend the festival via comments to this blog post.  I have until March 18th to raise $515 if I understand their website correctly.  You fine folks have any ideas?  I'm all ears!

Lock Down Continues

For quite some time I've been on official self lock down, desperately trying to wrap up Abandoned Allies.  We've been working on it for two years now, and I'm beyond anxious to share it with everyone.

So I've taken the shape of a recluse for a bit, at least until I can make enough progress on the rough cut to pass it along to my talented teammates for editing, music, graphics and polishing.  Being a girl who likes to be around people, it's been really tough to stay home, sitting behind a computer screen, listening to the same clips over and over again.  Editing is such an art, and the people who do it for a living amaze me.  I appreciate knowing how to do it, but truly hope to have a team of editors on my next film!

So today I took a short break to rejoin the world for a few brief hours.  This morning I had coffee with a dear friend from Meredith College.  She's top notch in my book, and it was wonderful to catch up with her.  From there, I went to the set of Bursters to help another friend with his film for a short period.  It was a much-needed relief from my humble home office (which, I should add, smells like my stinky dog who is overdue for a bath because I've been so focused on editing the film).  

What a glorious few hours outside!

My friend (and fellow improviser) Chris Moore has been working hard on his horror film Bursters.  They needed a few extra bodies on set today, which gave me a delightful excuse to be with friends, outside, in the most wonderful spring sunshine, not to mention a chance to be on set watching everyone work in front of and behind the camera.  

It's really fun to watch.  I am totally hooked.  Everyone there was doing such a great job, which I mentioned in my post on Sunday.  I could have stayed all day.  The image shown here includes Alena Koch, the lead actress who is also an improviser.  Both Chris and Alena are helping with Abandoned Allies.  I'm stoked about being able to lend a hand on set, even if it's just taking production still shots.  As a photographer, I find being behind the scenes rather thrilling (even with the down time that happens on occasion).

In the meantime, lock down continues.  I think the triple latte, sunshine, healthy dose of being around people and a bit of learning from watching other filmmakers today really gave me the boost I needed.  I'm back at the computer working all night tonight, and feel completely energized about it.

June release?  Here we come.

The Hurt Locker

War films have been an informal bit of research for me while working on Abandoned Allies.  I like to study the them to see how characters and the subject matter are portrayed.  There is much more to war than politics, soldiers, equipment and death.  War has unseen scars in place far away from the battle fields.

When The Hurt Locker came out on DVD, I was excited about watching it. A lot has been written about the film, so I'll leave you to Google the reviews and read the words of critics who cover it much more eloquently than I ever will do here.  I will, however, simply say that it was a fine film and I enjoyed it very much.

It was only after watching the film and enjoying it a lot, that I found out a bit of the Hollywood story behind the film. Last night the Oscars aired.  The Hurt Locker won six Oscars, including best director and best picture.  This is the first time a woman has received an Oscar for best director.

There are too many thoughts and opinions to share about this here, but let me simply say how much I wish Bigelow a personal congratulations.  It's delightful to see a woman make a film about war, a great one, and to see it celebrated in such fashion last night.

The Past Few Days

To say that the past few days have been busy would be an understatement.  I am too excited about getting a good night's sleep tonight.  It's delightful to be so exhausted from doing what you love.  I highly recommend it.

Here's quick recap so I don't fall too far behind, although it's just the past few days and there are some other updates that I will share soon enough.  Right now I'm wrapped up with finishing the film so it leaves little time for posting updates.  It's a great place to be, though, for sure.

Thursday: Surry's Birthday Party
Thursday was Surry's birthday.  He's the reason I'm working on this film.  Served as a Green Beret during the Vietnam War, and continues to work closely with the Montagnards here in North Carolina.  Since he's done so much for others, it was an easy task to throw him a surprise birthday party.

A few of us have been busy for the past few months conspiring, and I have to say that it was SO much fun!  The look of surprise on his face was entirely too gratifying!  I was absolutely thrilled to see about 100+ family members and friends tell Surry happy birthday, and share stories about the adventures he's had in his life.  We had a toast/roast, and some of the fellas that have known Surry for a long time had me in tears from laughing so hard.  What a great night.

A big, big thanks is owed to my co-conspirators Arita Suwandari and Adam Shepard.  There were many, many others who helped make the evening a huge success and I'm so grateful to each of them for helping make Surry's birthday so much fun.  (My sister helped make cards that told guests where to later find the photos I took that night, Snow's family brought some amazing BBQ from Durham, and we had a beautiful cake from Ilya Koltusky, owner of Sweet Loralee Pastries..yum!)

Surry's one amazing fella, and I'm so happy that we could do something to show him how much we appreciate his presence in our lives.  So many people offered their time, talents and resources to make the evening a total success.  I had such a great time, too!

Friday & Saturday: Music for Abandoned Allies
Annie Beth returned to Raleigh on Friday to talk more about music for Abandoned Allies.  She's been doing an incredible job collecting music from some seriously talented artists.  Not only is she collecting music, she also wrote and recorded what we're calling the theme song for the film.  This is the type of woman you want on  your team.  No joke.  I want to work with people this amazing for the rest of my life.  I'm a huge fan of such a talented, smart and motivated woman.  How she accomplishes all that she does, while being the dedicated parent of four children (all aged 5 and under) is something I simply cannot fathom!

On Friday night we met with Kyle Owen, a young man I know through some of my fellow improvisers.  He has volunteered to help us with music for the film, specifically music without lyrics.  He composed a sample prior to the meeting based on a poem I wrote (that Annie Beth used to write our theme song), and he also shared some music he created in the past.  Today he also sent a new sample based on some of the Montagnard music I played for him Friday night.  It's really exciting to think that we now have a means to score segments of the film! Yes!

When I started this project, I never imagined we'd have so much original music for the film.  What a huge blessing this is to me, to have people working hard on it to make it easy.  When other parts of the project have been so challenging, I am so relieved to have something run so smoothly now.  What a relief!  I can't wait to share it.  Simply can't wait.

Sunday: Shooting Behind the Scenes Footage for 'Bursters'
Today I was lucky enough to linger on the set of 'Bursters', a film by my friend Chris Moore (@ilikefilms), pictured at the left with Todd Tinkham.  They started shooting yesterday, but I could only make it out there for a short time today.  It was incredibly fun to watch.

Shooting a documentary is so different than a fiction film.  If you're lucky, there are scripts, actors, blocking, lots of crew and more.  It's a different energy, but equally fun.  I was really impressed with the level of professionalism, although not surprised at all that everyone is such a delight.  They were very kind to let me capture them while working.  The energy on set had, to me, a similar feeling: the mutual respect, love and appreciation that exists between the U.S. Special Forces soldiers that served in Vietnam with the Montagnards.  The comparison may seem like a stretch, but it felt very familiar today.

There are so many fun film-related things happening in the Triangle.  It's really exciting.  Tonight Kyle returned to my place to loan me a bigger computer monitor (THANK YOU!), and we talked about the film's music and what I might do to repay the favor of having his help.  Reciprocity is a big thing for me, and I want to offer my volunteers something in return for their passion, dedication and support.  I have nothing to give them, so it's a challenge to find a way to offer a hand.  As we chatted, I had a rush of emotion (probably related to getting too little sleep and having entirely too much coffee this morning).  Nevertheless, I realized how lucky I am with where I am at this point in my life.

I am living the dreams I had as a kid.  It's so rare in this lifetime to find such a gift, and few days have gone by where I've taken this for granted.  Rarely is there so great a satisfaction as doing what one loves each and every day.  I am one lucky lady.

Happy Birthday, Doc!

Happy birthday, Surry!


Today is a very special birthday for my friend, mentor and executive producer, Surry.  We met many years ago, when he was kind enough to give me a summer job while I was in college.  Since then, Surry has taught me so many life lessons.  He's provided wisdom, encouragement, stern talking to's that keep me in line, and more.

Surry served in Vietnam during the war as a medic.  I'm told that the medics were in short order, which meant they worked like dogs and slept very little.  If the medics were sleeping, people were dying.  Yet he's remained very humble about it all.  Other people tell me about the great things he did in Vietnam and all of the things he continues to do today.  I've been very lucky to witness some of that first hand, too.

Surry's a kindred spirit, interested in so many different things.  He's not afraid to try his hand at something new, whether it's surfing, teaching people about medicine, hiking to mountain tops, opening new businesses or traveling abroad.  He's generous with his time, advice and encouragement.  He's the type of guy you want to write an autobiography (uhem: hint, hint).

I hope that today is a delightful day for you, Surry!  Keep on making the world a better place.

Updates on the Next #TriFilm

By request, we're working on another #TriFilm event.  This is a very informal evening designed to be in the same room with people who love film as much as you do.  We have a tentative date set for Tuesday, March 23 from 6-8PM so mark your calendar and register here: http://trifilm2.eventbrite.com/.  We'll keep you posted on the location, as we think we have a good one.  It's a spot that is central to the Triangle, has a private room, and even has a large screen should we want to show some films from a laptop.  More announcements on the way!

Ignite Raleigh 2

This Wednesday is Ignite Raleigh 2, an event I attended last year and really enjoyed.  The folks that organize it do an amazing job.  


These guys have really shaped the social media community in Raleigh, and I am a big fan of them and their work.  They pull together fascinating, energetic and passionate people that always teach me something new.  It's a great group, and they put together really fun events.  I confess that I take them for granted, but want to give them a big public thank you for all that they do.  Keep up the good work, guys!


Go to Ignite Raleigh 2 this Wednesday night.  You can learn more about the event on the website: http://igniteraleigh.com/about/.  The basis is that a presenter gets five minutes and 20 slides (that auto-rotate) to talk about a subject of their choice.  The presenters have been chosen by the community who has voted for them over the past weeks.  Some of my friends will be presenting on topics like "Everyone Needs a Dumb Guy" by Chris Moody, "13 Reasons Women Should Take Up Boxing" by Lisa Creech Bledsoe, and "Anti-Social Media: Breaking Connections for Fun and Profit" by Jay Dolan.


While I have been looking forward to the event for months, and I mean months, I have decided not to attend this week so that I can keep working on the rough cut of Abandoned Allies.  This month marks two years that we have been working on the film.  I've been on lock down lately trying to get the rough cut finished so that we can release the film this summer.


If you're attending Ignite Raleigh 2, please share my hellos with everyone!  I will certainly be missing you all, knowing you're having such a fun time!

The Term Montagnard & Jarai Online Dictionary

To the unacquainted, the term Montagnard can be a bit confusing and the pronunciation can give people some trouble.  Here is a fairly accurate audio clip of the word so you can hear it pronounced: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/montagnard.  Keep in mind, people pronounce the word differently, so you won't hear it pronounced exactly like the robotic version at Dictionary.com.  There's more fluidity to the word when it's used, and people will say the first half a little differently.  Some say "mont" and others say "munt" so it depends on who is using the word.  The "g" is silent, which throws off some English-speaking folks.  

Anyway, the term is kind of like American Indian or Native American--in that it is a term from outsiders used to reference a lot of different tribes, each of which have their own culture and language.  It began when the French were in the highlands of Vietnam, and began referencing the tribes collectively as Montagnards which is a derivative of the French word montagne (meaning mountain in English).  The term Montagnard basically means mountain people.  There are some other terms, but we'll stick to just one for the sake of brevity for this post.

One of the largest Montagnard tribes is Jarai.  I have had the pleasure of meeting a few members of the Jarai tribe that live in North Carolina while working on this film.  They have been very kind to me, sharing their culture, history and time.  It is something I definitely don't take for granted.

The image to the left is a map of Vietnam created by one of our cast members, Charlie Long, who was a missionary with his wife, EG, in Vietnam.  Charlie spent time documenting about 30 Montagnard tribes and languages.  (He even translated the Bible into one of the Montagnard languages.)  This map details where the tribes were located, and right in the middle there is a section showing the Jarai tribe.  You can see that it's much larger than many of the others.

One of the members of the Jarai tribe, whom I have already written about is a man named Lap.  He has been working on a Jarai-English dictionary for quite some time.  That's probably an understatement.  He's been working hard on it for, well, as long as I've known him (and we've been working on Abandoned Allies for about two years now).

Lap emailed me this weekend to say that the dictionary he's been working on is now online!  I can't imagine how excited he must be about this achievement.  Lap has been meeting with the elders in his community to build this dictionary, one that I believe includes about 3,000 words.  He gathered details on Jarai words, different meanings, and the English translation.  

This is a huge accomplishment, to say the least.  I think it may very well be the first online Montagnard dictionary, too.  It is published by TshwaneDje Human Language Technology based in South Africa, as Lap tells me.  

Enjoy using the dictionary: http://dictionaryq.com/jarai.  Feel free to post any comments on the dictionary here on this blog, so that Lap can see your feedback.  Tell him congrats or words of encouragement.  I know he'll appreciate it!

The Next #TriFilm Event

Hello, friends!  A few of you have asked for another filmmakers gathering, so I was looking at some mid-March dates. Using Twitter I recently proposed the evening of 3/23 or 3/24 for another gathering.  Wednesdays seemed to be a pretty bad evening for a handful of folks, though.  I've asked a fellow filmmaker and community organizer if one of those nights would work well for his group so that perhaps we could have a joint event some where in the middle of the Triangle.

Sit tight; we're still working out the details.  Since the #trifilm gathering is rather informal, I wanted to give everyone a heads up about what plans are in the works.  We'll keep you posted, for sure!

Before I Began

Before I began working on Abandoned Allies, I knew very little about the Vietnam War and almost nothing about the Montagnard people.  When I first started talking to our cast members, I questioned where they got their news.  How were they hearing about what's happening in Vietnam and I knew nothing about it?

The same question came to me recently, "Where do you find this news?"

When I found a lot of great articles online today, I realized the only reason I found them is because I'm actively looking for them.  We live in a sound-bite world where we digest news in a decreasing amount of minutes--if at all--on a daily basis.  If the first few paragraphs aren't interesting, we move on.  If the broadcast news doesn't entertain, we turn the channel.  We take less and less time to do our own research to find out what's really happening, so if it isn't served to us in an easily-digestible manner then we don't hear it.

There's no one to blame for this, really.  It's not just a "sign of the times" either.  It's just, simply, the way things are today.  I know because it's how I behaved before I began this project.

Now that I know people in Vietnam (and other places around the world) are being persecuted--raped, jailed, or murdered--for being an American ally nearly 40 years ago, I have started actively seeking more information.  You know why?  Because I'm angry about it.  I am embarrassed that our media puts more weight on an apology from Tiger Woods than it does on people being hunted in the jungles of Vietnam.  I'm upset that my generation can tell you all about Hollywood celebrities and nothing about foreign policy.  And yet, I am desperately trying to tell this story as objectively as possible so audience members can make up their own minds.

There's no doubt that this project has changed me.  It's altered my entire existence.  Before I began, I thought politics were something best left to politicians.  Now I realize that is what they want you to do.  By being ignorant of what's happening, we leave the fate of our nation, future and destiny in the hands of people that may not have our best interest in mind.  And that's putting it lightly.  It's a widely acceptable hasty generalization that politicians are crooked and corrupt, so why would we leave politics to them?

Before I began, I was clueless about a lot of these things.  I am saddened by the fact that this film may do nothing to make a difference, but it's not going to stop me from trying.  I've seen the power of film and social media in action.  I know what a group of people--even a small group of people--can do to make positive change happen.  And I believe, without a crack in my faith, that big things can happen when seemingly little people make the decision to stand up for what's right.

Without a doubt, this film has changed my thoughts on a lot of things.  Before I began I was a much different person.  Not better or worse, perhaps but definitely different.  I dream that this film will find its way into people's hearts, the hearts of people that can make a difference, and that my country will indeed keep the promise it made so many years ago: we will help you find freedom from oppression.

Screening Events for Abandoned Allies

As editing on Abandoned Allies continues, the idea of screening the film to select groups keeps buzzing around in my head.  You spend so much time editing and analyzing the story that it's easy to get too close to the project.  You start to wonder if the things you think are important are still really important for an audience.  Or the opposite--is something you think unimportant, and therefore cut out of the film, actually really important and need to go back in so that the audience isn't confused?


From the get-go, I have wanted to organize some screening events so that we get honest feedback from people that will hopefully make the film better.  Screening events help you get feedback from people so you can make the story tighter, pacing better, and film more memorable.


There are details about screening events, having never attended nor organized one, that have left me wondering.  Thank goodness Jane Kelly Kosek, who writes a blog All About Indie Filmmaking, just posted an entry titled "Focus Group Screening for Take Me Home".  She answers a lot of the questions that have been floating around in my head.


Is it better to have written, anonymous feedback?  Should it be people you know, or complete strangers who know nothing about the project?  What is the energy in the room like when  you screen your film for the first time?


The screening events have been a nerve-racking thing, continuing to nag at me as I put clips in order on the timeline.  Her post helped quiet a lot of those thoughts so that I can return to them once we have the rough cut finished.  Take a look at her entry: http://bit.ly/bwRVF6.  It is well-written and includes some great tips.  Enjoy!

Finance Plans for Indie Films

This is my first film, and it's basically a zero-dollar budget one; however, I hope that the next film might have a little bit of funding. It's too early to think of these things in great depth because we're still editing this one.

Every now and then I look up from editing to take a deep breath and stretch. Today I came across this article while doing so: Top Independent Filmmakers, Take Finance Plans Seriously. It's a short, well written article and something I look forward to revisiting when we finish Abandoned Allies.

There's no clue what the future will bring, but I know that filmmaking is something I will love for a very long time. I look forward to having a financial plan for the next film I do and hopefully a bit of financial backing, too.

Triangle Film Society Launches March 4th

On Thursday, March 4th, 2010, the Triangle Film Society will officially launch at a party in Durham, N.C. At an event I organized earlier this year (#TriFilm) with help from several friends including @RobLaughter, Nene Kalu announced plans to form the Triangle Film Society. Nene Kalu and Kathy Justice previously worked together on FilmSPARK, which is part of SPARKcon (http://www.sparkcon.com/).

I was told that the society is a means to unite some of the existing film communities in the area. Over the past few months, my friends have graciously introduced me to some of those existing communities and I am delighted about them! It is so much fun to be in a room full of people passionate about filmmaking. The energy is tangible.

EDITED
Sorry for the confusion, folks. Nene and I had several conversations since my event in January, and she asked me to help promote the Triangle Film Society. Nene informed me that they have a limited amount of space at the venue for the launch party so it is, in fact, not open to the public. This is a great lesson in today's age of rapid communications, no?! I'm told that they will have an event later that is open to the public, although I don't have the details on that yet.

In the meantime, I am organizing another #TriFilm event by request of a few people. We will likely have the informal networking event some time mid-March. There's no fee to attend. Just a chance to meet others in the area and talk about one of our favorite subjects: making films.

25 Tips to Make Documentary Film Interviews Better When Going Solo

There are a lot of lists of tips out there for documentary filmmakers. Here are a few recommendations of my own. These tips are based on doing the interview process by yourself, but I recommend getting someone to help you.

1. Ask someone to help you: carry equipment, set up, run errands, etc.
2. Read as much as possible about conducting interviews, the subject matter of your film, and the expertise of your interviewee before filming begins.
3. Get a lot of rest before the interview.
4. Pack your bags and check them twice. Do you have all of your cables, tapes, notes, extension cords, extra batteries, 2 sets of head phones, etc.?
5. Get to the location earlier than you think you should.
6. Bring water for you and the interviewee.
7. Bring your digital camera (not just film equipment). Take a picture of the subject for promotional materials before the interview begins. Take a picture of the subject in front of the cameras so you'll have behind the scenes promotional materials.
8. Schedule breaks for lunch so you don't work / film for 12 hours straight.
9. Have your questions ready--all typed on one page so you can look down easily to get to the next one.
10. Share the questions with the interviee prior to filmming, but only if appropriate to do so.
11. Interview the person in chronological order--don't jump from past to present too much if possible.
12. Choose a quiet room, with no distractions/interruptions to conduct the interview.
13. Choose a background that's not distracting.
14. Choose comfortable chairs that make no noise when sitting in them. (Or choose uncomfortable chairs if you want to have a certain impact on the person you're interviewing.)
15. Choose a room that has no windows if you have lighting equipment. The sunlight will change a lot during the course of your interview, causing lighting inconsistencies on film.
16. Remember to turn off the room's lights if you have lighting equipment. They may cast an unwanted tone on your subject.
17. Put the camera in front of you so you can be sure the subject matter is framed properly.
18. Wear ear phones to be sure the audio is being captured.
19. Don't make any noises while they interviewee is talking.
20. Maintain eye contact with the interviewee while they're speaking and react to what they're saying--nod, smile, laugh, etc.--but do so silently.
21. Don't worry about stopping / starting the tape if there are interruptions.
22. Ask questions so that the interviewee speaks in complete sentences, not just yes or no answers
23. Be patient. Give the interviewee the moments of silence so they can organize their thoughts before you move on to your next question.
24. Don't be afraid to cut them off if the interviewee derails from the information you really hope to capture. Every minute of what's filmed costs money in tape availability, transcriptions of footage and time spent editing it out later.
25. Get your interviews transcribed by a professional to make editing easier later.

There are so many more tips to share, but one of the best ways to learn is by doing. I had to learn a lot of this by diving in, with my executive producer's support and encouragement. Sink or swim isn't always the best way to learn, but it will certainly make those lessons hard to forget.

Surround Yourself with the Very Best

After each filmed interview, I would give Surry a recap of the experience. We've conducted 15 interviews (two or three of which we'll have to reshoot so that they are also in high def). After each one, I remarked that I felt so privileged to talk with such impressive people on camera. These men really are some of the finest you'll ever meet.

They are strong, humble and brave but they are so much more than that. They are smart, tactical, genuine, generous and have a protective/parental air about them that is in no way condescending. They have corrected me when I misunderstood the story, given me advice on where to get more information, and gone above and beyond to make sure that this story is accurately shared with others.

Monday night we had a meeting with some of my volunteers helping with marketing, communications, social media and event planning. As we went around the table introducing ourselves, our backgrounds and our roles/interest with Abandoned Allies I sat in awe at the team surrounding me. These, too, are some of the finest people you'll ever meet.

They are lending me their talents, wisdom, time and guidance to help make Abandoned Allies a great film. To them, I am most grateful for the support and the not-so-gentle reminders that I need to let them help me.

You see, for so long we have been working on this project with a very small team. Since March 2008, Surry and I have been working together with the occasional assistance from some very talented people. That's almost two years of working with just a handful of people. On the whole, there was no collective team with which to meet, as was the case last night. What a great feeling it was to sit with six people, each of whom has said, "Yes, I'll do what I can to help!"

My number one focus for Abandoned Allies right now is editing the "talking heads" version of the film. So, to some degree, a meeting about marketing, communications, social media and event planning seems a bit premature. Years of experience tell me otherwise, though. It's never, never too early to gather a team of that sort. The introductions, strategy planning, brainstorming--all of those things must happen right now. It takes time to plan, get things in order and prepare. That time is now.

One of the best things about this group is that they, too, are challenging me to be a better filmmaker. It's delightful. And each one of them seems to have a great sense of humor. We laughed a lot at dinner. You know, if it's not a touch of fun, then why do it? Life's too short. This should be fun, for sure.

It'll be a great pleasure to introduce everyone to you at some point. Like I said, I'm working hard to get the "talking heads" version of the film finished right now. (In fact, the minutes of edited footage is playing as I type this so that I can hear it.) You might see some guests posts from the team in the future.

In the meantime, we're all looking forward to this summer's release of Abandoned Allies.

The Cove

This weekend I finally had a chance to watch The Cove. It's a film about the slaughtering of dolphins in Japan. Annually, about 23,000 dolphins are killed in this little cove in Taiji, Japan. Those that aren't killed go into captivity to perform for people. At the end of this post is a synopsis pulled from their website.

Images from the film will not cease to keep replaying in my mind. It is a very powerful film, something that has inspired me to believe that our little film might actually lead to positive change. They worked hard to get footage of what's happening, and to put it out there so that the world knows about the injustice that's taking place. I'm furious about it!

It took me a great deal of courage to watch the film. Simply to watch it. Dolphins are quite sacred animals in my world. I have always been a big fan because I'm a beach girl. We grew up on the water, where wild dolphins swam around us and near our boats. In Florida, at a company that claims the dolphins come and go as they please, I swam with a dolphin named Fonzie. It's tough to put into words the chemistry and the unspoken connection between man and animal.

While watching the film, I wanted some resolution to have taken place. I wanted the problem to be solved before the credits rolled. I wanted them to say, "This was a huge problem, but through the production of this film, positive change has happened." Guess what? That wasn't in the film. And unfortunately, it won't be in ours either. And that breaks my heart.

You know, the only promise I can make right now is that this film will bring awareness and even that feels like it's a big promise. So desperately I want to shout, "Don't you see what's happening?! We have to do something about it. These are people who are suffering. Yes, dolphins are undeniably important, but these are people---our allies--who need our help. We as American citizens need to stand up and say that we don't want this to continue."

The Cove gives me hope. It's a documentary with passionate people behind it, pushing for positive change. I am taking a lesson from what they have done, hoping that we might do the same.

The Cove begins in Taiji, Japan, where former dolphin trainer Ric O’Barry has come to set things right after a long search for redemption. In the 1960s, it was O’Barry who captured and trained the 5 dolphins who played the title character in the international television sensation “Flipper.”

But his close relationship with those dolphins – the very dolphins who sparked a global fascination with trained sea mammals that continues to this day -- led O’Barry to a radical change of heart. One fateful day, a heartbroken Barry came to realize that these deeply sensitive, highly intelligent and self-aware creatures so beautifully adapted to life in the open ocean must never be subjected to human captivity again. This mission has brought him to Taiji, a town that appears to be devoted to the wonders and mysteries of the sleek, playful dolphins and whales that swim off their coast.

But in a remote, glistening cove, surrounded by barbed wire and “Keep Out” signs, lies a dark reality. It is here, under cover of night, that the fishermen of Taiji, driven by a multi-billion dollar dolphin entertainment industry and an underhanded market for mercury-tainted dolphin meat, engage in an unseen hunt. The nature of what they do is so chilling -- and the consequences are so dangerous to human health -- they will go to great lengths to halt anyone from seeing it.

Undeterred, O’Barry joins forces with filmmaker Louis Psihoyos and the Oceanic Preservation Society to get to the truth of what’s really going on in the cove and why it matters to everyone in the world. With the local Chief of Police hot on their trail and strong-arm fishermen keeping tabs on them, they will recruit an “Ocean's Eleven”-style team of underwater sound and camera experts, special effects artists, marine explorers, adrenaline junkies and world-class free divers who will carry out an undercover operation to photograph the off-limits cove, while playing a cloak-and-dagger game with those who would have them jailed. The result is a provocative mix of investigative journalism, eco-adventure and arresting imagery that adds up to an urgent plea for hope.

The Cove is directed by Louie Psihoyos and produced by Paula DuPre Pesman and Fisher Stevens. The film is written by Mark Monroe. The executive producer is Jim Clark and the co-producer is Olivia Ahnemann.

Conversations with Annie Beth

This weekend Annie Beth came to visit. It was so wonderful to catch up with her! We know one another from good old Little Washington, where we ran cross country together. Annie Beth is a firecracker, I tell ya what!

She came to stay with me on Friday. We spent some time catching up, and then she watched the edited footage. It was great to hear her laugh when I laugh. The more people watch the footage, the more nervous I get about sharing it with a big audience.

One of my friends, Chris Moore, showed a film of his once at a film festival. It was a really great short film, which starred some of my fellow improvisers. I remember watching it with him at the film festival, in a room full of people laughing simultaneously. It was very surreal. (What a cliche word to use, eh?) I was so excited to see my friends in the film, sitting with beside my fellow filmmaker as his work played on the big screen.

Watching Annie Beth watch my few minutes of edited footage brought me to that moment instantly. Yikes! I can't imagine showing my film in front of a big audience. It'll be so exciting!

Annie Beth has been gathering music for the film, getting samples from various independent artists. As she played some of the samples for me, I visualized where they might fit within our film. What a fun experience. Each time one played, I thought about the clips and how to put them all together. I am so excited about adding music to the film. It brings so much to it.

My parents are to thank for my love of music. My dad was in a three-person band in college. Our families would visit, and the kids sat on the floor listening and singing along to the parents playing things like "Puff the Magic Dragon" and "Blowin' in the Wind" or any other Peter, Paul and Mary song.

We were very surrounded by music, even before I was born. My mom says that she played music for me in the womb! Haha. I think that's pretty cool. They also helped me learn to play the violin and guitar. My aunt plays the piano.

I digress.

Having Annie Beth on the team is such a treat. Annie Beth, like so many of our volunteers, is interested in a great number of things. She studied music therapy, sings, plays the guitar, has FOUR children, home schools her eldest son, and started a website for people living with Spina Bifida. She's, in one word, fearless. She sees a need and does something about it, even if she doesn't know how to do it all. When starting her website, for example, she taught herself HTML so she could make the site.

It was an amazing weekend, and I feel so grateful to have such a power team. I am in awe at the talented people helping with this film such as Annie Beth.

Editing Challenges

So, I didn't get a total rough cut ready for Annie Beth's visit last weekend, as I had hoped. But setting deadlines gets me motivated, and puts the pressure on to get things done. Despite my best efforts to get it finished, we had an external hard drive fail, an editor out sick, project files that wouldn't open and a handful of other challenges.

We have had a lot of editing troubles in the past few weeks. OK, let's be honest, we've had a lot of editing troubles in the past YEAR. It's not exactly been a smooth process. That's the way we learn in the school of hard knocks, though! For a first-time filmmaker, learning by doing is one way to guarantee you won't forget the lesson.

I'm really grateful for the one-to-one lessons I took at the Apple store, plus my experience right out of college editing video. This past week, I sat down to do the editing myself and those experiences really helped. While I'm not the editor that finds joy in sitting at the computer for hours to piece together the story, I have most enjoyed the forward momentum.

If nothing else, I have what Surry calls a "fire in the belly" to get this damn rough cut finished. It's do or die, people. Watch out!

Rough Cut --> Music Additions

This weekend, Annie Beth (AB) and I are going over the film's music needs. She's a wonderful woman! We went to high school together, and I'm a big fan of hers--this is one smart, motivated and talented lady!

Since AB studied music therapy, she has a knack for picking out what music should make you feel a certain emotion. Being a big fan of all types of music, I cannot wait to add it to our rough cut. It feels like one of those uber critical milestones in the making of a film, and to think that we're meeting about it this weekend is incredibly exciting. We've been talking about it for nearly two years!

The flip side? Her arrival means we have to hustle up on the rough cut! Before the end of the weekend, we need a list of what types of music are needed to tell the story so that AB can do her work. That can't happen without a rough cut of the film: the harshly edited, talking heads version of the film. It'll be bare bones: no added images, well thought out transitions, animated graphics, etc. Just the rough cut of the film as it stands. This way, we can figure out where the music will go, and what it will add to the telling of this story.

AB has been talking with independent artists, gathering samples, and thinking about what type of music should go in the film. She's so self-motivated--the type of person you really love to work with because she brings a lot of energy and ideas to the table. Recently she sent me an email with some song lyrics, and I am just about to jump out of my skin to hear the samples she's gathered.

Working with independent artists is ideal to me because it means you get to support their creative efforts. Music is such a splendid thing! I love to celebrate the talents of other artists by using their original music and promoting them.

To have someone equally passionate, knowledgeable and motivated to make this happen? Such a dream come true. I'm so grateful to have AB's help on this project and can't wait to celebrate her.

Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.
--Berthold Auerbach

The Short Circuit Film Festival

On Saturday I was lucky enough to attend The Short Circuit Film Festival at The Clayton Center, just a few miles outside of Raleigh, N.C. They showed 12 films, many of which I really enjoyed. The Clayton Center is wonderful, too.

After the films were shown Todd Tinkham shared a preview of his film Southland of the Heart. Then three of us--Todd Tinkham, Ken Peterson and yours truly--were invited to talk on a filmmaker's panel, taking questions from the audience. After the panel discussion, a number of us went to dinner just down the street at Mulberry on Main.

It was such a wonderful afternoon/evening! I am so honored to have been on a panel with Todd and Ken. They had wonderful things to share about their filmmaking careers and lessons learned. After having worked on Abandoned Allies for so long, it was a delight to listen to fellow filmmakers talk about their current projects and the challenges they've faced. It seems small, but it's quite rewarding to nod your head when a fellow filmmaker talks about a similar challenge--especially where I am right now as a first time filmmaker.

One of the questions was about the difference in the industry here versus somewhere like Hollywood. Honestly, I haven't lived there, so I cannot make a direct comparison, but I must say that I am in love with the filmmaking community here in North Carolina. It's a small-town feel, where people are willing to lend a hand one each other's projects to help everyone more forward together. The process of making a great film--the journey--is the fun part. Sharing it with people afterwards and perhaps getting paid to make another one? That's icing on the cake.

Those that planned the event, Heidi Stump and Jessica Hammettand did a wonderful job. I am also a big fan of Lisa Sullivan, who introduced me to the festival. My thanks goes out to all three of them for giving me such a wonderful Saturday!

Links

• The Clayton Center
• The Short Circuit Film Festival
• Lisa Sullivan's blog post about the festival