I see the sample as a short film with one very specific goal: to leave the potential funder wanting to see more so badly that they will write the filmmaker a check. In the last blog, I wrote about how to get started editing a sample reel. Once you’ve defined the best of the best of your footage, it’s time to come up with a plan or a script for editing your sample. Here are five tips for making the strongest sample reel possible.Read More
This spring we’ll be editing a sample reel for A Paradise Lost, a documentary in progress by Laurie Sumiye.
I often get approached to help people edit sample reels for documentary films in progress, usually to show potential funders as part of a grant application. Editing sample reels is very different than editing a film trailer, where the film is at the fine cut stage, if not already completed, and so you clearly know what the film is about. Editing a sample reel is also different than cutting a crowdsourcing video for a platform like Kickstarter, IndieGoGo or GoFundMe, where there is usually a direct on-camera appeal from the filmmaker included.Read More
So fun to do short trailers for films in the midst of editing these multi-year epic documentary projects! Last spring I had the pleasure of editing a couple of trailers for a couple of great docs. I love getting the chance to collaborate with filmmakers and helping to spread the word about a film I really believe in.Read More
New Day Films Annual Meeting 2013
Just back from an intense and inspiring four days in Northern California with my professional tribe: the 80+ social issue documentary filmmakers of the New Day Films collective. This is my twentieth year in the co-op (20!), and I have seen it grow from under thirty members doing DIY distribution to a sophisticated, cutting edge and profitable company, run by activist filmmakers with a passion for changing the world through documentary film.Read More