Millions of years ago, humans began documenting the world around them. They found several ways to do this. They painted on rock walls, both outside and inside caves, depicting aspects of their lives, including the animals they encountered. They carved figurines and painted their bowls and tools. They painted their bodies. When they learned language, they told stories about life from one generation to the next.
Today, among many other ways, we have film, video, and photography to tell stories and document the world around us. This book chronicles documentaries on a wide range of subjects. It reviews and reflects on these stories – their subjects, how they were recorded, and perhaps why.
If you want to tell nonfiction stories in a documentary style, you will find examples to help you choose a style and genre. Watch and study these documentaries.
If you enjoy documentaries, you will find some of the best in this book.
Our purpose is to explore the world of documentary films and other media, review and reflect on the subject, production methods, and how effectively they communicate their stories to us. Will they last as long as those paintings on the walls of caves in France and elsewhere? Time will tell. In the interim, you can decide for yourself.
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Who is Jennifer Aniston? Is she “More Than Friends?” According to a new hybrid-style biographical documentary titled Jennifer Aniston: More Than Friends, she is quite a bit more than Rachel Green, the character she played in the long-running, ten-season TV series “Friends.” Her crucial role in Friends won her 16 Golden Globe awards, SAG, and Emmy nominations with three wins. She has had a spectacular career that includes Friends and a long series of popular, successful films. Aniston has accomplished much, but not many people and fans realize how far she has come. This film brings everyone up to date.
The documentary Jennifer Aniston: More Than Friends follows Aniston’s transition to film in ‘Bruce Almighty’ (2003), ‘The Break-Up’ (2006), ‘Marley and Me’ (2008), ‘Just Go with It’ (2011), ‘Horrible Bosses’ (2011), Horrible Bosses 2 (2013) and ‘We’re the Millers’ (2013), each with over $200 million in box office receipts. She received positive reviews for ‘Office Space’ (1999), ‘The Good Girl’ (2002), ‘Friends With Money’ (2006), ‘Cake’ (2014) and ‘Dumplin’’ (2018). Life came full circle with a return to television in 2019 on Apple TV+’s ‘The Morning Show’ where she earned two Golden Globe nominations and a S.A.G. award win from the first season. The film is Directed by Danielle Winter and produced by Dana Webber, ‘Jennifer Aniston: More Than Friendsis distributed by Legacy Distribution.
Trailer Jennifer Aniston: More Than Friends
Jennifer Aniston: More Than Friends uses interviews, archival coverage of Aniston, commentary by Dr. Jennifer Otter Bickerdike, Ashton Pearson, a voice-over narrator, clips from Friends, specific films, and action “B” roll to create a well-edited, informative, and entertaining sixty-minute introduction to Ms. Aniston’s life mainly focusing on her career. The documentary will be instructive to anyone unfamiliar with all the actor’s credits. The film offers fans of Jennifer Aniston many moments that touch on personal aspects of her life, like her two marriages and divorces. These events may have impacted her life, but to what extent is not explored beyond public speculation.
As portrayed in Jennifer Aniston: More Than Friends, Jennifer Aniston reveals a talented, funny, and sensitive actor who has worked hard for her success. Her successful role in Friends was not her first attempt at TV. Like most actors, she was not an overnight sensation. Ultimately, an opportunity presented itself. At the same time, she was offered the role in Friends and a role in NBC’s Saturday Night Live Comedy Show.
Jennifer Aniston: More Than Friends is a well-crafted hybrid documentary with a legitimate point-of-view regarding Ms. Aniston’s talent and career. This approach makes the documentary a must-see for any aspiring actor. There are many clips of Ms. Aniston talking or being interviewed at some event. These candid moments create some reach beyond the actor we see on the screen. Her interaction with the other actors from Friends feels spontaneous. Also, her appearances with actors from some of the movies she was in, like with Adam Sandler. But they are still not Ms. Aniston “off-screen.” One wonders what she is like in a more personal setting. Granted, this documentary is not that kind of vehicle. It is a promotional documentary about Jennifer Aniston and her many achievements.
The feature-length, inside story Jennifer Aniston: More Than Friends is now available on Amazon Prime. Watch now (links) on Amazon Prime | TubiTV
Review by James R (Jim) Martin
James R (Jim) Martin is an Emmy, award winning producer, writer, director of film, television, video, multimedia and digital media productions. He has lectured on documentary subjects internationally. Most recently in several universities and forums in China. He directed the documentary filmmaking course at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. He has taught directing at University of Central Florida and Film Production at Columbia College in Chicago.
Author: Create Documentary Films, Videos and Multimedia – Third Edition 2014, Actuality Interviewing and Listening – 2017, Listen Learn Share, 2018, Documentary Directing and Storytelling, 2019. Editing Documentary and Fiction, to be published soon.
Directing Credits include two Emmy nominations and an Emmy Award for PBS documentary – Fired-up Public Housing is My Home. The Chicago Film Festival Golden Plaque for Best Network Documentary for Emmy nominee, Wrapped In Steel, also seen nationally on PBS stations. Telly Award 2018, JP’s Wish documentary, Make-a-Wish Foundation.
America, first met Michelle Obama as the wife of Presidential Candidate Barack Obama and then as First Lady. Over the next eight years she became one of the most admired First Lady’s in history. This biographical documentary explores who Michelle Obama was before that time and who she has become more recently. Michelle Obama: Life after the White House is a well-made insightful story written, directed and edited by Jordan Hill, about Michelle Robinson Obama growing up in South Chicago, her education at Princeton and Harvard Law School, her law career and ultimately her meeting Barack Obama. Followed by life in the White House and life afterward. Why today she remains extremely popular and well regarded for her achievements.
Documentary film biographies may take a number of forms. Michelle Obama: Life after the White House looks at her public persona and her transition from private life to public. The documentary appears to be drawn, in part, from Michelle Obama’s book Becoming Michelle Obama. The film, like the book looks at Michelle Obama’s roots, how she found her voice and her role as a Mother and First Lady. Becoming was published in 24 languages. It was the highest selling book published in the United States in 2018. One million copies were donated to First Book an organization that provides books to children.
The documentary film Michelle Obama: Life after the White House uses past and more recent interviews with her and others. Also, public and televised appearances of Michele Obama, commentary by a number of people including journalist Ashley Pearson and Professor Natasha Lindstaedt. There is extensive use of archival photographs dating back to Michelle’s youth. She talks about the major influence of her parents and family on her and her life. How her parents encouraged her to find her path though education. Now a mother herself Michelle Obama carries on the tradition with her daughters.
Michelle Obama’s parents and extended family are middle and working-class people who passed on the value of education and work ethics. The film explores her dedication and motivations for her progress and life choices. This includes her meeting and ultimately marrying Barack Obama. At the time she was a lawyer working for a top Chicago law firm, where Obama was hired after graduating from Harvard law school himself. The film looks at how their relationship developed. Michelle is wife, friend and trusted advisor.
The documentary discovers how Michelle had to make some adjustments to her public image as the Presidential candidate’s wife and later as First Lady. It is interesting because the film shows that this transition was mostly Michelle becoming herself, educated, warm, funny at times, and sincere. Michele’s warmth and friendliness is demonstrated in one instance when even though no one is supposed to touch the Queen of England, the Queen welcomed Michelle putting her arm around her. The queen responded by reaching around to hold Michelle. Later she invited Michelle to share her car, even thought that also is taboo.
There is a good blend of interviews, photographs, and action used to tell the story. Two key commentators help narrate the story along with others who have come to know Michelle Obama. Editing is well paced.The documentary makes use of archival family photographs and other photographs to help tell the story. Also, some footage of Barrack and Michelle Obama, including his speaking at an event about Michelle that is quite moving. Michelle Obama: Life after the White House is an interesting, entertaining and uplifting, biographical documentary about a person, a confident woman who is inspirational to all, but in particular to young women who can look to Michelle Obama as a role model in their lives.
Legacy Distribution Synopsis: “Former First Lady MICHELLE OBAMA’S story has just begun. The Obama’s have remained quite busy with their new life of activism which includes their issue-oriented production company, Higher Ground, which won an Oscar for Best Documentary in 2020. Mrs. Obama’s autobiography, Becoming, has become the best-selling memoir of all time and even won a Grammy following the publication of her book. Get lost in the incredible journey of this modern-day First Lady’s story in the making.”
The feature-length biography is now widely available, including Amazon Prime: https://amzn.to/2XqTne5
DocumentaryReview by James R (Jim) Martin
James R (Jim) Martin is an Emmy, award winning producer, writer, director of film, television, video, multimedia and digital media productions. He has lectured on documentary subjects internationally. Most recently in several universities and forums in China. He directed the documentary filmmaking course at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. He has taught directing at University of Central Florida and Film Production at Columbia College in Chicago.
Author: Create Documentary Films, Videos and Multimedia – Third Edition 2014, Actuality Interviewing and Listening – 2017, Listen Learn Share, 2018, Documentary Directing and Storytelling, 2019. Editing Documentary and Fiction, to be published soon.
Directing Credits include two Emmy nominations and an Emmy Award for PBS documentary – Fired-up Public Housing is My Home. The Chicago Film Festival Golden Plaque for Best Network Documentary for Emmy nominee, Wrapped In Steel, also seen nationally on PBS stations. Telly Award 2018, JP’s Wish documentary, Make-a-Wish Foundation.
CASTE THE ORIGINS OF OUR DISCONTENTS BY ISABEL WILKERSON
NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER
Review by James R Martin
Caste The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson is for me, the missing link in a long search for why there is so much adversity between people in the U.S., all homo sapiens members of the human race. Reading Caste The Origins of Our Discontents has helped me to realize a fact that has been obvious, but not recognized by many. The reality that there is an ongoing, pervasive caste system in the United States, and it is the framework for much that has happened here in the last 400 years. Wilkerson traces the history of the caste systems in the U.S., India, and in Nazi Germany. She makes it clear that the terms “white” and “black” are artificial constructs that evolved to create the dominant tier and the subservient tier in the caste system of the U.S. The “them” and “us” system I believe many in the country are still trying to perpetuate at this very moment.
Caste The Origins of Our Discontent is written in a documentary style. The words create a visual and literal narrative for the reader. The writing is clear. It tells a story that creates a historical journey through time to reveal actuality that has been purposely ignored, swept aside, and disguised. The book’s point-of-view is factual, deeply researched, and stitched together with the antidotal personal experiences of the author and many others who have experienced firsthand aspects of the American Caste system based on skin color. It may be that many of the people who blend into the dominant tier of the caste system don’t realize consciously that they are part of that tier or that there is a caste system at all. But reading Caste will quickly lead to recognizing the manifestations of caste wherever they reside in this multi-tiered caste system.
Author Isabel Wilkerson compares the U.S. caste system to both the one in India and the one created by the Nazi’s in Germany under Hitler. You may be surprised to learn which system was in part too extreme for the Nazi’s to completely emulate in their early days.
Caste The Origins of Our Discomforts helps the reader understand the brutal caste system that was created while there were still colonies here in North America 400 years ago when slaves were first sold in Virginia. In order to perpetuate slavery, the slaves were dehumanized and pushed into the bottom rung of an emerging caste system. The colonists had already tried enslaving the indigenous people of the new world. But they found that the African slaves torn from homes far away were more suited for their purposes. Wilkerson writes: “The institution of slavery created a crippling distortion of human relationships where people on one side were made to perform the role of subservience and to sublimate whatever innate talents or intelligence they might have had.”
The origins of the caste system are traced beginning with slavery right through the civil war to the present time. Wilkerson examines the period after the civil war when slavery ended, yet the system still managed to keep African Americans in the bottom caste layer. The equivalent to the untouchables of the Indian Caste System. This process continues and reinforces itself not only in the south but throughout the entire country, even after civil rights and voting rights enacted. Today there are many instances of profiling by caste that are obvious when one becomes aware of the workings of the system. There are inescapable conclusions about what is happening in the United States at this moment in time.
The book reveals the multiple layers of the U.S. caste system based on artificial classifications between those who qualify as “white” and those who are deemed “black.” In between, there are layers, shades of Asian skin tones, brown tones, Latin’s, and others. For a time, the Irish did not qualify as white enough to become part of the dominant caste and Italians, especially Sicilians were designated to the black caste. In 1905 Cubans who had been uncertain how they would be classified in Tampa’s Ybor City were relieved to find they could sit in the “white” section of the streetcars.
“Wilkerson explores eight pillars that underlie caste systems across civilizations.” The notion of a caste system cannot be fully understood without looking at its use in other cultures and countries. Notably India and Nazi Germany. Using first person accounts and documented history Wilkerson examines and compares those occurrences with the system that exists in the U.S.
Caste The Origins of Our Discontents must be read to understand the history of the U.S., its politics, and the current state of affairs. It seems that the divisions in this country are mired in hostility by some of the population trying to protect the dominant “white” caste even though they themselves may not actually qualify to be on that upper-tier level. They take out their resentment and insecurity against what Wilkerson describes as “scapegoats” in the bottom rungs of the caste system. Caste The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson makes it possible to understand where we are today in the U.S. culturally and politically. Read Caste The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson.
Adam Sandler is an amazing talent. Successful actor, comedian, writer and producer. His track record over the years stands in testimony to his achievements and abilities. Adam Sandler: Funny Guy, is a 56:00-minute biography of Sandler and his films, directed by Danielle Winter and produced by Dana Webber. It should be well received by Adam Sandler’s fans. It spans and highlights his career right up to his new 2020, second production deal with Netflix.
Legacy Distribution reports, “Sandler, the boy from Brooklyn, did not need show biz connections to become a global superstar. Sandler has left his comedic mark on three decades of stage, screen and song. Adam’s lasting appeal has earned more than $2 billion at the box office. TV audiences got to know him as writer and performer on SNL during the early ‘90s. Forty-four films include Billy Madison (1995), Happy Gilmore (1996), The Waterboy (1998), The Wedding Singer (1998), Big Daddy (1999), Mr. Deeds (2002), 50 First Dates (2004), The Longest Yard (2005), Click (2006), Grown Ups (2010), Just Go With It (2011), Grown Ups II (2013), Blended (2014) and Murder Mystery (2019).”
“His 2019 dramatic role in the Netflix crime thriller, Uncut Gems, has yielded rave reviews and several prestigious awards. The Golden Globes, Grammy, Emmy and People’s Choice prizes have all taken note of his work. Adam remains a consistent favorite among fans who are comforted that they will always have a good time. “
Viewers of Adam Sandler: Funny Guy will gain insight into Sandler’s career and public persona. This happens in clips where Sandler interacts with the other actors in his films or is seen with friends. Clips with Henry Winkler, Ben Stiller, Dustin Hoffman, Kevin James, Jennifer Aniston and others who have either worked with or know Sandler help give some depth to the biography. It makes for a good promotional bio on Sandler. But we need more than a newscaster style narrator reading facts, listing filmography, box office numbers and saying nice things about Sandler to make a documentary. Much of what is included is already known by Sandler fans, followers and filmgoers. Some of the best moments of the biography are when Sandler is shown being interviewed or speaking first-person. He is candid about his feelings. Adam Sandler: Funny Guy is worth watching but we really don’t learn much about Sandler and how he got to where he is currently. It is difficult to cover thirty years in 56 minutes. There are moments of insight into who Adam Sandler is, but not enough.
Adam Sandler deserves an in-depth documentary that looks at his career and how he has survived and achieved so much. It seems like Adam Sandler: Funny Guy, is a long trailer that leaves us wanting to know more about this talented, hardworking guy who happens to be funny. Perhaps the filmmakers were not able to go beyond a rather superficial public persona? What is Sandler like off-camera? Maybe Sandler is guarded about his private and working life? But a personal documentary-style biography needs to be more than archival clips and public events. To its credit Adam Sandler: Funny Guy does touch on Sandler’s issues with critical reviews of his films and performances. One of Sandler’s friends quotes John Cleese when talking about the critics and Sandler. Cleese is quoted as saying, “Critics, don’t even ignore them.”
Documentaries can be many things these days. But they should be more than a montage of clips and voice over narration. They always should inform and tell a story. A biographical documentary is no different. If it has a protagonist, tell his or her story. There should be a beginning, middle and end. Admittedly a good resume or CV tells a story of sorts. But a documentary should be more than a list of facts and achievements. Sandler’s actual story is about a guy who started out with no show business connections and apparently overcame a great deal of adversity to get to where he is today. What was the adversity? How did he do that? Where did he start? Who is his family? Why has he been able to achieve against these odds? What are the conflicts he encountered and how were they overcome? What does it take to get where he is at this time? What does it take to be a “Funny Guy?” It would be informative to meet Adam Sandler when he is not “on-stage.”
A documentary that might be inspirational in how to tell Adam Sandler’s story is Jerry Seinfeld Comedian. If this film was only about Jerry Seinfeld’s public biography and his deciding to resurrect his career as a stand-up comedian, after ending his hit TV show, it would be a rather narrowly focused and possibly a short story. But the documentary goes beyond this premise and explores a number of other issues and ideas about comedy, performing, career choices and just what it takes to be a comedian.
One of the interesting things about the Jerry Seinfeld documentary is the that it gives you a glimpse into the personality of the comedian or classic clown, the person who makes jokes on stage but has real human needs off stage. Jerry Seinfeld and maybe a couple dozen comics at any given time live a comfortable, successful life. There are scores of others living hand-to-mouth, trying to be funny.
Adam Sandler: Funny Guy is currently available on Amazon Prime. Fans of Adam Sandler and his films will enjoy the trip down memory lane, filmography of Sandler’s films and some moments with him.
Trailer
Review by James R (Jim) Martin – Writer, Director, Author.
Bob Woodward’s new book “Rage,” brings the reader in to the story as an observer to what I call a direct documentary on paper. Journalistic film and television documentaries have a long history beginning in 1960 with Primary, directed by Robert Drew and Richard Leacock. Primary initiated a form of documentary actuality that became known as “direct cinema” a style that brought the viewer in as an observer. This journalistic documentary style of reporting also has its roots in work by Edward R Murrow and Fred Friendly. Woodward is able to create a form of visual actuality with his format and writing.
Bob Woodward’s new book “Rage” is a journalistic nonfiction book but it fits the criteria of documentary work in all the best ways. It is based on seventeen recorded interviews done over a seven-month period (in person and on the phone) with the subject of the book, President Donald Trump. The quotes used in the narrative of the book are verbatim and backed up by recorded audio interviews with Trump, others or “dark sources” (not named sources) who have also been recorded or sourced as factual accounts. The book includes sixteen pages of photographs that give a face to many of the individuals involved in this story. Woodward has taken great pains in this work to include supporting documentation with a section of extensive notes on sources and references for each chapter and an index.
Robert Caro, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Power Broker writes on the book cover: “Bob Woodward, a great reporter. What is a great reporter? Someone who never stops trying to get as close to the truth as possible. There is no truth, we all know that. No one truth. No objective truth. No single truth. No simple truth or no one simple truth either. But there are facts. Hard facts. Objective facts. Verifiable facts. And the more facts you come up with the closer you come to whatever truth there is.”
Woodward’s style in Rage is to narrate the story with his subjective experience including facts, interviews, and additional information. This brings the reader into the room with Trump and others when events unfold over seven months in 2020 as the Trump administration faces the COVID-19 global pandemic. “Rage draws’ from hundreds of hours of interviews with firsthand witnesses as well as participants’ notes, emails, diaries, calendars and confidential documents.”
The Story
Rage begins in the oval office on January 28, 2020 when President Trump is told that there could be a pandemic that reaches the scale of the 1918 Spanish Flu that killed 675,000 Americans. “This is going to be the roughest thing you face,” said Robert O’Brien, the national security advisor to Trump. This while other cabinet members at the meeting did not think there was anything to worry about at that point. Even when, Matt Pottiner, Deputy national security advisor, said that China had already locked down the city of Wuhan, population 11 million. China was not being transparent about the virus and had refused help from the U.S. China also had stopped domestic air travel but not foreign travel. Sources said the disease was transmitted from person to person, but China did not disclose this. Trump asked what he should do? He was advised to stop foreign travel into the U.S. On January 31, Trump imposed restrictions on travelers from China. But according to the book, Trump’s attention was on other things, like the Super Bowl, rallies and political considerations.
This story revolves around conversations/interviews between Woodward and Trump either in person at the White House and background events taking place from January through July 2020. In addition, there are flashbacks to the relationships of Trump and Secretary of Defense James Mattis, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coates. These episodes serve to establish Trump’s type of administration and the character of the President. But they also set the scene for how Trump does not really deal with the virus as most presidents would have.
Woodward’s style of writing pulls the reader into the story in a way that at times seems like it is the script for a film. But it isn’t fiction. It is actual events and statements that give insight into the handling or non-handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is scary to hear Trump content to have only 60,000 deaths knowing that as of late-September 2020 there will be 200,000 deaths nationwide. We also learn that Trump knew how severe the virus was. We hear Trump tell Woodward in February how bad this virus is, that it can kill and be transmitted in the air. At the same time Trump is telling the public not to worry, “it will go away and it’s no worse than the flu. Prior to release of the book Woodward released the actual recorded voice of Trump saying things reported in the book. This made the book feel even more like a documentary.
Rage is important, should be read and is well written. It gives insight into the personality and actions of Trump and many of those people around him like Jarred Kushner, his son-in-law. Woodward takes the reader behind the scenes. It is interesting to note that Trump consented to the interviews by Woodward after Woodward’s previous book Fear: Trump in the White House was not complimentary of Trump.
Reading the quotes from the interviews with Trump in the book brings them to life. A sense of Trump’s personality, fears and how he reacts to various subjects emerges. It seems that Trump wanted to let Woodward know something about himself, maybe that he was smart and understood how bad the virus was even though he tried to “play it down” to the country. There was also an aspect of Trump thinking he could charm or impress Woodward into writing good things about him. Woodward is fair in his style. He sticks to the facts and lets Trump have his say.
The book ends around in July. It is clear that Trump’s obsession for the past seven months was with getting re-elected. Many of the political things that are covered are coming to pass now, in September 2020, weeks before the election. In the end Woodward writes: “When his performance as president is taken in its entirety, I can only reach one conclusion: Trump is the wrong man for the job.”
Review by James R (Jim) Martin, writer, director, documentary filmmaker and professor.
Other books by James R Martin include Actuality Interviewing and Listening. And others available on Amazon and Apple Books.
Someone once asked a novelist, “which character in the story is you?” The writer responded, “all of them.” Inspiration for a story is fueled by life experience and knowledge of the subject. Some writers like Conrad believed that they needed to have certain experiences before they could write about them. Whatever the case it seems that it is imagination that ultimately creates the story. Gatsby In Connecticut: The Untold Story explores the notion of what influences F. Scott Fitzgerald’s living in Westport Connecticut with his wife Zelda may have had on his writing the novel The Great Gatsby.
Gatsby in Connecticut: The Untold Story, directed by Robert Steven Williams, begins in Westport, Connecticut where F. Scott Fitzgerald and his recent bride Zelda lived for a short time. Their house was a cottage adjacent to a large 175-acre estate owned by Frederick E. Lewis, a millionaire who was known for throwing lavish parties at his mansion. Since the central plot of The Great Gatsby has a similar situation, the question becomes, was this millionaire, with his lavish parties and the proximity of his mansion to the Fitzgerald cottage the inspiration for the novel? Most scholars up until now barely acknowledge that Fitzgerald lived in Westport. So the mystery is, was his living in the Westport cottage the inspiration for the Great Gatsby novel? The novel is set on Long Island, N.Y. not Westport, Connecticut. The Fitzgerald’s also lived in Great Neck, Long Island.
“Gatsby in Connecticut: The Untold Story was inspired by the 1996 New Yorker article by Barbara Probst Solomon, which unveiled her theory that the West Egg in Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” was not based on an actual place in Long Island, but rather in Westport, Connecticut which held a special place in Scott and Zelda’s hearts.”
Watch the Trailer
Gatsby in Connecticut: The Untold Story presents its narrative against a wonderful backdrop of footage and photographs of the 1920’s in the New York and Connecticut areas. Visuals and music combine to create a feeling for the era and an understanding of the influences on Fitzgerald. A combination of interviews with knowledgeable individuals and narration by Keiv Dullea tells the story. The documentary features Sam Waterson who played in the 1974 Gatsby film. While exploring the main subject of where the inspiration for the setting of Gatsby may have come from, the documentary also looks at the trials and tribulations of being a writer to some extent. What factors might have motivated F. Scott Fitzgerald, to get his first novel published? Also how his relationship with his wife Zelda developed. How they may have collaborated on some of their novels.
Zelda and Scott
The story begins the summer Zelda and Scott spent in Westport Connecticut. In the process, we learn how Zelda and Scott met and ultimately married when his first book This Side of Paradise was published. After having been rejected two times by Scribner & Son Publishers it was finally accepted. Zelda and Scott got married immediately after it was published. The lived in New York City for a few weeks. They then moved to a cottage in Westport, Connecticut which is about 55 miles from New York City.
You don’t necessarily have to be a fan of the Gatsby novel, a literary or film buff to enjoy this documentary. It is entertaining and informative with new insights. The pace of the editing, as well as the period photographs and music keep things moving. Actor Sam Waterston, who portrayed Nick Carraway in the 1974 The Great Gatsby film says, “This film does an excellent job of capturing an important aspect of Westport’s literary history and it helps to establish the town’s rightful place in Fitzgerald’s legacy.”
Vision Film Synopsis
“”The untold story of the summer Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald lived in Connecticut which inspired one of the world’s most beloved novels: “The Great Gatsby”. Everyone knows the book, the films, and series, but who knows the truth? Track down the mystery millionaire who threw extravagant parties, uncover new evidence of the location and players, and dig deep to discover the real-life Jay Gatsby himself.”
“Initially I thought this was just a three-month project to document the Fitzgerald’s Westport period for the local historical society,” says director, Robert Steven Williams. “But as we dug deeper, we realized how important the Westport period was to both Scott and Zelda. Along the way, we uncovered academic secrets and a lawsuit to stop the leading Fitzgerald scholar from rewriting parts of Gatsby. Most important, we were able to bring to life an overlooked period of Scott and Zelda’s that had a profound impact on their lives including their art, the novels, their love.”
“Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald were larger-than-life individuals and director Robert Steven Williams was able to capture the excitement and decadence of the roaring 20’s in Gatsby in Connecticut: The Untold Story,” says Vision Films CEO/Managing Director, Lise Romanoff. “The history behind one of the world’s most beloved books and films, “The Great Gatsby”, is so intriguing that this incredible documentary will not only be loved by Fitzgerald and literary fans, but by anyone who has an interest in American history.”
Gatsby in Connecticut: The Untold Story will be available on September 1, 2020, on DVD from all major online retailers and on digital for an SRP of $4.99 – $9.99 from platforms including iTunes, Vudu, Google Play, Xbox, Amazon, and FandangoNow, as well as cable affiliates everywhere.
Available in print or digital formats at Amazon and Apple.
Office and Home Tai Chi is a new book from Real Deal Press written by Yue Zhang. It introduces practical Tai Chi and Xing Qi Tai Chi designed to be practiced at the office or at home. Author Yue Zhang’s Tai Chi exercises incorporate the natural massage of acupuncture points that are known as the Meridian System in traditional Chinese Medicine. This new, beautifully illustrated English translation of Office And Home Tai Chi offers clear step-by-step instructions for each exercise in two areas.
First, five limber up sequences that will take about ten minutes to do. Second, the Xing Qi Tai Chi exercise which takes about six minutes. The author believes that doing these exercises each morning or during a break at work will keep the body fit and enhance overall health and immunity. These Tai Chi practices are very practical for those who need to work from home during health emergencies.
Clear step-by-step graphics and text
Each exercise is demonstrated graphically and includes written instructions for each of the various positions in the exercise process. These are Tai Chi moves anyone can do. Instructions that are easy to follow and remember. The moves for each exercise do not require a large space to practice. They can be done with ease in your office cubicle during a break or at home in the living room or on the patio.
Demonstration of a Limber up exercise – Office and Home Tai Chi.
Born in Shandong China, the author Yue Zhang holds a master’s degree from Shandong Normal University. He majored in Physical Education as an undergraduate and earned his Masters in Native Traditional Sports. He has excellent abilities in Kung Fu, Tai Chi, and traditional healthcare technologies.
Office and Home Tai Chi includes two parts, Limber Up Exercise and Xing Qi Tai Chi – Moving Meditation Exercise. It is a combination of physical exercise and therapy for modern people to keep fit in the office or at home.
Multiple illustrations Acupuncture Meridian System Traditional Chinese Medicine
Office and Home Tai Chi is based on the ancient Chinese theory of health care including the running laws of blood, Qi (氣)- Vital Energy Flow, and Jing Luo (經絡) system-Meridian and Collateral Channels.
Office and Home Tai Chi has removed tedious movements and kept the most important and worthiest elements. Furthermore, it incorporates Tu Na (吐納)- Breathing Exercises and Moving Meditation strengthening the muscles and bones, even nourishing the viscera (various organs in the body).
Review by
Real Deal Press – Publisher of Office and Home Tai Chi
Maserati – 100 Years Against All Odds is a documentary that looks at Maserati’s history along with the history of auto racing. Maserati’s place in the auto-racing world is well known. What is not as well know is the struggle and survival “Against all Odds,” faced by the Maserati founders and corporation over the last one hundred years. The documentary’s combination of historic racing footage, first person interviews and narration informs and entertains at a good pace.
Maserati – 100 Years Against All Odds opens with images of the Maserati sailing and racing yacht under the Maserati Trident, as it surges through ocean swells, to convey the unrelenting spirit that propels Maserati. This documentary tells the human side of the Maserati legend as well as the evolution of the automobile brand.
Maserati Brothers
You don’t have to be an Italian automobile or auto-racing fan to enjoy this story beginning with the five Maserati brothers born between 1881 and 1888. While not all the brothers survived to start the building of Maserati racing cars in the early 1920’s, the family name quickly became known in Italian auto racing circles, and ultimately world wide. Shortly after they got started building and racing their creations, the First World War interrupted the momentum of the company. The documentary looks at one hundred years of innovation and the constant facing of adversity to keep the Maserati name, style of auto manufacture and racing alive. However, there were many great successes in racing, design and innovation over the years leading up to the present day.
Among interviewees, who help narrate the documentary are
Adolpho Orsi, Alfieri Maserati, Paolo Pininfarina, Sir Stirling Moss, Doug
Magnon, Harald J Wester and Nick Mason.
Maserati – 100 Years Against All Odds, a film by Philip Selkirk is a well-made corporate style documentary. It incorporates, exciting archival footage, interviews and voice over narration to tell the Maserati story. Editing by Dominik Nader is well paced and keeps the documentary moving from one event to the next. The Maserati story is one that shows what determination and perseverance can accomplish in the face of circumstances often beyond personal control.
Trailer
Vision Films presents the stunning documentary made with the participation of the Maserati organization, MASERATI: A HUNDRED YEARS AGAIN
Vision Films writes: “The name of Maserati has long been associated with both prestige and speed in the world of automobiles; Vision Films are proud to present the astounding official documentary, Maserati: A Hundred Years Against All Odds. Coming soon to DVD and video on demand in the US and Canada, this film, which was made with the participation of the Maserati organization, tells the story of the luxury car brand with incredible historical images and classic footage that will delight any car enthusiast.
Celebrate the long and storied history of one of the world’s most recognizable icons, Maserati. From humble beginnings into a small Italian garage to the coveted and luxurious automobile we know today, witness the evolution of the business, the brand, and the cars themselves over 100 years. Featuring interviews with the Maserati family, world-famous racers, collectors, and more.
Featuring interviews with Harald J. Wester (former CEO of Masarati), Nick Mason (Pink Floyd drummer), Sir Stirling Moss ( British race car driver), John Surtees (F1World Champion) and Giorgetto Giugiaro (legendary designer), this film by Philip Selkirk is a celebration of the long and storied history of one of the world’s most recognized icons. Maserarti: A Hundred Years Against All Odds will be available for the first time on DVD and video on demand on April 14, 2020.
Maserati: A Hundred Years Against All Odds will be available on digital on April 14 for an SRP of $4.99 – $9.99 from platforms including iTunes, Vudu, Google Play, Xbox, Amazon, and FandangoNow, as well as cable affiliates everywhere and to buy on DVD for $12.99 online at all major retailers.”
Documentary Review by James R (Jim) Martin
Documentary Directing and Storytelling is a great read for anyone with a strong interest in documentary or nonfiction storytelling. There are many critical reviews of documentary films and the stories they tell from a directing and filmmaking perspective.
I Used To Be Normal – A BoyBand Fangirl Story, directed by Jessica Leski, is a documentary for anyone who has been a Fan Girl at some point in her life or knows someone who is on that path. This story evolves around at least three hardcore fan girls and one, more reflective, Beatles fan. Of course you might just be interested in the subject and enjoy the story.
I Used To Be Normal –A Boy Band FanGirl Story both informs and entertains giving insight into a phenomenon that has been around for a very long time. Female followers have been there for “heart throbs” singers like Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and many others before “Boy Band” groups emerged. In a casual way, I Used to Be Normal explores question of why someone might be a fan girl, by focusing on the lives of four women, of different ages, living in a western cultural context. They share in being die-hard fans of what the documentary classifies as Boy Band musical groups. To director Jessica Leski credit the film does allow some insight into the subject of Boy Bands and Fan Girls. As a documentary, I Used To Be Normal might fall into a social, women’s studies or even Salvage Anthropological category.
Elif is a young woman of sixteen from Long Island, New York. She is a passionate fan of a Boy Band Group called “One Direction.” Her Turkish Immigrant parents do not support her fandom or her life choices. There is Dara, from Sydney, Australia who at thirty-three has a second “coming out,” regarding her Boy Band obsession, with her female partner. In particular her obsession with Gary Barlow from the “Take That” band boy group. In the film she realizes she wants to be Gary Barlow. Twenty-five year old Sadia, living in San Francisco, is a first generation Pakistani-American. As a teenager she formed a fan club for the Back Street Boys and has developed an ongoing emotional bond with the group. One of the most interesting women is Susan, sixty-four, from Melbourne, Australia who talks about her being a fan, over the years, of the Beatles. But her appreciation seems to be more than an adolescent preoccupation with boys. Susan adds an analytic, more mature voice to being a fan over time and an appreciation for the music.
Having lived through the Beatles, Rolling Stones and other male groups with large fan bases, that might have qualified as “boy bands,” I can attest that some groups were admired by all genders for their musical abilities. Not to say that there weren’t hysterical young girls screaming and fainting at Beatles concerts. The Rolling Stones may not have developed as large a “fan girl” following as the Beetles. But not many people would have described the “Stones,” as cute back then or now.
DANA’S BAND BOY THEORY BOARD
One of the things that Dana, the “Take That” fan, does in the documentary is break down what Boy Bands have become. This is an important scene in the film, especially for anyone not aware of how boy bands are manufactured. While, One Direction, Take That and The Back Street Boys fit her description, it may be stretching it a bit to include the Beatles in that category. At best they may have become the original model for Boy Band’s, as we know them today. Boy Bands are groups of young men that are brought together by a producer to meet certain criteria. The average band’s life span is about five years. The group is created for the specific purpose of appealing to young girls and women. Their musical abilities are secondary and in some cases non-existent. But three of the women in the documentary, at whatever age, aware or not, don’t seem to care. The Beatles came together as a group on their own.
While the four women in the film represent a certain segment of fans, they do not represent all women. We are left to wonder if they are the exception rather than the rule. Do most young girls outgrow the emotional attachment these women demonstrate? The documentary does not really go there. Susan, the Beatles fan, reminisces about the music and the lyrics she remembers. The Beatles wrote all their own songs.
The documentary uses interviews with all of the women along with some archival footage of groups performing, often with girls emotionally reacting. As one of the girls in the film says, this experience is one that is a “rite of passage,” something they need to get out in their teen years. While the interviews are good, their use in the documentary seems excessive. In some cases they go off into the personal lives of the girls and you have to wonder why? How does this help us understand more about “Boy Bands” and Fan Girls? One of the girls graduates from High School. Two of the four women take walks on the beach.
TRAILER
There are no experts on this subject interviewed or quoted in the documentary. We view this behavior strictly from the point-of-view of the characters who don’t seem to know why they behave this way either. Will they grow into middle age still going to boy band concerts? How representational are they of women in general? In many respects it is refreshing to be able to observe and form our own opinions.
Cinematography and editing of the documentary are well done. The pace of the editing is slowed by the interviews with Elif and Sadia. These interviews feel a bit self-indulgent. But perhaps the message is that their parents unwillingness to support them in their lives leads them to substitute the boy bands for emotional comfort.
I Used To Be Normal – A BoyBand FanGirl Story is a documentary worth watching from many standpoints. It sheds some light of the phenomenon through the life experiences of some real fan girls. The film is non judgmental, it simply tells their stories from the inside looking out. It may help others realize they are not alone in their Boy Band fandom.
Review by James R (Jim) Martin
TriCoast Entertainment will release the film onto digital platforms (Amazon, iTunes, DirecTV, AT&T, FlixFing, InDemand, Vudu, FANDANGO, Sling/Dish) on Sept. 17th, 2019.
Common on social media are arguments about how “the media” or “the press” is unfair to a particular person or ideology. I’m not talking about dedicated (usually right-wing) propaganda outlets like Fox News or Breitbart, I’m thinking of the mainstream press.
No human being is “objective.” We are all subjective in our thought process. Anyone who claims to be objective proves they are not, by making that claim. What criteria do they think make’s them objective? Even all of humanities Gods are subjective.
Most journalists realize they can’t help but be subjective, so they try to use Objective Reality criteria to filter what they report, and then, decide if what they are reporting is factually accurate? For example, a politician makes a statement, it is then fact checked to find if it is “true” or “false.” This is why so many politicians do not give a straight yes or no answer. They try to “spin” their reply into some gray area. The reporter is not biased because they report a false statement. If one person is making more false statements than other people, they will get more false statements reported. A journalist is remiss if they do not report that something is not true. One wonders if liars should be allowed to reach millions of people with a lie, that then needs to be refuted. More people may hear the lie than the fact that it is a lie.
No one is claiming that the press is not subjective. The problem is how the subjectivity is handled. Only those who constantly tell falsehoods complain that their lies are being reported and that this is somehow unfair. Some politicians are clever and slide their lies into the middle of what they are talking about. So that a sentence is not really being taken out of context. It is being taken out of a bunch of spin and noise. Good journalists, listen to what is being said as well as how it is said.
For more on this subject read Actuality Interviewing and Listening, by James R Martin. Available on Amazon.com
Actuality Interviewing and Listening techniques allow the subject or subjects of a documentary or nonfiction film to tell their own story in a first person narration. Actuality Interviewing is a form of conducting interviews that relies heavily on the interviewer’s ability to truly listen to the interviewees and to know when to ask the right question. Communication occurs on more levels than what is spoken.
Many people think that they are listening to another person or a piece of music while they are also thinking about a conversation they had earlier that day or what they are going to say next. Listening requires more than basic attention to someone speaking.
Actuality Interviewing and Listening explores the connection between conducting an interview and listening on all levels. Anyone who conducts interviews or gives interviews, for any reason, will benefit from reading this book.
The purpose of “Documentary Directing and Storytelling,” is to offer a learning experience and an exploration into directing documentary story projects. Secondly, to offer fundamental and advanced ideas about actuality documentary filmmaking and nonfiction storytelling of all types using film, video, multimedia and other mediums. Finally, this book is a great read for anyone with a strong interest in documentary or nonfiction storytelling. There are many critical reviews of documentary films and the stories they tell from a directing and filmmaking perspective.
The best directors understand the traditions and aesthetics of the medium in which they are working. They also have an understanding of the crafts involved and may have worked at some of those jobs themselves. The focus of “Documentary Directing and Storytelling,” is on directing, but also includes information that experienced directors should know about the process of constructing a documentary story.
“I think it’s inevitable that people will come to find the documentary a more compelling and more important kind of film than fiction. Just as in literature, as the taste has moved from fiction to nonfiction, I think it’s going to happen in film as well. In a way you’re on a serendipitous journey, a journey, which is much more akin to the life experience. When you see somebody on the screen in a documentary, you’re really engaged with a person going through real life experiences. So for that period of time, as you watch the film, you are, in effect, in the shoes of another individual. What a privilege to have that experience.” — Albert Maysles
“If you want to tell the untold stories, if you want to give voice to the voiceless, you’ve got to find a language. Which goes for film as well as prose, for documentary as well as autobiography. Use the wrong language, and you’re dumb and blind.” — Salman Rushdie
“I just decided to make a movie. I had no training, no film school, but I had been to a lot of movies.” —Michael Moore
“I’m a filmmaker. I’m an artist. I’ve chosen to work in history the way someone might choose to work in still life or landscapes.” — Ken Burns
About The Author
James R (Jim) Martin is an Emmy award-winning Director, Writer, and Producer of Film, Television, Video,Multimedia and Digital Media. Professor Martin has taught Film and Video Production at Columbia College Chicago, Directed the Documentary Course at Full Sail University and taught Directing at University of Central Florida. He is the Author of Create Documentary Films, Video and Multimedia, also Actuality Interviewing and Listening and recently Listen Learn Share. He has worked as an independent producer/writer and director of national network documentaries as well as other documentary and fiction productions.
“What the book ‘The Secret’ is to intention, ‘Listen, Learn, Share’ is to positive thought process and awareness.”
“Liked James R. Martin new book “Listen, Learn, and Share”. An impressive collaboration of eastern and western thinking, there is much to learn from it about the world .”
“The stated purpose of this book is to share some simple truths to help people along their life paths. The book delivers on this purpose in a clear, gentle, and compelling way, providing many helpful insights into how to think about and consider our thoughts and feelings...”
Audio Only
It’s very easy to lose or shut down your learning ability. You can’t grow or make changes to your life if you’re not listening. Without listening and learning you keep creating similar outcomes, which are not always what you desire.
It’s like the sound of a recording, a word or note, stuck on the same glitch in the track, repeating itself endlessly, unable to get passed the glitch.
You can’t reset the recording if you don’t hear the glitch. You can’t move ahead if your tires are spinning.
You need to stop looking in the rear-view mirror, while you try to drive forward.
Listen, Learn, Share is a book that will help you get unstuck. It explores this phenomenon, exposing the causes of not moving forward, as it reveals how to move your mind into the present.
I was inspired to write Listen Learn Share by the realization that my work as a teacher, documentary filmmaker, writer and storyteller were actually all the same vocation. They all required me to Listen Learn and Share.
Everyone has the potential to listen and learn and then share, but it isn’t that easy. I realized that listening was an art and that in certain situations, like doing an interview for a documentary or news article, it was important to know how and what to listen for, in that situation. After writing, Actuality Interviewing and Listening, which gets in to specific listening techniques useful for many interviewing situations, I decided to look deeper into the subject. I found that listening goes hand in hand with learning and sharing. The three actions are bound together in a reinforcing circuit.
I also found that the Buddhist concept of mindfulness achieved through various forms of meditation was the key to understanding the relationship between the three corners of the triangular circuit.
Listen Learn Share goes beyond my personal experience to look at listening, learning and sharing from many different standpoints including science, psychology and philosophy. It shows how practicing mindful listening, learning and sharing can improve your life in many ways beyond the simple definitions for each word of the book title.
In many ways listening, learning and sharing is practicing mindfulness in a practical everyday way.
Interest in China for Actuality Documentary Storytelling
Jim Martin in China
Documentary Filmmaker, Professor and Author James R (Jim) Martin has spoken for the second year (2017), at several Chinese Universities about Documentary Filmmaking, Actuality Storytelling and Interviewing. Talks are based on his documentary filmmaking career, writing, and teaching experience as professor in the film production program at Columbia College Chicago and as Director of the documentary course at Full Sail University in Florida.
Jim Martin is the author of Create Documentary Films, Videos and Multimedia and a new book Actuality Interviewing and Listening.
Guangzhou University School of Art and Design
Actuality Interview and Listening covers how to conduct successful interviews for nonfiction storytelling, actuality documentaries and other disciplines using listening techniques and other methods.
Now in its third edition, Create Documentary Films, Videos and Multimedia, is an in-depth manual and guide to every aspect of documentary and nonfiction production.
China Communications University, Beijing
Beijing Film Academy Digital Media, Qingdao, China
[amazon_image id=”0982702361″ link=”true” target=”_blank” size=”medium” ]Actuality Interviewing and Listening: How to conduct successful interviews for nonfiction storytelling, actuality documentaries and other disciplines … (Documentary and Nonfiction Storytelling)[/amazon_image]
[amazon_image id=”B006P4V71Q” link=”true” target=”_blank” size=”medium” ]Create Documentary Films, Videos, and Multimedia: A Comprehensive Guide to Using Documentary Storytelling Techniques for Film, Video, the Internet and Digital Media Projects.[/amazon_image]
[amazon_image id=”0982702388″ link=”true” target=”_blank” size=”medium” ]Listen Learn Share: How & Why Listening, Learning and Sharing can Transform Your Life Experience In Practical Ways[/amazon_image]
Actuality Interviewing and Listening Audio Interview
There are times when conducting a long interview on video may not be necessary. A short interview asking one or two questions to establish the person is shot on video. The balance of the interview might be done with audio only using a recorder like the Zoom H1 or an iPhone App. This audio only part of the interview is used voice over shots of the interviewees doing what they are talking about, archival photographs or scenes related to what’s being discussed.
Make sure the audio levels and quality match what was recorded on video. Use the same microphone if possible. Some filtering or modifications may be needed in post production to match the audio recorded on video.
A film or video documentary usually has two primary components: action and interviews. Of course music and effects also play a role in telling the nonfiction story. But interviewing takes the place of dialog in a fiction film, so it serves the same function in a medium that relies on action to keep an audience engaged.
Actuality Interviewing and Listening techniques allow the subject or subjects of a documentary or nonfiction film to tell their own story in a first person narration. A third person voice over narrator may not be needed. Actuality Interviewing is a form of conducting interviews that relies heavily on the interviewer’s ability to truly listen to the interviewees and to know when to ask the right question. Communication occurs on more levels than what is spoken.
Many people think that they are listening to another person or listening to a piece of music, while they are also thinking about a conversation they had earlier that day or what they are going to say next. Listening requires more than basic attention to someone speaking.
Actuality Interviewing and Listening explores the connection between conducting an interview and listening on all levels. Anyone who conducts interviews or gives interviews, for any reason, will benefit from reading this book.
Opening Morning at 22nd Annual China Documentary Academic Conference in Shenzhen, China – November 2016
It is 14,120 Kilometers (8,774 miles) from Orlando, Florida to Shenzhen, China. Despite the distance and travel time it was an honor and great experience to be at the conference. I was invited to attend by The China Documentary Academic Association (CDAA) to speak about documentary storytelling at the Twenty-second Annual Chinese Documentary Conference held in Shenzhen. While I was in China I was invited to speak at Beijing Normal University and Beijing Film Academy.
Chinese Documentary Classics 2016
My talk was focused on Actuality Documentary Storytelling Techniques, a method of documentary storytelling based on traditional documentary concepts and nonjudgmental recording of events and interviews to create a narrative structure with little or no use of third-party narration.
Presentation and Talk by Jim Martin on Actuality Documentary Storytelling
Documentary films in China seem to have evolved with strong third-party narration components. With third-party narration, a voice over narrator explains the action to the viewer. With Actuality Documentary, there is usually no voice over narrator. The subject tells the story, visually and with first person interviews, both on-screen and at times voice over to narrate action on the screen. This may sound fairly straight forward but the approach demands a degree of mindfulness, awareness and listening to go beyond subjective reactions.
Giving presentation with the help of Interpreter.
I have used actuality documentary storytelling concepts for my own documentaries. I also have taught and wrote about these ideas in a book titled “Create Documentary Films, Videos and Multimedia,” being translated into Chinese. There appears to be a strong interest and growing tradition of documentary storytelling in China.
One of the people greeting at Shenzhen Airport
After thirty hours of flying time it was a pleasure to be greeted at Shenzhen airport by a group of volunteers, one holding up a sign, for the conference, with my name on it. The people I met in Shenzhen and later in Beijing were cordial, friendly and sincere including the sponsors of the conference who welcomed me when I finally reached the hotel at midnight.
I enjoyed meeting all the participants and volunteers I met in the next few days. I felt right at home. My hosts at the conference in Shenzhen were supportive and caring in every way possible. Hotel and dining accommodations were excellent. This area of China is known for it excellent food and favorite Chinese soups.
Dr Hongyun Sun, Assoc. Professor, Beijing Film Academy and Huiqing Niu, Assoc. Professor of Communication University of China
At the conference I took part in a panel discussion about the state of the art of documentary in China and was a presenter in the Documentary Filmmaker Awards Ceremony at a major TV Network facility in Shenzhen honoring Chinese Documentary Filmmakers.
Presenting Awards to Documentary Filmmakers.
One thing that occurred to me during the conference is that this event could have happened somewhere in the US; a film festival and/or conference with enthusiastic people involved in every way. The energy was similar. I enjoyed meeting fellow documentary storytellers and other people at the conference. I learned that there is a strong documentary film community and interest in making documentary films. There is a similar type of human personal energy in China and the United States that I experienced on my first trip to China and two of its largest cities, Beijing in the northeast and Shenzhen in the Southeast.
Host of Award Ceremony and Jim Martin
As the only American documentary filmmaker participating in the conference I felt privileged to be there. During the panel discussion about documentary filmmaking, questions and answers from the panel were thought-provoking and interesting. It appears documentary filmmakers worldwide share many of the concerns and issues we discussed.
The cities of Shenzhen and Beijing are regionally as different as New York City and Orlando, Florida. While Orlando’s sister city in China is Guilin, a three-hour bullet-train ride Northwest, Shenzhen and Orlando share some similarities aside from population, possibly a relative issue. Metro Orlando comes in at around 2.5 million since Shenzhen metro area is much larger, about 18 million. Still both are large cities built up in recent times. Shenzhen has a manufacturing and high-tech base, with a large young population.
Beijing is a huge city of 20,000,000 people. After meeting students at the universities, I spent time seeing a little of Beijing. With the help of Dou Sun, a grad student studying Film Archiving, I saw some special places in the city including Temple of Heaven Park, Forbidden City and park overlooking it, Panjiayuan Market, the film production area in the city and other places. I got to ride on the Beijing subway, it was efficient and very clean. I also had some very good food at a few typical Chinese restaurants, including a noodle shop and a hot-pot restaurant. The Chinese have good reason to love their food!
Card players and bystanders Temple of Heaven Park, Beijing
One of my favorite places was Temple of Heaven Park on a clear day, where people were doing everything from exercising and Tai Chi to playing cards along the railing of a very long porch or veranda. It’s great when a historic site is also a contemporary gathering place for people. I would love to do a short documentary about this park and the people there.
In Beijing I met students who were studying film, and making documentary films of
Talk at Beijing Normal University
their own. The students were enthusiastic and passionate about their work just as students are in the US. Doing the talk for Beijing students made me feel like I was back in a classroom in the US. Most of the students in the classes were also studying English so I did not need an interpreter. Also, as I did in Shenzhen, I added Chinese subtitles and graphics wherever possible. Afterward many students asked me questions about documentaries they were making.
There are plenty of movie theaters these days in China. The cinema is alive and well and people go to the movies. I saw and excellent film by Chinese Director, Feng Xiaogang titled, I Am Not Madame Bovary. It was a satirical story presented in a classic Chinese cinema format but with some experimentation about the shape of the cinema frame. Much of the film was presented in a circular mat.
Student Journalist Jean on right.
A first year journalism student, interested in documentary and the idea of actuality storytelling requested an interview. She was assigned to write an essay for a journal by the course she was taking. We did the interview at a local coffee and tea house near the campus in the University district. I enjoyed some ginger tea and the company.
China is a large country with many provinces and cities. The culture and terrain in China varies as much as it does in Texas and Maine, or Florida and Washington State. The two major cities I visited, Shenzhen and Beijing each have their own culture and traditions. The US and China both share ethnic diversity. The people of China include many ethnic histories over the centuries. I am grateful for the opportunity to spend time visiting China meeting some of its people. I look forward to future visits.
[amazon_image id=”0982702329″ link=”true” target=”_blank” size=”medium” ]Create Documentary Films, Videos and Multimedia: A Comprehensive Guide to Using Documentary Storytelling Techniques for Film, Video, the Internet and Digital Media Projects.[/amazon_image]
[amazon_image id=”0982702361″ link=”true” target=”_blank” size=”medium” ]Actuality Interviewing and Listening: How to conduct successful interviews for nonfiction storytelling, actuality documentaries and other disciplines … (Documentary and Nonfiction Storytelling)[/amazon_image]
Emmy award-winning filmmaker, director and writer, James R. Martin will be a keynote speaker at the 22nd China Documentary Academic Association Conference (CDAA). Hosted by the CDAA and the Beijing Film Academy the conference runs from November 11 – 15, 2016 in Shenzhen, China. Developed for Chinese film and television professionals and students, the conference is intended to fuel the growth of Chinese TV documentary programming.
James R Martin is an Orlando, Florida based author, documentary filmmaker and university professor with more than 37 years experience creating films and teaching documentary filmmaking techniques at Columbia College Chicago, the University of Central Florida and Full Sail University. Until October 2014 he was the Director of the Documentary Course at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida.
In addition to his keynote, Jim will conduct a workshop at the conference titled “How to create powerful documentary storytelling in the digital age.” The workshop will focus on actuality filmmaking and documentary storytelling techniques taken from the third edition of his book, Create Documentary Films, Videos and Multimedia.
Jim Martin
An active blogger and writer, Jim’s documentary film reviews can be viewed atJ R Martin Media -(https://www.jrmartinmedia.com/documentary-film-reviews/). Jim Martin is president of J R Martin Media Inc, a documentary and nonfiction production company based in Orlando, Florida. Additional projects in the works include online courses and books focused on Actuality Documentary and Non-fiction Production. The third edition of Create Documentary Films, Videos and Multimedia is being translated to Chinese.
Among other awards James R (Jim) Martin received an Emmy for his PBS documentary Fired-up! – a feature-length documentary about public housing in Chicago. He also received an Emmy nomination and Chicago Film Festival Award for the feature-length documentary Wrapped In Steel, which was seen nationally on PBS.
LINK
[amazon_image id=”0982702329″ link=”true” target=”_blank” size=”medium” ]Create Documentary Films, Videos and Multimedia: A Comprehensive Guide to Using Documentary Storytelling Techniques for Film, Video, the Internet and Digital Media Projects.[/amazon_image]
Making a short documentary isn’t much different from making a long documentary in theory. But in practice it can be a lot more difficult. There are many unique factors involved in a short form documentary or fiction films that need to be considered. For starters it’s easy to make a “long” documentary that will put people to sleep after the first minutes. Making a three-minute or seven-minute documentary presents several issues that involve planning and knowing what you want to do.
Let’s say there’s some great equipment available (we’ll talk more about equipment later) and an event about which you want to make a short documentary. Someone with little experience might think that all they have to do is get a ton of coverage and then edit it down to make their documentary. Just shoot everything that happens. Maybe use a couple of cameras to make sure they get it all. The next day with twenty Terabytes of footage to edit down to seven minutes where do they start? It’s an overwhelming task because there was no plan, no direction, and no concept about what would really be done with all this footage. No preconceived notion of a story or how it would be told.
Shooting twenty Terabytes of coverage of an event, with no particular story concept in mind, is nothing more than shooting archival footage. The event has been documented but that’s where it ends. Is it possible to pull a story of sorts out of all the footage? Sure, but archival in, is archival out. A documentary begins with the goal of telling a story about the event that gives the viewer a subjective interpretation of what happened. While the archival footage, is also subjective in the end, it’s purpose was to simply record the event. It is like C-Span coverage of congress. The coverage is usually from chosen, locked off, camera positions, lens choices and angles. It’s hard to stay engaged watching this type of video.
The place to start with a documentary idea, is with a concept and treatment about the subject for the story. What’s the story? Where do you want to go with this story? Who are the characters in this story? Who is the audience for the story?
Let’s say the event is one that happens once a year in an urban community. It’s been going on for a several years as a charitable event, is well attended and participation is high. People have fun and the competition involved in the event is not taken too seriously or is it? Here’s an example.
For the past eight years there has been a “Doggie Derby” held in Baldwin Park, a moderately upscale community in Orlando, Florida. The concept is to put together a short documentary that in a few minutes gives the festive feel of Doggie Derby Day in Baldwin Park and the people and dogs involved. But we still don’t have a story. This is only an idea.
That’s where the Treatment comes in. A treatment narrative conveys the story line, beginning, middle and end. Also the style and approach to be used in telling story.
A basic treatment lets the director know what the story is about and a basic approach to telling the story. For a short documentary the treatment doesn’t have to be very long. The idea is to pre-visualize how the story will be told and what it will look like on the screen.
There could be a bigger story here but the goal is to keep it short and still give the viewer a real feel for what goes on at the event. The treatment establishes an opening that includes some establishing shots, background if possible, shots of the people and dogs. More footage of the actual dog racing and how the participants, two-legged and four-legged, react to the proceedings. The style of shooting is intimate which means close-ups of people and action. The story starts with establishing shots of the venue, people and action. Once the action is established a short interview with the organizers; “how did the Doggie Derby get started?” Then show more action, dogs racing, people watching and enjoying the event. Interview couples that have entered their dogs and why they do it. Other interviews if possible. Story ends with awards to winners of the last races.
If a longer more in-depth story was required, the treatment could go into more detail about each area. For example while the interview with the organizers goes on, voice over archival footage of earlier year’s events is included. More interviews and questions asked of more people. Interviews with winners and other participants also possible. Vendors who sponsor the Doggie Derby each year would be interviewed. Show and interview volunteers who help set up the venue. Keep track of each race and interview finalist as they progress toward the Grand Champion race.
The outcome of all the races or what people will do or say is not known. But a shooting script to further develop the concept and treatment could be written. This script is more about what the filmmakers will do than what the subjects will do or say. A full shooting script is not always necessary or practical. It would be great if earlier years were attended or the organizers talked to in advance so that there is an idea of what may be happening. A shooting script for a documentary is in some ways a “wish-list” of what is needed to tell a story. But documentaries are exploratory; things may be very different from what is expected. The pre-production, concept, treatment and a shooting script are a way to get the director out there with some ideas about how to tell the story, whatever it turns out to be.
After the shooting is finished and coverage logged and reviewed, an editing script should be written so new information and actual footage may be molded into a story that has a beginning, middle and end. Editing can go ahead without an absolute fixed length for the story. Edit for story and pace not time. Trying to stretch footage to get to a certain length will be obvious and the quickest way to lose an audience. Of course some time constraints may exist, usually it’s a matter of tightening up and not adding scenes. Be ready to throw your favorite shot under the bus if it doesn’t add to the story.
The Doggie Derby Day story was envisioned a few days before the actual event. It was based on the director having attended the Doggie Derby in earlier years. The idea was to spontaneously tell a simple story that gave a feel for the event as described above. This was also a time to test out some lightweight equipment for use in fluid documentary situations using very small crews.
In this case the “crew” was a Director/camera operator, Production Assistant/recorder/microphone holder and a second camera operator, primarily for action and production stills, and some video.
EQUIPMENT
In a earlier post theCanon 7D Mark II and Atomos Ninja Starwere reviewed for their potential use in a documentary situation. Doggie Derby Day provided a multifaceted test for the equipment including portability, quality, ease of use and practical field-testing. In addition a Zoom H1 was used as a microphone/recorder to work double system.
The ZOOM H1 was hand-held most of the time by an assistant. It was also used attached to a heavy-duty photography “L” and flash shoe mount bracket that also held the 7D Mark II. The Ninja Star was attached to the 7D hot shoe. This rig was set up to test one-person operation. A shoulder mount was available but not tested this time around. A tripod was available but not very practical for one person at this type of event (Think doggie POV using a tripod?). A Canon 6D was used by a second camera operator who shot production stills, action stills and supporting video.
The Canon 7D Mark II with the Ninja Star mounted on the hot shoe is lightweight. Attaching an “L” bracket to the camera offered two-handed shooting, and one-handed shooting using either hand. The Zoom H1, microphone/recorder is very light and easily mounted to one of the shoes on the bracket. An alternative might be the Zoom H5 with a shotgun microphone. A wireless lavaliere microphone could also be used with either the Zoom H1 or H5 as there is an input for an external microphone on both, but only the H5 has XLR inputs.
An intimate feel was desired for the Doggie Derby Day documentary. Using a zoom lens was possible and the Canon 28mm to 135mm F3.5 – 5.5 was used for a few shots, but the bulk of the shooting was done with the Canon EFS 24mm F.2.8 STM with its tiny lens hood. The EF-S Mount Lens is APS-C matching the 7D Mark II format (38mm – Equivalent for 35mm full frame) . This small prime lens performed perfectly for this situation. It focuses quickly and quietly utilizing the camera’s Movie Servo AF mode. This lens allows close-ups to be shot without distortion and wide shots as well. No zooming of the lens all the time to change focal length. Instead the camera is moved closer or farther from the subject (Isn’t that a novel idea?). The prime lens has sharpness and is lightweight.
Setting up the Canon 7D Mark II to work with Atomos Ninja Star is not difficult but certain guidelines must be followed for settings in the camera’s Menu. Please see https://www.jrmartinmedia.com/director/canon-7d-mark-ii-and-ninja-star/ for set up instructions. This set up, apparently by default, provided “proxy” H.264 .mov files including picture and sound in the camera, the same footage that was being recorded in HQ4.22, Pro Res on the Ninja Star. To avoid recording to the camera memory, push the record button on the Ninja Star instead of using the camera trigger. The footage will only record to the Ninja Star.
Zoom H1 and Ninja Star both mounted on “L” bracket leaves hot shoe free. Also may work well with LED viewfinder attachment and shoulder mount.
The 7D Mark II has two memory cards that can be set so that the camera automatically switches to the second card when the first is full. To prevent interruption of shooting, change out the CF card in the camera when it is 90% full and set the camera to switch to the second card when the first is full. In a pinch you could continue shooting using the second card. The camera will not record if the memory cards in the camera are full.
Post production and editing for a short documentary film depends on how well the pre-production and production went. After importing the footage into an editing program, the first step is to log and review all the footage. In the case of Doggie Derby Day there were two types of footage plus photographs to import into Final Cut Pro. All of the footage recorded on the Ninja Star was Pro Res HQ 4.22. This imports in to Final Cut natively, since Pro Res is what Final Cut edits with. Footage recorded to the Canon 7D Mark II was H.264, but Final Cut Pro has an optimization setting that upgrades the H.264 to Pro Res for editing. The other footage shot with the Canon 6D was also optimized to Pro Res when it was imported into Final Cut Pro. So all the footage was compatible and seamless. Photographs can also be imported and optimized.
Editing a short documentary with Final Cut is a subject for another article. Final Cut Pro, once you understand how the program works, is not difficult. It facilitates editing creatively and quickly. For experienced editors there is an unlearning process that involves track based editing vs Final Cut’s non linear story structure editing. Whatever non-linear editing (NLE) program you use it’s important to have a plan.
James R (Jim) Martin, Documentary Filmmaker and Author Create Documentary Films, Videos and Multimedia.
[amazon_image id=”0982702329″ link=”true” target=”_blank” size=”medium” ]Create Documentary Films, Videos and Multimedia: A Comprehensive Guide to Using Documentary Storytelling Techniques for Film, Video, the Internet and Digital Media Projects.[/amazon_image]
Here’s an example of a short documentary (Seven minutes) that went on to win a Tely Award.
This past Saturday was Doggie Derby Day held in Baldwin Park, Orlando, Florida for the past several years. An event for dogs and people founded eight years ago by Bob and Julie Hemphill this nonprofit Bright Side Event is a great day for everyone and their best friends. Fresh air and exercise for all concerned. This short documentary offers a look at some of the activities during the event. It is fun time for all involved. Most of the canine competitors opted for no interviews but a few did bark a reply.
CREATIVITY – the perfect crime by Philippe Petit is an excellent documentary style nonfiction book that offers an amazing amount of insight into the author’s creative process and how the reader might adopt some of those ideas. “If you don’t know what the rules are, it is easier to break them.” “Go to extremes to shelter your creative process from negative influences.” — Philippe Petit – Creativity — the perfect crime.
Machu Picchu is one of those places I’ve always wanted to visit. While in the Army, Leon, and I went to the Boston Library and started researching a possible journey we could take when our enlistments were up. We were researching the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu. Of course we soon discovered that there was a train that went along the Inca Trail or to Machu Picchu. This took some of the adventure out of the idea. I think we thought the Inca treasure might still be out there.
Reading Mark Adams book Turn Right at Machu Picchu, all these years later has brought back not only the sense of adventure but also, after reading the book, a feeling that I’ve been there. Documentaries (nonfiction stories) come in all forms. Adams takes you step-by-step through his own experience and the history of Peru as it relates to the Inca civilization, the Inca Trail, Machu Picchu and other ruins in the area. The Inca civilization didn’t last that long, especially after the Spanish arrived in 1532. But the indigenous people of the Peruvian Andes, who speak Quechua, still live in the area around Machu Picchu and Cuzco.
A major part of the story evolves around Hiram Bingham III, who in 1911 basically brought Machu Picchu into the limelight along with the notion that it was the Lost City to which some of the Inca’s, with their
Hiram Bingham III
Gold and Silver treasures, retreated from the Spaniards. In 1913 National Geographic featured Bingham’s travels in one edition that brought Machu Picchu, Bingham and National Geographic into prominence. Bingham was a controversial character and went on later expeditions to Peru. According to Adams he may have been the inspiration for Indiana Jones character in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Adams layers the historical facts with his travel progress so that the book has a narrative cinematic quality. There are some well-drawn maps and black and white photographs included in the book. There is also a glossary that helps with pronunciation of some of the Quechua (Ketch-wah) names.
Mark Adams and John Leivers
Adams writes he “wanted to retrace Bingham’s route through the Andes on the way to discovering Machu Picchu” along with looking at other important locations. Turn Right at Machu Picchu is more than one man’s journey of exploration and discovery. It leaves you with a feeling that you’ve gone along on this adventure, done the research, heard the many stories, met the intrepid guide, John Leivers, who’s experience makes the journey possible, hiked the mountains, hiked the Inca roads and seen the awesome Apu (mountain) views. There’s also a supporting cast of characters including local Peruvian mule handlers, cooks and others.
Turn Right at Machu Picchu offers new appreciation and insights into Inca architectural and astronomical accomplishments. The Inca employed a method of building with stone and granite that, without the use mortar, brought the blocks together as flush as any modern building. The built hundreds of miles of small stone paved roads up and down mountains that connected various parts of their dominion. They aligned their cities by the stars and had buildings with windows that would capture the solstices on the proper days.
The Inca Trail
If you are planning a trip to Peru, Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail, Turn Right At Machu Picchu is a must read and might be something to stuff into your back pack. You can also be an armchair adventurer, this book will make you feel like you are there. No need for a TV, the words create the pictures.
Review by James R Martin – Author Create Documentary Films, Videos and Multimedia
[amazon_image id=”0452297982″ link=”true” target=”_blank” size=”medium” ]Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time[/amazon_image]
[amazon_image id=”0982702329″ link=”true” target=”_blank” size=”medium” ]Create Documentary Films, Videos and Multimedia: A Comprehensive Guide to Using Documentary Storytelling Techniques for Film, Video, the Internet and Digital Media Projects.[/amazon_image]
