on the DOCS

Demo Reel

2009-05-22T08:13:00.000-07:00

Since I have recently finished a demo reel for my roles as director/videographer/editor, I thought it would be a good idea to post it here for all to see. Several high profile job applications gave me the motivation to finally finish it. If you are watching this as a potential employer, please feel free to comment and/or email me with questions. Thank-you for viewing my reel.

Matt Schramer - Demo Reel from Matt Schramer on Vimeo.

Screening at the Maya Meetings

2009-03-17T16:10:00.000-07:00

Every year hundreds of Maya experts, scholars, anthropologists, and documentary filmmakers meet on the campus of the University of Texas in Austin. Not only is Austin the capital of Texas, it is the capital and mecca of independent music, movies, art, culture, and the best tacos north of Mexico. So it is the ideal place for a yearly meeting of the minds to discuss the ancient and modern Maya culture. The meetings take place in mid-February and always include panel discussions, workshops, guest speakers, and once in awhile feature a film screening. This year was no exception to that norm and I can happily admit that the film that screened was none other than my documentary, Balancing the Cosmos (www.balancingthecosmos.com).

For the past four years Andrew Weeks (director) and I (editor) have been gathering footage in the highlands of Guatemala in a modern Maya town by the name of Santiago Atitlan. After months of editing in Utah and a few test screenings, it finally came time to have a public screening in an official venue. It made perfect sense to have our first screening at the Maya meetings since its focus directly corresponds with the focus of our documentary. In weeks leading up to the screening, Andrew and I prepared posters and postcards to distribute, which you can view or even purchase at www.balancingthecosmos.com/store. Friends, associates, critics, and fellow filmmakers were invited and every other preparation was made.

So the day of the screening arrived (Feb. 26th) and the seats were slowly filled, though not entirely to my dismay. There were probably a 100 or so people in attendance. Nonetheless, the film screened to a warm and positive reception. It was a success! Many of the audience members were impressed and others wanted their names on a list of DVD orders. Later I was told that the audience even included such notable people like Richard Linklater's DP, Lee Daniel who shot Fast Food Nation, Before Sunset, Dazed and Confused, and other films, the sound guy from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and many well-known Maya experts. They all loved the film as well. The best thing to come out of this screening besides the DVD orders was additional screenings in the near future, one of which is next month (April) in Philadelphia. The film will also showcase as part of museum exhibits and screen at universities and libraries across the country. I hope some of you can attend one of those screenings.

Other upcoming screenings may or may not be in your neck of the woods. To find out when and where Balancing the Cosmos will be screening in the future, go to www.balancingthecosmos.com/screenings.

My Submissions to Documentary Film Festivals

2009-01-27T10:13:00.000-08:00

Most of you are familiar with Sundance, especially since it's practically in your backyard for some of you, but other than that major international film festival, you may be wondering what other festivals there are that screen documentaries. Recently, I had the opportunity to do in-depth research into all the major documentary film festivals in the US and around the world. This research was all done in preparation to submitting a feature-length documentary I edited. It's called Balancing the Cosmos and you can find a link on this blog to its website.

The film was entirely shot in a modern Maya city called Santiago Atitlan in Guatemala. It's an amazingly picturesque place surrounded by a lake and three volcanoes. The lake is called Lake Atitlan and the most famous volcano is called San Pedro.

If you would like to see more photos or view the trailer check out the website - www.balancingthecosmos.com. Feel free to give me any feedback on the functionality of the website, since I designed it as well.

After working on the documentary off and on for the last four, almost five years, I have finally come to the stage where it's ready to submit to festivals and arrange screenings at other venues. We have our first official screening next month at the Maya Convention in Austin, Texas. In addition to that screening the director and I have submitted the film to several festivals and have compiled a list of "The Best Documentary Festivals."

For those of you who have a documentary film ready to submit to a festival, than consider these three suggestions before paying the fees and sending out DVD's.

1. Find the right niche film festival that fits the topic and style of your doc.
(This is much like niche blogging. If you don't find the right outlet for your target audience, than you will ultimately get rejection after rejection. For example, my doc is ethnographic, so I want festivals that either specialize in that area or that are open to a wide range of topics.)

2. Preview your doc before a test audience to receive feedback.
(If you are heavily invested in your film, meaning you have worked on it for awhile like I have and watched it countless times, than you will need a third or fourth eye to give it fresh notes.)

3. Make a contact with anyone of importance on a film festival staff or acceptance committee.
(I know it sounds a bit like bribery, but in the film business and festival circuit alike, it pays to know people who can put in a good word for your film or even push to have it accepted).

Now that I have shared my advice however limited it may be, I know plenty of you may know more than I. It is my hope that you would share you wealth of knowledge or plethora of experience regarding the film festival market and how to get your foot in the door.

Below is that list of "Best Documentary Film Festivals" I promised you at the beginning of this article. I have categorized them by US and Non-US and ranked them by most prestigious to less prestigious. You always want to find a festival that has a market to distribute or sell rights to your film for a TV or theatrical release. Other smaller festivals that may not be listed below are good for exposure but won't guarantee a sale or distribution deal.

US Documentary Film Festivals

1. Sundance Film Festival - Park City, Utah

The largest and most prestigious festival in the US and the press, sales agents, and distributors in attendance. The downside: Overpopulated, accepting less films without a star or controversial socio-political theme.
My submission: refused.

2. SXSW Film Festival - Ausin, Texas

More diverse in their topics than Sundance, great place to make contacts, and not as stiff of competition. The downside: Press and distributors don't attend every film, festival support is lacking. My submission: refused.

3. AFI Silverdocs - Baltimore, Maryland

A festival focused on documentaries only, boasts one of the best theaters to screen your film, conferences and social events to meet people, and generous festival staff. The downside: more strict on quality requirements, and not as personal as others. My submission: Not yet.

4. Full Frame - New York City, New York

Has a long history of supporting and promoting successful documentaries, surrounded by the academics of Duke, and plenty of industry presence. The downside: The festival founder Nancy Buirski left in 2008, and competes with other festivals in town. My submission: Later this year.

5. Los Angeles Film Festival - Los Angeles, CA

Strong Hollywood and Academy Awards ties, large cash prizes, treats docs the same as narratives, and paid for retreat prior to the festival. The downside: Very competitive, and has to be a world premiere. My submission: In March.

6. Tribeca Film Festival - New York City, New York

Better documentary programmer than years past, decent web presence, and cash prize for best documentary. The downside: Venues are spread out, ticket prices are too high, and poor communication with the press. My submission: Didn't, not the right fit.

7. True/False Film Festival - Columbia, MO

Quality and diversity more important here, great community support providing high attendance, and the most generous in paying for expenses. The downside: smaller industry presence, and less chance of selling. My submission: Didn't, but maybe next year.

8. Telluride - Telluride, Colorado

Local reviews for almost every major outlet, and smaller and more intimate. The downside: by invitation only, so you have to know someone there, and only screens a handful of docs. My submission: Can't, obviously have to get invited.

9. San Francisco International - San Francisco, CA

Excellent emphasis on documentaries, and connects the filmmaker with the established doc community. The downside: Tend to accept more serious social topics, and are disqualified from attending if you screened at LAFF. My submission: Won't, it's not the right fit.

10. Seattle International - Seattle, WA

The longest festival so chances of more screenings, shows more docs than any other fest, and superb sellout crowds. The downside: A month long fest requires more committment, festival staff not as helpful so filmmakers feel on their own more. My submission: Possibly soon.

Those are the most well-known and respected US festivals that showcase documentaries, but always look for other festivals that specialize in your topic like for Balancing the Cosmos we submitted to an archeology film festival and another cultural film festival. You can also try out smaller fests like Denver or Santa Barbara or even Slamdance in Utah.

Best Non-US Documentary Film Festivals

1. Toronto International Film Festival - Toronto, Canada

The second most prestigious documentary festival behind Sundance, one of the best fests for indie films due to industry support, and an opportunity for foreign sales. The downside: documentaries aren't the focus, have to work twice as hard for sales, and not as much attention from press and distributors as narratives. My submission: Didn't, not the right fit.

2. IDFA - Amsterdam

The largest international film festival, chance to pitch film at the legendary pitching forum, excellent for selling to TV or oversees. The downside: North American buyers don't attend, and don't expect much help from the festival making connections. My submission: Possibly soon.

3. Hot Docs - Toronto, Canada

Extensive industry presence especially for foreign release, the pitching forum rivals IDFA, exceptionally organized, and great audience participation. The downside: If you don't make the pitching forum might be difficult to get connected, and no real place to meet people. My submission: Waiting for reply.

4. Berlin International Film Festival - Berlin, Germany

A unique spotlight on documentaries since there are limited amount, huge industry presence from around the world, best organized festival, and easy to navigate. The downside: Won't get as much notice from the US market, and less docs means less chance of getting accepted. My submission: They said, "We thought about it a long time and wanted to, but couldn't."

5. BritDoc - London, England

An intimate festival with chances to connect and have fun, includes a pitching forum for British filmmakers, documentary focused festival, and good attendance from professionals in the field. The downsides: If you aren't a British filmmaker chances are slimmer since they only accept 10 international films, and more emphasis on pitch and less on screenings. My submission: Maybe.

6. Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival - Greece

Gaining a reputation of being the best documentary festival in Europe, excellent for connecting with filmmakers, supportive audiences, easy to navigate, and accepts films on smaller more neglected parts of the world. The downside: Not as much of an industry presence, no sales and pitch forum (which can be good or bad depending on what you like). My submission: Waiting for reply.

7. Rotterdam - Rotterdam, Netherlands

Argubably competes with other big fests - Berlin, Venice, etc, accepts a unique lineup of films, and very filmmaker and audience friendly. The downside: Not as internationally connected as other major players, and no pitching. My submission: refused.

8. Sheffield Doc Fest - London, England

A rival documentary fest to IDFA and BritDoc, boasts a market and pitch sessions, and also opportunities to connect with European commissioning editors. The downside: Not as generous to filmmakers, and not very convenient scheduling. My submission: Probably not.

9. Edinburgh - Scotland

Began as a documentary only festival so reveres docs still, a supportive festival staff, and takes place during an arts fest. The downside: Not a true market fest, and no pitch or sales forums. My submission: Possibly soon.

10. Morelia International Film Festival - Mexico Steadily increasing press and industry presence, supports local and international films, supportive audiences, and a true documentary atmosphere. The downside: The only one I have found is that it hasn't quite got a recognizable name yet, so still growing. My submission: Maybe, looking into it.

All in all those are the top 20 most promising documentary festivals for your documentary feature or short that you are shopping around at present or will in the future. I hope the information was helpful. If I learn of any new festivals to add to the list or showcase I will discuss them at a future date and stay tuned for more of my replies from festivals.

Sundance 2009: Documentary Winners

2009-01-26T12:18:00.000-08:00

The 2009 Sundance Film Festival recently came to a close, and as is customary, they announced their festival award winners. Sixteen feature-length documentaries were selected from 879 submissions to compete for the Grand Jury Prize, Audience Choice Award among others. 879 submission was a record high as were the total amount of submissions for 2009. 1 out of 879 documentaries was the film I edited entitled, Balancing the Cosmos. Did it win an award at Sundance? No. Did it even get accepted to Sundance? No.

So much about getting accepted to Sundance is timing especially when it comes to documentaries. Each year the festival has a specific focus or list of topics they are most interested in. Apparently ethnographic documentaries weren't on the list. This year topics of interest at the festival were: environmentalism (of course), personal portraits, war and controversy (of course again), socio-political, and others.

Though I didn't have the same luck as the 16 selected documentaries had, it was a learning experience and it taught that finding the right target audience is the key. So out of those 16 films, how many actual win an award? There is a possibility that 12 different films can win awards, but most often certain films receive multiple awards under several different categories. In 2009 there was actually quite a few films which received awards - 11 to be exact.

World Cinema Documentary
John Maringouin -- Big River Man

World Cinema: Documentary -- Editing
Burma VJ

World Cinema: Documentary -- Best Director
Havana Marking -- Afghan Star

World Cinema Documentary: Grand Jury Prize
Rough Aunties

World Cinema Audience Award for Documentary
Afghan Star

U.S. Documentary Audience Award
The Cove

U.S. Documentary Special Jury Prize
Good Hair

U.S. Documentary Award -- Best Cinematography
Bob Richman -- The September Issue

U.S. Documentary Award -- Best Editing
Karen Schmeer -- Sergio

U.S. Documentary Award -- Best Director
Natalia Almada -- El General

U.S. Documentary Grand Jury Prize
We Live in Public

If any Utahns or visitors would like to see these award-winning documentaries they are showing as part of the Best of Fest screenings today only. Go to www.sundance.org/festival to get a complete listing of screening times for both dramatic and documentary films or just read below for the documentary times.

Best of Fest Screening Schedule

Monday, January 26 - Eccles Theatre, Park City

The Cove 6 PM Audience Award: U.S. Documentary

Monday, January 26 - Sundance Resort Screening Room

Rough Aunties 6 PM World Cinema Jury Prize: Documentary

Monday, January 26 - Rose Wagner Center, Salt Lake City

Afghan Star 6:30 PM World Cinema Audience Award: Documentary

Documentary Oscar Contenders 2009

2009-01-26T08:50:00.000-08:00

Although I used the term contenders, it is not to be confused with its usual application to boxing, the NCAA tournament, online gambling, or any other sport where something is at stake. No a new year has begun so therefore there are new contenders for the shiny, naked golden man - The Academy Awards aka The Oscars.

Before this article takes its dutiful serious turn and for your pure amusement, imagine if The Academy Awards ceremony was a contact sport much like rugby or boxing. Would you see Sean Penn or Leonardo Di Caprio dash to the stage and closeline Mickey Rourke for having stolen their chance to win the coveted prize? Or would they let out their inner Joker by threatening to put a smile on academy voters' faces? The Oscars may appear to be completely congenial on the outside, but what's boils under the surface may just cause the glitzy ceremony to transform into a contact sport that millions of viewers bet on.

Like I said, that last paragraph was a random thought that came to me on the spur of the moment, so if it seems like it doesn't connect the dots, you're right, it doesn't.

This year's nominations or (contenders) for Best Documentary Feature and Best Documentary Short are now in. With the less than a month to go until the winners are announced, let's take a look at the nominees and I will give you my predictions for this year's winners.

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

1. The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)
2. Encounters at the End of the World
3. The Garden
4. Man on Wire
5. Trouble the Water

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT

1. The Conscience of Nhem En
2. The Final Itch
3. Smile Pinki
4. The Witness: From the Balcony of Room 306

2009 OSCAR PREDICTIONS

Best Doc Feature: Man on Wire

Considering that Man on Wire already won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance 2008 and the Critics Choice Award this year, it seems to be the favorite, though I always think Herzog's films are astonishing and Encounters at the End of the World is no exception. Man on Wire has been the most talked about documentary for its ability to inform and entertain at the same time, so it has reached a wider audience giving it that extra push to victory.

Best Doc Short: The Conscience of Nhem En

In this category I decided to go with an old Academy favorite - Steven Okazaki has previously been nominated three times and won for his film Days of Waiting. He is the only director who has experienced the Oscars before and his film The Conscience of Nhem En deals with an emotional controversy surrounding Cambodian citizens who were photographed prior to being executed. So Steven has to things going for him: powerful content and previous nominations.

2008 Summer Documentaries

2009-01-24T15:43:00.000-08:00

Summer of 2008 was a unique season where many of the current contenders for the Academy Awards in the documentary category had their meager run in theaters before catapulting to Academy grounds. So if you would be so kind and turn back the clock to days of warmer weather and and less clothing, I will show you that there are more meaningful alternatives to your summer diet of action flicks and comic books movies. Overall, documentaries have more substance and possibly better stories and characters. If you haven't seen these docs yet, then put them on your Netflix queue or try a local art house theater, some may still be playing.

Surfwise:

For fans of surfing, adventurers, and anyone in general who wants to realize their dream in life. This film is not only filled with great waves and coastal locations, but it also has the philosophies of Dr. Dorian Paskowitz who takes his wife and nine kids on a surfing trip void of everyday life's demands. The kids are removed from school and are home-schooled by Dorian, their father. Although on paper, Dorian's idealistic view of life free of societal connections is often pictured as romantic, in reality it turns out much more gray than black and white. My initial reaction to the Paskowitz family life of surfing was one of envy, but then when Dorian's teachings started to resemble other infamous countercultures and revolutionaries. Surfwise is definitely more than a surfing movie; it's a movie that makes you contemplate the flow of society and your own life's philosophies.

Bigger, Faster, Stronger:
Christopher Bell examines America's obsession with being bigger, faster, and stronger than any other nation, specifically in connection with using steroids or other performance enhancing drugs. Is this all because of America's blind determination to win and beat all the competition? The controversy behind Barry Bonds and other athletes are addressed head on in this film and it even stars Barry, the King of Homers himself.

Am Limit:
A German film featuring two brothers who both love to mountain climb decide to try and break the speed record for climbing a peak and the peak they choose is El Capitan at the Yosemite National Park. The filmmaker follows them right up El Capitan as they climb and captures some breathtaking and frightening footage of two brothers who risk it all for a record. This sure sounds like Bigger, Faster, Stronger, with the exception that its Germany joining in on the fun of body-building/sports competition mania.

Encounters at the End of the World:
Director, Werner Herzog makes another documentary about the extremes, but this time it is a location rather than a particularly insane individual. He travels to the Antarctic community of McMurdo Station, headquarters of the National Science Foundation. The film juxtaposes nature's force and extreme power with human nature in those kind of situations. Encounters at the End of the World is nominated for the Academy Award: Best Documentary Feature.

Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired:
An in-depth investigation into the shocking and controversial case of Roman Polanski, the film director, and his incident of having sexual intercourse with a minor. The film is mostly made up of interviews and old footage from the trial. It also answers the question where is Roman Polanski today and what is he doing since the trial and after being exiled from America. Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired competed at Sundance 2008 prior to its wider release.

American Teen:
A hit at Sundance, this documentary is a daily account of five teenager's lives: a jock, a popular girl, a heartthrob, an artsy girl, and a geek in a rural Indiana town. It documents their senior year in high-school as they experience all the oddities and awkward phases of teenage life. The Sundance audiences raved about it being not only an honest portrayal of teenage life in a small town, but also a hilarious view into all the nuances of teenagers. Also it is one of the highest rated documentaries by critics in all of 2008.

Man on Wire:
This film chronicles the young, French, tight rope walker who is captivated by the World Trade Center towers. He joins up with a team of supporters who help him begin the first step toward his goal: planning the elaborate stunt - crossing the towers on a tight rope with nothing underneath him and no safety harness. Their plan takes on qualities like a robbery plan and the execution of that plan becomes exceedingly more difficult than the plan itself. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize for documentary at Sundance 2008 and nominated for the Academy Award: Best Documentary Feature, Man on Wire is as electrifying in its reception as it is in the film.

These 7 documentaries represent only a handful of documentaries that were received more recognition or exposure than other less fortunate ones, so keep your eyes open for others that may help you balance your movie watching diet, so you don't gain the extra pounds on the blockbuster hits. As they say, moderation in all things. The same exists for movies, so try mixing in a few of these docs into your afternoon power run.

Doc Review: The Gleaners and I

2009-01-24T15:15:00.000-08:00

In a preliminary viewing of The Gleaners and I, by Agnes Varda, traces of multiple documentary modes are visible within the first ten minutes, including: the poetic, ethnographic, observational, and performative, but after further evaluation, the film maker's personal voice becomes the foundation which holds the rest together. The central topic of the film is the history of gleaning from a contemporary viewpoint and examples of modern day gleaning in France recorded by Agnes. Gleaning refers to gathering food from already-reaped fields or leftovers from trash receptacles. Underneath the simple concept of gleaning is the voice of Agnes. Her voice synthesizes and searches for meaning in the moment, unifies itself with the subjects, and preserves the things they learn from each other. Agnes' voice can be compared to other personal voices like that of Ross McElwee, in that her voice, on a surface level interpretation may seem to digress from the main theme, but in actuality, true meaning is only discovered in the tangents.

Agnes uses the film medium, the camera, and the documentary mode of personal voice to understand her subjects - the gleaners. Agnes' technique of capturing reality and nature as she sees it, like a diary entry, is similar to Siegfried Kracauer's concept of the redemption of reality. Kracauer, a film theoretician, constructed this theory that if reality is captured on camera and projected onto a screen, it is redeemed from oblivion, because the spectator is reminded of reality's value. Agnes takes this theory a step further when she records herself as a participant in gleaning in order to understand what meaning gleaners discover in the process of preserving the unwanted. On several occasions while interviewing gleaners, the subjects confess that gleaning is prohibited, yet that does not deter them from gleaning. As a film maker, Agnes follows the gleaners' example by ignoring the traditional conventions of filmmaking. In the final edit she includes an accidentally recorded shot of the lens cap dangling from the camera, an arbitrary shot of her coming her hair, and acknowledgements of the filmic process.

Agnes does not shy away from the prohibited techniques of filmmaking, but rather preserves and appreciates the material that normally others discard in editing. At one point, she even comments on the mold growing on her ceiling after she returns home from Japan, deciding she likes the mold; even attached to it as a form of mosaic art. In this way, as Agnes translates meaning into a form that she can understand - practicing prohibited filmmaking techniques and preserving personal voice, she shares her perspective on gleaning with the spectator and allows them to make their own interpretations.

Though the digressions that Agnes submits the audience to are capricious at times they are not without a pattern, consisting of her common concerns that again, are expressed in a diaristic fashion. One of her most prevalent concerns is aging. By continually filming her wrinkled and aged hand up close, and in detail, she seems to express a desire to preserve her youth. When she watches the semi-trucks pass by, counting them and encircling them with her fingers, she reverts to her child-like ways, all in hopes of preserving the moment. Reality is preserved by capturing its image on a camera. Preservation according to Agnes has a lot to do with lingering on shots and spending time with the image. The lingering shots of big rigs passing by, of heart-shaped potatoes, or of sheep blocking the road, all compliment the idea of gleaning and define it in a way that Agnes can appreciate through her artist's eye. She becomes the gleaner in a different way than other gleaners, but she learns through observing. The audience is invited to do the same type of observing, but is not limited to one definition of gleaning.

In-between the tangents Agnes follows are the stories or observations of other gleaners and a brief history of gleaning. Long before deviations from the accurate history and truth are possible, Agnes and the spectator must learn what it is to glean from other people's point of view. Agnes begins and ends with a painting of the original gleaners to recount the history of gleaning and explain, that it not only has a past, but that it was an ancient practice in the Bible, and more importantly, an acceptable practice at that time. After the history lesson on gleaning, Agnes travels around France and interviews various types of modern day gleaners. Some gleaners like the traditional ones, gleaned leftover potatoes or food from a trash can, while others gleaned recycled material and junk on the street to use in sculptures or paintings and other forms of gleaner art. Louis Pons collected junk and inspired by what he observed he painted modern art.

Another group of gleaners waded out into oyster beds to glean the oysters and clams unobtainable to the machinery. They too were prohibited and limited to only seven pounds of oysters or clams, but that didn't discourage them from their goal, because they found value in what others would dismiss as junk or passed its expiration date. The most peculiar gleaner was a man who chose to glean food from trash receptacles even though he had a job, social security number, and probably enough money to buy food. His reason for gleaning was to not let the food go to waste and to be an activist for a good cause.

Agnes introduced the spectator to all these different people who see gleaning as something valuable and a unique part of their lives, but she introduced them for a greater purpose than just to give examples of modern day gleaning. By showing a variety of gleaners in different situations and with different perspectives on gleaning, Agnes proved that gleaning is not a thing of the past or a dying practice. Both gleaning and Agnes are still much alive as long as excess continues to be removed and memories are created. It is because of Agnes' observations of multiple gleaners that the spectator learns that gleaning is not partial to one race, gender, or personality, and that meaning is not limited to one easily-defined answer. People are complicated. They do not always comprehend their own actions, let alone the reasoning for others' actions.

Agnes doesn't force feed the spectator explanations behind each gleaner's practices or the symbolic meaning behind her tangents. She wanders into excursions from the main topic and ponders the significance of her recorded images, because she is still collecting meaning and hasn't unveiled all the answers yet. By structuring the film in the somewhat directionless mode of personal voice, Agnes is able to lead the spectator on a journey of discovery, not reporting what she learns, but experiencing what she learns with the spectator in a synchronized style. And in the end, both Agnes and the spectator glean whatever truth they can grasp and preserve it for their benefit and others, who follow.