Cinereach is excited for grantee films Pushing the Elephant and Summer Pasture, who are both included in the International Documentary Association’s 14th annual DocuWeeks showcase. As part of this, they will each have a one-week theatrical run in both New York and Los Angeles. These screenings qualify the films for consideration for next year’s Academy Awards and provide audiences with the opportunity to experience these powerful stories on the big screen.
See below for more details, including screening dates and times.
The recent class of Reach Film Fellows is barely out of the gate and already some very exciting things have transpired.
Anthony Morrison's Bye
Anthony Morrison’s documentary short, Bye, aired in July on PBS’ P.O.V. series and can now be viewed here in full. Gabriel Long’s The Drawing made its NYC premiere as part of a Newfest shorts program, and all four 2010 fellows will have more updates for us soon as we prepare to usher in the next crew of four (recipients will be announced in early fall 2010).
Brendon McQueen's Skip Rocks
Looking back at the 2009 Fellows, Brendon McQueen’s Skip Rocks premiered at the Sun Valley Spiritual Film Festival and was touted by New York Magazine; “There have been many films made about Alzheimer’s…but few of them address it with the sensitivity, and (yes) humor of Brendon McQueen’s beautifully shot and touching short film…” He’s currently developing a feature film project through his production company, Prydehouse. Dena Greenbaum’s Blues has been a selection of the 15th Annual International Family Film Festival in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Women’s International Film Festival, the Memphis International Film and Music Festival, and the National Film Festival for Talented Youth in Seattle, and won the Morris Fierberg Student Film Award (plus a $1,000 grant from the Rehoboth Beach Film Society).
Annie Waldman's So the Wind Won't Blow it All Away
Nicholas Bruckman’s (RFF ‘08) The Grey Movie screened as a work-in-progress at Rooftop Films. Following that his debut feature documentary, La Americana, won seven awards at over 30 film festivals, and was broadcast in the US, Europe and Asia. He is currently working on the La Americana audience engagement campaign and developing new documentary projects. Annie Waldman’s (RFF ‘08) So the Wind Won’t Blow It All Away screened at Sundance 2009 and the San Francisco Documentary, St. Louis International, San Diego Woman’s, and CMJ film festivals. The film was broadcast nationally on PBS’s P.O.V. documentary series. She is currently in production on her first documentary feature, Phantom Cowboys, for which she received a grant from Cinereach. Suel Kim’s (RFF ‘08) Snap-Shot screened at the Global Peace, Non-Violence International and the San Diego Asian film festivals and as part of last year’s Emerging Filmmakers series in Rochester, NY.
Independent writer/director Tze Chun gave an advising session for the Reach Film Fellows during the 2010 Reach Film Fellowship at Cinereach. Tze shared some advice based on his experience making a short film, Window Breaker, and a feature, Children of Invention, in which children are the main characters.
This video (shot by Miranda Rhyne and edited by Stephan Greil; additional editing by Nicole Woo) is the second of three with Tze, and includes advice about directing child actors on set.
Key Points from “Working with Child Actors on Set”
When working with child actors, it’s important that they trust you and feel encouraged when they do something right. At the same time, you and your crew must maintain a professional relationship to them, rather than going overboard with affection or being overly indulgent.
Keeping the relationship within these boundaries creates an environment where your child actors can feel comfortable speaking up when they aren’t happy about something, but will do so in a professional manner.
If a kid freezes up on set, there is usually a direct cause that you can attribute the behavior to, and there is often a simple solution. Giving them a choice between two options can help if they are tired or cranky, for example, offering the option of working for another hour and being done for the day, or taking a short break before continuing for a longer period of time.
Kids might assume they’ve done something wrong when the director calls cut, or calls for another take. It is important to take a moment to explain to them the reason you are cutting (microphone noise, blocking, lighting, whatever it might be).
Just like with adult actors, child actors can have trouble delivering lines when they don’t have enough context for them. It can be helpful to ask the children questions about what is happening in the scene so you can deepen their interpretation of the actions and emotions.
Dialogue written by adults can seem unnatural when coming out of a child actor’s mouth. Tze suggests including the child in the process of making subtle changes to the lines so that they are more natural.
Being open to surprises or additional layers a kids might bring to a moment can be beneficial and create a more natural experience. It also lets child actors feel like they are an integral part of the process.
Be sure that kids are comfortable enough with the story that they understand the “big picture” of the film and can deliver their lines accordingly.
When directing child actors, don’t put too much emphasis on one action. They may become overly anxious about it, or focus too much, and create an unnatural performance. Instead, give them a sequence of a few different actions so the important ones don’t get unnatural emphasis.
Always have a backup plan for how to cover an important scene or action when shooting with kids. If something is not working after multiple takes, instead of continuing to repeat it, try another tactic.
During Cinereach’s 2010 Reach Film Fellowship, Director of Photography Mike Simmonds led an advising session.
In this video (shot by Miranda Rhyne and edited by Stephan Greil) Mike shares his perspective on the director/DP relationship, drawing from his experience working with directors like Ramin Bahrani, Ira Sachs and Robert Siegel. See below for some key points from the video, and come back soon for more videos from inside the Reach Film Fellowship. You can watch a previous video, featuring Writer/Director Tze Chun here.
Key Points from “Working with a DP”
When selecting a Director of Photography to work with, Mike advises meeting with candidates first in a casual setting, not necessarily discussing film or the project at-hand right away. Look for compatibility, mutual respect and the potential for a true collaboration first.
Speak to other directors a DP has worked with to find out what their working relationship was like, or learn of any red flags.
While working with a DP on set, the DP and director should welcome each other’s suggestions and constructive criticisms, maintaining a calm and respectful tone. Both should feel comfortable weighing in on blocking, lighting setup, etc. without being overly rigid about each other’s roles.
The DP must be able to efficiently cover a scene or action in a manner that will make sense in the edit, within the time available. The DP and AD set the pace of the day, and speak up when the production is in danger of not making its day.
Before heading into a production, Mike suggests knowing how you would shoot each of your scenes in one shot, even if you don’t end up doing so, to force yourself to decide who is most important in that scene.
Mike advises that creating storyboards works best when preparing to shoot on a set or a constructed location. When your locations are real places, he suggests shooting stills or video (while also scouting the locations at the time of day you’ll be there during production) in order to map out your shots and understand lighting needs.
Shooting your film in a simplistic style, with as small and efficient a crew as possible, is the best way to learn from the process. It also allows you to focus on telling your story clearly and effectively.
When you’re not in production, Mike recommends watching as many films as possible, developing an inventory of images in your head. These images train your eyes and can can be used as frames of reference when you are shooting your own films.
The deadline for the 2011 Reach Film Fellowship (RFF) is quickly approaching! All applications must be submitted via our online form by midnight (EST) July 12th. Any sample materials or references/recommendations you plan on mailing to the Cinereach offices must be postmarked by July 12th.
Please visit the how to apply page to get started. For tips on applying from last year’s Fellows, please click here. And for an inside look at the RFF program, check out our behind-the-scenes video from RFF 2010. We’ve also recently posted a video containing excerpts from an RFF advising workshop with Writer/Director Tze Chun about casting child actors.
If you have any questions regarding eligibility or anything related to the application process, feel free to email us at info@thereachfilmfellowship.com.
For the second year IFP is collaborating with the United Nation’s Department of Public Information to present ENVISION – a forum uniting the filmmaking community, civil society organizations, activists, journalists, public policy makers, NGOs, and the general public in the shared goal of envisioning a better world for all and achieving impact through media.
The Spotlight Focus in 2010 from the UN’s Millennium Development Goals is the goal of universal education. Screenings of Cinereach grantee Jennifer Arnold’s A Small Act (HBO Documentaries), and Davis Guggenheim’s Waiting for Superman (Paramount Vantage), will be accompanied by discussions on challenges to achieving education globally, the impact of individual action and philanthropy, and current issues around the U.S. education crisis.
To purchase tickets and for details on the program, to be held Saturday, July 10 at the Times Center, click here. Tickets are $25 (a $10 discount) if you use code IFPENV.
A Small Act, by Cinereach grantees Jennifer Arnold and Patti Lee, is a great addition to the ongoing debate on whether documentaries in support of a cause make an impact. Set against recent violence and turmoil in Kenya, and framed by the challenges Kenyan children face in their pursuit of an education, the story at the heart of A Small Act illustrates the positive repercussions of individual action.
The film is no doubt increasing awareness of the issues it depicts, but it has also inspired many viewers to follow in the footsteps of the film’s protagonists. The Hilde Back Education Fund (HBEF), the organization whose work funding school tuition is featured in the film, has received over $340,000 in donations since the film’s premiere at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival (including funds from audience members who wrote checks and handed them to the filmmakers immediately following screenings and other sources). All the contributions made to the project will have meaningful impact, as the HBEF will now be able to offer its support to more students, over a larger number of years.
From L to R: Director Jennifer Arnold and the subjects of A Small Act, Chris Mburu, Hilde Back and Jane Wanjiru Muigai
We look forward to seeing what other actions the film will inspire with its upcoming HBO premiere, July 12th. HBO has created a partnership with Network for Good. Their link leads to over 1.8 million causes and foundations that can use support, including the Hilde Back Education Fund, and local programs looking for volunteers.
On July 10th in NYC, A Small Act will be featured in Envision 2010. This annual forum, presented by IFP and the United Nations’ Department of Public Information, addresses global issues through the lens of documentary films. This year’s Envision looks at solutions to education crises, and a panel following the screening of A Small Act will explore how the film’s story could be translated onto a larger scale throughout Africa and the world. This panel will include Chris Mburu, the main subject of A Small Act and the founder of the HBEF.
Independent writer/director Tze Chun gave an advising session for the Reach Film Fellows during the 2010 Reach Film Fellowship at Cinereach. As the fellows prepared to go into production on their short films, Tze shared some advice based on his experience making a short film, Window Breaker, and a feature, Children of Invention, in which children were the main characters.
This video (shot by Miranda Rhyne and edited by Stephan Greil, additional editing by Nicole Woo) includes some excerpts of the session during which Tze touched on the casting process.
Below we’ve also listed some key points from the video.
Key Points from “Casting Child Actors”
For a film that is highly improvisational and naturalistic, and in which a large emotional range is not required, prioritize looking for children who are outspoken and natural in front of the camera. Try asking children to play games with each other or adult actors during auditions, rather than reading from a script.
For a more tightly scripted film, and/or one that calls for a large emotional range, actors who are old enough to read from the script should do so. Look for actors who are comfortable in front of the camera and can also emote and understand the character, rather than just being good at naturalistic reactions to real situations.
Actors should audition with the most emotional scenes, to make sure the right notes can be hit. One of the largest challenges of working with children is helping them portray dramatic emotions like crying or a tantrum believably.
Make sure actors who will appear on screen together can give performances that match in style and tone, and can be cut together, so they seem to inhabit the same world. Actors should be similarly naturalistic or ‘big’ depending on the director’s needs.
In addition to auditioning acting ability, you are also looking for a child’s stamina and concentration. If they get frustrated quickly, or can’t put up with having to repeat something multiple times, they aren’t cut out for your set.
When you’re casting a kid, you’re also casting the parents. Look for parents who are going to be understanding about the process, willing to commit all the time and energy that is required, and who are on board with the project in general.
It is also advisable to be very clear and direct with parents regarding expectations and what will happen, otherwise you may lose their cooperation.
Friends of Cinereach and Rooftop Films! We’re giving away 10 pairs of tickets to Rooftop Films’ July 2nd screening of Industriance, a program of short films that Cinereach is proud to be co-presenting at the Old American Can Factory in Brooklyn.
How do you get your hands on those tickets? Easy! First you have to “like” the Cinereach facebook fan page (if you don’t already). Then post a photo of yourself or a friend on an NYC rooftop on our wall. If you’re among the first 10, we’ll contact you to let you know!
This would work:
Eligible photo (depicting Cinereach staff member on bad hair day).
