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Seven habits of highly successful documentary filmmakers
Written by David Tames on August 31, 2009
Filed Under Documentary, Filmmaking
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A while back I read this post by Guy Kawasaki and was inspired to write down seven habits of highly successful documentary filmmakers based, in part, on his post: 1. Tell an engaging story. It all begins with story. And whether your goal is to entertain or persuade, you need first and foremost...  Continue Reading...

Sixty-seven excellent documentaries available through Netflix
Written by David Tames on August 28, 2009
Filed Under Documentary, Films, Front Page
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Students and friends often ask me for suggestions on what documentaries I recommend watching, and they are often frustrated that many of my suggestions are not easily obtainable. Many classic documentaries are hard to find: they are only available for purchase at high prices or through libraries,...  Continue Reading...

Flying takes documentary form to new heights
Written by David Tames on August 27, 2009
Filed Under Documentary, Featured, Filmmakers, Filmmaking, Films
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Flying: Confessions of a Free Woman is an amazing six-hour, six-part, documentary of epic proportions by Jennifer Fox in which we follow the filmmaker as she travels around the world asking her women friends how they construct and imagine their lives as she struggles to figure out her own....  Continue Reading...

Using both channels (an audio channel is a terrible thing to waste)
Written by David Tames on August 13, 2009
Filed Under Camera, Documentary, Featured, Filmmaking, Sound, Video
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Practically every camcorder records two channels of audio, which allows you to record in stereo (Left/Right) or two discrete channels (1/2). Lately I’ve been using the Sennheiser Evolution G2 wireless a lot and it started to bother me that I was only recording one channel from the wireless...  Continue Reading...

How does social media figure into the future of documentary film?
Written by David Tames on August 5, 2009
Filed Under Distribution, Documentary, Events & Screenings
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If you are planning to attend Podcamp Boston 4 this weekend, I invite you to help answer a question that’s been on my mind during a session I will facilitate on Saturday: How does social media figure into the future of documentary film? @ 2:45 – 3:30 P.M. in the Ballroom on Saturday. Podcamp...  Continue Reading...