Site Archive

Did digital imaging throw documentary into an ontological crisis?
Written by David Tames on August 20, 2010
Filed Under Art, Camera, Critical Theory, Documentary, Featured, Photography
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Scholars have long discussed the ambiguity and subjectivity inherent in photographic representation with its seductive verisimilitude. Bill Mitchell’s The Reconfigured Eye: Visual Truth in the Post-Photographic Era (The MIT Press, 1992), the first book-length critical analysis of the...  Continue Reading...

2010 Bumpkin Island Art Encampment
Written by David Tames on July 27, 2010
Filed Under Art, Documentary, Events & Screenings, Filmmaking, New Media, Photography
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If you live in the Boston area, here’s an idea for what to do this weekend: The 2010 Bumpkin Island Art Encampment! Consider making a day of it and come out and visit on one of the public visitation days, Saturday, July 31st or Sunday, August 1st. Seven artists groups homesteading on...  Continue Reading...

MassArt’s Summer Film School, 2010
Written by David Tames on June 10, 2010
Filed Under Art, Camera, Documentary, Editing, Events & Screenings, Filmmaking
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Summer is upon us and I would like to remind you there is still time to register for most of the Summer Film School classes at MassArt. If you don’t live in the Boston area, MassArt is offering an affordable residential option in the dorms! Check out the course descriptions below. For...  Continue Reading...

Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present
Written by David Tames on April 6, 2010
Filed Under Art, Documentary, Events & Screenings, Reviews
3 Comments  

I was in New York on March 27th to participate in The Conversation at Columbia University. In a recent blog post about the event, Rania wrote, “the paradox—though the topic was digital, the excitement came from face-to-face, real-world, real-time, high-touch experience of bodies in...  Continue Reading...

Transcriva 2
Written by David Tames on January 13, 2010
Filed Under Documentary, Featured, Filmmaking, Reviews, Tools
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Back in August of 2005 I wrote a post, Transcriva makes transcribing (almost) fun, in which I reviewed the first version of Transcriva from Bartas Technologies, a delightful Macintosh application I’ve been using since then for transcribing audio and video interviews. Last year Bartas...  Continue Reading...

A one-case lighting kit ready for travel
Written by David Tames on January 8, 2010
Filed Under Documentary, Filmmaking, Front Page, General, Lighting, Tools
11 Comments  

I’m often asked by students, “what’s a good light kit for starting out” and I find it a very hard question to answer, because it really depends on what you want to do. There really is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all lighting kit. I find that most of the commercially...  Continue Reading...

Notables of the Noughties: 35 documentary films, 2000-2009
Written by David Tames on January 4, 2010
Filed Under Documentary, Films, Front Page
19 Comments  

It’s a special time that comes around every ten years in which we take a moment to reflect back on the past decade and make our “favorite” and “best-of” lists. It was a good decade for documentary films, here’s my own idiosyncratic list of thirty five notable...  Continue Reading...

Seven RSS feeds of interest to New England documentary filmmakers
Written by David Tames on November 7, 2009
Filed Under Documentary, Featured, General, Web
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Here are seven RSS feeds that I think will be of interest to New England documentary filmmakers. These suggestions come out of the discussion that took place today during theSocial Media Boot Camp for Film Professionals with Sean Fitzroy held at MassArt. There are many good feeds out there,...  Continue Reading...

Things self-distributing documentary filmmakers can do to integrate social media into their distribution efforts
Written by David Tames on October 22, 2009
Filed Under Business, Distribution, Documentary, Sticky
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Here are some things you can do to integrate a social media component in your distribution effort. 1. Get your own web site with integrated blogging functionality if you don’t already have one. If your current site does not have a blog, add one. The easy way to get started is to get a...  Continue Reading...

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...

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