Site Archive

Transcriva 2
Written by David Tames on January 13, 2010
Filed Under Documentary, Featured, Filmmaking, Reviews, Tools
1 Comment  

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
6 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
1 Comment  

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
1 Comment  

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
1 Comment  

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
6 Comments  

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
2 Comments  

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...

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