Location Release Form Sample

Look for other templates and samples in Templates Category.

You can purchase this downloadable Location Release template for ONLY $0.99!

This template can be changed to fit your production needs. Purchase will be emailed to you.

                        

A location release is a form that allows the owner of a location to give written permission to the producer to shoot at the location.  For example, if you are shooting a piece at a high school, it is a good idea to have a representative of the high school fill out and sign the location release.  If someone down the road recognizes the school on your footage and wants to complain or worse, you will have this document to prove you were allowed to shoot there.  You can manipulate the document to reflect:

• No cost or fee based
• Distribution platforms
• Time allowed to use the location image

I like to get rights for all platforms, in perpetuity.

Here is a sample release.

You can purchase this downloadable Location Release template for ONLY $0.99!

This template can be changed to fit your production needs. Purchase will be emailed to you.

                        

Lynn & Jules Kroll Fund for Jewish Documentary Film Completion Grants

“The Lynn and Jules Kroll Fund for Jewish Documentary Film provides grants for the completion of original documentary films that promote thoughtful consideration of Jewish history, life, culture, and identity.  The Fund was created with a lead grant from Steven
Spielberg’s Righteous Persons Foundation and sustained with major support from the Charles H. Revson Foundation.  The priority of the Fund is to support projects in the latter stages of post-production that address significant subjects; offer fresh, challenging perspectives; engage audiences across cultural lines; and expand the understanding of Jewish experience.”

Find out more about grants and funding in the grants and funding category.

To purchase a download of the Funding Your Dream Documentary seminar, click here.

 

Proper Claboard Use

The clapboard is also known as a clapstick, sound stick or slate board.  I’ve been on two television shoots recently for national, professional productions where the crew did not use the clapboard properly.

There are many types of clapboards.  Some are made of blackboard material, some are wipe boards and some are digital. The iPad has a clapboard app that I don’t like very much.  Most of them have a place where you can write in information about the production or takes.  It is common to see spaces that allow the user to add the name of the project, the take number, the scene name and some crew names.  I particularly like the digital ones that allow you to jam sync time code to each camera.

By far, the most important role of the clapboard is to allow the footage from each camera on a multi-camera shoot to be easily synced up in the edit room. The loud “clap” sound that is made when the stick slams against the board creates a visual waveform on the audio line of the editing system.  This allows the editor to easily line up all of the footage saving both time and money.  In order for this to really work, ALL CAMERAS must simultaneously shoot the clapboard when it makes the “clap.”  If you find yourself without a clapboard, you can just clap your hands together or slap a clipboard loudly.  As long as it makes a loud, sharp noise and all of the cameras are rolling on it at the same time, it will work.  If you need to “slate” the shot, in other words, share the written information on the clip board, you can verbally say whatever information needs to go with the take.

One common mistake are just showing one camera the clapboard.  Although each camera can hear the “clap” sound, seeing the visual of the stick hit the board on each piece of footage can really speed things up in edit.  Another mistake is clapping the board to each camera individually.  I’m not sure what that is supposed to accomplish.  I supposed if the clapboard has digital time code, it could help line up the footage but you will still miss that synchronized “clap.”  Either way, you end up frustrating your editor more than anything.  A frustrated editor is not creative nor very fun.

A word about the iPad clapboard app.  It doesn’t work very well for two reasons.  One, to make the clap sound, you have to push a little button. By doing so, you cover up the iPad screen which takes away your visual.  Two, the clap just isn’t that loud.  Sometime there can be too much technology.  An old-fashioned hand clap works better.

In some instances when the cameras are in shooting position, they are unable to see the clapboard at the same time.  For instance, one camera may be shooting an arrival from outside a house and one from inside the house. In that case, bring the cameras together, start rolling and “clap” the clapboard.  Then move back into position while the cameras are still rolling.  When all else fails, do the best you can.

For more production insights, visit the How To category.

“Just Like Us” – A Review

It turns out that everyone likes to laugh – even in the Arab world.  Egyptian-American comic Ahmed Ahmed has been working as a successful stand-up comedian for many years.  When I interviewed him 10-years ago, he talked about having a dream to bring comedy to the Middle East as a way to open hearts and minds.  10 years may seem like a long time to realize a dream but the documentary “Just Like Us” following Ahmed’s comedy review tour of  Dubai, Lebanon, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Egypt shows that it was well worth the wait.

Although “Just Like Us”  is Ahmed Ahmed journey to help bring Western style stand-up to a new part of the world, he is joined by a merry band of ethnically diverse comedians who, for the most part, are not sure what to expect from their sold out audiences.  Ahmed, who had been banned from Dubai a year before for making religious jokes, does not keep his fellow comedians on a short leash.  When Omid Djalili slips into making dick jokes and Whitney Cummings talks about men’s balls, they both sheepishly apologize  back stage.  Ahmed reassures them that the crowd loved it and that if they are banned, they are in good company.

The journey is peppered with man-on-the -street interviews in America – many of whom wonder if American comedy will translate in the Middle East.  Some of the comics wondered the same thing as did I.  But when Tommy Davidson jokes about African-American leaders and Angelo Tsarouchas talks about his Greek upbringing in Canada, you begin to realize that comedy, much like music, has few boundaries.

It takes guts to be a stand-up comedian.  But it takes balls to crack jokes to a crowd in Saudi Arabia knowing that the culture police may crack down on you at any time.  And it takes heart to bring local comedians to the stage in order to help them get a start in a career that many people in their countries have never heard of.  “What, you want to be a clown?”

In between the laughs are poignant moments that were captured, effectively, to highlight our shared humanity.  A Female comic from Egypt talks about telling her grandchildren about performing with Ahmed and Maz Jobrani. Ahmed’s uncle hugs him goodbye as if he can’t bear to let him go.  Ahmed brings the film full circle by stopping in New York where he meets an out-of-work Egyptian trying to give his family a better life.  After the show, Ahmed tells the man how much he reminds Ahmed of his own father who moved to Los Angeles. He tells the man to keep it up; it will all work out.  My eyes welled up – the last thing that I would expect from a comedy documentary.

Ahmed Ahmed is not the only American comic to do stand up in the Middle East. Nor is this his first Middle Eastern tour.  In the past, has brought Arab and Jewish comedians together on stage both in the States and in the Middle East.  In that way, one can view Ahmed as a sort of global activist.  Even with it’s kumbaya and softer moments, it must be said that the comedy is funny in “Just Like Us.”  And, the message was on point.  The shooting was a little bit more rough than I would have liked.  I am not one who subscribes to the idea that a gritty look adds to an edgy feel.  But the movie left me wanting more in a good way.  Did any of the comedians get banned from Dubai?  Has the out-of-work Dad found work? I also wonder if this tour would have been possible had it been shot after the Arab Spring.  Are people in the countries rocked by the struggle for freedom in the mood to sit down and laugh? If they can’t now, I sure hope they will be to soon.

For other reviews, visit the Reviews category.

Documentary “The Scroll” to air at the American Black Film Festival

The Scroll will be shown at 2011 American Black Film Festival.  The companion website looks great and has lots of great clips and information.

“Parrish Smith the son of a preacher always fell asleep in church when he was a child

… until his father started telling stories.

It was the storytelling that engaged him and those stories made the Word relevant to him in his every day life. The story of “The Scroll: Evidence of Life Unseen” some might say has been in the works for over 30 years.

With so much calamity and uncertainty in today’s world, insights from our faith based leaders is needed more today than ever. “The Scroll: Evidence of Life Unseen” is a collection of stories told by the most prolific religious leaders of the 21st century. This movie is an intimate portrait of the hearts of pastors and ministers out of their robes and pulpits. They share inspiring life stories and commentary on their global societal outlook. There are moments where you will split your sides with laughter and other moments where you will want to fall to your knees in tears. This is their living and breathing testimonies. These are the stories that will make you sit up and listen. These stories will give you amazing history lessons and subtly prepare you to answer your own life journey questions.”

Interviews include:

T.D.Jakes, Eddie L. Long, A.R. Bernard, Al Sharpton Jr., Alyn E. Waller, Bernice A. King, Charles

E. Blake, Noel Jones, Marvin L. Sapp, Shirley Caesar, Kenneth Ulmer, Hezekiah Walker, Floyd

H. Flake, Paul S. Morton, Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., Frederick K.C. Price, Calvin O. Butts III, Dale C.

Bronner, DeForest T B. Soaries Jr., Della Reese Lett, Vashti M. McKenzie, Jamal Bryant, Johnny

Ray Youngblood, David Jefferson Sr., Joseph Garlington, Tudor Bismark, Donald Hilliard Jr., E.

Dewey Smith Jr., Gardner C. Taylor, John K. Jenkins Sr., John L. McCoy, Keith W. Reed Sr.,

Lawrence Powell, Beverly Crawford, Mark Tyler, Don Johnson, Perry Simmons Jr., Stanley

Dumornay, Stephen Hurd, Wess Morgan

Click here for more info.

Babies – A Review

Baby butts are really funny.  That is one thing I took from the documentary Babies, directed by Thomas Balmés and produced by Alain Chabat.  Babies simultaneously chronicle the lives for four babies from different parts of the world from their “first breaths through their first steps.” The babies are Ponijao in Namibia; Bayarjargal in Mongolia; Mari in Tokyo, Japan; and Hattie in San Francisco.

Babies is so beautiful and so adorable that you can watch it just for the eye candy.  But by placing these four babies side by side during the same stages of development, we see just how similar babies are although their cultures and surroundings are vastly different.  While Nattie in San Francisco attends a play group that sings about honoring mother earth, Ponijao in Namibia is rolling around in the dirt tasting rocks.  While Mari in Japan is scared of the animals at the zoo, Bayarjargal in Mongolia is feeding the goats in his yard.  Yet they all get frustrated when things don’t go their way and they all coo when their mothers talk to them in high pitched, monosyllabic banter.

Balmés and Chabat do a good job of making the mundane things that babies do entralling.  Perhaps watching Mari learn how to put a stick through a shape wouldn’t be as interesting if she wasn’t presented next to Ponijao learning how to balance a can on her head.  A baby’s ride home from the hospital for the first times sounds pretty uneventful.  But when Bayarjargal’s mother takes him home tightly bundled and on the back of her husband’s motorcycle, it is striking to see just how relaxed the rules are in some places regarding babies and transportation.

Babies manages to be engaging and insightful all without a single interview bite or voice over line.  And it doesn’t need it.  No matter what languages the parents speak in, babies’ babble is universally cute.  The pace of this film is patient and the cuts minimal – allowing the viewer to really see the babies’ thought processes unfold.  I missed this movie in theaters (I was busy tending to my own babies at the time).  But the On-Demand version did not disappoint.  It featured a “where are they now” mini-doc at the end of the movie in which the director returned to show the stars (now four years old) and their families the final versions of the film.  Despite their differences in family structure, abode structures, adult oversight and outdoor activity, they all turned out to be happy, healthy toddlers.

The Work of Indpendent Documentarian: An Interview with Emmett Williams

Just what does an independent documentarian do?  Where does he/her get  ideas?  How does he/she make a living at it?  I recently had a conversation with Emmett Williams, independent producer, to find out how he manages a career making documentaries.

I’ve had the opportunity to work with Emmett on several projects and am impressed with his scope of work.  His television credits include producer, writer, editor and camera operator.  His work can be seen on such national networks as The Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, TV Land and public television.  Emmett is also a song writer/performer, photographer, concert producer and journalist.  his passion for media and the arts is clear to anyone that has worked with him.  Emmett, a vegetarian, even ate seal meat to connect with his subjects during a shoot in Alaska.  What I’ve found particularly striking is his commitment to his projects and his ability to keep a sense of humor about everything his does.

As an independent producer, what type of productions do you produce/work on?
Mostly, I produce long and short form documentaries. Sometimes they’re ideas that I’ve come up with and sometimes I’ll partner with a non-profit organization to make a film about a topic that is important to them. For example, the film “Camp Twitch and Shout – The Movie”, which will be available online December 7, is a partnership between myself and the Tourette Syndrome Association of Georgia.

There are also a few online only projects that are in the works that are destined for YouTube or the Mission Man Media website, like a series of shorts about artists called “The Form Appears” and another series entitled “Everyone Has A Story”.

Finally, there are a few things I want to do that will be specifically for museums and galleries.

How do you find the projects that you work on?
It’s rare that I go out searching for stories to tell. Usually the stories just arrive serendipitously. For a documentary that will start production in January, the idea came from a conversation I had with a friend in a bar just a few months ago. There are an endless amount of stories out there that are waiting to be told, you just have to keep your ears open. I’m fortunate to be in some form of production on projects that will keep me busy through the first half of 2011.

How have you raised funds?
Every way possible. I’ve won grants, been funded by the organizations that I’ve partnered with, friends, family, the coin jar in my bedroom. Any way possible. I read somewhere that it takes 3 years on average to raise money for a documentary. You have to spread your fundraising wings as far and wide as possible.

I’m in the process of raising money now for a project in Africa and I’ve literally sent hundreds of emails, applied for grants all over the world and spoken with people on three continents trying to get it made.

Sometimes you work on freelance gigs for other people.  How do you feel about that? Do you limit the size and scope of freelance gigs?
Making documentaries is cyclical in that you make a film, then raise (beg) for money for your next one, so you have to earn money during that downtime in between projects. If I’m inbetween projects, I’ll preferably do some freelance writing or producing for television or for a company that needs something small, but I’ll do anything really to keep me out of an office.

BUT if someone from an office is reading this…and hiring on a temporary basis….

You often work as a one-man band producing, shooting and editing. Is there a lot of pressure to be responsible for every aspect of a project?
I really prefer working alone because I like the intimacy of just being one-on-one with the subject. I’ll often spend a few days just hanging out with whomever I want to interview before I even bring out a camera. I think if you are prepared ahead of time and really know your equipment it cuts down a lot on the possibilities of something going wrong. Of course, life would be easier with a crew as far as dealing with the equipment.  But for me, its worth the few times when I’ve forgotten briefly to turn on the audio or left something back at the hotel to continue to work independently. And the more you do it, the easier and more organized you become. The real key is a comfortable backpack and pants with lots of pockets. If you have those two things you’ll be fine.

Do you feel that there is a lot of room for creativity when producing a documentary?
The style of documentary that I like to do relies a lot on serendipity to be honest. I like to leave a lot of time to wait for things to happen.  Often, things are happening quickly and you are happy just to get the shot. While this style doesn’t lead itself to as much creativity as a fiction film, there is always a little room to put your own personal stamp on a film. It really takes sitting down before you start shooting and making a firm decision about the look and feel of your project.

I also think the most important aspect of making a documentary is the story and content. No matter the style, if you have those two things you can craft a strong project.

What is your favorite part about producing and why?
My favorite part is that moment that happens in most interviews where the subject finally lets their guard down and really opens up about whatever you are trying to get out of them. I really think everyone has a story and it’s my job to get it out of them.

What is your favorite project to date and why?
I’m editing the first of a four-part series called “Native Past, American Present” about the efforts Native Americans are making to hold on to their history, culture, and identity. I recently spent a month in Alaska on the project and everything about it was special. Incredible people, important stories, and beautiful landscape. That’s been my favorite so far, and I plan on going back next fall to spend two months working on part two of my series. And while I’m there I’ll be working with the Sitka Tribe of Alaska to teach filmmaking to Native children.

How did you get started?
I’d worked in television for about ten years when I decided that I really preferred working for myself, or at least on projects I really believed in. One day I decided that’s what I would do. In hindsight, it might have been less complicated to ease into documentary filmmaking instead of jumping into it blindly, but I knew what I wanted and somewhat knew how to get there. So, I just announced that I was a filmmaker and it’s grown from there.

Any advice for those seeking to do what you do?
Just do it. Cameras are dirt cheap, editing software most likely comes with your computer, and its free to put your stuff up online. There are an infinite amount of stories to tell. There are really no excuses if it’s something you truly want to do.

For more information about Emmett Williams and his work, please visithttp://www.emmettwilliams.com.

Steal These Documentary and Series Ideas… Please!

So many ideas and so little time. So I thought I’d share some ideas for free in the hopes that someone in the universe will stumble upon them and turn them into wonderful, fun, insightful shows, series and documentaries. Or at least, get some good brainstorming going. Did I mention that they are absolutely free?

Signs of the Messiah – This would be a documentary following people who are looking for signs that the Messiah is coming in whatever religion in which they believe. I have a friend who studies rap music and hard rock lyrics because he believes that the second coming of Jesus will be announced through music. This made me wonder how many other people out there are sign seekers in such unusual and interesting ways.

The Science Behind Rock Concerts – This documentary would follow one popular music group as they prepare for a concert. As they prepare, the film would delve into how our ears hear music, how our brains process it, how instruments make music, how we are able to sing, why humans respond to music, how microphones pick up music and how speakers broadcast music.

Extreme Collectors – I was amazed to learn that there are people who spend thousands upon thousands of dollars each year to collect sneakers! What other crazy collectors are out there? I’m sure some of these collectors as colorful characters.

6 Degrees of Separation – On each episode, contestants draw a name of a celebrity out of a big name drum. Then they have 48 hours to get in touch with that celebrity. The less steps/contacts it takes to find the celebrity, the more points they get. They also get more points for face to face meetings. The show could be hosted by someone who sort of knows Kevin Bacon. The

Ultimate Couch Potato Life – this lifestyle series would be hosted by a good looking guy with a bit of a beer belly. On each episode, he would give tips on how to maximize the coach potato experience. The tips could range from comfort food recipes to entertaining on game night. There could even be a “tools and technology” segment that explores the many uses of TiVo and such things as chairs with built in refrigerators.

From Celeb to Politician – What makes celebrities like Ronald Reagan, Jesse Ventura and Arnold Schwarzenegger decided to turn in the glamour for a politician’s life? And what makes them so good at it?

A Week In The Life of A Reenactor – Reenactors tend to be pretty colorful characters. They often dedicate all of their spare time to researching, practicing and preparing for reenactments in an effort to make them as real and as accurate as possible.

Greatest Fictional Characters – and their impact on society. These characters can be from books, TV, movies or cartoons. They can be dogs, doctors, lovers, villains, heros or even cars. For example, what effects have Cliff Huxtable, Gregory House and Trapper John had on our collective American psyches? This could be done as a top-10 count down show.

Mommy Bloggers – this is a phenomenon that has reached Wall Street. Many blogs started by moms about family, child rearing and motherhood now have the backing of major sponsorship. Who are these mommy bloggers and how can you cash in?

International Holidays in the U.S. – I’d love to see how Hindus in Berkeley are celebrating Diwali and how the West Indians in DC go all out for the Carnival in Brooklyn. There are lots of international holidays being celebrated in our own back yards. You don’t even need a passport.

If you’ve any of these ideas on air already, that only proves that they are good. Hey, now that I’ve written these ideas out, some of them look kinda good. Hurry up and produce them before I do!  If you have any ideas that you’d like someone else to produce, please share.

Review: Capitalism – A Love Story

First let me say that I agree with Michael Moore’s general premise in his documentary Capitalism: A Love Story that corporate greed is out of hand and that average citizens are paying the price.  I think many people do.  What I was hoping to see was informative examples and enlightening arguments to support his point of view. 

What I got was a depressing visual essay in which Moore used loads of stock footage to illustrate his feelings.  That is not to say that there were no good points made or that the archival material wasn’t effective at times.  The best use of classic footage was the opening montage – a black and white reenactment about the fall of Rome intercut with recent American political figures.  But the old clips used to demonstrate the ideals of capitalism, the weaknesses of capitalism, the promise of the American dream, the failure of the American dream, and everything leading up to them was very heavy handed.  Perhaps Moore was trying to lighten the mood but instead gave the film a cartoon-like feel.

Moore is always strong when he hits the road in search of help for the common man.  Demanding money back from the banks with a burlap sack and attempting to make a citizen’s arrest of bank managers are funny reminders of how badly the banks have ripped off the people of this country.  There are also some salient examples of ripping off tactics.  Moore shared some now all too familiar touching stories of foreclosure victims duped by unethical mortgage loans.  And, I was surprised to learn that corporations take out million dollar life insurance policies on their workers.

The movie needed more interviews from the opposing side or people who used to work for the opposing side.  We all know what the problem is. But WHY do bigwigs think they are justified in hurting the little guy?

The movie ends with Moore inviting viewers to join him in putting a stop to capitalism and corporate greed.  He didn’t give examples in the film but you can find some on the Capitalism: A Love Story website.  Overall, the movie made good points but lacked depth.  It was terribly depressing yet slightly inspiring at the same time.  After paying to see the movie, I am left with this question: how much of my $9 goes to the mega-media giant Viacom, the parent company of Paramount Vantage who is one of the producers of this film?

Writing Successful Grant Applications

Some of the most successful independent television and film producers are also the most successful at securing grant funding.  There are many types of grants out there including government agencies, non-profit organizations and private funding.  Once you have identified the grants that match your project, it is time to delve into the process of actually applying for the grants.  Here are a few pointers to help you make the most of your submissions.

• Carefully read the instructions and guidelines and then FOLLOW THEM to the letter.  This means filling out every section of the application in entirety.  If you talk to grant readers, one of the biggest mistakes they site is a non-complete application.  During my short stint as a grant reader, I found it helpful when the grant applicants mimicked the grant outline exactly as it was laid out.
• For any narrative answers, write clearly and concisely in jargon-free language.  This is not a time to impress people with your industry speak.  You want to plainly set out your intension so that anyone reading the application has a clear picture of you goals.
• Share your passion.  Just because you are writing clearly, doesn’t mean you have to be boring.  The best way to convince someone that your idea is worthy is to show some excitement about it.
• Give specifics.  A good idea or worthy cause do not speak for themselves.  Grant givers want to know that you have a plan to achieve your goals.  Do some research ahead of time and create an outline for yourself about what you are going to do and how you are going to do it.
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions.  Believe it or not, grant givers want complete, competitive applications.  If you don’t know how to answer a question, ask for clarification.  You can even ask about what the grant giver is looking for.  You never know what kind of response you’ll get.  Also ask previous successful grant recipients what they did to create a winning application.  They may have some insight that you never thought of.

Good luck.  For more information about fundraising in general, check out the recording of my teleseminar:  Funding Your Dream Documentary.