LEGAL WORKSHOP
Friday November 24th, 9.00am, Stop 22.
Michael Frankel
A workshop discussing some of the legal options open to documentary filmmakers. Lawyer, Michael Frankel will combine practical legal advice on difficult issues with a form of general comment and observation on the institutional powers affecting documentary filmmaking. This workshop will specifically cover: key defamation issues, the law affecting personal or corporation releases to documentary filmmakers, the principles of the new privacy laws, the effect of documentary funding and broadcasting bodies such as the FFC, AFC, State Film Funding Bodies, ABC, SBS and potential PAY television services in respect of documentary filmmaking.
THE AUSTRALIAN FILM COMMISSION
Friday November 24th,
9.45am, The Marquee
Sonja Armstrong
Jane Oehr
Ultra Low Budget Documentary Filmmakers
A.K.A. Guerilla Dox
The Film Development Branch of the AFC is undertaking an initiative to encourage ultra low budget documentary filmmaking. In recognising that present funding structures tend to favour higher budget, script based films, it wishes to open up opportunities for filmmakers wanting to engage in greater experimentation in a lower budget mode. A strong idea and convincing approach constitute the principal funding criteria. For the filmmaker, this means greater creative freedom in the ways (e.g non-script based, process based) and means (e.g (hi-8 and super-VHS) in which they tell their stories.
THE AUSTRALIAN FILM FINANCE CORPORATION
Saturday November 25th, 9.00am,
Australian Institute of Management
David Noakes
Sue Seeary
An opportunity to ask questions about making documentaries with the Australian Film Finance Corporation
THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL
Saturday November 25th, 9.45am,
Australian Institute of Management
Steven Burns
Deb Stewart
An opportunity to meet and ask questions about working with the world's largest documentary broadcaster.
STARTING AT THE END
Saturday November 25th, 5.30pm, Stop 22
John Flaus
Pat Laughren
Owen Johnston
An editing workshop with the makers of the ABC documentary 'The Legend of Fred Paterson'. John Flaus, who provides narration for the film will discuss some of the implications of editing for the construction of character and meaning in documentary
PACIFIC ISLAND DOCUMENTARY PROJECT
Saturday November 25th, 9.45am,
Australian Institute of Management
Steven Burns
Deb Stewart
Over the past two years the UNICEF Pacific office in Fiji has involved recent graduates from Australian tertiary film programs in a unique project
documenting the situation of pacific isand youth. The project - funded by AusAID and in collaboration with the Australian Screen Director's Association and the University of the South Pacific media centre - has produced a number of videos on issues facing Pacific youth such as teen pregnancies, STD/AIDS, youth suicide, juvenile crime and alcoholism. Last year, the young filmmkaers worked in Fiji and this year, film teams shot in the marshall Isalnds and in Western Samoa. one documentary - broadcast on Fiji one TV in August this year looked at growing up in Fiji through the eyes of contestants in the Miss Hibiscus beauty pageant.
RESEARCHING OVERSEAS
Monday November 27th, 9.30am,
Cafe Diva
Sally Ingleton
Where do you begin when you have an idea set in a foreign country? A step by step approach including research techniques: making contacts: choosing interpreters; getting film permits and dealing with government restrictions; interview techniques with interpreters; essential production matters like bribes; cultural sensitivity; handling local staff and crew morale when they are a long way from home! To be presented in a practical anecdotal fashion using case studies to illustrate points.
WRITING FOR DOCO
Monday November 27th 2.00pm,
George Two
Russell Porter
This workshop will examine the role of the writer in the documentary process - from initial proposal and subsmission writing through to narration writing in post-production. The session will cover questions of style (e.g how do you write verite?), arranging ideas from research and the difficulties of the script writer-director relationship.
INTERVIEW TECHNIQUE
Monday November 27th,
1.00pm, Stop 22
David Langsem
What has happened to the hard questions? Journalist David Langsem will take particpants through a range of different interview scenarios emphasising some of the techniques helpful in getting the required information or responses.
DIRECTING NON-ACTORS
Monday November 27th, 1.00pm, George One
Gaylene Preston
Award winning drama director Gaylene Preston (Ruby and Rata, Mr Wrong) will discuss in detail her approach to directing non-actors for the documentary.
ETHICS WORKSHOP
Monday November 27th
2.00pm, George One
George One
Jane Mills
Maree Delofski
A one hour workshop considering the question of ethics in documentary cinema drawing on contemporary and historical material.
FILM ORIGINATION FOR WIDESCREEN
Monday, 27th November,
1pm, George Two
Karen Eastmure of Kodak offers insights into the advantages that film origination can offer documentary producers. Widescreen is emerging as the format of the future and this session aims to clarify some of the issues involved in using 16 x 9 Widescreen and Super 16 formats. An explanatory video and film will be screened.
Allie Light and Irving Saraf
Monday November 27th,
11.00am, George Two
These two celebrated documentarists will discuss their extensive working collaboration with particular emphasis on the ways in which they approach the documentary interview.
Diane Tammes and Maggie Ellis
Monday November 27th,
9.30am, George One
Diane Tammes (as cinematographer/director) and Maggie Ellis (as sound recordist) will discuss their professional rapport emphasising the working collaboration necessary between respective documentary crew members.