PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA, THE: 2013 PALEY DocPitch COMPETITION {DOCUMENTARY PITCH} {LONG VERSION}
Summary
One in a series of evenings and special screenings presented as part of The Paley Center for Media’s PALEYDOCFEST 2013, honoring documentaries and documentary filmmakers. Held at the Paley Center in New York, this seminar sees five documentary filmmakers pitching their ideas for documentaries before a panel as part of an annual competition, who decide which one will receive a grant to aid its completion. Ron Simon (curator, The Paley Center for Media) offers opening remarks and explains the rules of the competition. He then introduces the judges: Susan Werbe (executive producer or programming, History Channel), Andrew Mer (vice-president of content partnerships, SnagFilms), Diana Holtzberg (vice-president, Films Transit International and president, East Village Entertainment), Cynthia Lopez (executive vice-president and co-executive producer, "POV"), and Molly Thompson, (vice-president, A&E IndieFilms).
The panelists touch on such topics as: what makes a good pitch, including a clear "log line" and clarity; the importance of explaining why a film should be made; and the relative importance of the verbal explanation versus the importance of the clip reel.
After the discussion, the pitches begin, starting with Jennifer Brea and her film "Canary in a Coal Mine," which examines myalgic encephalomyelitis ("M.E."), commonly known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, an undiagnosed and largely unknown disease with a variety of unpredictable and debilitating symptoms. In a clip, Brea and several others with the illness explain how they "disappeared completely" into the disease, though were often told by doctors that it was "in their heads." The disease, which affects more women than men, was given the dismissive nickname "Yuppie Flu" in the 1980s, but there are still few answers and very little research going into finding a cure. Brea explains that she was a writer and a PhD student at Harvard before becoming ill, and then began self-filming and talking with other sufferers, adding that the film follows four characters, including herself, and is currently at the beginning of production. The panelists then offer criticism of Brea's pitch and ask her questions about the film, including: details of the broadly-defined disease, often mistaken for polio in the past; whether the film will include scientific aspects as well as personal; her decision to explore others' experience as well as her own due to her position of relative wealth and privilege; and her use of archival footage to add a "lighter touch" to the somber film.
Next up is Shaleece Haas and her film "Real Boy," which follows 19-year-old Bennett Gwizdalski through the first two years of his transition from female to male, as well as his struggles with addiction, his dreams of a musical career and his relationships with his mother Suzy and mentor Joe Stevens. In the clip, Bennett and Suzy view home movies of Bennett's childhood, a time he describes as highly uncomfortable, and he explains his descent into addiction as a way of coping with conflicting emotions. Joe, also a transgender musician and recovering addict, befriends and mentors Bennett, and the two work on original songs together. Haas explains that the film is 75% completed and that it deals with general themes of parent/child relationships and adolescence as well as the transgender issues. The panelists then offer criticism of Haas' pitch and ask her questions about the film, including: the film's budget and length; the focus on the character of Suzy and her slow acceptance of her child's true gender; how she met Bennett; social media presence and mentorship within in the LGBT community; and the noticeable absence of Bennett's sister and father in the film.
Next is Laura Israel and her film "Robert Frank: You Got Eyes," which profiles Swiss-born photographer and artist Frank, known for his 1959 photo book "The Americans," which depicted varying stages and classes of life in post-WWII America. The film's trailer is shown, and Israel explains that Frank has created many films and videos as well as still photography, adding that she has almost complete access to his full body of work and that her long-time editing experience will contribute to the project. The panelists then offer criticism of Israel's pitch and ask her questions about the film, including: the lack of other films about the famous Frank; the budget and song rights, including those for Patti Smith's cover of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit," as heard in the trailer; the inclusion in the film of the darker aspects of Frank's life, including the deaths of his two children; the film's apparent lack of narrative and Frank's hard-to-understand accented voice; the film as a "collage" of an abstract thinker; and the depiction of Frank's creative process.
Next is Rachel Beth Anderson and her film "First to Fall," which profiles two Canadian students, Tarek and Hamid, who decide to return to Libya and volunteer to fight against dictator Muammar Gaddafi. In a clip, the two friends attempt to board a ship in Benghazi headed for Misrata, where the fighting is thickest, though Tarek is forbidden from going and Hamid travels alone, filming himself and his newfound friends along the way. Anderson states that she intends to combine Hamid's footage with her own, noting that the film is unique because it depicts a war fought by untrained volunteer fighters rather than soldiers. She explains that Tarek was seriously injured in the fight and that her film now requires a different ending, depicting the aftermath of his experience. The panelists then offer criticism of Anderson's pitch and ask her questions about the film, including: the nature of the volunteer army; the men's personal reasons for combating Gaddafi, who serves as an unseen character of sorts; how she gained access into the "very male world" depicted; Libya's understanding of the importance of journalists to cover the uprising; her own background and interest in foreign correspondence; and the film's budget and trajectory.
Last up is Steven Loring and his film "The Age of Love," which follows eight senior citizens as they attend a speed-dating event for 70- to 90-year-olds. In the clip, the participants discuss their interest in finding dates and potential partners, noting that it can be "discouraging" to look for love at an advanced age. One woman talks about her past loves, now deceased, and the participants attend the event and then later receive their results and "matches" in the mail. Loring discusses his screenwriting background and Master's in filmmaking, and the panelists then offer criticism of Anderson's pitch and ask her questions about the film, including: how long the film follows the eight daters; the "personal risk" of allowing Loring into their romantic lives with his camera; whether the film has a "star" character; and his current editing process.
The judges then convene to choose a winner, and they announce that they have decided to award a special $2,500 jury prize to Brea for "Canary in a Coal Mine." They then award the main $5,000 prize to Loring for "The Age of Love," and offer closing comments about the five films and the strengths and weaknesses of the various pitches.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: November 16, 2013 2:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:55:19
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 111919
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Ron Simon … Host
- Susan Werbe … Panelist
- Andrew Mer … Panelist
- Diana Holtzberg … Panelist
- Cynthia Lopez … Panelist
- Molly Thompson … Panelist
- Jennifer Brea … Guest
- Shaleece Haas … Guest
- Laura Israel … Guest
- Rachel Beth Anderson … Guest
- Steven Loring … Guest
- Robert Frank
- Muammar Gaddafi
- Bennett Gwizdalski
- Nirvana
- Suzy Reinke
- Joe Stevens
- Patti Smith