About this column: Many filmmakers ponder in anguish, How do other people—celebrated people—do it? Am I taking too long to make this documentary? Does everybody spend as much money as I am spending, or am I spending too little? And when filmmakers share their lessons learned in interviews in the glossy trade magazines, their tales seem to follow the arc of otherworldy heroes rather than real documentary makers, i.e. human beings like you and me. So each month, the Doc Doctor will go out into the world (this real world) of filmmakers who are successful and find out how they made it. The "Anatomy of a Film Column" is a chance to learn from filmmakers' hits and misses in real life examples. —Fernanda Rossi, story consultant a.k.a. the Documentary Doctor
Ask the Doc Doctor
The Doc Doctor's Anatomy of a Film: "Plagues & Pleasures on the Salton Sea"
Chris Metzler and Jeff Springer braved camera-melting heat to film their documentary
May 6th, 2008 | Fernanda RossiThe Doc Doctor's Anatomy of a Film: "The Longing"
The deeper she got into shooting, the more emotionally engaged filmmaker Gabriela Böhm became in her subjects' plight. The result is a very different film from the one she set out to make
April 5th, 2008 | Fernanda Rossi
About this new column: Many filmmakers ponder in anguish, How do other people—celebrated people—do it? Am I taking too long to make this documentary? Does everybody spend as much money as I am spending, or am I spending too little? And when filmmakers share their lessons learned in interviews in the glossy trade magazines, their tales seem to follow the arc of otherworldy heroes rather than real documentary makers, i.e. human beings like you and me. So each month, the Doc Doctor will go out into the world (this real world) of filmmakers who are successful and find out how they made it. The "Anatomy of a Film Column" is a chance to learn from filmmakers' hits and misses in real life examples. —Fernanda Rossi, story consultant a.k.a. the Documentary Doctor
The Doc Doctor's Anatomy of a Film: "I Was a Teenage Feminist"
Therese Shechter talks about where the idea—and the money—came from, for this very personal, irreverent film
March 19th, 2008 | Fernanda Rossi
About this new column: Many filmmakers ponder in anguish, How do other people—celebrated people—do it? Am I taking too long to make this documentary? Does everybody spend as much money as I am spending, or am I spending too little? And when filmmakers share their lessons learned in interviews in the glossy trade magazines, their tales seem to follow the arc of otherworldy heroes rather than real documentary makers, i.e. human beings like you and me. So each month, the Doc Doctor will go out into the world (this real world) of filmmakers who are successful and find out how they made it. The "Anatomy of a Film Column" is a chance to learn from filmmakers' hits and misses in real life examples. —Fernanda Rossi, story consultant a.k.a. the Documentary Doctor
The Doc Doctor's Anatomy of a Film: "51 Birch Street"
Doug Block talks about the making of his hit documentary about his parents' marriage
February 10th, 2008 | Fernanda Rossi
About this new column: Many filmmakers ponder in anguish, How do other people—celebrated people—do it? Am I taking too long to make this documentary? Does everybody spend as much money as I am spending, or am I spending too little? And when filmmakers share their lessons learned in interviews in the glossy trade magazines, their tales seem to follow the arc of otherworldy heroes rather than real documentary makers, i.e. human beings like you and me. So starting this month, the Doc Doctor decided to go out into the world (this real world) of filmmakers who are successful and find out how they made it. Each month, her "anatomy" will be a chance to learn from their hits and misses in real life examples. —Fernanda Rossi, story consultant a.k.a. the Documentary Doctor
The Doc Doctor's Anatomy of a Successful Film: "Divan"
Filmmaker Pearl Gluck uses her quest to reclaim a sofa to unpack the story of her Jewish heritage
December 26th, 2007 | Fernanda Rossi
About this new column: Many filmmakers ponder in anguish, How do other people—celebrated people—do it? Am I taking too long to make this documentary? Does everybody spend as much money as I am spending, or am I spending too little? And when filmmakers share their lessons learned in interviews in the glossy trade magazines, their tales seem to follow the arc of otherworldy heroes rather than real documentary makers, i.e. human beings like you and me. So starting this month, the Doc Doctor decided to go out into the world (this real world) of filmmakers who are successful and find out how they made it. Each month, her "anatomy" will be a chance to learn from their hits and misses in real life examples. —Fernanda Rossi, story consultant a.k.a. the Documentary Doctor
The Doc Doctor's Anatomy of a Film: "Kiran over Mongolia"
How Joseph Spaid's documentary became the toast of 25 film festivals and counting
November 7th, 2007 | Fernanda Rossi
About this new column: Many filmmakers ponder in anguish, How do other people—celebrated people—do it? Am I taking too long to make this documentary? Does everybody spend as much money as I am spending, or am I spending too little? And when filmmakers share their lessons learned in interviews in the glossy trade magazines, their tales seem to follow the arc of otherworldy heroes rather than real documentary makers, i.e. human beings like you and me. So starting this month, the Doc Doctor decided to go out into the world (this real world) of filmmakers who are successful and find out how they made it. Each month, her "anatomy" will be a chance to learn from their hits and misses in real life examples. —Fernanda Rossi, story consultant a.k.a. the Documentary Doctor
Blurring the Lines
The boundary between her film—about children with cancer—and her life evaporated when Julia Reichert herself was diagnosed with cancer
July 1st, 2006 | Julia Reichert, Steven BognarOhio-based filmmakers Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert’s 3-hour and 45-minute documentary A Lion in the House follows five families with economically and racially diverse backgrounds over six years during their fights against childhood cancer.
Multiple Endings
Ask the Documentary Doctor
July 1st, 2006 | Fernanda RossiDear Doc Doctor:
My documentary has three potential endings. How do I choose one?
False starts, fake endings, such are the tricks that storytelling—and life—plays on us. But it’s important to remember that endings are choices, even when documenting real events.
Making it on public TV
The Documentary Doc outlines how you can get on PBS, and the difference between the network's hard and soft feeds
April 1st, 2006 | Fernanda RossiHow can I get my work onto public television?
Is it okay to bring my kids to along when I'm shooting?
The Documentary Doc answers that question, plus whether you should tell people if you're pregnant
March 1st, 2006 | Fernanda RossiI’m a cinematographer, and I just found out that I’m pregnant. Should I tell people? I can’t afford to lose any jobs right now.
