Locomotion Media Group, LLC
  • Welcome
  • Motion Pictures
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  • Education
    • AM&I 2015 >
      • AM&I 2015 FINAL VIDEOS
      • Welcome to Duke AM&I
      • Course schedule >
        • Week 1 (Aug 27) >
          • Class Notes - Week 1
        • Week 2 (Sept 3) >
          • Class Notes - Week 2
        • Week 3 (Sept 10) Edit Lab #1 >
          • Class Notes - Week 3
        • Week 4 (Sept 17) Guac Premiere #1 >
          • Class Notes - Week 4
          • Story #1: Food Entrepreneurs
        • Week 5 (Sept 24) >
          • Class Notes - Week 5
        • Week 6 (Oct 1) Edit Lab #2 >
          • Class Notes - Week 6
          • How to set up and light an interview.
        • Week 7 (Oct 8) Guac Premiere #2 >
          • Class Notes - Week 7
          • Story #2: Arts Entrepreneurs
        • Week 8 (Oct 15) >
          • Class Notes - Week 8
        • Week 9 (Oct 22) >
          • Class Notes - Week 9
        • Week 10 (Oct 29) Edit Lab #3 >
          • Class Notes - Week 10
        • Week 11 (Nov 5) >
          • Class Notes - Week 11
        • Week 12 (Nov 12) Guac Premiere #3 >
          • Class Notes - Week 12
          • Story #3: Entrepreneurs
        • Week 13 (Nov 19)
        • Week 14 (Nov 26) No class!
        • Week 15 (Dec 3)
    • AMP 2016 >
      • AMP 2016 Final Videos
      • Welcome to Duke AMP
      • Course Schedule >
        • Week 1 (Aug 30) Intro >
          • AMP Week 1 Class Notes
        • Week 2 (Sept 6) Production Lab and Pitch 101 >
          • AMP Week 2 Class Notes
        • Week 3 (Sept 13) Edit Lab #1, Story #1 Pitch >
          • AMP Week 3 Class Notes
        • Week 4 (Sept 20) >
          • AMP Week 4 Class Notes
        • Week 5 (Sept 27) Edit Lab #2, Story #1 Rough Cut >
          • AMP Week 5 Class Notes
        • Week 6 (Oct 4) Guac Premiere #1 >
          • AMP Week 6 Class Notes
          • Story #1
        • Week 7 (Oct 11) Fall Break
        • Week 8 (Oct 18) American Underground, Story #2 Pitch >
          • AMP Week 8 Class Notes
        • Week 9 (Oct 25)
        • Week 10 (Nov 1) Production Lab #2 >
          • AMP Week 10 Class Notes
        • Week 11 (Nov 8) Edit Lab #3, Story #2 Rough Cut >
          • AMP Week 11 Class Notes
        • Week 12 (Nov 15) Guac Premiere #2 >
          • AMP Week 12 Class Notes
        • Week 13 (Nov 22) Final Presentation Preparation >
          • AMP Week 13 Class Notes
        • Week 14 (Nov 29) >
          • AMP Week 14 Class Notes
        • Week 15 (Dec 6) Final Presentations
    • AMP 2017 >
      • AMP 2017 Final Videos
      • Welcome to Duke AMP 2017
      • COURSE SCHEDULE >
        • Week 1 (Aug 29) Intro
        • Week 2 (Sept 5) Production Lab and Pitch 101
        • Week 3 (Sept 12) Edit Lab #1, Story #1 Pitch
        • Week 4 (Sept 19) PRODUCTION WORKSHOP
        • Week 5 (Sept 26) Edit Lab #2, Story #1 Rough Cut
        • Week 6 (Oct 3) Guac Premiere #1
        • Week 7 (Oct 10) Fall Break
        • Week 8 (Oct 17 American Underground, Story #2 Pitch
        • Week 9 (Oct 24) Production Lab #2
        • Week 10 (Oct 31) PRODUCTION WORKSHOP
        • Week 11 (Nov 7) Edit Lab #3, Story #2 Rough Cut
        • Week 12 (Nov 14) Guac Premiere #2
        • Week 13 (Nov 21) Final Presentation Preparation
        • Week 14 (Nov 28)
        • Week 15 (Dec 5) Final Presentations
    • AMP 2019 >
      • Welcome to Duke AMP 2019
      • MORE INFO >
        • Before we begin...
        • Resources
        • Story Requirements
        • Story Roles and Responsibilities
        • Coffee Talks
      • COURSE SCHEDULE >
        • Week 1 (Wednesday Jan 9th) Intro
        • Week 2 (Monday Jan 14th) Production Lab and Pitch 101
        • Week 3 (Jan 21) NO CLASS MLK
        • Week 4 (Jan 28th) Edit Lab #1, Story #1 Pitch
        • Week 5 (Feb 4th) PRODUCTION WORKSHOP
        • Week 6 (Feb 11th) Edit Lab #2, Story #1 Rough Cut
        • Week 7 (Feb 18th) Guac Premiere #1
        • Week 8 (Feb 25th) American Underground, Story #2 Pitch
        • Week 9 (March 4th) Production Lab #2
        • Week 10 (March 11th) Spring Break
        • Week 11 (March 18th) PRODUCTION WORKSHOP
        • Week 12 (March 25th) Edit Lab #3, Story #2 Rough Cut
        • Week 13 (April 1st) Guac Premiere #2
        • Week 14 (April 8th) Final Presentation Preparation
        • Week 15 (April 15th) Making the Pitch
        • Week 16 (April 22nd) Final Presentations
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Class Notes: Week 14

Tim Kiernan (521Studies)

Started about 8 years ago​. Was a freelancer, and then started 521. Before that RedHat, before that Capstrat. Worked on Documentary films. Did the JHF scholarship. Worked on a documentary for a year. Went to NC State and studied Mass Communications and Art & Design.
*Differentiation between freelancing and owning own company.

Tim
-Hasn’t worked on documentary for a while, but did become an editor on a short
-He films his son who is 19 months old
-Did art installation work for a while on the side before his child; always had more of a documentary approach to it
-Delineation between paying the bills and passion projects — he is taking on projects that he is passionate about. Some just pay the bills.

On not getting stuck
-Learn what your boss is doing so you can grow yourself into that position

TK: You shouldn’t be editing your own work. You should look for different perspectives. You should let go of it. It’s a good exercise. Collaboration and letting somebody else put their perspective on it. Find your strength. If it’s editing, then really put your passion into that.

Tim Phase (cue plugging in of materials, queuing up of amazing work)

The work at the documentary for JHF caught the eye of the creative director over at Capstrat, and that got him through that door.

At Capstrat, it was mostly a graphic design landscape (2003). That’s how you were getting your work out. Tim was the only one doing video for a while there. More and more clients began asking for video. He had an ethical dilemma once that involved editing a video for the Department of Defense, but got through it. Started low-salary and worked his way up. This is because they were struggling to determine the value of video in their company. Carson replaced me (basically).

Tim went client-side. He worked for Red Hat. Built up the video department at Red Hat and hired his replacement there too. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-esser-73b51013)

Got an around-the-world ticket to film the world (whoa). Was doing mostly video, but also still. Was pretty crazy being thrown into that, but he got his bearings. Got into a rut where he was always going to be making videos for Red Hat, but could’ve break through. The brand he built at Red Hat still call him up and get him work. Didn’t leave until he built up a 6-month egg where it would be okay if he didn’t get any work. He started getting work after three months.

How does the budget work for these ideas?
-They flex on the budget. They have their budget for the pitch, and then once they decide which direction they want to go, he puts together another estimate for that it will cost.

Advice/tips for breaking into the industry from Tim Kiernan
-Learn how to tell a story. Doesn’t matter the medium; learn how to tell a story.
-Find your voice and how you tell that story. Make that story yours. It won’t matter how much the technology changes if you know how to tell a story.

Vimeo has a lot of great stuff on there.

Contact Tim here. 
​​

Reflections

NYT Article and dissenting opinion
-Critical reading
-Opposition felt he didn’t fact-check efficiently
-Responsibility to present the truth
-Who are these people working for? Who is their audience? What agenda are they trying to push?
Soundbytes
-Ensuring not to misrepresent the purpose
​

Dan Levinson (President, Moxie Pictures)

Moxie Pictures - NYC, LA, and London

DL: Everything we do is about the brand. We do commercials, music videos (mostly out of London), 

Hybrid documentary - Part documentary/part scripted. Docu-fiction. 

Deena - A real-life dramatic comedy. Has absolutely no tropes. No interviews. About an autistic couple getting married after she has a tragedy. 

Same directors as Mala Mala (https://vimeo.com/ondemand/malamala)

“We don’t want to pigeonhole it.” We are calling it a real-life dramatic comedy. Because it’s in at Sundance, it’s in the documentary section, we don’t have to call it a documentary and pigeonhole it. It’s six hours. Netflix. 

Errol Morris came over with my partner. Ben Wheatley is “the hottest, coolest British filmmaker right now.” He did Free Fire. Look up his films. (https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/ben_wheatley/)

Left Duke, was an AC (Assistant Cameraman). I worked in a camera department and I had an in because my father was a commercial director. I was tired as an AC and opened up a production company and got a job as a director. 

Advice
-Write. It’s all about the story. 
-Ben Hat (graduated 1.5 years ago, is the right hand man at Moxie)

Connect with Dan here.

Production Plan Workshop

Danielle
-Raj story on drugs’ influence on his work
–Danny on pitching stories: You should have a title. It’s integral.

Quinn
-Ungraded Produce give better idea of supply chain

Will
-More upbeat, fast-pace version of Mural Durham/Candy Carver

Alice
-Queen Curator, getting another interview
-More focused on story instead of 

Hunter
-Candy Carver, new title, better music mixing, focus on Durham music, more b-roll

Summer
-Queen Curator, nat sound, transitioning between nighttime and daytime, more durham b-roll, environment, what was at stake putting this on and what did she sacrifice?

Julian
-Girl Power, what kind of transparency are we dealing with between Duke students and policymakers?

Lauren
-Ungraded Produce, Courtney featuring Ungraded Produce, what brought her to Ungraded Produce?
​

​Pitching

-consider using props during your pitches next week
-incorporate a one-pager
-dress for the company you are pitching to but be yourself -- feel good and feel confident 

PLEASE BRING YOUR PIECE ON YOUR HARD DRIVE NEXT WEEK
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​Do you have a story to tell? Let us help!


Send us an email, or drop us a line on Facebook or LinkedIn using the links below. 

©2015-2023 Locomotion Media Group, LLC
  • Welcome
  • Motion Pictures
  • Motion Graphics
  • Education
    • AM&I 2015 >
      • AM&I 2015 FINAL VIDEOS
      • Welcome to Duke AM&I
      • Course schedule >
        • Week 1 (Aug 27) >
          • Class Notes - Week 1
        • Week 2 (Sept 3) >
          • Class Notes - Week 2
        • Week 3 (Sept 10) Edit Lab #1 >
          • Class Notes - Week 3
        • Week 4 (Sept 17) Guac Premiere #1 >
          • Class Notes - Week 4
          • Story #1: Food Entrepreneurs
        • Week 5 (Sept 24) >
          • Class Notes - Week 5
        • Week 6 (Oct 1) Edit Lab #2 >
          • Class Notes - Week 6
          • How to set up and light an interview.
        • Week 7 (Oct 8) Guac Premiere #2 >
          • Class Notes - Week 7
          • Story #2: Arts Entrepreneurs
        • Week 8 (Oct 15) >
          • Class Notes - Week 8
        • Week 9 (Oct 22) >
          • Class Notes - Week 9
        • Week 10 (Oct 29) Edit Lab #3 >
          • Class Notes - Week 10
        • Week 11 (Nov 5) >
          • Class Notes - Week 11
        • Week 12 (Nov 12) Guac Premiere #3 >
          • Class Notes - Week 12
          • Story #3: Entrepreneurs
        • Week 13 (Nov 19)
        • Week 14 (Nov 26) No class!
        • Week 15 (Dec 3)
    • AMP 2016 >
      • AMP 2016 Final Videos
      • Welcome to Duke AMP
      • Course Schedule >
        • Week 1 (Aug 30) Intro >
          • AMP Week 1 Class Notes
        • Week 2 (Sept 6) Production Lab and Pitch 101 >
          • AMP Week 2 Class Notes
        • Week 3 (Sept 13) Edit Lab #1, Story #1 Pitch >
          • AMP Week 3 Class Notes
        • Week 4 (Sept 20) >
          • AMP Week 4 Class Notes
        • Week 5 (Sept 27) Edit Lab #2, Story #1 Rough Cut >
          • AMP Week 5 Class Notes
        • Week 6 (Oct 4) Guac Premiere #1 >
          • AMP Week 6 Class Notes
          • Story #1
        • Week 7 (Oct 11) Fall Break
        • Week 8 (Oct 18) American Underground, Story #2 Pitch >
          • AMP Week 8 Class Notes
        • Week 9 (Oct 25)
        • Week 10 (Nov 1) Production Lab #2 >
          • AMP Week 10 Class Notes
        • Week 11 (Nov 8) Edit Lab #3, Story #2 Rough Cut >
          • AMP Week 11 Class Notes
        • Week 12 (Nov 15) Guac Premiere #2 >
          • AMP Week 12 Class Notes
        • Week 13 (Nov 22) Final Presentation Preparation >
          • AMP Week 13 Class Notes
        • Week 14 (Nov 29) >
          • AMP Week 14 Class Notes
        • Week 15 (Dec 6) Final Presentations
    • AMP 2017 >
      • AMP 2017 Final Videos
      • Welcome to Duke AMP 2017
      • COURSE SCHEDULE >
        • Week 1 (Aug 29) Intro
        • Week 2 (Sept 5) Production Lab and Pitch 101
        • Week 3 (Sept 12) Edit Lab #1, Story #1 Pitch
        • Week 4 (Sept 19) PRODUCTION WORKSHOP
        • Week 5 (Sept 26) Edit Lab #2, Story #1 Rough Cut
        • Week 6 (Oct 3) Guac Premiere #1
        • Week 7 (Oct 10) Fall Break
        • Week 8 (Oct 17 American Underground, Story #2 Pitch
        • Week 9 (Oct 24) Production Lab #2
        • Week 10 (Oct 31) PRODUCTION WORKSHOP
        • Week 11 (Nov 7) Edit Lab #3, Story #2 Rough Cut
        • Week 12 (Nov 14) Guac Premiere #2
        • Week 13 (Nov 21) Final Presentation Preparation
        • Week 14 (Nov 28)
        • Week 15 (Dec 5) Final Presentations
    • AMP 2019 >
      • Welcome to Duke AMP 2019
      • MORE INFO >
        • Before we begin...
        • Resources
        • Story Requirements
        • Story Roles and Responsibilities
        • Coffee Talks
      • COURSE SCHEDULE >
        • Week 1 (Wednesday Jan 9th) Intro
        • Week 2 (Monday Jan 14th) Production Lab and Pitch 101
        • Week 3 (Jan 21) NO CLASS MLK
        • Week 4 (Jan 28th) Edit Lab #1, Story #1 Pitch
        • Week 5 (Feb 4th) PRODUCTION WORKSHOP
        • Week 6 (Feb 11th) Edit Lab #2, Story #1 Rough Cut
        • Week 7 (Feb 18th) Guac Premiere #1
        • Week 8 (Feb 25th) American Underground, Story #2 Pitch
        • Week 9 (March 4th) Production Lab #2
        • Week 10 (March 11th) Spring Break
        • Week 11 (March 18th) PRODUCTION WORKSHOP
        • Week 12 (March 25th) Edit Lab #3, Story #2 Rough Cut
        • Week 13 (April 1st) Guac Premiere #2
        • Week 14 (April 8th) Final Presentation Preparation
        • Week 15 (April 15th) Making the Pitch
        • Week 16 (April 22nd) Final Presentations