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.
*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
-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.
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?
-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
-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
