The Story Studio

10/23/2014

As some of you know, we've just launched a sister production company to The Story Studio. We're excited for many reasons, one of which is that it will allow us to create more targeted learning tools for our Story Studio community - like this! Check out this case study on our first short film.

As nonfiction storytellers, there are two questions that always come to mind when first embarking on a new project..

10/16/2014

This is happening right now on Creative Live! Alex Blumberg from This American Life is discussing interviewing and how to infuse your stories with emotion.

Watch free live online classes taught by the world's top instructors. Learn photography, design, business, and more. Join today!

10/14/2014

Is there a documentary idea trapped in your mind? Set it free! We've got 3 essential workshops designed to build your confidence so you can start NOW.

Too many stories get trapped in our minds, backlogged with a thousand little details. "Should I buy or rent a camera? Which one? When do I start shooting? When do I stop?" In reality, there are only a handful of truly essential questions. When you focus on these, the details will fall into place.

10/06/2014

A nice little list of upcoming film grants/deadlines. Lots of October deadlines!

Welcome to the Fall Edition of upcoming opportunities for filmmakers! It's that time of year, at least in the Northern Hemisphere, when days get shorter and leaves turn red and fall off -- It's the perfect time to plan your next film. Now, if only money grew on trees, we'd all be outside madly rakin…

07/31/2014

Not all stories are created equal. Put your documentary ideas to the test with our updated e-book.

Your idea informs everything that comes after it, so it’s imperative to start on the right track. In this e-book, we explore the factors that make for a successful documentary film.

07/21/2014

Now's the time! NY Times Op Docs Pitch Competition.

In collaboration with the Ford Foundation?s JustFilms and the Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP), we are excited to announce the first Op-Docs live pitch competition at The New York Times headquarters.

07/17/2014

Great documentaries are 50% intuition and 50% craft. In other words, you're half way there. We'll help you get the rest of the way.

One Director's Journey participant will receive a scholarship for $1,000 worth of additional resources to help bring their idea to completion during the 16-week course.

07/17/2014

Interesting POV Magazine article on the relationship between directors and their subjects...

Maintaining objectivity while profiling a subject is one of the most problematic tasks for a documentary filmmaker. How do they do it?

06/17/2014

New FREE crowdfunding site. Worth a look.

06/17/2014

Once you understand the basic rules of visual grammar a whole world of creativity opens up. We all know and use these rules passively when watching films. But in order to direct, you have to bring them from the realm of the unconscious so you can apply them on purpose.

This weekend, we dive deep into these rules of visual grammar.

Explore the basic visual building blocks and how to apply them in the uncontrolled setting of reality.

06/10/2014

A director's role can seem quite nebulous and overwhelming at times. But when it boils right down to it, your job is simply two-fold:

You're in charge of gathering enough footage so once in the edit you can assemble a story which makes:
a) narrative sense
b) visual sense

We've developed two workshops that tackle these challenges head on. The first one starts this Saturday!

Gain confidence as a director and take control of your story before you ever turn the camera on.

06/06/2014

"Story" has become quite the catch-phrase lately. But doing well it can be an elusive task. Gain confidence in your directing in this two-day workshop. June 14 - 15

Story is not just a label that you can place on any film or idea. It's a specific narrative strategy, a conscious arrangement of information. When done right, it inspires, motivates and takes your audience on an emotional journey.