Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with documentaries

Giving back to directors who need it?

aschwa5 — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 01:50:10 -0800

I often download documentaries, and generally love them, and frequently feel like I want to give back to the director. Monetarily-wise, that is, as perhaps I didn't pay for them. What do you think of a service that allowed for paypal or such donation to individual directors? Could it work? Alternately, directors of small films could set up a link on their websites, and one could spread the idea memetically. I'm not looking to cash in on this, just to get feedback on an idea of how to assuage my guilt and help support those who make films worthy of support.

War Room?

jca — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 08:58:40 -0800

ID this (Bill) Clinton campaign official in the documentary The War Room? In the documentary movie The War Room about the 1992 Clinton presidential campaign, a large group of Clinton campaign officials are meeting around a large table just before a convention talking about the size of their Clinton signs.

Who is the man standing at the end of the room, somewhat annoyed, saying things along the lines of: "Now wait a minute Bob." "Let's get a decision on this." "I know this isn't the greatest policy decision ever..."

Books about Down Under

Jimbob — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 04:42:42 -0800

Can anyone reccomend good books, or documentaries, about Australia (history, culture, politics) written by people from outside Australia? I'm interested in how we look from an international perspective - not from people who've spent a significant part of their lives here, or ex-pats, but people who are really writing from the outside, or who have only visited for a short time and grabbed a glance at the place.

Academic or humorous, either would be good. I've read Chatwin's "Songlines", enjoyed Bill Bryson's efforts, and even Billy Connolly's touring TV show was pretty good. What else is there that people can reccomend?

DocumentaryFilter: In search of BBC's "What is Religion?"

mjklin — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 11:15:24 -0800

DocumentaryFilter: In search of BBC's "What is Religion?" In college, I had a philosophy professor who mentioned several times a documentary that surveyed world religions. He was under the impression that it was made by the BBC and was entitled "What is Religion?", though this may be inaccurate.

The salient point he always mentioned was that, in introducing Buddhism, the filmmakers went not to India or Tibet but to NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab in California. Apparently a lot of the scientists had been "converted" to Buddhism through its resonances with their scientific work.

The professor said the documentary was readily available and that the school library would probably have it. In fact, I haven't been able to find it anywhere, on or off the internet. Naturally the next step is a Hail Mary pass to the hive mind...

Looking for books, articles, podcasts and documentaries to prevent brain stagnation

Alison — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 09:15:35 -0800

In the spirit of this post, what have you read or seen lately (or not so lately) that has changed your mind? I'm looking for some mind-expanding reading, viewing and listening for the new year. Thanks!

Fistful of....fun documentaries?

hiptobesquare — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 19:24:46 -0800

I just watched King of Kong: Fistful of Quarters and loved it. Any other pop culture type documentaries out there I might like? I'm really looking for more upbeat/humorous type documentaries as opposed to say, Jesus Camp, which would most likely just make me angry. Is this a one off? Or are there more fun documentaries out there?

wanted: source and wording of a quote. warm fuzzy feelings of helping someone as reward.

ancamp — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 22:10:52 -0800

wanted: help with the source of and exact wording for a quote. I heard a documentary director talking at a film festival. It was a great discussion about the importance of authenticity, and how (particularly where people are involved!) the truth is so subjective that it's impossible to attain it. In passing he tried to quote someone, but he wasn't sure who it was, and he didn't know the exact wording. I've since tried googling it a few times and haven't turned up anything useful, so I'm putting it out into the AskMe universe to see if it can help.

The quote goes something like this:

"There is no such thing as the truth, but there is such a thing as a damn lie"

Any leads on who said this or what the exact wording is?? :)

Can you reccomend documentaries about line cooks or kitchens?

notchristopher — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 15:49:48 -0800

I am looking for documentaries about line cooks or restaurant kitchens. I read "Kitchen Confidential" by Anthony Bordain (truly amazing book), and very much enjoy the Gordon Ramsey shows on Fox. I don't have cable, so no access to the food channel, which blows. I have been looking for "Ramsey's Boiling Point" or the sequel, but with no luck. I think it was only released in the UK. Thanks for your help.

How to get myself employed in NGC, Discovery, BBC documentary crews

Anonymous — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 07:07:43 -0800

How can a Indian software engineer join documentary/photography crew of National Geographic, Discovery, BBC, PBS or other similar production houses? What kind of jobs are available in these organizations? Are there similar jobs (outside of the documentary business) that can take me to such places and pay for it? Low salary not an issue. (work colleagues read MeFi, hence anonymous, hence a bit lengthy, so pls bear with me).
I am a 29 year old Computer Engineer working in software development for the past 7 years (underutilised from my perspective because I am hardly motivated -- just going thru the motions, but on par for my firm), and over the last 4-5 years I have gradually come to a firm conclusion that I don't want to continue any corporate job that requires me to sit in front of a computer for 8+ hours, enclosed in a dull cell and work for the man. Currently I am dragging along in a VeryBigDeal MNC Computer Inc. in India with good pay, have absolutely no desire to continue in it or in this industry, married, no kids (no plans for the next 3-4 years), no debt, no mortgage, no long-term commitments. Only wife and old parents (without retirals) to support. I've already secured a small house in India, and our daily survival expenses are v.moderate, just about 3 meals (touchwood, no big medicals). I also have some small savings that I can fall back on to go without a steady pay for a year or so. But other than that I am not flu$h in any way. I don't have any other investments, stocks etc. Wifey is a Science graduate, can work something on the side based on where I land up.

The challenge :
The ideal place where I envision myself giving my 250% is in documentaries. Outdoors, in the lap-of-nature, with a filming-crew, under the ocean, on the Arctic ice-sheet, in the midst of Amazon rainforest, on the Tibetan plains, anywhere in Africa et al. I actually cried watching the absolutely stunning beauty of the March of the Penguins. Documentaries are the only thing I care to watch on TV and everytime I wonder, well, these guys must be needing some porters/helpers/assistants to carry their equipment around, take care of trip details, to pitch the tent while they are busy shooting that billion-dollar pic? Can I be that man? I am an amateur photographer myself, and have basic knowledge of film-making from the interwebs, but I don't fancy any chances against the professionals who've been at this game for far too long (atleast not right away, maybe 10-15 years from now). But I think I can be a good assistant and a valuable crew member to teams who do these jobs. Do these people need a tripod-carrying-assistants with a thing for photography ? Is there any forum of professionals who are looking to work in India and need help in researching a particular topic/region before they visit here so that I can get my feet wet while I am at my desk job and gain some street-cred?

And I am not just a couch-happy viewer. I am an adventure freak as well, as far as they go in India. I like to trek, hike, take long walks, have bungee-jumped, skydived (in US), slept overnight out in the open on Goa's beach etc. This is not to boast but just to show that I have that streak in me. I guess for most MeFiites this is just normal, but really in India I am called a nature-wilderness guy, and I am happy with it. Infact I am not even looking at just jobs in geo-societies. Any of those wild-dangerous jobs (working the North-Sea, bridge construction crews, anything that they show on MegaStructures and Frontlines of Construction and similar)..the whacky jobs. Anything outdoors, requiring a fair bit of travel that takes me to stunning places... I am game.

I have already looked into things like WWOOF (visa restriction, short-term, age < 30 years) and other backpacking options, but i get a feeling that most of them really look like short-term odd jobs for single college students, while couchsurfing that country. also, my republic of india passport is not very embassy friendly in many places. in that respect i envy you europeans. however, i am open to even that route (get visa etc.), provided i see a way of stringing together a series of such odd jobs and come out top with some cash at the end of the month to send home to my parents. i don't mind doing short bursts of high-paying jobs mixed with long gaps of minimum or no wage. i guess i'd love it./small>

A real problem I face is that there are v.few people doing such things in India and none that I know of to approach and seek guidance. It's even difficult to google the credits of a "Wild India" Discovery documentary(Aamir Bashir, Samara Chopra, Jasdeep Punna, Avinash Singh, I am looking at you). I guess the NGC office in India is mainly an admin office that takes care of mktg & mag. distribution. There is no one in my circle with a arts/film/social-sciences background. We are all bloody engineers and doctors here.

In order to 'get there from here', I am ready to 'pay my dues' doing low-end menial jobs at these organizations, short-term unpaid-internships, side-assignments, stipends-while-training, etc. to prove to them that though I don't have the academic background, I am willing to put whatever it takes. Infact I think I’d enjoy even that, if it happens to be NGC, Discovery. Do they need people to watch their archives, for hours on endlessly, and....I don’t know like take notes, categorise, place/mark them for specific target audiences etc ?? Do their sales/marketing dept. needs people who can place the right content, customize it across their many media properties? I guess that could be a good first step to take.

I don’t know how the production side of it goes? Sometimes I see a single person appearing in many titles of credits (eg:John Paul Davidson - Himalaya with Palin). Do they first secure a grant from BBC or whoever and then go filming, or is it just that they do the complete thing on their own and then try to sell the rights? I am asking as it may probably impact whether I should be looking at jobs in telecast channels or with individual documentary makers and photographers like Mr.Davidson. Then sometimes I see credits ending with "produced by i stylus for Discovery"(unGoogleable btw) , which suggest presence of small production companies who might be later selling their work to BBC, NGC. Again, I want to know such individuals and companies, who are preferably working in India, or any country where I can just show up and 'take it from there'. If it helps, I have my own film & digital SLR camera(Nikon N80, D70s), let's say if a BigDeal photographer/documentarian requires an assistant with some pay for 6 months with no upfront costs -- maybe I can fit in there?

I’ve thought about joining one of the wilderness tour operators, but again, I don’t have any experience whatsoever as a guide or such high-end places, and I don’t know what is the best way to proceed here.

I even have an idea or two on topics for documentaries right here in India, which NGC and the likes haven't tackled yet. I can work alongside someone (grad film-students who want to shoot their final project?) who have heir own budgets/grants, and be a host to them in India. But I guess without any experience or 'portfolio' nobody is going to take me seriously on this one

Also related: If you know of any jobs in India similar to show-up on the deck for crab-fishing, I might be interested in them.

As far as other skills go: I was a straight 'A' student, good at maths/logic/languages, good communication and team skills, a fairly decent knowledge of various cultures, basic photography skills, can survive on most kind of outside food, no allergies, any water that the locals drink(no Misty Blue ColdMineral for me), have been to US a couple of times, so I have a good feel of US-culture, a good sense of humour, and good presentation skills.

Basically help me chart my way out of the office environs and out in the open, under the vast blue sky.

Any help, any info, any contacts for networking or further guidance, no matter how small or irrelevant you think, please post it. It will only help me. You can reach me at helpmejoinNGC@gmail.com if you have any queries.

YouTube for Serious People

MarshallPoe — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 12:23:11 -0800

Help me find issue-oriented video "backgrounders." I’m looking for short (3 to 10 minutes) video documentaries that provide background info on important political issues like global warming, pollution, poverty, the war on drugs, energy costs, health care, the national debt, the war in Iraq, inequality, racial disparity, and so on. Everything you need to know in a telegraphic, info-packed video presentation. Do such videos exist? Are they on the web? Who makes them? Can anyone provide examples? Thanks.

Dolphin documentary

mjao — Thu, 23 Nov 2006 22:24:20 -0800

What is the best dolphin documentary you have seen? Even though I love to hate dolphins, I'm looking for a documentary that focuses on dolphins specifically, but if it is a "whales-and-dolphins" type programme, that's ok too.

I'm looking for something beyond the basic -- something supremely moving or interesting.

Does one exist?

The documentary needs to be available for purchase or download.

A surrealistic antartic mock-documentary?

scottr — Fri, 01 Sep 2006 13:08:56 -0800

Help remember the name of this this film, please. A surrealistic mock-documentary about an ill-fated antarctic expedition. In color, but with some very old black and white historic footage collaged in of ships, snow, eskimos, a dead bear. An old Irish carpenter (the sole survivor if I recall) in a shack tells the story and reveals that he still has the footage from the expedition. Anyone know? Thanks.

Polish/Ukrainian Film Recommendations

rinkjustice — Wed, 19 Jul 2006 19:54:01 -0800

I'd like recommendations for Polish or Ukrainian historical documentaries or fact-based films. My family from my mother's side is Ukrainian and Polish, and I'd like to learn more about the turbulent social/political/economical past of these two countries - any time period. I'm doing the genealogy for these families and I'm hoping your recommended films give me a fuller understanding of the lives they lived.

Many thanks.

Man, I saw this awesome documentary four years ago...

Happy Dave — Thu, 04 May 2006 07:37:39 -0800

Help me find documentaries that aired 3-6 years ago... Recently, I've had cause to look for a couple of documentaries that I saw on Britain's Channel 4 a few years ago (this one, and this one) and it's got me thinking. One or two of the documentary film-makers I'm interested in sell DVDs of their work, but generally, despite being listed in IMDB, they can't be found in the usual outlets (for me) like Amazon.co.uk. Neither can a trace of them be found on the websites of the TV channels that commissioned them, which isn't really surprising given some of them are 3 or more years old.

My question is, is there any sort of online resource, store or download site which specialises in documentaries, short films and other 'shown once in 1998 at 1:05am on a Tuesday on Channel 4' type stuff?

Making-of documentaries

feelinglistless — Sat, 29 Oct 2005 16:06:30 -0800

Does anyone know of any good articles or essays regarding 'making of' documentaries or non-fiction films about filmmaking? I'm particular interested in reading something which such films as 'Hearts of Darkness' or 'Lost In La Mancha' or 'making-of' documentaries which turn up on dvds. I have tried googling this and the results are just hits to shopping sites. Offline magazine and journals would be fine.

Documentaries?

foraneagle2 — Sun, 17 Apr 2005 23:09:09 -0800

First, help me ID this one from my friend's description: it's this one done by this old man up in the northwest somewhere. he built his own cabin and lived there for something like 50 years by himself--completely by himself. All the camera work is done soley by him. the man is amazing. he does everything on his own. it's the most relaxing thing i ever watched Next, recommend your favorite interesting and well-made documentaries. I'll start with Joseph Campbell's The Power of Myth and the PBS Evolution series.

In search of music documentaries

synecdoche — Sun, 27 Feb 2005 16:05:04 -0800

I am a fan of radio music documentaries, like the BBC's 6 Music Plays it Again or The Edge's The Ongoing History of New Music. Is there any place online where I can listen to such things? Some sort of archive is preferred so I can listen at the odd hours I keep rather than tuning in at a certain time. I've been listening to some on the BBC player, and have found some good ones, but am looking for more. Format isn't much of an issue, though I wouldn't mind some sort of mp3 or podcast set up.

I am especially interested in documentaries about the history of rock and pop music, but am open to just about anything.

Question number 15064

cccorlew — Sat, 12 Feb 2005 09:56:24 -0800

I'm making a documentary/mockumentry in old newsreel style, and I'm looking for old cheeseball educational film/newsreel music to use as a background soundtrack. Hints? Links? Free would be nice...Cheap OK.

Question number 13193

armage — Mon, 20 Dec 2004 09:48:30 -0800

Can anyone recommend any independent, niche-oriented documentaries that I could buy/rent/download? [more inside]

Question number 11927

GleepGlop — Thu, 18 Nov 2004 20:35:29 -0800

who what when where why how, the documentary edition

Question number 8678

adamkempa — Tue, 13 Jul 2004 09:22:51 -0800

Faux-Beatlefilter: There are two Beatles tribute/impersonator related questions that I have been unable to find answers to thus far. One deals with remembering the title of a certain CD; the other, tracking down a documentary. More is inside.

Question number 8436

dobbs — Sat, 03 Jul 2004 12:26:44 -0800

I'm a big fan of Ken Burns' documentaries (just finished up watching Baseball for the third time, for instance, and have seen The Civil War twice)... What I'm curious about is what books would you recommend that present history in a siimilar fashion (easily digestible, compellingly written, etc.)?

Question number 7383

kenaman — Thu, 20 May 2004 02:13:33 -0800

I recently saw Assault on Precinct 13 again and was smitten for some inexplicable reason by actress Laurie Zimmer who played the character Leigh.
Anyway she disappeared from acting and director Charlotte Szlovak made a documentary called Do You Remember Laurie Zimmer? which is about looking for here in L.A. I have been unable to find out what happens in the film Do you Remember.... or what happened from any other source. Anyone remember her or know where she is. I am prepared for the mundande truth.

Question number 4005

cadastral — Thu, 18 Dec 2003 09:42:16 -0800

Does anyone have experience with promoting an independent documentary film? [no links to, or mention of the film itself... I'm not trying to be that guy -- more inside]