Customer Reviews

Producing with Passion: Making Films That Change the World

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Producing Impossible to Produce Films

After teaching independent producing at USC School of Cinamatic Arts, (in the Peter Stark Producing Program) since 1978, "Producing with Passion" is the book I've been looking for to use in my class.

Sundance screened over 1,000 docs to find the handful of films it programmed this year. Far too many filmmakers are shooting first and thinking about how their film will be marketed, distributed and used later. Ms. Fadiman's book is written by an Academy Award-nominated documentary filmmaker who has made some of the key films supporting women's rights of the last 30 years. Her current film "Stealing America" (note: I am an executive producer of this work.) chronicles the undermining of the electoral process to shape the outcome of our elections. This work is a work of passion that will be seen, used and provoke audiences to protect the integrity of the voting process. Ms. Fadiman, by following her own advice, has made a film that transforms the way people will think about our electoral process.

"Producing With Passion" is the only work that provides an easy to understand step by step guide from idea to funding, production, movie theaters, community groups and DVD distribution for these important works.

Mitchell Block conceived, co-created and was an executive producer of the PBS landmark series CARRIER. Programs he has executive produced have won Academy and numerous other awards. He has handled the marketing and distribution of over 60 Oscar winning and nominated documentary, shorts and animated films.

In Producing with Passion, Fadiman & Levelle guide the reader through the sometimes unpredictable, ultimately rewarding world of documentary filmmaking. From doing research & conducting interviews to finding the "real" story you're trying to tell, it's all here.

In and of themselves, the chapters are well laid-out, with an overview at the beginning of each one, and summarizing key points at the end. At the beginning of the book, Chapters 1-4 follow a logical progression; but topics in chs 4-8 seem to repeat themselves and/or show up in an odd order. For my suggestion, the chapters would flow better from one topic to another if they were placed in the following order: Ch. 2 (focusing your topic), Ch. 3 (research), Ch. 5 (how to plan an unscripted documentary), Ch. 6 (putting together a proposal), Ch. 7 (ways to get funding), Ch. 4 (assembling a support team), and Ch. 8 (your "core group").

The amount of information in this book is insightful & incredibly helpful. The authors go into great detail when explaining the purpose of proposals, treatments, and core/interest groups. They also give excellent ideas, references, & suggestions for how to do effective research, draft a proposal, attract funding, & much more. Because this is a book on how to make a documentary (and not a feature film), there is not a lot of technical information beyond the basics: lighting, audio, camera shots, editing, etc. The info on these topics is sufficient for what you'll need when making a documentary.

One of the most valuable things in this book, however, is the voice of experience that has come with making dozens of documentaries over the years. This experience is evident throughout the entire book: how to assemble a production team that you can really work with; how to conduct interviews that advance the story you're trying to tell; how to shoot in the field, in different locations; how to make sure you have the right documentation, especially if you're filming overseas (a very important, but tricky process!); and how to assemble and edit your footage so that your true story comes out. All of these are valuable things, learned from experience and trial-and-error.

While I was reading this book, I found that I was catching the authors' excitement as they talked about the places they'd gone & the different things they'd discovered along the way. If you are an aspiring documentary filmmaker, this book is a resource you'll find helpful with each film you make. The amount you can learn from the authors' experiences make this book one that you can read repeatedly and gain new insight each time. At just under $23, this book is an excellent value, for the amount of information and insight it provides.

Final Score- 8.4/10
-Kari Ann Morgan, Microfilmmaker Magazine

Want to turn your passion into a documentary film? Producing with Passion gives you an excellent road map. It offers a well-organized, easily accessible, nuts-and-bolts approach to creating, building support for, and promoting your documentary.

In a nutshell, the book is packed with insights and ideas about how to actually get it done. There is a chapter in the beginning about figuring out what kind of topics you're most passionate about, but the real value in this book is the practical, logistical, rubber-meeting-the-road advice.

My work is focused on helping people tap into passion and meaning to amp up the energy, clarity and focus in their career. Producing with Passion is a no-brainer for me to recommend to any clients who might see documentary-making as one of the tools in their change-making toolkits.

One of the big obstacles to pursuing one's passion is not understanding how to go about it. "I want to do this, but where do I start? How do I do it? What do I need to understand to make it successful? What are the pitfalls?" This book answers all those questions, and many more.

Curt Rosengren
Founder, Passion Catalyst
passioncatalyst.com

Producing With Passion - a fantastic resource for anybody wanting to create documentaries, or make films in general. Real, intelligent writing - with plenty of useful examples, and stories to consider on the path to making your own docos. Inspirational, descriptive, and a reliable resource for taking the steps to breaking into what can be a difficult process of generating your own work through film and video.
I would recommend this to anybody wanting to become a documentary film-maker, without question.

A fascinating insider's view of the documentary filmmaking process. This book mixes the kind of practical advice which only comes from long experience in the field with personal recollections of a career well spent. The book is particularly original in many of its key concepts such as the importance of building a core group which supports both the project and the filmmaker from beginning to end, and in the idea that a documentary can focus on a character which is not necessarily human or even a sentient being. Engaging and full of juicy, useful information geared specifically to the needs of documentary filmmakers.

For anyone interested in making documentary films, especially about social issues, I recommend a new book "PRODUCING WITH PASSION: Making Films that Change the World." It's a practical guide for new or experienced filmmakers who want to share their message through media. This book focuses on the "human" aspect of filmmaking, like how to put together a team of people to collaborate; innovative approaches to finding financial resources; conducting intimate interviews that will provide the most compelling content; and how to craft a concise and inspiring story from reels of raw footage. What impressed me most about this book is that while the subject matter is filmmaking, the principles can be applied to any visionary project that will be supported by collaboration. PRODUCING with PASSION is about remaining open to change as a project unfolds, while staying focused, and true to your original intention or vision.

I worked with Dorothy Fadiman (one of the authors) on her latest film "Stealing America: Vote by Vote", about electoral integrity in the U.S. I had planned on working temporarily as the Outreach Coordinator, since supporting an activist whose film raised awareness about flaws in our voting system seemed like a good way to do my non-partisan part before the 2008 Presidential Election. After reading "PRODUCING with PASSION"I ended up staying on board with Fadiman's non-profit media organization, Concentric Media, because I could see that Dorothy was a living example of book's message. I realized how much I could learn from her about turning a vision into reality and building an inclusive working community while still staying true to my own professional goals and personal values.

PRODUCING with PASSION honors the human being within the filmmaker and offers the kind of personal advice you would never find in a "how to" book. If you want to capture the spirit of an issue on film -- from poverty to health care to global warming -- this book will help you tap into your own potential and talent while attracting, managing, and bringing out the talents in others.

"A film that reflects your true passion can have an impact for generations. This book gives you the tools to envision, produce, and finish such a film. As a documentary filmmaker, you have the means to open people's eyes and bring them into another world." So begins one of the most inspiring and informative books ever written about making films that have an impact on the world. Dorothy Fadiman, an Emmy Award Winner and an Academy Award nominee for "Best Documentary" along with Tony Levelle have divided their book into three parts: (a) Getting clear about your vision (b) Sustaining your intention as you produce the film and (c) Launching your finished movie.
The authors provide helpful advice on trusting your instincts to select a subject whose core idea will carry you through the challenges it takes to make a film. Advice on finding the key theme that helps define your project will allow you to create a more vibrant film. They discuss three of the main challenges to making a documentary film which are getting it right, getting it done and getting it out. Another helpful chapter explains preproduction and how to produce the unscripted documentary.
Fadiman and Levelle explain what it takes to create a well written proposal and they relate most poignantly that in raising money, people give money to people, not projects! Helpful advice on putting together a production team and the nuts and bolts of production are handled with the experience that 30 years of making documentaries will provide.
Interviewing, building the story, editing and feedback screenings are illustrated with helpful suggestions and practical advice. Finally, a chapter on finishing the film and how to move on to the next project are discussed. Several of the ending chapters deal with publicity and distribution. Helpful suggestions for dealing with PBS or the virtual world are included. Throughout this essential read for the serious documentarist the authors neatly tie up each chapter with key points and provide you with both the inspiration and knowledge to make your "heartfelt", serious film a reality.

This book is a must for anyone who wants to make a socially engaged documentary. The authors have given you a step-by step plan that works. They have also covered some of the thorny issues that the socially-engaged filmmaker faces, such as ethics and privacy. Be sure to check our other books from Michael Wiese Productions series.

When needed, Dorothy Fadiman and Tony Levelle will hold your hand, take your shoulder, or give you an encouraging hug. Just as vital, they are there to give you sensible and practical guidance from pre-production to distribution. "Producing With Passion" is a beautifully arranged assembly of creative, technical, and intuitive work strategies. Here is a film book that is realistic, optimistic, and yes...passionate! I wouldn't start a documentary project without another read.

This book has humanity, clarity, scope and vision. It is all too rare to have such seasoned professionals able to descretely break down the production process for everyone from a novice to an ace. Imagine a competitive mountain-bike athlete taking the time to kindly hunker down and adjust your training wheels before they sail on with fabulous grace to their own "personal best" finish line.

Producing With Passion maintains awareness of the prismatic process of documentary filmmaking, how thoroughly absorbing and demanding it is, and thus also how potentially rewarding. The metronomic arc of description tic-tocs back and forth from the pragmatic to the inspirational, the nuts & bolts to the social, the conflictual to the celebratory, the intellectual to the emotional, the visionary to the economic. How to stay aligned to purpose throughout all these delicious and/or demanding, unending onslaughts? The answers are here.

While reading this book, and wishing it had been available when I first worked in documentary films as writer, still photographer and co-editor, I was pleased to imagine countless others not having to re-invent the wheel, thanks to Fadiman and LaVelle's considerable expertise and generous encouragement.

I also flashed onto something director John Sayles said about how he survived some of the rougher patches of producing his fabulous feature, MATEWAN:
He and his cast and crew would take out a recording of "Beautiful Hills of Galilee," sung by West Virginia coal country native, Hazel Dickens, and be reminded by sheer dint of the song's raw authenticity why they must continue.

Similarly, I can imagine many a docu filmmaker reaching for their well-thumbed copy of Producing with Passion when they need to rekindle faith in their project, their intuition, and that heart-felt urge to continue.


Mary Trainor-Brigham is the author of DEEP CINEMA Film as Shamanic Initiation,
Publication date Autumn 2008.