Give the Gift of Documentary Filmmaking

Liz Witham and Ken Wentworth of Aquinnah founded Film-Truth Productions in 2003. Aside from creating social issue documentary films and a broad range of media for organizations, businesses, and individuals, they now offer one-on-one tutorials on the art of documentary filmmaking.   

Coming in packages of five classes for $300 or one class at a time for $75 each, this may be the best possible gift to give the aspiring filmmaker in your life. Witham, who is an award winning documentary filmmaker with an MA from Stanford University in Documentary Film Production, will teach documentary filmmaking essentials such as: pre-production planning for documentary projects, basic shooting techniques, how to do an interview, editing and distribution. Best of all, since this class is a one-on-one tutorial, it can be tailored to your interest and skill level.

We caught up with Witham to find out more about how she became a documentary filmmaker, and what to expect from her classes.

MV Patch: How did you get into documentary filmmaking?

Liz Witham: Years back, my husband Ken (who is now my filmmaking partner) and I spent time traveling in Asia and living in China.  It was during these travels that we first had the idea that we would like to document stories around world to share with people at home.  

At the time, I also wanted to be a screenwriter.  When I was applying to graduate programs in filmmaking, I actually applied to mostly screenwriting programs.  The Documentary Film Production program at Stanford was the only documentary program I applied to.  I ultimately decided to attend that program because there were only 8 students in each class, and they taught a very complete, hands-on approach to filmmaking. Every student learned producing and directing, shooting, and editing.  I wanted to learn all of these things, so I opted for that program and began down the path of becoming a documentarian.

MV Patch: What was the first thing you learned?

Liz Witham: Many beginning documentarians make the mistake of shooting a lot of footage before they understand what their story is about, in hopes that when they watch all the footage back, the intended story will emerge.  Our first assignment in film school was to film a generic process on a Bolex camera.  This is a manual wind camera, and it only shoots about 20 seconds of film at a time. The cost of film coupled with 20 second takes makes you disciplined in planning out your shots carefully ahead of time.  Through this assignment, the first thing I learned and one of the most important things about documentary filmmaking is to plan shoots carefully and understand what it is I am trying to capture before turning the camera on.

MV Patch: What are some of the films you are working on now?

Liz Witham: We are currently working on 2 feature-length films.  One is "The Greening of Eden" which I am co producing and co directing with my husband Ken. In a nutshell, this is an international environmental documentary about sustainability, and it has been a fascinating film for us to make.  We are also working on a documentary called "The Pampas Grass Affair" which is really my husband Ken's film, though I am helping with the editing and producing. We are also always shooting new episodes for our web based music series, DocuTunes.TV. We also work with organizations and non-profits like Island Grown Schools to make documentary media that tells the story of an organization.

MV Patch: What are some of the films you've loved working on?

Liz Witham: My first feature length film was called "A Certain Kind of Beauty" about a young man named Dan Aronie who had Multiple Sclerosis and lost most of his physical ability over a 6-year period.   It was a difficult film to work on because the subject matter was very intense, but it was also incredibly rewarding. The Aronie family was incredible to work with and became like extended family.  We premiered the film at Silverdocs, the AFI/Discover Channel Film Festival as part of their spotlight on films about global health.  We also travelled to Bahrain with that film and screened it at the first Human Rights Film Festival in the Middle East.  I also really enjoyed making "Kate Taylor: Tunes from The Tipi and Other Songs from Home" because it is a story about my mother, and island life - two things I love very much.

MV Patch: What kind of person would love to get your classes as a gift?

Liz Witham: This is a great class for anyone who is interested in filmmaking and would like to get started on a project.  It is also good for people who may have dabbled in shooting or editing and want more guidance about how to complete their project.  It's also a great gift for anyone who just got a new video camera or Final Cut Pro and wants to learn more about how to use these tools to make a documentary film.

MV Patch: What can a beginning student expect to learn?

Liz Witham: The great thing about taking a one-on-one filmmaking class is that it can be tailored to the interests and skill level of the student.  I teach the essentials of filmmaking from pre-production through postproduction.  During the five classes, we will come up with an idea (something simple, that can be completed in the given time frame) and work the idea through planning, shooting, editing and distribution.  If there is any part of the filmmaking process that the student is especially interested it, be it shooting or editing for example, we can focus more on that area.  The beginning student can expect to get a grasp of the essential concepts involved in documentary filmmaking/

MV Patch: How about someone with more experience?

Liz Witham: For someone with more experience, the class can really go more deeply into areas that the student feels needs more guidance in.

MV Patch: What kind of equipment does the student need to have? 

Liz Witham: Ideally, the student should have (or have reasonable access to) a computer and Final Cut Pro.  Having some sort of camera is great, too.  It doesn't have to be a fancy camera, just something that shoots digital moving images that can be imported into a computer.  If a student doesn't have either of these things, we can discuss different options for access to these tools for example MVTV.

MV Patch: Where do the classes take place? 

Liz Witham: The classes can take place at our studio in Vineyard Haven.  I can also teach the class online via Skype.

MV Patch: Is there an age that would be too young for this class?

Liz Witham: As long as a student has a strong interest in learning the subject matter, I can teach all age levels.

To learn more about or sign up for the Art of Documentary Film Making classes, go to: http://film-truth.com/classes. To learn more about Witham and the projects of Film-Truth Productions, go to: http://film-truth.com/