When I first started Columbia, the foundations courses in the Film & Video department didn't include a documentary component. I waited until I could take a pilot of what is currently the foundation courses my sophomore year. Luckily, in the second semester, we got to make a documentary (see aRead More →
There is a common myth that documentaries are, by nature, “low-budget” films. While certain costs may be lower, such as compensating actors, or covering large amounts of crew to feed/transport, there are considerations that must be made, such as… – Film festival submission fees – Transportation fees (since a lotRead More →
Viva Doc, a student organization on Columbia’s campus, is dedicated to exposing students to the often underlooked gems of documentary filmmaking. “Doc Week” will include a variety of panels with industry professionals, as well as screenings. Each of these events presents great opportunities to network and learn more about documentariesRead More →
Naomi Kothbauer, the 2010-2011 Viva Doc president, recently contributed to a beautiful memorial video for the 2011 Studs Terkel Community Media Awards benefit. The video also features cinematography from Wonjung Bae, Dan Webster, Demetrio Maguigad, and Marissa Wasseluk. Studs Terkel was an award-winning Chicago journalist, and serves as an inspiration toRead More →
Scottish filmmaker Amy Hardie has built a career making science documentaries that reflect her rational temperament. When she dreamed one night that her horse was dying, only to wake the next morning and find the horse dead, she dismissed the incident as a coincidence. Then she dreamed she would dieRead More →
Return of the Navajo Boy – Screening and Discussion “Doxita: Life is a Progress” Screening “American Arab” Screening “Return of the Navajo Boy” Screening and Panel Discussion Wednesday, November 10th @ 12:30, 1104 – 8th Floor -Official selection of the Sundance Film Festival and PBS, The Return of NavajoRead More →
Viva Doc will be kicking off the Fall 2011 semester by hosting a networking event! This event is for anybody, no matter your year, major, concentration. If you love documentaries — making them or watching them or talking about them — Viva Doc is for you! We have a varietyRead More →
For years, ESPN had been relatively absent from the sports-doc scene, but after the 2008 release of Dan Klores’s Black Magic, ESPN saw an opportunity to make a statement. Black Magic examined the struggle for civil rights told through the eyes of basketball players at Historical Black Colleges and Universities.Read More →
Starting tomorrow, for two weekends only, the wizards, masters, and warriors of documentary will come out and play. At the 2009 Producers’ Series Eye-Witness – Focus On Documentaries April 4-5 & 18-19 Film Row Cinema Columbia College Chicago 1104 S. Wabash, 8th Floor Two full weekend sessions that cover theRead More →