On-line review and approval as I edit

My office July, 2008

The latest documentary that I am working on is for a client in Sarasota, Florida. For both of us, it was our first attempt at working on such a long-form project (60 + min.) without the producer being in the same city as the editor.

The film tells the story of Amancio Corrales, a young latino female impersonator who was the victim of a hate crime in his hometown of Yuma, Arizona.

Using Xprove on line review and approval we have had nothing but a good experience. Our productivity has improved dramatically because there aren’t review sessions in the edit bay. It is greener because gas isn’t spent transporting people or even a DVD. And I have to say, that anxiety of watching a cut with the client right next to you is not missed. It has been clear to me for some time that remote editing will replace the traditional client-editor experience in a dark room, with a basket of candy on the monitor. Keep the basket. I’ll take the chance to grow my business globally.

Rejection

Stu Maddux directs Trip Harting during Harting's last interview for the documentary "Trip to Hell and Back". - 06/29/08

Trip To Hell and Back just got another rejection from a gay and lesbian Film Festival. This makes three important GAY film festivals that we were in last year with Bob And Jack’s 52-Year Adventure that do not want this latest film. It is very discouraging at the moment the rejection email comes in, but I pretty quickly understand that this latest documentary just isn’t gay enough for them. The main character happens to be gay and the film maker is gay and the topic of Crystal-Meth addiction is one that hits home to the gay community. But, being “gay around the edges” is not good enough. Honestly, I figured it would be this way but because of my relationship with LGBT festivals after my first film, it would have been foolish not to try there first.

We are still in the early submission stages and actually still making important changes to the film. I think this tells me to target the mainstream festivals. The festival that we are premiering at, Rhode Island International Film Festival, has a gay program within it, but preferred to run this film in its mainstream section.