A Night with Noah Bingham, The Secret Trial 5

In my final week Bootcamp Producer course with the DOC Institute, Toronto, I had the privilege to hear the story of Noah Bingham's extraordinary journey.

Noah Bingham is the producer of The Secret Trial 5, a documentary that had its festival premiere at Hot Docs 2014 and a theatre premiere the following year.

A quick snippet of the synopsis from the website:

"Imagine spending years in prison without being charged with a crime or knowing exactly what you're accused of. A film about the human impact of the “War on Terror,” The Secret Trial 5 is a sobering examination of the Canadian government’s use of security certificates, a Kafkaesque tool that allows for indefinite detention without charges, based on evidence not revealed to the accused or their lawyers ... Through the experience of the detainees and their families, the film raises poignant questions about the balance between security and liberty."

The journey started in 2009. Noah's school friend Amar Wala, director & producer, had just finished creating a short film about one of the families described above. The film was called The Good Son. 

The Good Son is director Amar Wala’s award winning short film. It is the story of a young Egyptian refugee who is asked to translate for his father as CSIS (Canadian Securities and Intelligence Services) officers question him in their home. Slowly, the questions become more and more hostile, and what started out as an interview, strategically turns into an interrogation. It is based on the true story of Ahmad Jaballah, son of security certificate detainee Mahmoud Jaballah. Find out more info at: www.secrettrial5.com

Both were so excited by the intense story and were interested in developing the idea into a feature length doc. The project began with a "lean production" and an "out-of-their-pocket funding" model.

Both wanted to pitch to a broadcaster to source traditional funding for their feature. They were rejected and never back. Not willing to give up, they sourced other methods to raise money. This propelled them to create a kickstarter / crowdfunding campaign. The first campaign, largely supported by friends and family, raised enough for them to continue production and pay for the website and promo video. Noah Bingham showed us the video on their first crowd funding campaign and I was immediately pulled into the story and awed by the creativity and way the story was told. 

This is an introductory video to The Secret Trial 5, a crowdfunded documentary in-the-making that examines the human impact of Security Certificates in Canada. Security Certificates are a tool that allows for indefinite detention with no charges, and secret evidence. Learn more, follow our progress and help us tell this story: www.secrettrial5.com.

Production continued. Two years later, Noah and Amar launched another crowdfunding campaign. After building a community of followers and interested activists, this campaign grew to be very successful and they were able to pitch their idea at Hot Docs with the Cuban Hat. While not winning the final votes, they won over the industry and created enthusiasm.

This led to contacts which led to money being invested into their film. They got an office space, editing suite and continue the film into post.

Still no broadcaster and no solid investor that would have otherwise made their lives a lot easier. However, Noah did remark how grateful he was to have been allowed to see the full process from start to finish due to budget constraints, because everyone was wearing multiple hats.  

Three years into production, Arts Council Toronto came in and offered funding. Noah and the team headed to DOC Ignite (2013) and reached their goal, receiving more funding and reaching new audiences.

With a film in post and needing monetary support, Noah approached Telefilm Micro Budget. They were able to apply because

1. Amar had only been out of school for three years, and
2. they planned on carrying out a hybrid distribution strategy:

• both in theatres and digitally online.

With the film done, The Secret Trial 5 became a Hot Docs 2014 Festival Selection and sold out all three nights. They successfully completed a deal with Blue Ice Docs, a distributor. The film was a greater hit in the festival than it was in theatres at the Bloor Cinema. There are no monetary assets given to the filmmakers at the Bloor.

Noah wanted to create an even greater buz and expand their thriving online community further. They launched a third successful crowdfunding campaign. This gave Noah and Amar enough to travel around the country touring their movie.

You can check out their movie online here, for one small payment of $9.00.

This story proved to me that through hard work, commitment, and dedication, you really can bring your ideas to life with support and creativity. 

Congratulations Noah, Amar, and the rest of the team! This is one story I will never forget and look forward to diving head first into your film.

Click HERE to purchase the film online.

- Jenn

A Night with Tassie Cameron, Showrunner Rookie Blue

I had a rare honour of sharing a few hours one evening with Women on Screen. This month's salon event was hosted by Tassie Cameron.

Tassie Cameron is an award winning screenwriter and producer. She has worked on Degrassi: Next Generation (TV), Cake (2005, film), Flashpoint (TV), and my personal favourite, Rookie Blue (TV).

Tassie Cameron (B.A., Trinity College) is the co-creator and head writer of Rookie Blue Visit us on the web at http://www.utoronto.ca Join our facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/universitytoronto

Among many things, what sincerely sparks my interest is her ability to write witty, humorous and emotional characters with fully developed lives.  Characters that draw you into a storyline that never seems to "get old."

Graduating from University with a BA in English Literature (like myself) she pursued her MA at NYU. After completing school, she entered the film industry and explored many post-production roles. Not really enjoying being on set or coordinating post work, she landed a job working for HBO and found her calling.

She said with a reflective smile, "in my twenties, I was making rent, and enjoying life." But, at HBO she felt different somehow. The change happened when she was introduced to the writing process: highly creative and in her field.

She had some great honest wisdom to pass down to the eager ladies (and one gent?) sitting in an intimate room on King Street West. Here are her writing tips:

1. don't be too personal
2. write with act breaks
3. never leave a character too long on screen
4. dig deep, be real
5. feel your writing ("if I don't cry in a sad scenes then something is wrong")
6. speak out loud when you are writing
7. try an improv class
8. go to CFC (Canadian FIlm Centre)
9. be a part of the film community
10. volunteer on short films
11. cut out children, night scenes, and car chases to preserve the budget
12. practice your pitch a MILLION times
13. speak with authenticity and passion
14. use coloured pens when you are recording different feedback on your script to keep your head sane
15. don't worry so much about outlines

With some extremely insightful and some more humorous tips and tricks, I feel very blessed to have been sitting in a room with an intelligent, hard working, and dedicated Canadian writer.

- Jenn

A Night with Nickolas De Pencier: DOC Masters' Series Class

One of the many organizations I have joined this year is the Documentary Organization of Canada. I came across this gem at Hot Docs Film Festival 2015.

DOC offers programming to emerging film professionals for a variety of roles.

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Technicolour studio

This month's masters series class was on cinematography and lead by Nickolas De Pencier. He is known for his TIFF success, Watermark (2013). 

Nickolas graduated from school with a BA' in English Lit. and Art History. Growing up as a photographer who developed b / w photos from film, he carried this love over to working on set in a variety of roles. 

Laughing to himself, he says he never chose film as a career. Especially not documentary. He started working on feature film sets for drama and fiction. From PA'ing to grip, he tried out every role to get a good sense of the entire process.

"Start small and be excited about everything" - Nickolas.

On his spare time, he worked on dance films. His roommate at the time knew a group of dancers and Nickolas developed his cinematographic eye through fun experimentation.

After deciding that fiction film was not a long term career for him, he jumped ship to documentary filmmaking. Not only did he change subject matter, but he made the leap from film to digital.

My favourite part about De Pencier's talk was his philosophies, some of which I will share with you below:

"Rare link between subject and what you are reporting"

"Authentic subject = unobtrusive cameraman"

"Use what is there, the mechanics of production. The smaller the better"

"creatively owning camera is better"

"Ask yourself what can this camera do..."

"ethics of DOC filmmaking: good practice leading to stronger material"

"there is a difference between an authentic relationship in film and an expose film"

He then shared two of his personal mantras that I shall carry forward with me for life:

"never move until it improves on stillness"

"something human is more dear to me than all the world"

Nickolas ended his talk by addressing questions from the audience, one of which asked about the future of DOC filmmaking in terms of finding funding. He suggested that the current model of sponsorship may change in five years. Most DOC full length films attract a niche audience, meaning it is hard to make a solid living off of it. He has, though, and is living proof. Perhaps that generation is dying out slowly but it is good to see someone who is able to make it while still inhabiting the outskirts of the filmmaking industry. Further, as a filmmaking you might have to weigh in whether your sponsor has the same agenda as you or is looking to improve business through product placement and ads. This can affect the authenticity of your film and whether your film receives funding or not. It is always a delicate line to balance on.

Thank you DOC for such a great evening spent at Technicolour (Toronto) and the chance to play around with top gear sponsored by Vistek.

- Jenn

Far From the Madding Crowd: A Feminist Text

The newly adapted Thomas Hardy novel, Far From the Madding Crowd, came to theaters two months ago. Directed by Thomas Vinterberg and starring Carey Mulligan (Bathsheba Everdene), Matthias Schoenaerts (Mr. Gabriel Oak), and Tom Sturridge (Sergeant Francis Troy).

Written in 1874, this book exemplifies a feminist text with a strong female protagonist who is in a unique position of owning a business, estate, life and all without a husband by her side. Three different men vie for her attention. As a Victorian woman, she is able to choose a romantic attachment without anyone's opinion. Her father and any living male relative has passed away and her choices are entirely her own.

Subscribe to TRAILERS: http://bit.ly/sxaw6h Subscribe to COMING SOON: http://bit.ly/H2vZUn Like us on FACEBOOK: http://goo.gl/dHs73 Follow us on TWITTER: http://bit.ly/1ghOWmt Far from the Madding Crowd Official Trailer #1 (2015) - Carey Mulligan Drama HD A beautiful young woman maintains relationships with three very different men.

1. Where did this film take me? To a romantic and rustic country side. Unlike Jane Austen's novels which used the countryside as a stark contrast to a bustling London city and the gossipers at bath, this film is truly a breath of fresh air. No mention of the city, no gossip, just pure small time England living. What makes this film particularly unique is that the protagonist is not only female, but she is in control of her choices, mind, and life. Uninfluenced by any male character, and willing to stand up for her beliefs, Bathesheda (Carry) inherits a farm and builds a stable business. As an entrepreneur she forces the county to accept and respect her as an equal individual. She challenges male authority without overstepping her feminine boundaries and carefully navigates her way into a position of respect.

2. How did this make me feel? There were moments of sadness, happiness, romance, and humour. The film was paced in a way that balanced all the emotions together. If you are familiar with Thomas Hardy's work, you can emotionally prepare yourself for a story filled with unrequited love, blossoming friendships, love triangles, and couples that get together at the very last second. Most Hardy stories are also difficult to swallow at times. In Far From the Madding Crowd, the primary example that sticks out is the death of all the sheep at the beginning. Mr. Oak, saddened by the loss of his fortune, herd, potential eligibility to marry Bathesheda, and livelihood, shoots the dog responsible for sending the sheep over the cliff. At the same time, Bathesheda loses her uncle and inherits a fortune. The tables have turned completely. Once a poor farm girl, though charming and beautiful and educated, now she an heiress and eligible to make a solid match in the country. Mr. Oak's chances of marriage plumate and he becomes her shepard, unable to buy her the piano she wanted. Hardy is also good at writing in realistic characters that are both frustrating, and prone to erroring. However, the usual male judgement that is present in most Victorian novels and stories was absent. "I know I did something I thought I would never do. I married a red coat and I believe I made a mistake. And I don't want your opinion," Bathesheda to Gabriel Oak in observation of her drunk husband. The protagonist is able to discover her feelings in an unadulterated world. Jane Austen's Anne Elliot (Persuasion, 1814) made two impactful errors in her early twenties: one is allowing someone to give her an opinion, and the other  was to take the advice of her friend and ignore her true feelings. Gabriel Oak wanted to leave the farm much earlier, but stuck to Bathesheda's side out of protection of her estate and fortune when she married. She did not ask or want his judgement, knowing full well she had chosen a poor match. BUT it was clear how grateful she was of his attachment. This made me feel that finally I can relate to a woman in a lead position who is strong, educated, and NORMAL. Thank you Vinterberg for preserving this uniqueness in a Hardy text.

3. Did it help me understand a new world better? It was not so much a new world, but a way of life I believe in was finally realized on screen. A world that exists but is constantly ignored or romanticized on screen. Far From the Madding Crowd is a normal female fantasy come true: a woman decides her own destiny and supports her own life. This does not mean she is without a heart or feelings, and that she is not interested in marriage. It just means she doesn't "have" to get married to make something of herself. 

4. Did the movie deliver fun and surprises? The biggest surprise and gratification came in the scriptwriting and Carry Mulligan's exception performance. One part in particular really epitomizes this film for me at the forefront of feminism and celebrating strong females onscreen. When Bathesheda visits WIlliam Boldwood (Michael Sean) for the second time to hear his marriage proposal, he demands that she chose what she feels for him at that moment.

"Well is it respect or like?" William Boldwood. "It is hard to express myself in language constructed by men to express their emotions," Bathesheda.

She asserts her dominance and equality and sets the stakes high. She will not be defined or controlled. She even tells Mr. Oak at the beginning he would never be able to tame her. She is an uncontrollable force. This was the biggest surprise and the most fun and enjoyment I have had at a movie in a long time.

5.    Did the characters have a transformative experience and / or did I? I think the main character has a very simple transformative experience.  She finally realizes her true feelings and is able to express them. The film is after all an outward expression of an inner self. What is said through dialogue becomes less important than what is NOT said. Bathesheda tells Mr. Oak her issues but clarifies by saying, "And I don't want your opinion." We never hear what Mr. Oak actually has to say and this is the tension that mounts and builds throughout the narrative. We are never even truly relieved of this tension at the end as Bathesheda still dictates the drama. 

Overall I think this film is unique, strongly feminist while honouring the historical drama genre. The adaptation of Hardy's novel was extremely well done and had me smiling throughout. IF you have NOT read a Hardy text you are in for a treat. Do not fret, for things do seem unbearably bleak at the best of times. Hardy always pulls through and gives you the satisfaction you deserve. Also a good read: The Guardian: Far From the Madding Crowd.

- Jenn

Women in Film and Television: My First WIFT-T Meeting in Toronto

I attended an AGM event this past Monday with WIFT. Hosted downtown Toronto at Goodman LP, I found myself immersed in a group of talented and career driven women.

| What WIFT-T excels at is creating a supportive community where women can meet, network, voice our concerns, face common challenges, and celebrate our triumphs. No other organization does this for women filmmakers - Stephanie Law, WIFT website.

What an organization like this does for women is provide a platform for women to discuss challenges, issues, and everyday career obstacles together in a non-judgmental atmosphere. From entry level industry members to members with 30+ years of experience, WIFT-T excitedly invites anyone and everyone who is interested.

Membership Flexibility

Membership is flexible and based on your industry experience. This is important because some of their networking events and professional development courses are catered to level of expertise in the industry.

The thing I am looking forward to the most as a new member with WIFT is the educational opportunities and course modules they organize and host. These intuitive courses are catered directly to industry professionals and offered for a fraction of the price of other development courses. 

Media Business: Marketing and Distribution

The landscape for our industry is changing. Digital media is going to take over TV distribution sooner or later. We have to stay at the forefront and be a part of the box that pushes the boundaries for content creation. WIFT provides incubator programs for emerging talent that go through the entire production and business end of media creation. They offer a Digital Media Bootcamp course:

| Content creators will learn about the technical environments available to them to tell their stories and distribute their work – plus manage projects on deadline and on budget. Participants will leave confident with the understanding of what it takes to get their original or digital extension project executed. This program was formerly called the Convergent Media Program - WIFT website.

Other exciting events to look forward to: a short film festival championing member work, a TIFF reception party, and networking opportunities.

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At the AGM I met the Chair, Joanna Webb. She approached me with a smile and personally welcomed me to the event. I felt instantly warm and at home. I also got to talk to a new board member, Andra Sheffer, who has such an inspiring career tract: from working at festivals to being the CEO of the Independent Production Fund and other Canadian film industry companies. This was enough for me. I felt included, excited, and on board with their mission statement.

If you are interested in joining, visit their website and check out all the flexible membership options.

- Jenn

*Stay tuned for our blog tomorrow: In Conversation with Andrea Ziedenberg, Far From the Madding Crowd.

Bang Bang Baby - Best Canadian Feature TIFF 2014

This past weekend I had the privilege of watching Bang Bang Baby at Innis Tall Hall theatre. The event was hosted by Canadian Cinema Editors, a local Toronto based organization and coterie for film editors in Canada.

Editor Matt Lyon was present and gave a really interesting talk after the screening about the post-production process he went through to bring the film to TIFF.

From being rated top five worst films at TIFF by BlogTO to being awarded City of Toronto Award for Best Canadian First Feature Film, he said it was an emotional rollercoaster he will never forget.

First though, let's talk about this kitschy-indie-musical-thriller. The description on TIFF net describes it perfectly:

"St. Jules has created a sly, genre-twisting musical about big hopes and busted dreams, set in an off-kilter, surreally detailed vision of the 1960s" - Agata Smoluch Del Sorbo

The film resonates with most Canadians, featuring a small town populated with characters too afraid to leave and characters wanting to break free. Stepphy, played by Jane Levy, is one such latter character, hoping to make it big in New York City. She is held back, however, by an alcoholic father (Peter Stormare) who is unable to support their two person family. With crushed hopes and a dim future ahead of her, she loses all gumption and attends a high school dance drunk, alone. An obsessed towny offers her an immediate escape and they visit a chemical plant. Falling asleep in the passenger seat, Fabian (David Reale) takes advantage of the situation and essentially rapes her.

What follows is a surrealist perspective of Stepphy's inability to cope with her trauma. This is represented brilliantly by a "chemical leak" at the plant that affects the entire town. Stepphy begins to hallucinate and believes that her favourite rock star Bobby Shore (Justin Chatwin) is stuck in town with a broken down vehicle. She invites him to stay at her place. They become romantically attached and Bobby proves his honourable intentions. He is the quintessential man that Fabian and her father are NOT. He represents everything in life she is hoping for. Except he is not real.

These visions are constantly undercut by Fabian's intrusion into  a scene, in which Bobby magically disappears. Fabian explains that the whole town is quarantined and that Stepphy is unable to leave. Stuck in a place that horrifies her, and with no one to turn to, Stepphy continues to live in her mind.

Her condition worsens and she begins to get a growth on her stomach. The growth being an effect of the "chemical leak." The growth represents a rape-pregnancy of the unwanted inphant brewing inside her.

Bobby Shore leaves her mind on her wedding night and her nightmare comes full circle. The reality and truth of the situation, her marriage to Fabian and her advanced pregnancy, cause her to go momentarily insane. The morning after the birth of their baby girl, Stepphy considers killing her. But, as the pink chemical fog clears from around the house, so too does her mental disease and she suddenly sees clearly for the first time. Fabian pays the price and is perhaps owed the death he deserves after his despicable acts. 

The story is highly original and the style of the film refreshing. St Jules hyper-accentuates his vision through a quirky sense of humour and a final dark ending.

"That there satellite in the sky, the USA planted it there so they could bomb countries from space" - Bobby Shore (Justin Chatwin), Bang Bang Baby

The film has a familiar three act feeling to it. It is not that each section is disjointed and piecemealed together under one title. There is a natural flow and pacing of the events. There is the obvious establishing scenes, a happy but not so happy middle, and the shock factor at the end with a pleasant release and hopeful ending. In the interview above, he mentions Guy Maddin producing similar kinds of outrageous and quirky films that are absurdist in their own right. 

If I have to be critical, I will start by saying that I wish the main character had dreamed of traveling to a large Canadian city, instead of championing the US as a place for top Canadian talent to go to. But, it is set in the 1960s and being in NYC is a real dream for Canadian talent seeking fame. There was a harsh and apparent dislike for small town "folks" and small town dreams. Stepphy is only happy when she escapes and leaves Lonelyarms, and ALL her past behind her. Her only reminder is the baby. Therefore I can let it slide because it adds to the overall humour of the film.

After the screening, Matt Lyon told the audience about the process of cutting. He said, you start cutting the day after the first shooting day. Your organize, rough cut scenes together, and provide notes and feedback to the director. Side note, this was entirely cut in Final Cut Pro 7 (just saying). He said within two weeks of the final shooting day, he had to create a feature length film. It then went through 12 private screenings before they were semi happy with the cut. At this point, TIFF was creeping around the corner and they had run out of time. 

What a whirlwind journey and a great film to be a part of! Congratulations to all the Canadian and outside of Canada talent. Jeffrey won a 2015 Claude Jutra Award at the Canadian Screen Awards this year for Bang Bang Baby and it was recently acquired by Random House Media for theatrical release in the US.

- Jenn