Next up in our Elements of Film/Video Production workshop series is independent documentary filmmaker Kimberlee Bassford. Kimberlee, who owns Honolulu documentary company Making Waves Films LLC, will be presenting a workshop on Pre and Post-Production Planning on Tuesday, August 7.
Kimberlee brings a wealth of experience. She produced, directed, wrote and co-edited Patsy Mink: Ahead of the Majority (2008), which won awards at a number of film festivals and aired nationally on PBS in May 2009. She also served as a series producer on the national PBS documentary series Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick? (2008), which won an Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia Award for excellence in broadcast journalism, and The Meaning of Food (2005), which explores the social significance of food in the United States.
Kimberlee kindly spared a few moments to respond to some our questions about her thoughts on film and video production.
– Will you comment on the following statement: Post-production starts in pre-production?
Given that most indie filmmakers work in a tapeless environment these days, it’s really important to think through the post-production process and workflow before filming. It’s easy to amass hundreds of gigabytes…terabytes even. So having a plan on how you’re going to manage all that footage (and the drive space it takes up) both on location during your shoot as well as back at your office/studio is essential. In addition, knowing what format you’re shooting in, what platform you’re editing on (and whether you need to encode your footage first), what other materials you’ll be including in your film (archival footage, animation, etc.) and what format you’re delivering on (which really requires knowing your intended audience and distribution outlet) all affects what you shoot, how you shoot it and how you manage your footage. And it all impacts your overall production schedule and budget. In addition, the best way to avoid having to fix something in post, which can be costly, is by planning well in pre-production.
– What are some difficulties of working in and from Hawaii?
Since we’re a smaller community, there aren’t as many funding sources or support organizations as there are in places like Los Angeles, New York or San Francisco. And for those just starting out, there are fewer production companies or individuals to work for (either paid or unpaid) to gain experience. I think as an independent filmmaker here in Hawaii, you’re forced to carve your own path, which can be both daunting and exciting.
– What do you see on the horizon for Hawaii’s film industry?
One thing I think we’ll see (or I hope we’ll see!) is more women in the industry. It’s always sad to see the statistics of how women are vastly underrepresented in the film industry on all levels (although there are certain crafts where women have a larger presence like in editing or production design…and in documentary, we’re better represented than in narratives). But recently, I’ve noticed more and more opportunities for women here to support from one another. For instance, there’s Hawaii Women in Filmmaking (http://womeninfilmmaking.org/), which meets monthly and provides a venue for local female filmmakers to discuss their work and share experiences and personal reflections about filmmaking. And just last week, I was involved in the Summer Reel Camp for Girls (http://womeninfilmmaking.org/summer-reel-camp-for-girls-2/), a new pilot program that taught filmmaking to teenage girls from the Chinatown and Kalihi area. Within five days, the girls in teams produced 4 narrative shorts, and I was amazed by their talent, creativity and passion. I fully expect these girls to go on and make more films!
– What’s your favorite movie?
Some of my favorite films are Casablanca, Sound of Music, Strangers on a Train, Moulin Rouge, Lost in Translation, Cinema Paradiso and the documentaries Spellbound and The Thin Blue Line.