A couple of weeks ago Arts Engine hosted the IFP’s annual Rough Cut Lab – a fantastic chance for first-time documentary filmmakers to show their work to distinguished professionals working in all areas of film.

Out of hundreds of applications, around nine different projects were invited to participate in the week-long event, held at SoHo House in Manhattan. Clips from their films were screened throughout the week in front of editors, composers and distributors who then gave feedback to the directors in front of the whole group. Each at varying stages of a “rough cut,” the challenges faced by the filmmakers were very different—while some were still debating the focus of the film as a whole, others were grappling with the soundtrack for one particular shot…and (with imminent deadlines) could be seen scurrying back to the edit room after their session was over!

I also dropped into a few of the talks that took place, one of which was by digital media maestro Lance Weiler. Among the most engaging and compelling speakers I’ve seen, Weiler talked mainly about the making, distribution and publicity of his two cult horror movies The Last Broadcast and Head Trauma. Both made on relatively tiny budgets, they are prime examples of innovative use of new technology at every stage of the filmmaking process. Edited solely on desktop equipment (which in the late nineties was still pretty pioneering), The Last Broadcast was self-distributed through entirely digital means, and simultaneously screened to multiple audiences via satellite. A strong online presence, including a website and accompanying computer game (with hidden levels and mass conference calls for hard-core players) ensured the film had a major following.

In Weiler’s case, the concepts behind his films are closely tied to the digital world, but his experiences would prove useful for anyone looking to distribute and promote their work beyond the conventional routes. His description of the festival scene as a totally saturated “broken system” is a sentiment that was echoed by many of the speakers. Simple ideas, like having high-resolution images from your film easily available to download off your website, could be make or break in terms of high-profile coverage in the press. He said that on one occasion the flyers for his film (which had been downloaded and printed by fans), preceded his arrival at a screening…with a little effort at the beginning, it seems you can sit back and let the film’s own momentum do some of the hard work. Check out his “Workbook Project” for more info, stories, and advice.

One of the other very useful topics covered was outreach—the process of finding not only the audiences you aim to access, but also the groups who might be able to use the film, and the communities you hope to affect. The key idea put forward by Sonya Childress from Firelight Media, was that the film screening itself should be seen as only one part of a much broader and long-term strategy to communicate and discuss the ideas in the film. It was an attitude reiterated by Chris White from P.O.V., a PBS channel which produces outreach tools for educators and communities, to run alongside every documentary they screen.

At the end of each day, fueled by delicious brownies, there was a “break-out session”—a chance for the filmmakers to talk through the issues of the day with three of our wise and friendly producers Angela Tucker, Jolene Pinder and Beth Davenport. The event was a great opportunity to pick through every aspect of getting a film out there in the real world, as well as providing focused and detailed feedback for the filmmakers involved—well worth applying for if you’re at the rough cut stage next year.

And now it’s time for me to say my goodbyes…today is the last day of my internship and, alas, it’s time for me to return to London. It has been a fantastic three months, a huge learning curve, and a great place to take my tentative first steps in the world of documentary film. So thank you all at Arts Engine!

— Clem