Producing with Passion. Dorothy Fadiman

working together, tracing leads, and making surprise connections, you and your partners in the search will uncover treasures you never knew existed!

      In one case, my relationship with a film librarian led me to some brilliant archival footage.

      Twelve years ago, before I really knew about how to use the Internet for research, I immersed myself in various departments of the Library of Congress for weeks while working on From Danger to Dignity. I hoped to find facts, names and documents from the sparsely documented era of back-alley abortions. Some of what I discovered, I could now find online, but not all. Certainly not what I am about to share.

      One of my regular stops every few days was the office of the film librarian, the person who tracked down the actual footage for films I found in the card catalogs. She had a personal interest in women’s rights, and, as my searches intensified, we became friends.

      One morning she rose to greet me as I approached her desk. She motioned for me to follow her as she turned toward the screening booths. Without a word, she led me into a dark cubicle set aside for 35mm films.

      She had pulled five reels of a 1920s silent feature. As the film ran, I watched in stunned silence. I had been looking for anything from that era that even touched on abortion when even the word was taboo. This precious silent film, the only print in existence, told the poignant story of a “damsel in distress” who had gone to an unscrupulous abortionist for an illegal abortion, and died.

      The librarian had observed my diligent efforts, and decided to pitch in and help.

      I encourage you to nurture collegial relationships, not only for interviews and fundraising, but while doing research as well. Some of your most valuable results will come when you team up in your efforts.

      When you set out to find information from other people, first ask yourself these questions: “Who knows about this subject?” and then “Who cares about this subject?”, finding out who shares your interest.

      The answers to these two questions will point you toward people who probably have information you don’t. They may live down the street or across the country. Sometimes you find people through referrals or word of mouth, sometimes on the Internet. You may decide to advertise in a newspaper to find people who worked at a certain company, or participated in a certain project. There is no one way to do this.

      When you search for people, you will be looking for several categories.

       People with Experience

      Talk to people who have interacted with the material in some way or who know the characters in your film. Memories and stories add breadth and depth to a documentary.

       Finding People

      Documentary filmmaker David L. Brown found subjects for his film Surfing for Life by doing intense networking within the “mature” surfing community in Hawaii. He soon found several men who were still surfing in their seventies, eighties and nineties, but it took him nine months (with their help) to find three women who were still surfing after the age of fifty-five.

      Surfing for Life (1999), David L. Brown.

      In my series Seeds of Hope, I wanted to find commercial sex workers in Ethiopia. The only way to reach them and get interviews was through social workers in NGOs (non-governmental organizations) who had spent time building trust with them. We patiently communicated with one person after another, until we were finally successful. The result were hard-won, courageous interviews with sex workers, women who wanted to do whatever they could to prevent the spread of AIDS. They knew their lives were on the line, and decided that sharing their stories was a contribution they wanted to make.

       People Who Study the Subject

      Scholars may be excellent resources, but don’t limit your search to professionals. Look for people who have made it their business or for whom it is their avocation or hobby to learn about the subject. Seek out collectors, fans, or even fanatics who may have boxes full of clippings, photographs, and other treasures.

       Experts

      In every field there are several people who know more about the subject than anyone else. If you arrange a meeting (by telephone, through the Internet, or in person) with any of these people, do as much research as possible before you talk to them.

      A few of the people you talk to while doing research may become interviewees and/or advisors. Interesting documentaries often integrate informational interviews with more personal stories.

       Gatekeepers

      It may be difficult for a filmmaker to gain access to some experts (or an exclusive community) without first talking to a “gatekeeper,” whose job it is to screen out most people who want to reach “their boss.” Often gatekeepers are the only way to reach “well-protected” individuals.

      For the film Moment by Moment, we had to call the assistant of a famous spinal cord injury doctor seven times before we could finally get through to his office.

      Once we spoke with his assistant, and explained how the film would benefit spinal cord injury patients, it took another half dozen conversations before we succeeded in getting a riveting interview with the doctor. Winning over gatekeepers underscores the importance of building trust. The best approach is to present your project yourself. Self-promotion is an integral part of successful filmmaking, from research through distribution and publicity.

INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

      Research can be a thrilling adventure, but it sometimes becomes a chore. One of the challenges of doing research is keeping up your interest. When you search endlessly for obscure facts, or have to plow through reams of densely written reports, research can become tedious. One of the ways to reduce the tedium and stress is to have a good information management system.

      Creating an information management system that works for you is essential. If you don’t have a good filing system, information quickly accumulates in piles, and soon you won’t know what you have or where to find it.

       A Simple Filing System

      I use “file boxes” to start. I assign each project to a plastic crate and file each piece in a folder in the box as I go. If I can, I take the appropriate box with me when I do research on a particular subject. When others help with research, I can hand them the box. When we get information from the Internet, we download that, print out that and file it. Sometimes I ask people to e-mail concise summaries of their research, which I print and add to the box. Newspaper clippings, important lists — they all go into the box.

       A Contact Database

      You may talk to hundreds of people during the time that it takes to make your film. From the very first conversation, build a contact database to keep track of people — on paper, on 3x5 index cards, and/or on your computer.

      Each person with whom you talk about the film should become part of a growing community. Some will have an interest in you and some in the film; some may offer connections for interviews; some may be potential donors; some may want a DVD when the project is done; some you may invite to feedback screenings or to the premiere. Some will help you promote the film when it is complete, or lend their support in other ways. Your network of connections is a treasure trove.

      Frequently, you’ll want to contact someone a second time to follow up on a conversation. Having an e-mail address or a phone number is necessary. (I am so sorry when I neglect to make a note and file or enter it, and need to reach someone again.)

       Categories

      Whether your database is electronic or on file cards, divide your contacts into categories so you can sort the names into groups.

      For