Daily summary of the life/movie world.
I was pleasantly surprised watching the feedback video, I was glad someone noticed the use of music for instance and even the mildly negative comments were useful as a filmmaker as they were about things I’d purposely chosen to do or not include and it made me realise I was comfortable with my decisions. Also the fact that someone said they’d be more likely to help because of watching this film was fantastic as thats all I ever wanted.
I wasn’t able to attend the screening but to see an audience watch a work and give feedback (that was good!) was really touching. It actually felt really great to watch the reactions of those who expressed themselves. I also though Lesley Johnson did a great job responding to questions about what it’s like to live near the site and talk about the process of making the project. But ultimately, I was very touched to hear the first speaker react to projection. And the many that followed. It felt good in my heart.
Daniele Bonarini’s short film, LIKE A STAR, played to rave reviews at the May 2016 Documentary Short Film Festival. Interview with Daniele Bonarini: Matthew Toffolo: What motivated you to make this film? Daniele Bonarini: For many years, i work primarily with people with physical and intellectual disabilities. I grew a lot as a director and film-maker… Continue reading Interview with Filmmaker Daniele Bonarini (LIKE A STAR)
Andrés Passoni’s short film was the winner of Best Picture at the May 2016 Documentary Short Film Festival. Interview with Andrés Passoni: Matthew Toffolo: What motivated you to make this film? Andrés Passoni: I love animals and when I heard about greyhound races I instantly felt very attracted to immerse myself in this world. I thought… Continue reading Interview with Filmmaker Andrés Passoni (CHAMPION)
I’ve heard about the topic “comfort women” many times in the news, media, books, newspapers, etc. but I never had my interest in the subject until we began our research with the students about a possibility of putting together a documentary. We traveled thousands of miles to visit the actual historical locations and had the opportunities to meet with the ladies still alive and be witnesses of the scars left on their bodies and souls. Some were supported by the political platform and some were a part of an organizational base trying to make their voice heard which is unknown to the rest of the world. They are becoming weaker day by day and we believe that such traces of painful memories and tragic stories cannot be restored but by remembering them and embracing them, we will provide them the sense of closure.
‘Brooklyn’ was a great experience. There was a really positive energy throughout the shoot and it felt like we might be working on something quite special. It was personal to a lot of the people involved and that seemed to come through in the material and that makes you want to raise your game, especially when you’re watching a performance like Saoirse’s unfold you feel a huge pressure to do it justice. Once John and I were back in London we cut for about 3 months and obviously there was plenty of back and forth but at the same time it was quite a calm and controlled process. We had a very strong first assembly and we never deviated too far from it or went down too many experimental cul-de-sacs. This is largely a testament to Nick’s script which only needed the subtlest of refinements so essentially it was about distillation, making it as tight as possible and all the while carefully calibrating the emotional journey through the performances. As for the Oscars it is all a surreal bonus, like I say you hope as you work on something that it is special and obviously a nomination suggests you did something right but the most thrilling thing is that a wide audience gets to see it and thankfully it seems we managed to strike a chord with a lot of them.
I was interested and a little in apprehension. I think it’s very important to laugh about Tiziano’s errors because if you feel guilty to laugh about it it’s because you feel a kind of distance from him and your thought is something like “poor thing, I feel sorry for him and his condition, so I shouldn’t laugh about it”; instead, Daniele taught me that equality goes from here too, you can laugh as long as you can see and appreciate the efforts.
MAKING A DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING NOTES DOCUMENTARY FILM – TIPS for Documentary Film Production THE FOUR BASIC DIVISIONS OF STYLE 1) EXPOSITORY DOC’S Commenting on the Acting of the scene rather than being a part of it -A lot of times Propaganda films (TV NEWS) -Express point of view clearly and leave little room for misinterpretation… Continue reading How to make a Documentary Film
Matthew Toffolo's Summary 