Workshops and Panels

All workshops are free and open to the public. You must pre-register at the Documentary
Film Institute, 819 Central, or by calling 501-321-4747. Enrollment is limited.

Saturday. Oct. 17

  • Workshop: Guerilla Lighting w/Guy Galloway, 10am-12am

This hands-on workshop will explore low-budget, on-the-spot techniques used to light a shot in poorly lit conditions. Lighting can make or break your film, and this workshop will help you prepare for those situations where you might find yourself ill-prepared or under-equipped.

 

  • Workshop: Production Audio w/Joe Dull, 1pm-3pm

What’s it take to get a good audio track on set? This workshop will talk you through the equipment and techniques to recording crisp and clear location audio. Joe Dull has worked on too many movies to count in Southern California and New York, and is now teaching filmmaking at the University of Central Arkansas. And Joe, like many people, got his start in audio, working his way through college running sound and lights for theatre productions and movies, before turning to film full time. He’s currently in post-production on two films he’s directed: the musical documentary “Starring: Rachel Miller” and the narrative feature film “Table at Luigi’s.”

 

  • Music and Media Panel

Moderated by Bill Solleder
w/ J.B. Wilkes, Leo Thomas and special guests @ Malco Theater, 7pm
How do music and media influence our culture, and what rolls do they play to establish a local identity? Is a local culture defined by the music and media it creates, or does the music and media define its culture? This panel will discus the roles music and media play in our society, and how exploring these public forms of expression can be useful for documentary filmmakers.***
 

Sunday, Oct. 18

  • Workshop: Approaches to Documentary Filmmaking w/Huixia Lu, 1pm-3pm

The first step in planning a documentary is deciding what form it will take: Ken Burns style, cinema verite, narrative, experimental, etc. This workshop will introduce the different types of documentary forms and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each.***
 

Monday, Oct. 19

  • Workshop: Research and Interview Techniques w/Donna Lampkin Stephens, 1pm-3pm

A documentary is only as good as the material it’s made from, and researching and interviewing are necessary skills for the filmmaker. This workshop will focus on doing the background research necessary for good interviews, interviewing procedures and archival research. Donna Lampkin Stephens is assistant professor journalism at the University of Central Arkansas. She was the producer of The Old Gray Lady: Arkansas's First Newspaper, the 2006 documentary film chronicling the Arkansas Gazette, and 2009's The Crisis Mr. Faubus Made: The Role of the Arkansas Gazette in the Central High Crisis. She is working toward her Ph.D. in Mass Communication with an emphasis in History and Law at The University of Southern Mississippi.

  • Workshop: Touring and DIY Distribution w/Bill Brown & Bill Daniel, 3pm-5pm

This workshop will explain alternative venues and screening options for filmmakers living outside the mainstream distribution model. Bill Brown and Bill Daniel are two artists that have toured extensively and independently with their films, hitting the road with films as a touring band would with music. Both are regarded as pioneers of the experimental documentary movement.
 

Tuesday, Oct. 20

  • Workshop: Fair Use and Copyright w/John Gale, 1pm-3pm

One of the hottest topics in documentary filmmaking today is fair use and copyright. When can you use copyrighted materials? How do you get clearance? This workshop explores the challenges documentary filmmakers face in the complicated world of copyright. John Gale is a copyright scholar, mass communication educator. Gale has presented internationally and nationally in the areas of copyright law and documentary film. He has a thirty-year background in mass communication, and has been a pioneer in streaming radio and television programming.
 

Wednesday. Oct. 21

  • Workshop: Producing the Documentary w/Ben Meade, 1-3pm

Filmmaking is a business as well as an art. Financing, distribution, and exhibition are all keys to making your documentary successful. Learn creative and proven strategies for funding your film and making money from it. Dr. Benjamin Meade is a highly acclaimed documentary filmmaker and Board Chairman of the Hot Springs Documentary Film Institute.
 

Thursday, Oct. 22

  • One-Man Band Workshop: Mark Birnbaum 10am-5pm

(workshop continues Friday, Oct. 23 from 10am-5pm)

A complete crash-course on making your own documentary film. The first day of the workshop is devoted to teaching the techniques necessary for acquiring documentary footage on one's own. The second morning we send the participants out into the Hot Springs community to meet with volunteer interview subjects, so that the students can shoot a short interview and some b-roll of whatever the volunteer's job may be, and then we meet in the afternoon to screen their work. Mark Birnbaum will also be screening “Once in a time” during the festival, and is a very well regarded and experienced documentarian.

  • Workshop: Grant Writing w/Kevin Clark, 1-3pm

Behind many successful documentaries have been successful grant proposals. In this workshop, you’ll learn where to look for grants, tips for writing them, and the secrets you need to know to increase your chances at winning grants yourself. ***
 

Friday, Oct. 23

  • Arkansas Film Panel, 10:30am

w/Ben Meade, Chris Crane, Katherine Kinsey and special guests
This panel will discus the future of filmmaking in the state of Arkansas. How can Arkansas become a major player within the film industry, particularly for documentary films?

 

  • One-Man Band Workshop: Mark Birnbaum 10am-5pm

(continued from Thursday, Oct. 22)

 

  • Workshop: Images in Motion: Preparing & Animating Photos w/Scott Meador, 1-3pm

The workshop will cover preparing and animating images and scanned documents. Image dimensions, pixel resolution, color depth, scan cleanup, and an introduction to motion graphics, which will include animating photos and documents as well as text, will be touched on. Scott Meador is an Assistant Professor in the Digital Filmmaking program at the University of Central Arkansas. He teaches visual effects, motion graphics, 3D animation, and production design courses as well as being a practicing professional digital artist. Some examples of motion graphics and animation for this workshop are also featured in the festival entry, House of Numbers. ***

 

Saturday, Oct. 24

  • Environmental Panel: Robert Keener and special guests, 10:30am

In an age of mass consumption, environmental issues are becoming a hot and heated topic. What risks are involved for filmmakers that challenge large corporations and industries, and what possible benefit do these films serve for our culture at large?
 

  • Hollywood Forum: Cass & Kate Warner with special guests, 1pm

What is the current state of Hollywood in relation to documentary film? Is it possible to make a documentary film using the Hollywood model, or does it become a more personal process? This forum will discus the workings of Hollywood, past and present, and the similarities and differences documentary filmmakers face in producing their films.
 

  • Open Screening @ Porterhouse Club, 2pm-5pm

An “open screening” for filmmakers to screen work and receive constructive criticism and advice from top professionals. All films welcome, first come, first serve. Please keep footage under 10 minutes.