50 Great Documentaries

People occasionally ask me what’s the best way to become a better editor. For a long time, my stock answer was to watch a lot of movies. I think now that a more precise answer is to understand how movies work: to dissect them the way Renaissance artists dissected cadavers in order to better understand the human form.

With that in mind, here’s a list of 50 documentaries that I particularly enjoyed. The list is not a best of. And it’s far from complete. Many were produced in America and most are from the last 20 years. What these films have in common is that they are all tell great stories.

Make sure to add your favorite documentaries to the list below.

Enjoy.

Animals

Blackfish
Grizzly Man
The Cove

Movies about Movies

Best Worst Movie
Burden of Dreams
Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse
Jodoroworsky’s Dune
Lost in La Mancha

Music

Anvil! The Story of Anvil
Beware of Mr. Baker
End of the Century – The Story of the Ramones
Hoop Dreams
The Filth and The Fury
The Devil and Daniel Johnston
The Last Waltz

(more…)

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Story is the Point

Back in the 90s, as a graduate student in creative writing, I discovered the novels and short stories of Richard Yates. His masterpiece Revolutionary Road, which was the basis for the 2008 film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, depicts the stifled dreams of a suburban couple. Kurt Vonnegut called the book the greatest American novel since Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Last week, I found a series of quotes by the author. One in particular stood out. “Don’t be seduced by prose, the point is structure.” I think the parallel is clear. To paraphrase, don’t be seduced by gorgeous imagery. Story is the point. Now don’t get me wrong, I love beautiful video. I adore it. And seeing a stunning photograph for the first time is like a window opening in your heart you didn’t know was there. It’s a revelation. In fact, I’ve written elsewhere that we should embrace the grammar and aesthetics of…

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Worth Clicking: The Best First Films, Emerging Theaters, & Remembering 9/11

All links are hand-picked by the MediaStorm staff for your enjoyment this weekend. Cheers! This girl ages into an old woman before your eyes without you noticing. [Vimeo] Addicted to BuzzFeed? Here’s a list for every second of the day. [ListiClock] On collaborating with a 4-year old. [the busy mockingbird] Amid the chaos of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, nearly 100 search and rescue dogs were deployed. See the poignant photos of these four-legged 9/11 heroes. [Global Animal] The 50 best first films ever made. [Film.com] A photographer’s take on the iPhone 5S camera. [TechCrunch] There is a teacher of photography that few speak of in today’s industry. She is shunned by many and with good reason. Nobody seems to like her. [PetaPixel] While the market is changing, it doesn’t mean the end of movie theaters. [Transmedia Coalition] Jonathan Klein, CEO and co-founder of Getty Images, discusses the future of the industry, the…

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MediaStorm Guide to Setting Up Shots

At MediaStorm, we ask one important question to test the veracity of our work: does it deceive the viewer? The most fundamental way to break trust with not just your audience, but also your subject, is to set up shots. [1] How to Set Up a Shot If you ask someone to repeat an action, you are setting up a shot. "Could you walk through the door again so I can film you from the other side?" "Will you put your shoes on again so I can get a tight shot?" "Can you pick up your coffee again? I missed it the first time?" If you attempt to direct the action or ask subjects something they normally wouldn’t do, you are setting up a shot. "Would you mind dancing?" "Can we take you to visit your dad?" "Will you turn off the lights so I can get some pictures that look more…

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MediaStorm’s Driftless: Stories from Iowa by Danny Wilcox Frazier wins Webby Award for Best Editing/Online Film and Video

The 14th Annual Webby Awards today named MediaStorm's Driftless: Stories from Iowa by Danny Wilcox Frazier as the winner in the Best Editing/Online Film and Video Category. MediaStorm will be honored at a star-studded ceremony hosted by B.J. Novak of NBC's "The Office" on June 14th in New York City. On June 15th, fans will be able to watch the ceremony at the official Webby Awards YouTube Channel. A full list of both Webby Awards and People's Voice Awards winners can be found here. Hailed as the "Internet's highest honor" by The New York Times, The Webby Awards is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet, including websites, interactive advertising, online film and video, and mobile websites. The Webby Awards is presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a 650-person judging academy whose members include Martha Stewart, R/GA's Chief Bob Greenberg, David Bowie, Arianna Huffington and Twitter's…

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