Month: March 2006

Copyright and Documentary Filmmaking: the Comic Book

A tight dressed, spiky haired filmmaker turns into a tight dressed, spiky haired superhero to fight expanding copyright restrictions. The Center for the Study of the Public Domain at Duke University School of Law has a novel way of presenting the current difficulties documentary filmmakers are facing. The comic book, Bound by Law? by Keith … Continue reading “Copyright and Documentary Filmmaking: the Comic Book”

A tight dressed, spiky haired filmmaker turns into a tight dressed, spiky haired superhero to fight expanding copyright restrictions. The Center for the Study of the Public Domain at Duke University School of Law has a novel way of presenting the current difficulties documentary filmmakers are facing. The comic book, Bound by Law? by Keith Aoki, James Boyle, and Jennifer Jenkins, presents an in depth explanation of the issues involved in using copyrighted material in documentary film. It also gives suggestions about what can be done to tip the balance back to support a more creative culture.

Cool tools: WRLC library maps

One of the greatest assets available to the AU community is our membership in the Washington Research Library Consortium (WRLC). WRLC resources can be requested through ALADIN, but sooner or later you may need to go to one of these schools. The AU website has a couple of tools to help you navigate the terra … Continue reading “Cool tools: WRLC library maps”

One of the greatest assets available to the AU community is our membership in the Washington Research Library Consortium (WRLC). WRLC resources can be requested through ALADIN, but sooner or later you may need to go to one of these schools. The AU website has a couple of tools to help you navigate the terra incognito of Fairfax and find your way safely to George Mason University. YourGMap has a Google Maps-like interface with locations, addresses and websites of the WRLC libraries. If you have Google Earth on your PC, this tool will go one better and provide driving directions and fly overs.
Rest assured, there be no dragons in Fairfax.

Historical Nuclear Test Film Archive

The Department of Energy’s website has streaming video of about 75 nuclear tests from the 1940s to the 1970s, many recently declassified – the site is much more exhaustive than anything I’ve seen on this subject previously. link

The Department of Energy’s website has streaming video of about 75 nuclear tests from the 1940s to the 1970s, many recently declassified – the site is much more exhaustive than anything I’ve seen on this subject previously.

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March Madness: Basketball films in Media Services

The Big Game (1982, VHS 4067) – From the classic Middletown film series on life in and around Muncie, Indiana – itself a complement to the Middletown studies conducted by Robert and Helen Lynd in the 1920s and 1930s. Director E.J. Vaughn uses a cinema verite technique to capture the activity surrounding the annual basketball … Continue reading “March Madness: Basketball films in Media Services”

The Big Game (1982, VHS 4067) – From the classic Middletown film series on life in and around Muncie, Indiana – itself a complement to the Middletown studies conducted by Robert and Helen Lynd in the 1920s and 1930s. Director E.J. Vaughn uses a cinema verite technique to capture the activity surrounding the annual basketball game between the Muncie Central High School Bearcats and the Anderson High School Indians.

Hoop Dreams (1994, VHS 3425) This remarkable film follows William Gates and Arthur Agee, two African-American teenagers who are recruited to a predominantly white high school on basketball scholarships. Their struggle to survive in a highly competitive environment while dealing with family hardships is captured. In 1995, it gained attention for NOT being nominated for the Best Documentary Academy Award.

In the Game (1994, VHS 4165) Behind-the-scenes story of one season with Coach Tara VanDerveer and the Stanford Women’s Basketball Team as they try to win a national championship. It takes a look at the inequities in men’s and women’s sports and examines how women’s college athletics have been affected by Title IX.

The 2006 Environmental Film Fest is under way in DC

The festival runs March 16-26 with venues all around the city including American University, MLK Jr. Memorial Library, National Museum of Natural History, and many other locations. Over 100 films will be screened including recent releases and documentary classics. Among the many titles that caught my eye are The Boys of Baraka, Darwin’s Nightmare, The … Continue reading “The 2006 Environmental Film Fest is under way in DC”

The festival runs March 16-26 with venues all around the city including American University, MLK Jr. Memorial Library, National Museum of Natural History, and many other locations. Over 100 films will be screened including recent releases and documentary classics. Among the many titles that caught my eye are The Boys of Baraka, Darwin’s Nightmare, The White Diamond, and The Three Rooms of Melancholia.

DC Environmental Film Festival schedule link

How to Film Sharks and Bears and Live to Tell About It

On Tuesday evening, March 21, AU professor and wildlife filmmaker Chris Palmer will be on campus discussing highlights from his career. The program, part of the 2006 Environmental Film Festival, will be held at 7pm in the Butler Board Room, Mary Graydon Center. Mr. Palmer’s enthusiasm and good humor guarantee an evening of entertainment. They … Continue reading “How to Film Sharks and Bears and Live to Tell About It”

On Tuesday evening, March 21, AU professor and wildlife filmmaker Chris Palmer will be on campus discussing highlights from his career. The program, part of the 2006 Environmental Film Festival, will be held at 7pm in the Butler Board Room, Mary Graydon Center. Mr. Palmer’s enthusiasm and good humor guarantee an evening of entertainment. They expect a crowd so get there early.

Blogwatch: Reality Film

The author of the Reality Film site, who I deduce is a film studies professor at Penn State, has been posting since December 2005. His goals for the site are to have a place to discuss teaching, film and television viewing in a more or less organized manner. His tastes are somewhat mainstream but it’s … Continue reading “Blogwatch: Reality Film”

The author of the Reality Film site, who I deduce is a film studies professor at Penn State, has been posting since December 2005. His goals for the site are to have a place to discuss teaching, film and television viewing in a more or less organized manner. His tastes are somewhat mainstream but it’s still worth browsing once in a while, if only because it’s one of the few blogs devoted to documentary film.

link

Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, April 6-9

If you can find the time, plan on going to Durham, NC for perhaps the most important documentary festival in the US.Featured this year: Sydney Pollack’s Sketches of Frank Gehry will open the festival. D.A. Pennebaker and Ross McElwee will help honor documentary legend Richard Leacock when he is awarded the 2006 Career Award. There … Continue reading “Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, April 6-9”

If you can find the time, plan on going to Durham, NC for perhaps the most important documentary festival in the US.
Featured this year:

  • Sydney Pollack’s Sketches of Frank Gehry will open the festival.
  • D.A. Pennebaker and Ross McElwee will help honor documentary legend Richard Leacock when he is awarded the 2006 Career Award.
  • There will be a sneak preview of Ken Burns’s WWII.
  • Al Franken will be in attendance for a Q&A and the screening of Al Franken: God Spoke (dirs: Chris Hegedus and Nick Doob).
  • A tribute to New Orleans
  • Over 100 film screenings in all including competition entries
  • Also panel discussions, seminars, and Q&A sessions

The following films in the AU Library collection are among the titles included in this year’s thematic program Class in America.
Flag Wars VHS 7285
Poverty Outlaw VHS 4342
Stranger with a camera VHS 6451
The Weather Underground DVD 1726

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Cold War Classic – Duck and Cover (1951) on Google Video

This 9 minute film was made by the U.S. Federal Civil Defense Administration to instruct children on how to react when an atomic bomb was detonated nearby. The film was used extensively in Kevin Rafferty’s Atomic Cafe (1982, DVD 536), a documentary surveying the U.S. government’s propaganda promoting the atomic bomb. link

This 9 minute film was made by the U.S. Federal Civil Defense Administration to instruct children on how to react when an atomic bomb was detonated nearby.

The film was used extensively in Kevin Rafferty’s Atomic Cafe (1982, DVD 536), a documentary surveying the U.S. government’s propaganda promoting the atomic bomb.
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