Producing a Documentary

Instructor: John de Graaf

Join award winning filmmaker John De Graaf, producer at KCTS for 25 years and director of the popular PBS special, AFFLUENZA, for this one day seminar on what it takes to successfully produce a documentary. Using case studies from John's own 30 years of experience as well as other successful documentary film productions this seminar breaks it down into a task oriented and easy to understand work flow. From picking dynamic subjects to identifying your audience, finding funding, selecting characters, creating hooks, defining your message, connecting your story to a campaign and more, the seminar covers the full spectrum of what's involved and what to consider while producing a documentary. Participants leave with the tools and knowledge needed to get started as well as a clear understanding of the process from beginning to middle to end. Class limit: 20 Registration is closed for the current session

John de Graaf is the co-producer and writer of the new documentary THE MOTHERHOOD MANIFESTO, based on the book by MoveOn.org founder Joan Blades and Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner. He has worked with KCTS-TV, the Seattle PBS affiliate, for 24 years as an independent producer of television documentaries. More than 15 of his programs have been broadcast in Prime Time nationally on PBS. He is also the recipient of more than 100 regional, national and international awards for filmmaking. John produced the popular PBS specials, RUNNING OUT OF TIME, an examination of overwork and time pressure in America, and AFFLUENZA, a humorous critique of American consumerism. His other national PBS specials include FOR EARTH'S SAKE: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF DAVID BROWER; VISIBLE TARGET; A PERSONAL MATTER: GORDON HIRABAYASHI VS. THE UNITED STATES; BEYOND ORGANIC; ESCAPE FROM AFFLUENZA; IT'S UP TO US: THE GIRAFFE PROJECT and CIRCLE OF PLENTY. He recently completed two new documentaries, SILENT KILLER: THE UNFINISHED CAMPAIGN AGAINST HUNGER, and BUYER BE FAIR: THE PROMISE OF PRODUCT CERTIFICATION. Both programs have been showcased in numerous film festivals. SILENT KILLER recently won the regional Emmy for Public Affairs documentary. Prior to his work in TV, John was Public Affairs Director for KUMD Radio in Duluth, Minnesota. He has taught documentary film production at The University of Washington and The Evergreen State College. He is the founder of the Hazel Wolf Environmental Film Festival and former president of the Hazel Wolf Environmental Film Network. He is also the recipient of the Founders of a New Northwest Award for his work in environmental media. John was the first recipient of the De Graaf Environmental Filmmaking Award, an award named for him that is now presented annually at the Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival in California. He is also the co-chair of the Public Policy Committee for the Simplicity Forum, a national think tank for the Voluntary Simplicity movement. John is the national coordinator of TAKE BACK YOUR TIME, a national organization challenging overwork and time poverty in America (see www.timeday.org) and a frequent speaker on issues of overwork and over-consumption in America. He is the co-author of the best-seller AFFLUENZA: THE ALL-CONSUMING EPIDEMIC (Berrett-Koehler, 2001/2005). He is the editor of TAKE BACK YOUR TIME (Berrett-Koehler, 2003) and co-author of the children?s book, DAVID BROWER: FRIEND OF THE EARTH (Henry Holt, 1992).