March 10, 2020 Inside Out: Rita Baghdadi Documentary filmmakers have to be ready for anything. As the saying goes, the minute you put down the camera, the most amazing thing happens. In Read more
March 8, 2020 The Tools of Observational Sound Psychologist Silvan Tomkins wrote about "the tendency of jobs to be adapted to tools, rather than adapting tools to jobs." The job of recording Read more
February 12, 2020 Tools of the Trade: Documentary Makers Talk Gear Check out the new report of findings from IDA's 2019 Tools of the Trade: Documentary Equipment Survey, providing a robust narrative about the optimal tools of the trade for making your best work. Read more
November 3, 2019 Inside Out: Arlene Nelson Back in high school I had a psychology teacher who was known for opening up students’ backpacks and slowly removing ALL the contents out onto one’s Read more
November 2, 2019 Gearing Up: Podcasting for Filmmakers Ready to venture into the world of podcasting? Well, the good news is, there is a low barrier to entry, meaning you don’t need much in the way of Read more
October 31, 2019 Peer-to-Peer Rental: A Cautionary Tale; Plus: Using Nonfiction Work as Inspiration Why is the insurance concept of “voluntary parting” a problem for equipment owners in peer-to-peer rentals? “Voluntary parting” refers to an Read more
July 24, 2019 Inside Out: Shana Hagan Sometimes I feel like I never unpack. As a documentary cinematographer, I’m so grateful for all of my travels and am humbled by the incredible Read more
October 12, 2018 Inside Out: Nadia Hallgren I work as both a cinematographer and a director/cinematographer; I find the latter to be especially challenging. I need to be able to have the tools Read more
August 30, 2018 Inside Out: Kirsten Johnson Don't let these photos of gear fool you. Over the course of my nearly three-decade-long career, I have almost never brought the same gear on a shoot Read more
August 24, 2017 Inside Out: Joan Churchill Editor’s Note: Welcome to our new column, "Inside Out," in which we ask filmmakers in the field—and in the edit room—What are your essentials tools Read more