BREATHE - A LIFE JOURNEY - latest documentary

So here we are, end of the summer and editing away. My favorite part of the documentary process. I am pleased to announce that Laura Zellmer and I are finishing up a project that we started over ten years ago!! Yeah us! We decided that the best way to tackle this, both being Mom’s, was by moving in together for two weeks and hiring a nanny to watch after our three children. Fun and never a dull moment. Are we crazy?

This is an interesting film, which is why we are excited to be blogging about it.  It is a true passion project of ours, BUT in this instance, passion does not mean unfunded! As you may know, we are not about working for free on any film. As we have gotten older,  time and energy is much better spent with compensation. SO, from the beginning of this film we have gone after financing.

Ten years ago our good friend came in with a donation that allowed us to buy a camera and computer,  and we were off to the races.  Thank you Pat! Throughout the years, Laura has been collecting footage of herself as her life progresses.

This is the time to tell you that our film BREATHE is a documentary about Laura’s life living with Cystic Fibrosis.  She has been a model of what it takes to truly thrive in life, even though she faces daily challenges that directly effect her health. Our goal is to distribute this film for free to all the CF Clinics in North America… over 500.

The model of financing that is proving incredibly successful is that of fiscal sponsorship. We are sponsored by the IDA and applied to two grants (both of which we received!) to finish the film. We are then going to have a party to raise money for the distribution. (Stay tuned as we hope to see you there!)

The past week we have been plugging away at digitizing over 20 hours of mini DV tape. Yep mini DV. But we have also included some interview footage that we shot on the D7. Really pretty stuff, but boy, what a learning curve.

Some things we have learned in the past week that we would like to share with you…

1. Don’t attempt to fix a drive by yourself. Most important… DO NOT put a plug in it that was not specifically made for the drive, even if it fits.  OOPS… Solution: Buy new drive and start digitizing again.

2. Always shoot in the highest resolution a camera will allow. Don’t try to be tricky… Obvious reasons. Solution: Suck it up and learn.

3. Get sleep. 24 hours in front of a computer does no one any good. Solution: Go to sleep.

4.  Nannies are a God send! Thank you Kate!As our journey progresses, you can find out more about what we are doing here. So for now, sit back, relax and just BREATHE.

** To make a tax deductible donation to the distribution of the film…  http://documentary.org/fsp/3565  Please visit our IDA website. THANK YOU!

Laura - age 4