ASK & DISCUSS
INDEXAward winning Director Sean McAllister on filmmaking
9 years, 11 months ago - Kelie Petterssen
To launch the brand new Film of the Month, renowned documentarian Sean McAllister is judging the top 3 films. From his early work, ‘Working For The Enemy’ (1997) and ‘The Minders’ (1998), right up to his most recent Sheffield Jury Prize winning A Syrian Love Story (2015) - which is out in UK cinemas and on VOD from the 18th September - it’s no surprise that Sean is, quite literally, a fountain of knowledge when it comes to documentary filmmaking.
His frank and extraordinarily intimate films are both provoking and striking, what’s his secret? If you have a question on filmmaking, the making of ‘A Syrian Love Story’, or any other filmmaking woes, don’t brush over this opportunity to get inside his mind. He will be answering your questions on the 21st September.
For a chance for your film to be seen by Sean, head over to Film of the Month: http://bit.ly/FOTMSept and submit through the new submission form. Good luck!
Don’t be shy, I’m sure you all have burning questions you’re dying for the answers to...
Good luck!
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9 years, 11 months ago - Stephanie Walton
Hey Sean, how early in a project's development do you start pitching it and where/who to?
Response from 9 years, 11 months ago - Stephanie Walton SHOW
9 years, 10 months ago - SP Help
I start pitching from the idea stage but commission doesn't alway follow directly. If you have direct relationship with commissioning editors it is best and it becomes a conversation - but I also pitch at forums like Meet Market at Doc/Fest which helps meet people in the world of commissioning and raise the profile of the project
Response from 9 years, 10 months ago - SP Help SHOW
9 years, 11 months ago - Jo Duncombe
Hello Sean, a few of your films have been based on stories out in the Middle East, what I’m really interested to know is what do you find so interesting over there?
Response from 9 years, 11 months ago - Jo Duncombe SHOW
9 years, 10 months ago - SP Help
I feel there is a lot of misunderstanding about how the Arab world is portrayed in the West so I hope my films help a bit to show another side. I enjoy being in the Middle East I guess. I like the climate, the lazy way of life and the food!
Response from 9 years, 10 months ago - SP Help SHOW
9 years, 11 months ago - Allan (Mac) McKenna
Sean is 'quite literally' a fountain Kelie? A weird guy then yeah?
Response from 9 years, 11 months ago - Allan (Mac) McKenna SHOW
9 years, 11 months ago - Alève Mine
A mutant!
Response from 9 years, 11 months ago - Alève Mine SHOW
9 years, 11 months ago - DocHouse
Hi Sean, for new filmmakers interested in documentary, how can I get my foot in the door to start
working on documentaries? What advice could you give? It would be great to learn how you got into
filmmaking!
Response from 9 years, 11 months ago - DocHouse SHOW
9 years, 10 months ago - SP Help
Start filming something and use this as a way to learn and as the project grows you can cut something together and pitch it to TV instead of a treatment self starter projects all stand a much bigger chance of getting made
Response from 9 years, 10 months ago - SP Help SHOW
9 years, 11 months ago - Alève Mine
How do processes in documentary filmmaking differ from fiction filmmaking what regards staying on budget and on schedule (and on shooting ratio)?
Response from 9 years, 11 months ago - Alève Mine SHOW
9 years, 10 months ago - SP Help
I work in docs because I like to be free, not constrained by budgets and crews - so my way of working is very different from fiction
Response from 9 years, 10 months ago - SP Help SHOW
9 years, 11 months ago - Sarah Chorley
Hello Sean,you must have come across so many stories and environments - are there any you had to let go of? Also, Do you think enough risks are being taken my documentary filmmakers to tell the stories of the world? Do you think they dig deep enough?
Response from 9 years, 11 months ago - Sarah Chorley SHOW
9 years, 10 months ago - SP Help
I think some people do make fine powerful films but many are missed because they don't get wide distribution or find an audience but many films are not made with passion and that is the problem. I feel sometimes people don't know why they are making the film.
Response from 9 years, 10 months ago - SP Help SHOW
9 years, 10 months ago - SP Help
I do sometimes start projects that don't happen in fact I'd given up on this Syria film but decided to start again after editor Matt Scholes contacted me to assemble the material I'd filmed for free and that got me excited about the film again... otherwise I may have never made this film
Response from 9 years, 10 months ago - SP Help SHOW
9 years, 10 months ago - SP Help
It depends what you're interested in. You can help make a crap story interesting if you believe in it. I always look for a character that is compelling open with a good story in their lives and usually a big back story - people that I have a dialogue with and fascination in and through the character try find the story
Response from 9 years, 10 months ago - SP Help SHOW
9 years, 10 months ago - SP Help
I think short form docs are hard to make - I would look at the last 10 years of all short docs Oscar nominated under 40mins long
Response from 9 years, 10 months ago - SP Help SHOW
9 years, 10 months ago - SP Help
Many daily challenges like staying alive not getting caught! Getting funding for the film, winning the trust of Amer and Raghda. Editing was a big challenge, also finding the story in the edit - film making is one big challenge.
Response from 9 years, 10 months ago - SP Help SHOW
9 years, 11 months ago - Kelie Petterssen
Hey Sean, What would you say are your key 3 (or 5) points that you would say are crucial to a great story? Are there just some crap stories out there that aren’t worth chasing? Or would not be interesting?
Response from 9 years, 11 months ago - Kelie Petterssen SHOW
9 years, 11 months ago - Tony Franks
Hi Sean, I'm starting to look at making my first doc. Are there any short-form documentaries you can recommend watching, to help inspire?
Response from 9 years, 11 months ago - Tony Franks SHOW
9 years, 11 months ago - Rebecca Brand
Hello Sean, I'm interested to know about the relationship between you, your story editor and your film editor. How early did each come on board, and how did you all work together over the course of the project? Thanks!
Response from 9 years, 11 months ago - Rebecca Brand SHOW
9 years, 10 months ago - cath le couteur
right here!
Response from 9 years, 10 months ago - cath le couteur SHOW
9 years, 10 months ago - Alève Mine
Kelie, where do we read the answers?
Response from 9 years, 10 months ago - Alève Mine SHOW
9 years, 11 months ago - Xenia Glen
Hi Sean, I really enjoyd A Syrian Love Story. What were some of the biggest challenges you came across whilst making it?
Response from 9 years, 11 months ago - Xenia Glen SHOW