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Jed Riffe’s Advice for Aspiring Documentarians
Jed Riffe is a producer, journalist, independent moviemaker and the man behind production cooperative Jed Riffe Films LLC. His latest effort, Ripe for Change, won the MovieMaker Ecocinema Award at the 2007 Wine Country Film Festival. The documentary, which emphasizes Riffe’s belief that changing the world begins with changing food politics, is part of the PBS series ”California and the American Dream.” After 25 years in the field, Riffe knows a thing or two about getting his point across on film. Here, he shares a bit of advice for documentarians aspiring to do the same.
1. It’s about perseverance, and having faith in your project. And it’s about being willing to get your project done by any means. (Well, maybe not any means, but almost any means necessary.)
2. Be a smart and creative fundraiser. You’ve got to be able to pay people to participate and contribute.
3. Take advantage of the current relatively inexpensive and available technology. These are the tools that we wanted [when I first started in this field].
4. Be creative about getting your film out there, whether that means storing short clips on your cell phone or setting up interactive kiosks playing sections of the movie. Clips from “California and the American Dream” are currently on public display at museums, conferences and Google headquarters.
5. Believe in the power of collaboration. You really have got to learn to work together if you want to be successful in this business.
For more on Riffe and his most recent documentary, Ripe for Change, pick up a copy of MovieMaker‘s Spring 2008 edition, or visit http://jedriffefilms.com.
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COMMENTS | POST A COMMENT 
- Comment by Ronald Sebilo-Tibbits on 4/23/08 at 1:03 pm
I have worked with Jed Rife and I want to add something about my experience with him. I moved to the bay area expecting to make connections and make films and I met with a lot of closed doors.
After a meting at the Saul Zaents building in Berkeley I was lingering in the hall way looking at pictures and happened to walk by an open door. Jed noticed me in the hall way and immediately invited me in. since then I have noticed that it was no coincidence.
His door is open when ever he is in his office. This allows him to take in strays like me and I believe this is what keeps his work fresh and inclusive with lots of input from newcomers to the field. Every one can learn from him.
- Comment by Grand Rapids LASIK on 7/16/09 at 6:55 pm
Thank you for all of the tips for becoming a documentarian. It takes a lot of hard work to be successful!
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This story was published in the Spring 2008 MovieMaker Magazine. The headline was:
Film For Change
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