POS: What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in putting together this documentary?
NF: It is the same “old” challenges black filmmakers have always faced. (1) Isolation (2) Lack of support (3) lack of funding resources , etc. I could go on and on. Of course the main challenge is always funding. When I worked in the newsroom at WABC-TV in New York City, I was part of a system that supplied everything I needed to to my work to produce a documentary. Whenever I approached a story I was supplied with a crew, an editor, and upon completion of the work, I had an immediate platform from which to showcase that work. I was not privy to those luxuries on this project. I was challenged to be the cinematograper-videographer myself, the lighting person, the sound person, the research person, the producer/director, and editor. Fortunately, I the process was familiar to me, coming from a background of broadcast journalism, and professional filmmaking in the motion picture industry. The big plus that helped make this project possible was digital technology. Of course I had to be a quick study. But one does what one has to do to realize the vision one has been given. I can truly say that I am a much better filmmaker coming out than I was going into this project.
POS: What is your upcoming screening schedule for the film? And when can we expect to see it available for the public?
NF: From the very beginning this project has been an entrepreneurial endeavor. I have invested a lot of sweat equity into the making of this documentary, as well as my hard earned cold cash. But like I said before, one does what one has to do to realize ones vision. Every aspect of producing the HOME documentary has been the result of passion and a belief in the importance of the subject of the New Great Migration of African Americans in the 21st century. So put together and maintained a grassroots approach throughout the production, starting with pre-production to production – to post production, and finally the release phase of the documentary. To support a national screening schedule, I will be launching a “crowd-funding” campaign on the “Indiegogo” platform. I am still tweaking the last details of the new website (www.naimahfuller.com). The official launch will be this month – National Women’s Month, in which I am paying homage to Dr. Maya Angelou who is “The Voice of Wisdom” in the documentary. I am also launching the HOME newsletter this month, which will have some information regarding screening schedules.
POS: What advice would you give to people out there who want to be documentarians?
NF: Get a camera (a real camera – not a smart phone lol) get a good professional video camera, which you can get for a little as a thousand dollars used. Get some good professional sound equipment, and some lighting equipment, find a subject you believe is important, and start shooting. It’s simple. Filmmaking is learned by doing it, not reading about it. So just go do it. Take yourself seriously, take your subjects seriously, and what you don’t know- learn. Ask questions – hang out with other filmmakers, watch documentaries. Start small, you know, do a ten minute doc. and get comfortable with yourself and with your equipment. If you’re serious, you will make something. But you have to first start with a subject that has meaning to you. That’s what good documentary filmmaking is about – telling stories about that stir your spirit.
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I’d like to thank Naimah for taking the time to share her process with us. To see a trailer of Home, please see below.
-Marc
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