Thank you for your kind welcome: TRAVELS with a Work-in-Progress
Dawn Dreyer, filmmaker
Like it sounds, a Work-in-Progress (WiP) isn't a finished film. It's kind of scary, sometimes, to present a rough version of a project to a wide audience. But so far, it's been hugely helpful and gratifying.
Why Wait?
I've screened WiP versions of BPG RTW+OS at two film festivals: Alice Fest (2013 and 2015) and Cucalorus (2013). I screened my first 10 minutes at Alice Fest, a terrific festival focused on women filmmakers, in Durham, NC. Folks were affirming of the work and generous with their both their praise and constructive criticism. At Cucalorus, in Wilmington, NC, I was fortunate enough to be a part of the 2013 WiP cohort, a group of documentary filmmakers who came together for mutual support, to receive creative feedback, and brainstorm ideas about how the projects can be used to engage communities and fight for social justice.
It was through the efforts of Cucalorus that I had the opportunity to present a WiP screening in collaboration with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Easter North Carolina chapter as part of Mental Health Awareness Month. Receiving feedback from the people most affected by mental illness has been a critical part of my filmmaking process. Individuals who live with mental illness, their loved ones, and the organizations and staff who provide counseling and other kinds of support (these groups overlap) are my most important audience for BPG+RTW+OS. I also traveled with BPG RTW+OS to the 2014 NAMI National Convention in Washington DC and connected with folks from across the United States and Canada.
Most recently, I was invited by Hannah Carroll, president of the NAMI-NC Cumberland-Lee-Harnett chapter, to be the featured speaker at their National Children's Mental Health Day Conference in Fayetteville, NC. The people I met were just amazing. It was the first time I've shared selections from BPG RTW+OS as part of a talk, and I was really pleased and enriched by the audiences' reception to the work.
In the conversations after events like these, when someone talks about how she connects with one of the characters, or tells one of his own stories, I experience, at a gut level, the impact and potential of this work. And once again, I understand the relief that comes with connecting with others who share some part of my experience. I feel less isolated, both as an artist and an individual who still struggles with finding and sustaining community.
The bottom line is that I'm not willing to wait until the film is finished to connect with audiences and get to work!
It was through the efforts of Cucalorus that I had the opportunity to present a WiP screening in collaboration with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Easter North Carolina chapter as part of Mental Health Awareness Month. Receiving feedback from the people most affected by mental illness has been a critical part of my filmmaking process. Individuals who live with mental illness, their loved ones, and the organizations and staff who provide counseling and other kinds of support (these groups overlap) are my most important audience for BPG+RTW+OS. I also traveled with BPG RTW+OS to the 2014 NAMI National Convention in Washington DC and connected with folks from across the United States and Canada.
Most recently, I was invited by Hannah Carroll, president of the NAMI-NC Cumberland-Lee-Harnett chapter, to be the featured speaker at their National Children's Mental Health Day Conference in Fayetteville, NC. The people I met were just amazing. It was the first time I've shared selections from BPG RTW+OS as part of a talk, and I was really pleased and enriched by the audiences' reception to the work.
In the conversations after events like these, when someone talks about how she connects with one of the characters, or tells one of his own stories, I experience, at a gut level, the impact and potential of this work. And once again, I understand the relief that comes with connecting with others who share some part of my experience. I feel less isolated, both as an artist and an individual who still struggles with finding and sustaining community.
The bottom line is that I'm not willing to wait until the film is finished to connect with audiences and get to work!
WiP + the Creative Process
I think it's fair to say most filmmakers do not share WiP versions of their work to this kind of broad audience, but almost all do get feedback at some point in the process. Input from a cross-section of people, both familiar and unfamiliar with the project, can be a huge help to a filmmaking team. A WiP screening is most effective when the filmmaking team just listens and doesn't try to defend their choices. The questions an audience asks about the WiP are also hugely instructive.
Hearing what other people think and feel about the work, even when you receive conflicting information, can dramatically shift the direction of the finished product.
With animation, feedback on early versions is even more essential. Because of the detailed and time intensive work required, a minute of animation costs thousands of dollars to produce. Feel free to support our awesome team of animators here.
So tell us what you think!
Hearing what other people think and feel about the work, even when you receive conflicting information, can dramatically shift the direction of the finished product.
With animation, feedback on early versions is even more essential. Because of the detailed and time intensive work required, a minute of animation costs thousands of dollars to produce. Feel free to support our awesome team of animators here.
So tell us what you think!
