74 – Archival Storytelling For Your Documentary with Tom Jennings
Through his production company, 1895 Films, Tom Jennings has become known for his fresh and inventive approach to using archival footage to tell a story. With both Peabody and Emmy Awards under his belt, there are few who have mastered the art of archival storytelling in the way that Tom has. After listening to this episode you will never think of found footage in the same way again!
Topics Discussed
- how Tom’s print background lent directly to becoming a documentary filmmaker
- how Tom and his company, 1895 Films, have transformed the way that filmmakers are now using archival footage
- how through exclusively using archival to tell a story, one forces an audience to become an active viewer
- how sourcing archival from local media sources can be a goldmine
- best practices for contacting local media sources for use of archival materials
5 Tips for Sourcing Archival Materials
To get properly prepped for our conversation with Tom, I take us through 5 Tips for Sourcing Archival Materials. They are:
- License-fee vs. Royalty-free vs. Public Domain
- National Archives
- Focal International
- License Upfront
- Cast Wide Net About Your Archival Search
Related Resources
° In the episode, Tom mentioned a tv news show entitled You Are There, specifically he talks about the episode that dealt with the sinking of the titanic. This show served as inspiration for Tom, later on becoming a documentary filmmaker who would end up taking a very different approach.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HliceHS92R4
° View the opening found footage that Tom talks about for The Lost Tapes: Challenger Disaster
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTHDApKDwrk
° Read a really great article that was basically a case study of how The Lost Tapes: Challenger Disaster was made. This is very informative, highly recommend any doc filmmaker checking this article out!
° Tom Jennings 2012 Peabody Acceptance Speech
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ou4K99TKThI
Sponsors & Thank Yous
° Episode #74 is brought to you by BlackBox Global, creators of one of the easiest way to turn your filmmaking skills into passive income!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=14&v=BAGp0j57LNE
Go to BlackBox, Create a Free Account, and start selling your footage today!
° Free Music Archive – Special Thank You to recording artist, Dlay who supplied music for this week’s episode of TDL. You too can download his music or other artist’s music by going to Free Music Archive today!
Subscribe
Apple | Spotify | Stitcher |
Rate and Review
If you have found value in this podcast please leave a review so it can become more visible to others. Simply click the link and then click on the Ratings and Reviews tab to make your entry. Thank you for your support!
