A Conversation with Actor and Oscar-Winning Producer Fisher Stevens
As we close the submission process for all 2011 Tribeca Film Institute filmmaker support programs today, we'd like to put the newly inaugurated TFI Documentary Fund into spotlight again. The TFI Documentary Fund has already expanded its scope since our announcement, with four additional $10,000 Insurgent Fellowships added through the support from New York City-based Insurgent Media. Actor and Oscar-winning producer (The Cove) Fisher Stevens founded Insurgent Media, a central innovator in the production of thought-provoking filmed content, with Andrew Karsch and Erik Gordon. We asked him about how he became involved in documentary filmmaking and what it means to support filmmakers through the TFI Documentary Fund.
As you know, TFI Documentary Fund was launched to encourage the development of engaging, character-driven documentary films. As a veteran character actor who has stepped into many different roles and lives of others, would you say it’s the real life “characters” – like Ric O’Barry in The Cove – who draw you into your documentary projects?
Ric was definitely one of my main motivations behind wanting to work on The Cove. He truly is a real life hero and was an inspiration. After working in the documentary field for the past 8 years it sometimes becomes difficult to work on fiction films.
What does it mean for you and the founders of Insurgent Media to support filmmakers through the TFI Documentary Fund?
We are always looking for a new voice in documentary storytelling, and many of them will pass through the TFI Documentary Fund. We hope to help support stories that need to be told; stories that not only entertains us, but also could perhaps open our eyes to situations or people we never even knew existed before.
With perceptions about documentary films changing and the genre becoming much more popular, what would you say is the key to achieving the balance of making an entertaining and educational documentary – through style, storytelling, etc.?
Characters are always key in making a good documentary, as is trying to find an ironic or humorous twist, which brings up the entertaining factor. Overall what I believe makes a good filmmaker is taste. Taste is a key element in making a film entertaining as well. Whether it be taste in music, taste in pace, taste in shooting, that’s what I always look for. But if you don’t have someone interesting on screen – style becomes unimportant.
screenedTED Mission Blue Voyage
Yes. After working on these projects I definitely feel my way to contribute is through storytelling, to be able to raise awareness and perhaps open people’s minds. I try to capitalize on this opportunity. Whether it be helping Sylvia Earl clean up the oceans, eradicating the dolphin slaughter in Japan by raising the Japanese population's awareness about what is going on in their country on, or trying to show a balanced view of peacekeeping both to the general population as well as the UN. Making these films has given me access to many incredible people, some of who can actually change policy.
This project has changed a bit. It is still called "My Decision" but now it is basically me, a cameraman, and a soundman going around the world filming interesting people making interesting decisions in their life. How people make decisions is a fascinating subject and the study of how people make decisions is becoming part of our zeitgeist. This project has given us an amazing opportunity to meet and film fascinating human beings and even though they live thousands of miles apart, we all have to make many of the same decisions.
What is your favorite documentary film? A character from a documentary film? And why?
I have many favorite documentaries, one of which is Burden of Dreams by Les Blank. The film follows the exploits of Werner Herzog in the heart of the Amazon and the making of his film The story follows the trails and tribulations of getting his film made, and what is even more incredible is that this is before the invention of digital cameras - it is hard to imagine them lugging those huge cameras through the rainforest. I’m not even sure I could have even been a documentarian before digital cameras. This film has been an inspiration to me both in subject matter and in the filmmaking. What both Herzog and Blank went through to get their films made shows the pure spirit and passion of true artistry.
One of TFI’s core mandates is artist support. If you could give budding filmmakers one piece of advice, what would it be?
My advice to anyone trying to make a film is that it has to be a story that you are passionate about. If you are going to invest all the time and energy it takes into making a film you'd better be passionate about the subject matter. Be able to go to whatever lengths necessary to tell your story. You need to be tireless, never stop asking questions, and always be open to the unknown.
For more information about TFI Documentary Fund, please visit www.tribecafilminstitute.org/tfi_documentary.
