DOCFOREST 2016

Friday, September 16th– Sunday, September 18th

Four hours, teams of two, one town and our phones.

TICKETS GO ON SALE JULY 25th

Regular Priced $275

Begins September 1st

- All Activities

- All Meals Included

- Room and Board

Buy Ticket

One Night Only $200

*New!!!

- Friday and Saturday Activities

- Friday and Saturday Meals Included

- Friday Night Lodging

- No Lodging Saturday

Buy Ticket

Saturday Only $140

- Saturday Activities Only

- Saturday Meals Included

- Room and Board

Buy Ticket

ABOUT DOCFOREST

The Seattle Documentary Association (SeaDoc) presents its annual filmmakers’ retreat, DocForest—a weekend of high-tech talk in a low-tech setting, filled with informal workshops, films, camaraderie, bonfires, food and drink! This year we are super excited to hold DocForest in a new location—the beautiful Pack Forest near the town of Eatonville, about 90 minutes’ drive from Seattle on the way to Mt. Rainer. No tents required!

This year’s theme is HANDS-ON! Documentary involves so much that is NOT filming—but let’s face it—creating the images is the most fun. And, now we have the tools to make films with what we can carry in our pocket, our smartphones. This DocForest is all about staying visually fresh by focusing on cinematography and—making short films together—A DocForest Smartphone Film Challenge!

All you need is a smartphone (iOS or Android) with some free gigs and to be game.

To get us pumped up, Andy Shocken, a cinematographer living in Brooklyn (check out his current project, Song Of Lahore) will tell us about how he approaches a documentary scene. Then, the creators of Filmic, from our very own Seattle, are going to show us WHY & HOW PHONES are potentially serious tools for filmmaking. Wait! There is more. Courtney Sheehan the executive director of Northwest Film Forum will also be at DocForest to tell us about Citizen Minutes—an opportunity for us to make films about things that matter to us and have them seen—without years of editing and distribution woes.

The retreat begins with Happy Hour on Friday evening, and ends on Sunday at 1pm. All meals will be provided by Pack Forest—and they are yummy. Vegetarian and Gluten-free are options (just be sure to fill out the questionnaire). This year—no tent required! All you need to bring is yourself, clothes, jammies, your PHONE with as much memory as possible and if you would like to bring an alcoholic beverage that is not beer or wine, bring that as well. (Cannabis is not allowed at Pack Forest. It is owned by the U of W).

DocForest is a not-to-be-missed opportunity to network, share your projects and recharge your creative juju!

We look forward to seeing you at DocForest 2016! It is going to be a good one!!!

-The SeaDoc Steering Committee

AGENDA

4:00pm – 6:00pm ARRIVAL

Check-in, hand off film clips for the evening events, and get settled in. Drinks & heavy apps will be served.

6:00pm – 6:30pm SPEED DATING

Our fast and furious icebreaker leaves you wanting more – and then gives it to you, 40 times over. Prepare to share your 1 minute elevator pitch for a current or dream project with all other DocForest attendees.

6:30pm – 7:30pm Dinner

7:30pm – 9:00pm SHOW AND TELL

Voluntarily show up to 5 minutes of a completed work to (re)introduce yourself to DocForest. Alternatively, participants can use this time to tell us who/how/where you are and what you need to advance your filmmaking. Such sharing facilitates personal connections, feedback, and inspiration throughout your DocForest weekend. This is not a feed-back-based WIP, please give labeled media to Patricia when you arrive.

9:00pm BONFIRE

You supply the conversation and we supply a roaring fire, liquid libations, and traditional campfire pleasures for the young and ancient at heart.

8:30am- 9:30am BREAKFAST

9:30am- 11:15am CINEMATOGRAHY WORKSHOP: FILMING A SCENE

Documentary director and cinematographer Andy Schocken will discuss how we translate our story ideas into footage. Covering both observational shooting as well as interview-based approaches, Andy will discuss strategies for dynamic visual storytelling, and how to give yourself the coverage you need in the editing room.

11:15am – 11:30am BREAK

11:30am – 12:45pm MOBILE SHOOTING: FILMIC PRO

FILMIC: Neil Barham & Kevin Buonagurio have created an app for both iphones and androids that turn your phone into a tool for real movie making—including most of the controls we have on our pro cameras. FILMIC, created in Seattle, is getting rave reviews and massive attention from the film world (See their portfolio). They will share with us why they do what they do, the future of filmmaking, and how to use what they have created to its full potential.

1:00pm – 2:00pm LUNCH

2:00pm – 6:00pm DOCFOREST PHONE FILM CHALLENGE

This is a DocForest first!— Four hours, Teams of 2, one town and our phones. This is our chance to recharge visually, perhaps take a break from a feature project that is taking years—and tell stories quickly and creatively with the tool we can carry in our pocket. We will break out into teams head out into Eatonville, just a short distance from Pack Forest, and find stories. They are sure to be there. We will have 4 hours to shoot, edit and deliver a 3ish minute film. We will then share our creations after dinner. No perfection, only fun, is required for this one. Oh, and a phone with memory and ideally imovie.

7:00pm – 8:00pm DINNER

8:00pm – 10:00pm SCREENING FESTIVAL

10:30pm BONFIRE

Guest Speakers

NEILL BARHAM- FILMIC PRO

Entrepreneur Neill Barham is the guiding vision behind FiLMiC Inc. Under his leadership FiLMiC Pro has garnered 2 Video Camera App of the Year Awards and a place on Tap! Magazine’s 50 Best Apps of All Time. Neill has spoken or taught at conventions, workshops and masterclasses all over world. Neill’s driving ambition is to bring accessible, world class storytelling tools to creative individuals in every corner of the globe.

KEVIN BUONAGURIO- FILMIC PRO

Kevin is a 15 year veteran of the software development industry, with background in software support, operations, project management, product management, design, and both technical and business process consulting. His involvement in projects large and small, custom, enterprise and mobile brings a unique point of view to the FiLMiC Inc. team.

ANDY SCHOCKEN- SONG OF LAHORE

Andy Schocken is a documentary filmmaker and cinematographer living in Brooklyn, NY. Song of Lahore, his producing and directing debut, was an audience favorite at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival and IDFA, and was acquired by Broad Green Pictures for theatrical release. He was a co-producer and cinematographer for The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner, which was nominated for an Academy Award and aired on HBO. His cinematography credits include recently released documentaries such as A Lego Brickumentary, Very Semi-Serious, First Position, and Gerhard Richter Painting. His corporate clients include Apple, Facebook, and Etsy. Andy holds a Masters degree in documentary filmmaking from Stanford University and a Bachelors degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

COURTNEY SHEEHAN- NORTHWEST FILM FORUM

As Executive Director of the Northwest Film Forum, Courtney Sheehan guides vision and strategy by overseeing artistic programs and services, operations, finances, and fundraising activities. Courtney has curated film programs and produced events for theaters and festivals on three continents. On a year-long Watson Fellowship, Courtney investigated the organizational structures, community roles, and programming strategies of twenty film festivals and media centers in India, Spain, the Netherlands, Brazil, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia and Macedonia. As a journalist, Courtney has covered film events ranging from the world’s largest documentary festival (IDFA in Amsterdam) to South America’s largest animation festival (Anima Mundi in Rio de Janeiro) and her publications include Bitch Magazine, Senses of Cinema, The Independent, and NECSUS: European Journal of Media Studies. She co-founded Cine Migratorio, a migration-themed film festival in Santander, Spain. Courtney first worked at Northwest Film Forum in 2009 as a programming and Children’s Film Festival Seattle intern. She holds a degree in Visual Culture from Grinnell College.

Location

This year, DocForest will be taking place at the Pack Forest Conference Center. It’s about an hour and a half drive from Seattle.

Lodging: Each of the ten historical cabins sleeps up to eight people. Restrooms and showers are conveniently located in a separate building across from the cabins.

About the Location: The Pack Forest Conference Center lies at the foot of Mount Rainier, nestled among stately Douglas-fir in a 4,300 acre forest. Owned by the University of Washington’s School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, Pack Forest is an ideal setting for educational conferences or retreats any time of the year. Interested in mountain biking, walking, or hiking? Guests are welcome to wander the trails or take advantage of our interpretive program. For more information, visit: http://www.packforest.org

Directions: Alternative 1 – Best during high traffic times: (I-5 to Highway 7 — Through Parkland): Follow I-5 south through Tacoma. Take Exit 127, and follow Highway 512 for about ¾ of a mile. Take the first exit for Steele St and turn left onto Steele St. Steele St becomes Spanaway Lake Loop Road. Continue for about 5 miles on Steele St/Spanaway Lake Loop Road. Turn left where the Spanaway Lake Loop Road ends onto WA-704E/Cross Base Hwy and follow for ¾ of a mile. Turn right onto Highway 7 South. Stay on Highway 7 for about 22 miles through Spanaway and Elk Plain toward Elbe. After you cross the Mashel River, watch for the sign “University of Washington Pack Forest.” The entrance to Pack Forest will be on your left.

How To Get There

ADDRESS

Pack Forest Conference Center

9010 453rd St E, Eatonville, WA 98328

Phone: (360) 832-6534

F.A.Q.

Where?

This year Doc Forest will be located at the Pack Forest Conference Center in Eatonville.
Address: 9010 453rd St E, Eatonville, WA 98328
Phone: (360) 832-6534
When?

DocForest 2016 begins with appetizers and drinks about 4pm Friday September 16 thru lunch on Sunday September 18, 2016.
How Much?

$250 early bird purchase for the entire weekend. Tickets go on sale at the SeaDoc website on July 24.
How About My Work?

For our Show & Tell, please bring a 5 minute ‘introduction and ask’ finished piece.
Where Do I Stay?

Attendance price includes a shared cabin lodging. Shared bathrooms, showers, and kitchen space available on-site.
What Will I Eat?

Catered snacks, appetizers, plated meals, wine, beer, juices, and sodas are provided. We can accommodate special dietary needs if you provide advanced notice.
What Should I Bring?

This year at DocForest we will be hosting a Phone Challenge. Please bring your phone, your chargers and your computer to edit if you wish!
Will WIFI be available?

Yes! Pack Forest has WIFI and internet access.
How Do I Learn More?

Contact us via this web page or our Facebook page to receive direct contact with a SeaDoc Steering Committee Member and personalized advice.