Happy Earth Day
Thanks to Nancy B., whom I’ve never met but know through one degree of separation. Nancy sent out an e-mail to her friends directing them to the “Cloning Redwoods” clip that’s here on this blog. Sounds like a good way … Continued
How to Hug a Tree: A Clip
The Best Way to Hug a Tree I was in a patch of Michigan forest admiring a pine tree, one tree among thousands. I stopped and stared at it. “There’s something about that tree,” I said. “That tree speaks to … Continued
Bristlecone Pines, Good Luck, and ALW
What’s that saying? It’s better to be lucky than good. But being lucky is one thing, you then have to recognize what you stepped in. I’m not always lucky, but one day on my shoot in California’s White Mountains . . … Continued
The Man Who Planted Trees – Guest Blogger Jim Robbins
I met Jim Robbins when I followed David Milarch around a grove of Redwoods in Northern California in the fall of 2007. It was a tense shoot (you can read about it here), and Jim’s cool presence did a lot … Continued
The Giving Trees
Did you read yesterday’s New York Times Op-Ed Why Trees Matter, written by friend of A Life’s Work Jim Robbins? No? Well click the link and check it out. You may be surprised to learn (or re-learn) all the good … Continued
Is Production Really Over?
Documentary filmmakers frequently encounter a dilemma: how do you know when to say, “production is over.” You can always shoot more, especially now with video. For Grey Gardens, a film I reference frequently, the Maysles shot more than 70 hours … Continued
Why These Four?
In previous posts, I wrote about other people and projects I considered for A Life’s Work and why I chose four subjects instead of three or five or twenty-seven. But neither of those posts address why I chose these four … Continued
Happy Arbor Day! A Clip
Here’s a clip I put together just for Arbor Day. The bulk of this clip was shot on our first visit with the Milarchs in 2007. (Please pardon my little artsy interlude which was shot elsewhere.) This is one of … Continued
Cloning Redwoods Redux
In your Sunday New York Times, an article on Archangel Ancient Tree Archive’s efforts. On your monitor, a segment from the documentary, A Life’s Work (in post-production), featuring David Milarch of AATA (then known as Champion Tree Project). And while … Continued
Ask the Filmmaker: Turning the Tables
Dear Filmmaker, Actually, this question didn’t start that way. When I first sit down to interview someone for A Life’s Work, I have a few things I mention before I ask the first question. One of those things is, “If … Continued