Making a Documentary - Pt 1

Happy Fourth of July Weekend! After many months of thoughtful consideration, I’ve decided to begin posting here on moviesbywomen.com about my adventures in making my second feature documentary film.  I began shooting RISK: At-Risk Girls Behind the Camera in the summer of 2007 after three years of planning and prep.  (RiskTheMovie.com) The film is about a group of at-risk teenage girls taking a sumer program (that I created) to learn how to make movies.  Their stories are heartbreaking, heartwarming, and incredible.  Though the process of making movies the girls learn so much about themselves.  

Right now we are prepping to return to Kansas City and St. Joseph, Missouri where the program takes place to do a second year of the program so that the 2007 girls can now help teach a new batch of girls how to make films.  I also just returned from the Texas subplot of the movie where I go back to meet the vice-principal that changed my own life.  You see, a part of the film (hopefully a tiny part) is about my life as an at-risk teenage girl turned out for the good and has allowed me to help other girls.  Another subplot of the movie is my horrible, terrible health.  In fact, I have 2 chronic diseases that make all of this even more challenging.  The camera crew has seen a few of my health breakdowns and emergency room visits for chronic pancreatitis and rheumatoid arthritis.  I actually have a metal pump chugging away that saved my life last year. 

Now, we’re only a few weeks away from heading back and it is nerve-wracking.  There are so many documents to create, so much to accomplish in such a short time.  More importantly, my team is in the fund-raising stage and having a heck of a time since we tapped into most large donors for last years program.  Out of $30,000 we have $15,000 to go in only 3 weeks!!!!  

So this is my mission, I’ve been asked by some key MoviesbyWomen.com team members to begin blogging about my experience directing and producing the movie in exchange for a little space to ask, or rather beg, for donations.  The donations will go directly to the girls for their food, supplies, cameras, and transportation.  Please click here to consider donating. 

One last note about the film for this Pt 1 story:  My partner producer and I are seeking the following: More Volunteer PA’s living in the Kansas City metro area, Visa gift cards to give the girls upon graduation, beauty products to give the girls upon graduation, and a guest editor interested in donating their time for a week for the girls.  Please email info [at] moviesbywomen.com if you have any leads.  

So, over the next few months I will write about the journey of making and finishing a documentary feature film.  Hopefully my teammate Lucy will begin sharing about her post-production adventures here also so that you’ll get two tales in the adventures of making a movie.  

Thanks for reading!!  Tara Veneruso, Director - GirlsBehindtheCamera.com