Jonathan Coad’s Post

I recently watched a documentary that has left me speechless and shaken. The latest from Vinay Shukla, "While We Watched" is a gripping and reflective documentary about the declining days of free press through the concluding journey of award-winning journalist Ravish Kumar in his former news network NDTV. The documentary shows how Ravish, one of the most respected and courageous journalists in India, and the only Indian journalist to win the Ramon Magsaysay Award, faced constant pressure and harassment from the government and its supporters, as he tried to uphold the values and principles of journalism in a hostile environment. What most generally disregard calling the man a Commie, Urban Naxal, this documentary touches upon his struggles of exposing the fake news and propaganda spread by most national media outlets and spokespersons of political parties. As hard reality of the industry was slowly seeping in, taking away his supportive peer one by one, the man finds courage from nowhere and chooses to hold the fort till date. The documentary also asks us some critical questions: - how we choose to consume and question the information that is presented to us - how we can support independent journalism and free speech, and - how we can prevent the erosion of democracy and human rights in our country. It is a film that makes us reflect on our own role and responsibility as citizens, as well as on the role and responsibility of the media. In my opinion, this documentary seems to be the most important film of the century in post-independence India, as it reveals the truth behind the lies and the hate that are systemically placed before us. It also brings into perspective the journey of a common man such as Ravish himself, that is so unlike how the majority of people believe to be in this country and around the world. While I am deeply saddened about the recent leak of the film on YouTube which crucially hampers the work of the creators and the due process, I think what is more important to learn if one happens to come across it, is that question that this film asks to us: How did we let things go so out of hand, only because we did not question the things that happened with us? I highly recommend you to watch this documentary and share your thoughts. It is a film that deserves our attention and appreciation, as well as our action and solidarity. You can learn more about the documentary at www.whilewewatched.com.

How to Shoot an Oscar-Nominated Documentary in the Midst of War https://ift.tt/nG18E5M Mstyslav Chernov's Oscar-nominated documentary 20 Days in Mariupol is a harrowing first person account of a city in crisis as it is carelessly invaded. It's a work of journalistic art that is important and hard to watch, but crafted with the careful insight of an artist and humanist filmmaker. There's a lot to learn. Two years into the Russian invasion of Ukraine war continues to rage and the tragedy of senseless violence only escalates. It's more important than ever to celebrate journalists and documentary filmmakers such as Chernov, who selflessly risked his life to use the art and craft of filmmaking to expose these atrocities through a medium we love and strive to achieve. Want to know how it was made? Well, lucky for us, Chernov was humbly willing to dive into his documentary filmmaking techniques, exploring ideas of maintaining consistent theme, and even what camera kit is best for this style of filmmaking. Read on, and watch the documentary here. The following quotes from Mstyslav Chernov are edited for length and clarity. Find Characters and Theme in Documentary  "So the way I work is slightly different than just a usual, let's say a classic documentary. What I do—partially because one of my primary works is as a journalist, a conflict journalist, but not only. I'm also a writer and novelist. But I keep reporting and I keep shooting news and stories which are immediate and are published immediately, almost.That being said, I'm always on the lookout for a bigger [stories]. And that's actually, I think, is the best way for documentaries, especially for the war documentaries, but not only for very tech style documentaries is to be, you can't plan them ahead. You cannot be in one country and then think about, okay, well let's do something about that. You first go and then you start shooting. You look around and that's when you find your story. [The invasion of] Mariupol was a historical event. It was something that was important for me as a citizen, so it was personal. It was something that was important for me as a journalist because it needed to be immediately reported and told to the world. And it was unique because we were the only ones who were there reporting from the city. At the same time, after the maternity hospital bombing, after that symbolic event, tragic event that happened, it was already clear to me that this is not just news story. This is a story that needs to be told in a scale and it has to be approached from a slightly different perspective. And that's when I focused on not just shooting news, but also in making sure I have everything for the film. But again, the main concern at that point was just to survive, honestly, to have batteries, enough cards, hard drives. So it's just like a functional, practical problems that needed to be solved before even starting. But yeah, I did think, okay, well if this ...

LAUNCH OF FABULA ASSOCIATES Top documentary talents form a new creative network London, New York, Cairo, Abu Dhabi – May 16th, 2024: UK registered media creative hub Fabula TV is proud to announce the launch of Fabula Associates – a global network of top documentary talents. In what remains a tough climate for commissioning and developing new documentaries, Fabula is launching a new way to incubate great ideas across several genres with the aim of realising them on screen. Fabula Associates are well-placed and experienced individuals who work collaboratively, in a cost-effective and timely manner. We recognise that the industry is changing rapidly, and new structures are needed to respond more effectively to commissioners and networks. There are currently four Fabula Associates based in New York, London, and the Middle East: Dr Dominic Rees Roberts - a specialist factual producer and director and co-founder of Borderpoint Films, a production company developing returnable science and history formats and based in the South East of England. Najat Rizk – an award-winning media executive, a member and a Juror at the International Emmys, a veteran executive producer of factual programming, with an incredible network in the Middle East. Neil Laird – Emmy and BAFTA nominated Executive Producer with a portfolio of history, archeology adventure and science documentaries. Raz Cunningham – Production and Content Development for LEGO, NatGeo, Disney, DoDo Kids, AOL Travel, and PBS. In addition to the Associates, Fabula TV has also formed a consulting partnership with Andrew Lessner (a former Warner Bros/Discovery and Emmy-winning Producer) and LE Co Productions to create and package content. Nigel Hetherington, Fabula & Past Preservers Co-founder: "It's been a tough time for the sector over the last year, but we think the Fabula Associates initiative is a cost-effective way to bring together great industry talents to develop winning ideas." Tony McMahon, Fabula Co-founder: "We listen to what the networks want and work collaboratively with producers and distributors. Our approach is agile and reactive. We can work at speed with no worries about internal bureaucracy or cumbersome decision-making processes." Fabula TV is the sister company of the casting agency, Past Preservers, which gives Fabula Associates access to hundreds of top experts and talents in fields such as archaeology, history, science, true crime, journalism, etc. The result is that Fabula Associates can bring ideas matched with talent to every pitch meeting. To find out more about Fabula Associates – contact us: Tony McMahon: tony.mcmahon@fabula-tv.com Nigel Hetherington: nigel.hetherington@fabula-tv.com

Last night, Mstyslav Chernov's "20 Days in Mariupol," won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature. In October, the Harrington School of Communication and Media hosted Chernov at their annual Amanpour Lecture series, where he discussed the creation of this film, delving into personal challenges, the ethics of war reporting, and the impact of storytelling in revealing the truth of conflict zones. Watch his powerful talk now at the link below ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/dE_3eMj7

I can't help but reflect on the recent decision by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) to delay its annual WGA Awards ceremony until April 14, 2024, a month after the Oscars. This unexpected shift has sent shockwaves through the film industry and raised questions about its impact on Oscar predictions and the broader landscape of the awards season. While this decision may seem surprising, it's essential to recognize its roots in the recently resolved WGA strike. The strike, which disrupted the entire film and television production ecosystem, underscores the challenges faced by writers and the industry as a whole. The delayed WGA Awards offer writers more time to navigate the submission process that was disrupted during the strike. This decision adds a layer of complexity and intrigue to the awards season, and its implications are multifaceted. The WGA Awards often provide valuable insights into a film's potential at the Oscars, making them a vital part of the awards season narrative. The delay in the ceremony introduces an element of unpredictability and challenges the traditional rhythms of Oscar predictions. This delay could renew focus on the importance of the written word in the landscape of entertainment. While the immediate impact on the Oscars remains uncertain, the ceremony can serve as a catalyst for our 2024 Emmy campaigns. In these uncertain times, the WGA Awards delay highlights the industry's resilience and adaptability in the face of disruptions. It is a reminder of the essential role of writers in bringing stories to life and their influence on the ever-evolving landscape of cinema and television. As we navigate these unexpected twists and turns, one thing is clear: the 2024 awards season promises to be an unpredictable and captivating journey. #WGAawards #OscarPredictions #Entertainmentnews #filmindustry #WritersGuild #AwardSeason #Filmcommunity

HITTING THE MAG CIRCUIT I’M absolutely thrilled to announce my appearance in the Facebook “Film Globe Magazine” – https://lnkd.in/gWEyqj6u. It may be a small one, but I do believe that magazines today continue to play a major role in “getting the word out,” whether glossy paper or digital, and as such, I strongly support them. Actors, like myself, Daniel S. Janik; Sakura Kai; and William Maltese often end up doing a strange dance between publicity and quiet seclusion, the former necessary to “get the word out” and the latter equally necessary to screen, memorize and deliver dialog while filming. As an actor who began his thespian career in the literary arena authoring books, I’m always working hard to maintain a balance between these two extremes, and magazines have typically offered that balanced middle ground. The “problem” is one that is common to all authors and actors: One needs to be sufficiently well-know (or have a significant financial draw) in order to attract agents, magazine writers, journalists, book or film publishers. Yet, if one actually meets this requirement, the situation is often the opposite: It’s suddenly necessary to become a businessperson, lawyer and publicist while controlling forces which detract significantly from the authoring or acting. It’s the continual struggle between content creators and content distributors. And at its base are “financial risk” verses “financial reward.” But, the bottom line is one has to place one’s toe in the water, if the process is to begin. So, having done that with “Film Global Magazine (FGM) online, I’ve shed my clothes for swimming briefs and am ready to jump wholly in. https://lnkd.in/gRNGkERS #DanielSJanik #JETProgress #DraqualMedia #FGM #FilmGlobeMagazine #WilliamMaltese #magazine #celebrity #publicity #balance #actor #money #financial #journalist #author #content #creator #distributor #publisher #film #movie #FinancialRisk #FinancialReward #business #lawyer #attorney #news #article #writer

A New Step in My Journalism Journey: Exploring Documentary Filmmaking! I'm thrilled to share that I've taken a new step in my journalism career by diving into the world of documentary filmmaking. 📽️ Learning is a lifelong journey, and this is just the beginning of my exploration into the power of documentary films. I'm excited to combine my journalistic background with the art of visual storytelling to bring important narratives to life. Stay tuned for updates on my documentary filmmaking journey, friends.  #DocumentaryFilmmaking #Journalism #NewBeginnings

International media producer Sofiya Kochmar: “I won’t be able to get to new projects if I don’t take care of my own resource” We spoke with international media producer Sofiya Kochmar about the importance of covering terrible war events, communication with people, empathy, one’s own psychological stability and recovery. Today, many films, stories, and projects covering the bloodshed in Ukraine have entered the Ukrainian and foreign media space. Journalists and producers show the whole world what the terrorist country is doing and how it is horribly destroying the Ukrainian people. One of the most important functions of modern journalism and cinematography is to tell and document everything, not to leave anyone indifferent, and to attract the attention of the world. That’s what journalists do today. Sofiya Kochmar helped create (was a producer of) the film called I Call Him By Name for the London BBC; The Lost Souls of Bucha for the socio-political TV show 60 Minutes on the American CBS TV channel; a documentary about the deportation of children for the French BFM TV; also talked about women’s captivity and the survival of Ukrainians during the blackout. Sofiya became the winner of the Emmy Award for the documentary Lost Souls. You can get recommendations on coverage of war events from Sofia Kochmar by following this link: https://lnkd.in/edc4h4kG

Today, I had the privilege of watching "#WhileWeWatched," a poignant and emotionally charged #documentary by Vinay Shukla that offers an intimate glimpse into the life and work of none other than my #journalistic hero, Ravish Kumar. As an ardent admirer of his work, I can say that this film is not just a tribute to him but also a powerful testament to the enduring spirit of independent journalism. In an era where media landscapes are often marred by bias and agendas, "While We Watched" serves as a beacon of journalistic integrity. The documentary beautifully underscores the importance of journalistic independence and the unwavering commitment to truth and justice that Ravish Kumar embodies. As a fan, I found myself deeply moved by his dedication to his craft and his relentless pursuit of the truth. The film itself is a masterclass in storytelling, blending elements of a dystopian thriller, a character study, and a newsroom drama. It's a white-knuckle ride that keeps you on the edge of your seat, yet it also delves deep into the psyche of its central figure, revealing the loneliness and struggles that come with being a journalist of Ravish's caliber. But "While We Watched" is not just about Ravish Kumar; it's also a reflection of a country in crisis. It holds up a mirror to our society, forcing us to confront uncomfortable truths about the state of our media and our democracy. The draining of intellectual capital in Indian newsrooms due to layoffs and gags is a tragedy that is all too common in today's media industry, and this documentary sheds much-needed light on this pressing issue. The message of "While We Watched" is clear and powerful: it emphasizes the critical importance of journalistic independence and integrity in our media landscape. It reminds us of the challenges faced by journalists like Ravish Kumar in upholding these principles amidst external pressures and biases. Moreover, the film is a call to action for all viewers, urging us to value truth, question bias, and uphold the principles of democracy. It serves as a reminder that each one of us has a role to play in shaping the media landscape and, by extension, our society. "While We Watched" is not just a documentary; it's an emotional journey that every individual interested in journalism, media ethics, or simply compelling storytelling should experience. It's a tribute to a journalist who has inspired countless individuals, including myself, and a wake-up call for us all to be vigilant guardians of truth and democracy. This film will leave you with much to ponder long after the credits roll, and it's an experience that everyone should have.