Video Maker - USA (2019-06)

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28 VIDEOMAKER >>> JUNE 2019

BY YOAV POTASH

UC Berkeley

offers

professional

workshop for

documentary

filmmakers

The technology and tools needed to produce a documentary are more

accessible than ever. But this accessibility often leads to a lack of jour-

nalistic rigor. That’s where UC Berkeley’s Investigative Reporting Pro-

gram comes in.

“I have been reminded not

just of the ethics of good

journalism, but also of the

many reasons upholding

those ethics leads to better

filmmaking.” Yoav Potash

385 F06 I.R.P. Professional Workshop.indd 28 4/23/19 2:02 PM

VIDEOMAKER >>> JUNE 2019 29

I

never went to fi lm school and I

never went to journalism school.

Instead, about 20 years ago, I

picked up a camera and dove head-

fi rst into making my fi rst documen-

tary. Since then, I’ve been fortunate

enough to make fi lms. I’ve seen my

independent documentaries receive

national primetime broadcasts, critical

acclaim, dozens of awards — even

some decent paychecks.

So, perhaps the doubts that rattle

around in my head about my place

among fi lmmakers and journalists are

unfounded. Maybe I just have a classic

case of imposter syndrome.

After all, I typically produce, direct,

edit, and shoot my fi lms. Yet, even so,

I sometimes wonder what I may have

missed by skipping school. Would it

be valuable to be part of a cohort of

documentarians? What could I gain if

I had more opportunities to reach out

to professional peers and work with

them as collaborators?

Is there a way to know if I’ve missed

a turn somewhere? How do I ensure

385 F06 I.R.P. Professional Workshop.indd 29 4/23/19 2:02 PM