7 Day Documentary Crash Course Reviews

HOW TO MAKE A DOCUMENTARY | 7-DAY CRASH COURSE
Did you go through the 7-Day Documentary Crash Course? Was it helpful to you? Would you recommend it to other filmmakers?

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My Foundation!!
by: Adam Ybarra

Tommy

"I didn't know the first thing about making a documentary.

My number one training tool was the 7-Day Crash Course. The lessons gave me the structure I needed to stay on task. Whether it was from tools, equipment, content, marketing I kept reviewing the lessons to keep me grounded and moving forward.

The days I felt over my head, the 7-Day crash course coaching kept me motivated and more importantly …educated to keep going forward. It was my foundation!!"

See Adam Ybarra's Story

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Very pleased
by: S. Filmmaker (UK)

I'm very pleased about how thorough this course has been. In 7 days it's given me exactly what I needed - a detailed roadmap for how to proceed.

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Video Review
by: Andreas Proehl

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Video Review
by: Ms. Aramide Durand

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Love it! Love it!! Love it!!!
by: Ms. Aramide Durand

Tommy

Just finished my 7-Day Documentary Crash Course with Faith Fuller. The pathway to Documentary Film making is less daunting, I am certainly a lot more confident and I am actually getting excited about making my documentary.

Taking this course has demystified documentary film making hence I am encouraged to continue on my journey as a doc filmmaker :-)

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high marks
by: Charlene Bekker

Amazing course! Loved every second of it! Will definitely be referencing it in the future as well.

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loved scriptwriting section
by: Michael Wayne

Excellent overview of the process, and it gave me a logical framework for laying out the making of a documentary.

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Excellent
by: Ashley

This course was everything I needed! The structure of it is easy to follow and has all the information you need.

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Thank you!
by: Justin Mirigliani

This was a very valuable course for someone who is just starting out in the world of documentaries. Thank you Faith! I learned a lot and will continue to lean on this information, every step of the way!

Justin Mirigliani
Filmmaker, Corporate Instructor, Motivational Speaker

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Highly Recommended!
by: Tommy Red Phipps

Tommy

This Documentary Crash Course is the Bomb-Diggidy! I like to think of it as the Documentary Film Course For Dummies. You can literally sign up on day-1, and get everything you need in one learning center to go out into the field and produce your own documentary. Whether your doc will be good or not is completely up to YOU LOL.

Tommy Red Phipps. Film/Video/Documentary Producer - Los Angeles, CA.

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Excellent and Comprehensive Guide
by: Daniel Chan

I am a grade 11 student with a clear focused interest on filming. While I have acquired basic filmmaking knowledge through my IB film course, this course has provided an excellent and comprehensive guide to walk me through on the subject step be step in a professional but concise manner. I am now able to move forward the project with my team and I believe we are ready.
Thanks to the course organizer for the enlightenments.

Daniel Chan
Director and Founder of DanielChanFilms
www.danielchanfilms.com

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Excellent for first time filmmaker
by: Rene AlexZander

Going into doing my first documentary I had a ton of ideas of what I wanted but unsure of how to make them happen. Not only was I shown how to make them happen but how to clarify them and make them even stronger points of view. As I begin my project I'll keep coming back and doing a lot of reviewing and refreshing my memory of all the wonderful and insightful information in this course.

-Rene AlexZander, first time documentary film maker

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Thorough and Helpful
by: Hannah Holst

At times I had the thought that some of the information shared was almost too basic, but as I look back there are definitely some points in the process where basic is exactly what I needed. So although I may not have needed as much information about one topic, there was usually another that would have been confusing if it weren't simplified. So, as a crash course for an audience made up of people with varying filmmaking experience, it was thorough. The most beneficial part for me was hearing the advice that came from years of experience, particularly the wisdom regarding mistakes that filmmakers often make when starting out. I also really appreciated the various external resources and examples that were included in the sections.

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Briliant!
by: Laurie Stoneham

Laurie

I have a one-word description for this course - brilliant! Thanks so much for making this incredibly rich content, advice and wisdom available.

I'm just venturing into independent filmmaking, but I'm not messing around. I've just completed a weeklong shoot, including some 20 interviews, and this course gave me an awareness and understanding of the overall process. Essentials are conveyed with easy-to-understand language, backed up by excellent resources. I'll be turning back to this content as I continue my first adventure in documentary filmmaking.

Laurie
writer . author. filmmaker
lauriestoneham.com

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Great short course!
by: Steve Whitfield

Steve

This was a fantastic short course for me. It was informative, interactive, enjoyable and concise. I have taken an enormous amount of information from it in a short amount of time and feel adequately prepared and excited to start creating my films. I recommend anyone interested in film to do the course. Many thanks Faith and desktop documentaries.

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blown away
by: Cj Villanueva

The 7 day course is ideal for anybody serious about making a marketable, professional documentary. I can't say enough about it. I'm blown away by the format as well as the content. Your course lays out every key element necessary - - in a logical, comprehensive manner, within 7 days. That's impressive.

I am a huge fan of efficiency in education, which is not to be confused with speed, it's byproduct. Your courses are wonderfully thorough, yet efficient. The 7 day format has been useful to give me a more panoramic view of documentaries as a business as well as a crafted product. Having both perspectives allows me the ability to produce a documentary that is market-worthy, yet compelling to my own artistic nature.

That's lots of words to say I think the courses are awesome and you rock for being good enough to put it all together for us newbs. I am dying to get some documentaries made. This has certainly been a huge step forward, in the direction of my dreams. That is no small feat--to help others move forward toward success! That's what your courses do, and what you do with your tips and thoughtful words getting people into motion. :)

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Life Saver
by: Andrea LaRosa

Andrea

This course has been an absolute life saver for me. It has given me all the skills I didn’t already have in documentary filmmaking, which is completely different from other genres. It really has made my life so much easier and it is well worth the money. Thank you for putting all your hard work out there for us newbies to learn from.

Cheers,
Andrea

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awesome!
by: Alex Kronstein

One of the VERY BEST courses on documentary filmmaking in existence. I recommend it to anyone and everyone who's involved in documentary filmmaking - amateur or professional. Alex

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Nice improvement
by: Nate Justice

The new course website is a really nice improvement and I liked that the certificate was postable to my linkedin account. Thanks for the class and the inspiration. Nate

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informative and intuitive
by: Habo L. Ntsie

I'm a veteran in this field, since 1974 yet I found this course compelling with information. A Big thank you to its developers.

Habo L. Ntsie
Timeless Eye Media (PTY) Ltd.
South Africa

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super helpful
by: Colin Campbell

Colin

Documentaries are my favorite "genre." I've been working on smaller projects for my church denomination and have used your course to make sure I'm headed in the right direction. My stuff has been shorter duration such that I didn't need as much movement in the story arc, but your guidelines are super helpful as I think about longer duration work. I've also tried ENG cameras vs. DSLRs and lapel vs. shotgun on others to learn the pros/cons. Thanks for putting this series together. It was really helpful.

Colin Campbell
CnJ Multimedia

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Thanks!
by: Jen Buchanan

Jen

Just want to thank you so much for your course on making documentaries. I've just made my first (3min 40 sec) documentary and used your advice along the way. It's been a HUGE help.

Thank you,
Jen

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gained a lot
by: James Thomsen

The course was very good, covering so many topics. The links do a good job of explaining many of the topics. The included videos, I think, were excellent, especially the mini docs.

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excellent overview, inspiring
by: Paule Hewlett

Paule

I was looking for an overview of the filmmaking process, and this course fit the bill exactly. It also provided enough detail and content to build my confidence, when I had been feeling pretty overwhelmed. I appreciated the templates that added some rigor to what had been a lot of floundering -- meaning massive Google searches and way too much information. This course had a perfect balance of conceptual content and practical tips, especially about building excitement about the film. It got me thinking about my upcoming project in a whole new way.

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Ultimate Documentary Filmmaking Tool Kit
by: Al Paukstelis

I have enjoyed and have gained much wisdom because of your course and outstanding tips. Keep up the excellent work.

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put me on the right track
by: Vincent Hawley

As a beginner I had no idea of documentary film production and now I have the foundations of the profession at my fingertips. I could not have been more lucky than have your expertise to put me on the right track. Excellent course. Many thanks.

Regards, Vince
Student of natural healing (Australia)

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Waiting 5 years for this!
by: Matthew de Jager

I have been waiting 5 years for something like this to come my way. I have bought equipment 5 years ago and only with your course i have found the motivation and courage to tackle my dreams hands on. I know you will be proud to use my work as reverence. I have set goals for the next 6 months with ideas and opportunities some documentary makers can only dream about. Now I can start.

Matthew de Jager
Provesional photographer moving over to documentaries. www.impactofoto.co.za

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great resource
by: Dr. Abdulaziz Almutawa

This course is amazing. Faith Fuller shares her interesting experiences with making documentaries which makes learning using desktop documentaries more realistic and more practical.

For me, I was planning to make educational documentaries about medical conditions. I now have the background about where to get footages, copyright law, which camera to choose, etc. Thanks

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Godsend!
by: Pam Wade

Asha

Your course has been a godsend. I would wake up to my alarm at 0700 each morning and go straight to my computer to read the next lesson for the day. I had an appointment with a Production company to try to get them to help me with my documentary Life as a Remote Area Nurse. It was a bit too premature but I learned so much from your course that I have decided to set up my own Youtube channel and continue with my passion. Thank you!"

~ Pam Wade, Remote Area Nurse and Media Student (Australia)

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100% satisfied!
by: David Van Wie

I am in the final editing process for my documentary. I have secured two premiere's in Detroit and am excited to distribute the documentary on iTunes, Amazon, and Netfilx using Distribber once the premiere's are done. Your online class was very helpful in putting all of this together. I purchased my equipment based on your website's info and it worked fantastic. I have been 100% satisfied with everything that you and your site have provided.

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high marks
by: Wade Lacey, Sr.

The 7-day course was excellent. Very eye opening. Looking back at the doc I'd done recently, I could see all the mistakes I made and the opportunity for improvement on future projects. Thanks for your help and guidance.

Wade Lacey, Sr. Owner,
Image & Sound Productions

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Video review
by: Asha Mevlana

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Time Saving Journey!
by: Sheila Pember, Writer

I really enjoyed the 7-day crash course and how you've broken it down. I'm definitely a hands on person so I'm sure if I follow the steps you've laid out, I'll get it off the ground, one step at a time.

I'm so grateful to you for putting together this course as it's clear how much I didn't know and how much time, I imagine, I would have wasted without having your roadmap to follow on this journey. And, this will truly be a journey - one that I'm going to take time to enjoy and end with a story that is worth telling.

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Perfect resource!
by: Asha Mevlana

Asha

Absolutely awesome! I can't say enough good things about this course. It was exactly what I was looking for and WAY more. I've gone to film school so some of the info was a refresher and a lot of it was new. For anyone looking to make a film, this is the perfect resource - comprehensive, organized and the information you will actually need. Would recommend this to anyone looking making a film.

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Thank you
by: Victor, Creative Director

Your 7-day crash course averted disaster. By day 3 of the course, I was already shooting documentaries for an international client. Birthed the idea, wrote the scripts and since project was low budget, did the interviews myself.

Love creating commercials, but these documentaries have soul...
Can't wait to finish shooting, editing underway.

Thanks to the course, low budget productions equals high impact, equals lasting impression. Suggestion for improving the course is perhaps have examples of open ended questions for interviewees, and the resultant documentaries.

Thank you for teaching me. Needed this.

Victor, Creative Director

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superb resource
by: Richard (Canada)

Thank you for such a lovely course. It was exactly what I was looking for...step by step and presented in a logical order. Also, the right information. Anybody with a little talent and motivation can make a good doc based on the contents of this course.

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Generous & well written
by: Errol Martens (Canada)

Errol

Your DOC CRASH COURSE has been very helpful. I find it well written, easy to follow, and very generous with all kinds of information for making a documentary from one end to the other. Thank you for creating the course. I am very glad I found it.

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Excellent! Practical!
by: Barbara Reina

This course was excellent in practicality, resource material, templates, supporting sites, up-to-date information about gear and step-by-step preparation. As a working freelance writer and videographer, I am already using the tools provided in this course to improve the production of commercials, infomercials, promotional and educational videos for my clients.

I am looking forward to exploring the Fundraising Toolkit and taking steps toward making my first documentary.

Thanks for developing a great product. I hope it will help me to do the same.

Sincerely,

Barbara Reina
Writing/Video Services
www.barbarareina.com
(518) 944-8920

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highly recommended!
by: Abby Hosie (Australia)

I have really enjoyed the course and honestly don't think that I'll get my doco finished without it. I'm working through the sheets slowly but it has definitely put me on a more realistic path and I look forward to working through all the of the material at my own pace.You've done an amazing job and I'm so happy you made this course. I would highly recommend it to any of my friends/associates. Xx

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Good
by: Filmmaker (USA)

The first class really got my brain churning on how to tell my documentary differently. I'm still digesting the information. Getting ready to go over the worksheets.

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Great for students
by: Pete Sinclair

I teach film making, and documentary is one aspect of the program. This is a very clear concise way to put all the knowledge into a logical and easy to follow 7 days.

Pete Sinclair
Coordinator of Media Production & Broadcasting
(Germany)

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The knowledge you gave me has helped immensely!
by: Beth H. Macy

This course has been invaluable. Although I have taken courses at the NYFA and with other organizations, I only learned to shoot and edit. The practicality of fundraising and the nuts and bolts of making a documentary given in this course is invaluable. And the links given to other resources are excellent. Thank you!

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worth the price
by: Nathan Justice

This course was great because it helped me actually get my ideas on paper which is a crucial part of goal setting and making my first documentary seem achievable. The templates will also be very useful because I had no idea what any of that was. It seems much more real and achievable since doing the course and I'm glad i took it.

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This Course was a Lifesaver!
by: Cathy

I am a Master's student for Media Psychology. I am on my capstone course. Most students write a paper and present their capstone project. I wanted to create a short documentary instead. I have to do a lot in a short period of time.

This course helped me learn the steps to making a documentary and gave me a great foundation to go for it and make my movie! I am so glad I took this course and I recommend it to anyone who wants to create their own films.

Thank you Faith!

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just what I needed
by: Eric Scott (USA)

I'm excited about this new adventure of filmmaking. It's the first time in my life I've been able to explore my artistic side. Your 7 day crash course was the spark that lit the fire. Thank you.

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Inspiring!
by: Harrison Moore

Thanks for the excellent course. It's inspiring to know that it can be done!

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too basic
by: Deborah

I felt the information in the course was too basic.
I am probably not your ideal client.

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essential & helpful
by: Martin Munday

I found the course to be very inspirational and essential. My doc is coming around well. Lots of interviews and door knocking still to go but when it's done I credit your course that helped me get started and finished. ~Martin

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Excellent
by: Jay M., United States

Still in the planning process of my documentary. Your crash course is awesome. :) I would recommend to anyone. In fact suggested it to a friend. Very fair price in my opinion.

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Covers entire spectrum
by: Pranta Pratik Patnaik

It is a very carefully designed course to train the minds about the basics of documentary making. Moreover, the external links provided during the course was quite resourceful.

Beginners should definitely join this course.... It's worthy enough !!!

Pranta Pratik Patnaik
Assistant Professor, India

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super helpful
by: David Van Wie

Your documentary (crash course) series and information is extremely helpful. I am filming my first documentary and have already been to Detroit to film most of the interviews. Things are going well and all of your tips for building an audience, how to best plan, and how to organize have been fantastic.

Thank you,

David Van Wie
Fat Hendrick Productions

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Useful program for beginners
by: Nathan

I am a first time documentary film maker and this program was very good at explaining everything i would need to know to get the job done. I highly recommend it and thank Faith for creating it. It is as inspiring as it is educational.

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confidence booster
by: Vicky Wooten

I am a HS teacher by trade and I can honestly say you made the subject very clear by focusing on what is really important. I hope to stay in contact with you on the journey to my life long dream of becoming a film/video producer.

Vicky Wooten/Teacher

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eye opening
by: Hedi Young

Excellent course. Lot's to learn and very informative. I like that I can go back and check out what I need to learn at that moment in time. It is very helpful to know all the ins and outs of what it takes from the ground up.

I'm just starting this new career at 6o years old. It's never too late to do what you love!

~ Hedi Young, screenwriter and future film maker...loven life.

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helpful guide, thank you
by: Norma E Garcia

I took the course to help me refocus on a documentary I have been working on. I had a general idea and as I researched it became a larger and larger idea, until I realized I had to get back to the original and personal premise. The course has made me more comfortable of my process.

Norma

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Inspiring
by: filmmaker

Well this helped me to refocus my energies in completing my documentary film. It was inspirational because it was clear, refered you to appropriate links and resources. I would highly recommend this to anyone.

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great intro to doc filmmaking
by: Anthony King

This was an excellent introduction course on Documentary filmmaking. I'm really excited about implementing everything that I've learned in this course in my future journey as a amature filmmaker. I believe that this course was designed in such a way that all the basics covered, can be administered in a very efficient manner.

Great job Faith!

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great intro into filmmakign
by: Bethany Glenn

I really needed a step by step way to look at documentary film making and this was very helpful. I am more organized and have a reference now to go to when questions come up. I don't feel so overwhelmed.

Additional Comments:: Thanks for the help!
Rating: Excellent

~ Bethany Glenn- first time documentary film maker

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straight forward & practical
by: Shaun Coppard

Excellent. While I'm still reading through some parts of the course I have found it to be very straight forward and practical. The course has given me some great tips and ideas as well as confirming some of my initial assumptions about documentary making. I found the material to be very easy to follow with practical suggestions which has given me more confidence on my endeavour. It was well set out using easy to understand language and straight forward advice.

[Survey question: How has this course changed your mindset about making a documentary?} If anything the course has made me feel more confident and eager to make a documentary.

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well worth it
by: Marty Schor

This course was appropriately priced and well worth the cost. I gained a clearer picture of the value what I've done and have been doing, as well as what I need to do in the future.

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7 Day Documentary Crash Course
by: Harry

I have just finished the crash course and I found it very informative. What I liked most were the helpful links to more information. This crash course is a very good starting point for beginners and professionals in the film industry. It's all there, screenplay, sound, lighting, production, distribution and more. The download forms were also very handy to have. Thank you for this.

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great reference
by: Paul Villery III

Your course was very informative, it was written with the novice filmmaker in mind. The Links and additional references were great.

This course was a great jumpstart for me.

I will be re-reading and re-referencing this valuable material all through my project.

Thanks, Paul

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Just what I needed
by: Rockie Jones

This was just the start that I needed to get the ball rolling. I have made connections and moving forward. Great product. I will be purchasing the other courses as soon as the funds are available.

Rockie Jones, Producer
RobinRobin Films

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ROI is high
by: Richard Guadalupe McDonald, Ph.D.

This 7-Day Documentary Crash Course is the ELEMENTS OF STYLE of documentary making...the meat & potatoes, real-world applicable stuff. Even took information on some of the sections and printed/laminated them for quick reference sheets.

The Return of Investment (ROI) with the Crash Course is high! Instead of spending four years, you spend 7-days, and whatever days you want to learn hands-on to do this or that [e.g., practice shooting, scripting, etc.]. With these great guidelines, now it's a matter of using my imagination to do what I want to do with Global Health Science Institute [a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) org].

Richard Guadalupe McDonald, Ph.D.
Founder & Director and Principal Research Scientist
GLOBAL HEALTH SCIENCE INSTITUTE

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A guiding light
by: Frank Harper

My name is Frank Harper and I'm a Vietnam Veteran that has returned to Vietnam 8 times since the war ended. I just returned from Vietnam where I filmed a documentary called Retracing Footsteps. I want to thank you so much for your online course it was so helpful for me because I had no experience on how to film a documentary.Once we get the trailer polished up then I can submit it for grants to complete the editing process.

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helped open my eyes
by: Stephnie Clark

Hi Faith, I had an wee small inkling of this stuff, but now I'm convinced there is much more for me to evaluate before I continue. Thanks for the opportunity to learn more about filmmaking, I really didn't know where to start.

I'm 75 years old and have a limited amount of energy and time to put into such a robust undertaking. The Script is written, so I'm definitely wanting to follow through. I'll see you later, I must get back to the mounds of research left to complete.

Stephnie Clark, author, creator, draftsperson, tailor, volunteer, grandmother of 3, costumer, and so on...

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great introduction to doc filmmaking
by: Alexis Olivo (from Ecuador)

Una genial y directa introducción al mundo de los documentales, con un acercamiento totalmente pragmático enfocado en resolver los distintos problemas que podrían presentarse para quien dirige un documental por primera vez.

[translation] A great and direct introduction to the world of documentaries, with an entirely pragmatic approach focused on solving the various problems that might arise for those who directed a documentary for the first time.

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excellent
by: Martin Munday

The whole course was fantastic! The (7-day documentary) course was well written, well organized and a pleasure to read through. I took many courses at a local college and it was a great experience, however, a LOT of the theory could have been presented as it was with this course and saved us a ton of class time. Thank you for maximizing content. Keep up the great work and content production. I was re-inspired by taking this course.

Martin Munday
Working Fire Productions
(Canada)

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Excellent
by: Cecily Light

I was looking online for any filmmaking courses locally and all required long courses of study, degree programs, or "film studies" classes. When I happened upon your online course, it was a no-brainer and all I had hoped for. I learn better by "doing" rather than "reading" and liked the overview your course provided. THANK YOU.

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very helpful
by: Filmmaker

This course was very helpful. I am a first time film maker and the information in this course has answered a lot of questions that I had. I would recommend this to any level of film maker. I now feel more confident about making my film.

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remarkable
by: Kathy Sheetz

I didn't know what to expect but felt I would gain something from this 7 day course...It surpassed my expectations.

I can't complement it enough/1

thank you

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helped me focus
by: Zac Sexton

The Documentary (Crash Course) Tips and Coursework helped me to keep a more-level head on my many projects! I generally have a lumpy head…. We finished filming the first episode of Fish Whispering, season V, in NW Nevada and, having taken most the course work, I was able to more-clearly think about the possibilities of what we were filming. The additional emails and follow-up details in the course are very helpful, as are all the links and suggested information sources. I need something to reference, and this helps immensely. Also, the courses were easy to read, with interesting graphics, and page design. Great job!

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wonderfully wonderful
by: Tosin Akintuyosi

The best crash course I've had in my life. I guess the next step apply all this knowledge into my next documentary. God bless you faith, with love from Lagos Nigeria.

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definitely worth it
by: Kevin Railsback

Just finished up the 7-Day Crash Course "How To Make a Documentary" along with the bonus content.
Most definitely worth the money. I really enjoyed the course and even if there were things that I have learned in the past, it was nice to review them as well as have everything in one spot. I need to take some time and go over your website to glean all the wonderful gems that I'm sure are waiting for me to find!

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It's to the Point!
by: Melanie Armstrong

I love the 7 day crash course. I am a full time mother of two young children with a doco Idea that is unfolding right now. I needed something that's to the point and did not take up much time- this course is perfect!I have background in acting and presenting, so I have a bit of an idea of the film making process but this course connected all the dots and took the mystery away!

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Motivational - thank you
by: Claude Bourgeois

Thank you for making such a course available, I find it very interesting, you share a lot of information. I have been a cameraman for 31 years with Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (French CBC) doing news and all kind of productions. I am retired now, still quite young, so your course is quite motivating to go back to production on my own now.

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Just Too Good To Be True
by: Sobhanund Seeparsad

I am a journalist from Mauritius and I followed your 7-day online course on documentary filmaking. I must say the course is more than excellent for those who want to know what documentary making involves. What is given in the course exceeds what one expects from even a seven-day in-house workshop. The course is a good starting point for all creative people who contemplate a change in career. Thank you and keep the good work going.

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