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Autism Documentary looking for help

donniker137

donniker137

My wife and I have decided to do a doc on Autism. We found out a year ago last april our son has autism.
What I am looking for is any kind of help really. I have only one camera, digital of course GL-1. I want to do this movie, but I don't want to cheese it up. It's a very important issue to me and I think a movie like this could do a lot of good. If anyone would like to help out in anyway, investments of any kind would be great.


Thanks
 
:cool: ...sorry to hear about your son, donniker, that must be difficult...

well, if you put documentary funding into your search engine you should be able to find funding. Since the subject matter can have wide reaching appeal, you should be able to look to many places and find something...

...I'll keep a good thought for you and your family... :)

--spinner
 
grant for film

I would be interested in helping out both in cash and advice. Keep me informed of your progress. Elly :yes:
 
My editor and friend of 25 years has an autistic son who is now 20.

How much money do you need to finish this doc?
 
What is your end goal or purpose? Do you want to help spread the word and information on autism? Do you want to document your child's (and you as parents) experience directly?

The reason I ask is more for the finished product outcome. Autism is a potential area that's already been covered greatly in the documentary format. For instance, documentaries about Alzheimer’s or AIDS are generally not marketable because there are so many that have already been made. (Since many, many filmmakers had parents or friends suffering from one of these afflictions.)

The last thing I want to do is discourage you. If my child(ren) were diagnosed similarly, I would also consider making a film about it, but my purpose would be more of a personal chronicling then of an informative piece.

Whatever you decide, these are some suggestions I would have:
- Talk with your doctors and teachers about the idea and concept and get their approval and consent first. Make sure they are cool with it. Get releases from them, staff and the clinic/hospital/school/daycare ect.
- Get a camera person(s), someone not your wife or you, for when you visit the doctor(s) or school or play group or whatever, since a very intersting portion would be the interaction of you and wife and whild and doctor. Call ahead each time you go somewhere and warn them you're coming with camera. I would think you talknig with the doctors, asking pertentnt questions and geting answers would be great material.
- Get a decent mic, since the GL-1 mic isn't to great. (Great camera though, but I'm biased.)
- Try and find other documentary style films on autism (google and amazon good starts) and watch what's already been made. See if your concept matches, or what you'd consider doing differenently.
- consider interviews with his teachers and even friends (my mom has been a special need teacher, 3-5 yr olds, for over 15 years and I think someone like her would add great light and compassion to a story, highlighting the good and warmpth that these children have).

Best of luck,
Ryan

FYI, I'm currently in production on a doc, my first, about my dad and his giant pumpkin obsession, its titled Bill's Big Pumpkins
 
Donniker, Best of luck to you on the project. It sounds like an interesting topic for a film, and I'm sure it will bring to light how many people suffer from autism. Just a note, and I'm sure you're probably already aware of this, but...Neil Young, the rock musician, has one or two sons who are autistic. I believe he started or is one of the largest supporters of a facility, possibly Canadian, that focuses on autism patients and the effect music has on bringing them out. Some of this may be a little off, but I think I've got this story right. Maybe you'd want to try to tie something in with him? Having an interview with a "name" might help push the documentary forward. Good luck, let us know how it comes out.
 
Hey, Donniker...

...if I come across any grants that you might be able to send your proposal to, I will make sure to let you know...

...in the meantime...
I would suggest you figure out and outline the point of your documentary. What are you trying to show, because anyone who is going to consider giving you money to do it is going to want to know exactly what the funding is going for.

...have an idea of why you are doing it, what you want to show, and have an idea of what kind of conclusion you need to make. And then...figure out why your doc will be different from everyone else's...

I think that common sense approach will take you part of the way, and if you need to ask about grantseeking I can tell you what I am doing if it will help. (I seem to be doing this all myself and you probably can too, even though you will be busy with your son)

--spinner :cool:
 
...donniker 137;

...I got this foundation from bird :) You may want to check this out. The deadline for applications is October 1. If you have questions, you can call and ask the foundation. I will be applying myself.

...it couldn't hurt to check it out.... www.gf.org

--spinner :cool:
 
To my man Ryan

I'm starting this movie with a question "Why is there so many autistic kids in america?" The numbers are stagering 1 out of 166 children have autism. that's from 1 in 10000 less than 20 years ago. I want to show my situation, then show others and their situation. Maybe find a common link? Maybe make some people think, find the cure for autism. That's the movie in a nutshell.
 
Can Do

Today my wife and I were invited to a benefit for Cure Autism Now called CAN DO. It's in California on November 6th. Not giving us much notice, with a ticket price of a thousand dollars each it's safe to say we won't be attending. We invited because last April my wife held a benefit in our small town which raised over eleven thousand dollars. Just thought I would share

http://www.cureautismnow.org/chapter/article/4415.jsp
 
Help

Hi, it's 5am the year 2008 and I cant sleep its been four days now since my 18 month old was diagnosed with autism. Im so devastated. I'm no longer in the world I once new. Im in my son's world now. Im so scared. Because autism is so unknown. No straight answers are given, no cures, no direction. I dont know what to do. All I know is that I will try and give every piece of me to him. In hope that he can learn to live in this world, so different to his, as smooth as possible. And that at the rate autism is going, the world will soon be faced with new humankind, evolution happening right before our eyes. It almost seems as if I'm learning from him. It's so amazing his world. All he needs is a little jump start, or a lot in order to survive. He's so beautiful and I would love for the world to accept him and learn from him, and never to laugh at him since his soul is so pure, he would never laugh at them. Although I feel devastated and scared I also feel so blessed and so honored to have been chosen to have such a beautiful soul. I would love for anyone to document his journey and learn. And THANK YOU.

Beautiful minds.
 
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