T2 + Back Alley Films, located in the Crossroads district of Kansas City, MO, is looking for interns to support our full service production unit. Ideal candidates have a passion for storytelling, a keen eye for composition, basic knowledge of Final Cut 7, experience handling DSLRs, and a healthy dose of “go-get-it” attitude. Think you have what we’re looking for? Show us by submitting a piece to the T2 2-minute Documentary Contest.

Here’s what you need to know about submission:

- Choose a subject of your choice and tell a story in a traditional documentary style

- Total run time must be 2 minutes or less

- Must include at least one on-camera interview to tell the story

- Shot composition (i.e. framing, light design, and use of space) must be well thought out

- Broll should be used effectively

- Can be shot in SD or HD

- Your entry can be a project you’ve completed for a different purpose, or it can be something brand new – we do not care. What we DO care about is how you tell your story.

- Deadline is November 11, 2011 (by midnight)

- Submit to rbangert@t2.tv

More about the internship:

Along with your documentary, please submit a cover letter and resume. This internship run January-May, and can be put towards college credit. This is considered a full-time internship and we expect participants to be in the office Monday through Friday. Additionally, interns are responsible for finding their own lodging and accommodations.

To learn more about T2 + Back Alley visit www.t2.tv.

The Dark Side of Chocolate / Schmutzige Schokolade from We Know Music on Vimeo.

At T2 + Back Alley Films our love for documentaries and the people who produce them is endless. The Dark Side of Chocolate is no exception. It’s a compelling piece, expertly executed and, most importantly, inspires thought and conversation.

Other times, you work your tail off and put your heart, soul, blood sweat and tears into a project and it consumes you. Instead of weeks, it takes months. Instead of months, it takes years. It becomes you. You eat, sleep and breathe the work and at times it seems as though it might never end. And it’s wonderful. And horrible. Yet more wonderful than anything else.

That’s what happened to the T2 + Back Alley Films team and “The Next American Dream” documentary, which made its debut earlier this year on KCPT-TV, the Kansas City, Missouri PBS affiliate. In fact, back in February of this year, my very first blog post ever was about this project and how documentaries fuel my creative passion in an insane way.

This film was a co-production of T2 + Back Alley Films and documentarians, Aimee Larrabee and John Altman of Inland Sea Productions. More than 8.9 million viewers nationwide have viewed the film on PBS and since it was made available by the National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA) to its members last November. And the rest of the story ….

We. Won. An. Emmy.

Wow! What an indescribable feeling and something that all of us who worked on the documentary regularly pull out and revel in, all over again.

For those of you who’ve not seen “The Next American Dream,” the documentary focuses on Kansas City’s efforts to revitalize its downtown and explore the renewed demand for walkable urbanism in American Cities following the cultural shift to drivable suburban living personified following WWII. Big words for people moving out of cities and flocking to suburbs during one part in American history, and then the renewed interest in returning to urban areas and living in cities again.

The project couldn’t have happened without our fearless leader Teri Rogers, T2 + Back Alley Films’ CEO and the film’s executive producer, and her commitment to the undertaking and dedication to making it happen. In a recent press interview, she described the opportunity as “a unique and incredible opportunity, given Kansas City’s accelerated timeline to revitalize, to not only explore something that is currently a national topic, but to document and record the whole process – from start to finish – right in our own backyard. And what an honor for our city.”

Also along on our seven-year journey was the Kansas City Area Development Council. KCADC used it as a powerful marketing tool to upgrade our city’s image. The film has since been used as a teaching tool for architects, urban planners and city leaders across the nation. And without KCPT, our film’s national presenting station, it wouldn’t have aired in major cities like L.A., Chicago, Miami and Boston.

Me, I’m still dancing to the song: We Won An Emmmmy, We Won an Emmmmy.

I never tire of it. Nor do any of the very talented people who were a part of the making of “The Next American Dream.” And even though it’s great to do really awesome work that may or may not get any recognition, it’s super duper beyond the light fantastic to win an Emmy. Woo hooooooo.

And so, we share our joy with you. In this blog post. And we thank you for reading it – and allowing us, just for a moment or two, to smile and dance and revel in not only a job well done, but something that we manage to nab some pretty amazing recognition for. And man, does it feel great.

If you’ve not yet had the chance to see “The Next American Dream,” we hope that sometime you will. We promise you’ll enjoy it.

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love filmmaking – and when I find something that helps people who love it as much as I do – well, I get excited. Today’s discovery — The Rocketboom Filmmakers Program.

The Rocketboom Filmmakers Program was developed to help filmmakers by making resources more available. As anyone involved in the business of filmmaking knows, ideas are plentiful, it’s the money and resources that can be the tricky part. So, if you have some great ideas (and of course a fair amount of talent) and are interested in producing short run web series or short films, you should definitely explore Rocketboom’s program. I know my buddy Heather and I will be doing that with our web series as soon as I finish writing this blog post!

Acceptance isn’t a given, so be prepared to sell yourself to the folks at Rocketboom. But if you’re successful, their mission is to help underwrite the production costs, help you distribute and promote your work through their network and even let you use their resources and content studio as needed.

To be considered, you’ve got to email them and include the following information:

• A brief description of the short film or web series you would like to produce.
• A treatment or script for the project
• Your filmmaking background and experience
• Links to or files of previous work they can view
• Overview of previous projects

Intrigued? Like to know more? If so, check out Save The Date, a 10-part web series that was produced as part of The Rocketboom Filmmakers Program. For more information, send them an email directed to filmmakers at rocketboom.com.

And if you’re not interested in filmmaking but video journalism is your gig, Rocketboom is also looking for independent video journalists and field correspondents from all over the world to submit content. You not only can get paid for doing what you’re passionate about, but you can produce great work, maintain ownership and freedom-of-use, but use Rocketboom’s powerful platform to distribute your work (and make a name for yourself). Check them out here for an example of the kind of episodes they are looking for and connect with them by email for more info at humanwire at rocketboom.com.

Rocketboom is no flash in the pan. They’ve been around for awhile and have been earning rave reviews from a myriad of sources including AdAge, Rolling Stone and CNN, to name a few. And the Rocketboom vlog has been honored by Forbes with a Best of the Web nod. What they do at Rocketboom is awesome and really on the cutting edge of video on the web, innovative filmmaking and so many other things. – I’m so glad to have found them.

Now go make films – or a series! Just tell good stories – and get them to Rocketboom.

I had a bad day. It was one of those that pretty much sucked all the way around. It happens – we all have them. And it was one of those overwhelming kind of days. At the end of it all, I felt as if I’d pretty much let just about everyone who was counting on me down. You know – you’ve had them. Just had a bad day. Blah.

As I was driving home, the only thought in my head was “I gotta get home and relax. Forget this crappy day! Chill.”

I walked in, ate dinner and tried to decide what movie I was going to watch. TV therapy is what I needed. Something to soothe my soul, make me feel better and get me out of my head. I needed to quit reflecting on the chaos that had defined my day

I bent down to go thru my DVDs and was looking for Knocked Up. It’s my fave. It makes me laugh and transports me to a happy place. Always. Not to mention, I have a crush on Seth Rogen and I want to BE Katherine Heigl in another life. As I thumbed through the DVDs, I happened upon Shut Up and Sing, the Dixie Chicks’ documentary. And, it turns out, it was just what I needed.

Here’s why.

I refuse to rehash the Dixie Chicks vs. George Bush drama. The subject is kind of polarizing, I know. BUT, it’s old as hell and I’m over it. For anyone not living on this planet in 2003, it happened when Natalie Maines, lead singer of The Dixie Chicks, proclaimed that they were “ashamed President Bush was from Texas.” I have my own political ideas and beliefs and so does everyone else. No need to go over all of that again.

But this documentary is really nothing short of amazing. Every time I watch it, I take a few minutes to look at myself and wonder. I ask myself hard questions, like “what do I stand for?” And I wonder whether I have the balls to really put myself out there and say what I mean, and mean what I say, at any cost. It’s fascinating to me to even consider it. The documentary details the Chicks’ career from 2003 (when all hell broke loose) until 2006, when they released their next CD, “Taking the Long Way” –mind you, a multi-Grammy Award winning CD at that. Like any band, their storyline has trials and tribulations, but it’s the political overtones that make the film so compelling. The documentary takes the audience through the process of those artists being forced to reexamine and redefine themselves, in the face of much adversity and under pretty much constant public scrutiny. I found it inspiring. A breath of fresh air. Chicken soup for my soul.

Here’s the deal. I realized that I was compelled to watch the documentary tonight because I needed to feel like myself again. I got lost today. Yes, I had a bad day, but watching the film made me realize that I can really relate to the three strong women in the documentary, making their way through day-to-day battles. The Chicks’ battles were a little more public than the ones I had to deal with, but the message was clear.  Sometimes you win. Sometimes you don’t. And sometimes things are just gonna SUCK. For a little while, anyway. But, you find a way to make it right for yourself….and my way happened to be a little dusty DVD on my shelf.

What about you? Have you seen this film? Or another that really resonated with you the way this one resonated with me? I’d love to hear about it.

Gasland was directed by Josh Fox and it was the Winner of the Special Jury Prize – Best US Documentary Feature at Sundance in 2010 and it also screened recently at Cannes. Fracking is not only happening all across rural areas in America, it’s spreading to Europe and Africa, too.  Property owners are tempted by very lucrative offers from big energy companies and, given today’s economy, it’s not surprising that some opt to take the money and run.

I think this is a huge deal – and I agree with Josh that this is a situation that deserves a big spotlight aimed right at it – and this documentary definitely does that. If the trailer intrigued you at all, and you want to do more, visit the Gasland website. Request a screening in your city. Make a donation. If we all just did a little, we could make a huge impact.

And that, my friends, is why I LOVE documentaries. I love watching them. I love making them. I love their inherent power to make a difference.