Yesterday I went to Auraria Campus
 in Denver & listened to Stacy Paralta speak about his films and his process.  Peralta has made several documentary films such as Dogtown & Z-boys & Riding Giants.  Here are some notes I took on what he said that stood out in my mind.  Some of the things Peralta spoke about I can really relate to and were super helpful, hope they are also beneficial for you.

• It’s alllllll about the story and try to make it universal.
• Stacy Peralta has been asked a few times “what is your secret to success”?  He says he has learned how to fail.  There’s many paths to success, find your own personal path and figure it out.  It’s not easy.
• He really doesn’t make much money from his documentary films, he also works as a commercial director. (Thought this was interesting coming from such a well-known talented documentary filmmaker)
• Peralta uses somewhere between 1,000 to 2,000 photos per film.
• Peralta is interviewed about 600x’s per film.
• He makes films about what he wants to see, it’s just so much work and so intense to make a film about something you aren’t interested in.
• For Lords of Dogtown, there were a few people Stacy Peralta wanted to interview but couldn’t find them.  On his way to work on his film noticed a detective’s office.  So he hired a detective to find some of his interviewees.
• A great tip when interviewing, start a conversation, don’t lose eye contact, have your camera person tap you on the back when rolling rather than saying action.
• Sometimes the first thing he does is pick his soundtrack to get a feel for the film (I do that too!)
• Creativity is tender, be sensitive & positive.  It’s normal to feel overwhelmed with over 30 hours of footage to attack.  It’s ok if you’re shy.  All you need are your ideas and the ability to execute them.
• Peralta paddles when he feels stressed or overwhelmed.  What do you do?
• If you’re looking to save money on a film, make sure to spend money on good DP’s, editors and food!
• Be who you want to work with… let people rise to their best.
• Stacy Peralta also mentioned this book as a recommendation, The Genius in all of us.

Dogtown & Z Boys Trailer