For emerging independent filmmakers telling critical, unorthodox, and original stories.
Whether you need one-time, focussed feedback or ongoing support, Joella works alongside values-aligned filmmakers to get their stories told and seen. As a working documentary filmmaker, Joella offers practical experience, a kind and approachable space and meaningful advice in her consultation practice.
Consults are available to clients around the world via phone or Zoom.
Expertise
Consultation and coaching sessions are tailored to your filmmaking needs. Joella’s areas of expertise include:
Pitching and story development
Applying for grants and building a budget
Planning a production timeline and shoot
Community building
Industry standards
And other filmmaking problem-solving
“I was in development of my second short film when I sought out Joella's consulting services; all I had were a couple mood boards, a vision statement, and a logline (send HELP). Through multiple sessions of focused feedback, Joella refined my development materials into a cohesive film proposal that better captured my creative intent and ultimately helped me win grant funding! I deeply appreciated Joella's conscientious clarity as well as her tactical approach to development consulting.”
— Nifemi Madarikan
“After taking her terrific course, Documentary Workflow for Women, I hired Joella as a consultant to help me develop a budget and strategize funding approaches for a feature-length documentary. Joella was knowledgeable, efficient, and available for questions and clarifications. I appreciated her combination of professionalism and genuine enthusiasm for the work — even when it involved preparing a full budget — and she offered invaluable insights about considerations that I hadn’t even thought of. Joella was a pleasure to work with and I would wholeheartedly recommend her for documentary film production consulting.”
— Analee Weinberger
“When a positive response from a broadcaster sent me into a new-filmmaker tailspin, I got more of what I needed from two hours with Joella than I could’ve gotten from two months of doing research on my own — including confidence. As a lesbian filmmaker, I reached out to Joella because of her reputation in the local women filmmaker community as well as the themes she had explored as a director and a producer. I made the right choice — her up-to-the-moment knowledge, her breadth of experience, and her warmth and empathy were simply priceless to me.”
— Ali Grant, On The Creek Films
Fees
Consultation services are offered on a sliding scale. Inquire for more details.
Values
You can expect a non-judgemental and supportive space that respects and honours underrepresented identities. Consulting is part of Joella’s practice of knowledge-sharing in the documentary community.
