Dear Donut Dollie Documentary supporters,
We are nearing the official public release of this labor-of-love project and wanted to share with you some exciting updates.
When we originally envisioned this documentary, we had a timeline that we thought was ambitious but do-able. There have been some unexpected twists and delays along the way, but we believe the added time and effort has allowed us to make the best film we could. There’s been an outpouring of interest and support – including terrific interviews with Donut Dollies and veterans all around the country, and a generous sharing of amazing and mostly unseen archival film and photos from 80 different individuals.
It’s truly taken a village to make this film, and everyone’s efforts are culminating in a project we think and hope is worthy of the Donut Dollies. Here are a few major milestones:
Color Grading – our film has been professionally graded (color corrected and balanced) and mastered in 4K by The Mill in Los Angeles, CA. This has brought an amazing balance and life to the archival film, photos and filmed interviews included in our documentary.
Final Audio Mix – filming on location in Vietnam brought with it a lot of audio challenges. Our talented audio mixers completed the final sound mix at Westwind Media in Burbank, CA earlier this summer. Both companies, and the talented teams that worked their magic on our film, regularly work on film and TV projects that are seen around the world, and we are honored to have them be part of our project.
Another important component of our film is the music, which we believe will provide viewers with an added memorable and emotional experience. We’re finishing up the music licensing for 51 songs from 16 artists and groups. We’re proud that all of our music comes from talented independent musicians, providing a unique and moving accompaniment to the unique, amazing stories of the Donut Dollies.
The next step in the process of completing the film is submitting it for final legal/clearance review to a law firm that specializes in independent documentaries. This is a crucial step to ensure everything is in order with licensing, clearances, appearance releases, etc., before we can make and share DVDs of the film and seek widespread distribution via broadcast and/or streaming services.
Speaking of sharing the film, we’ve been selected to screen at the GI Film Festival in San Diego, CA at the end of September. And we’ve been nominated for their Best Documentary Feature award (our first)! If you’ll be in San Diego on September 28th, please get your tickets soon and see the film on the big screen. https://gifilmfestivalsd.org/2019/movies/the-donut-dollies
We’re also hoping to screen the film at other festivals around the country, so if you know of one in your area – or know anyone involved in festival programming – please let us know!
I know some folks have wondered when/if the film would be completed, and everyone who’s supported us is eager to see it. I want to thank you for your support, encouragement and patience, and I assure you the film will be coming your way soon. I believe you’ll feel it’s been worth the wait and helps ensure the Donut Dollies are honored and remembered for their role in American History.
If you haven’t previously reserved a DVD or digital download, please email us at memories@donutdollies.com or sign up for our mailing list on DonutDollies.com or at list@donutdollies.com to get updates about availability and screenings.
In the meantime, please enjoy a 3 minute sneak preview – an intro segment from near the beginning of the film: https://youtu.be/FA0d_YW-giY
Thank you again for your support, and stay tuned for more updates soon!
Gratefully,
Norm and the Donut Dollies Documentary Crew
