BYOD: BRING YOUR OWN DOC – EPISODE 127: “CAVEDIGGER” AND “THE LADY IN NUMBER 6” – DOC SHORTS OSCAR NOMINEES

By Ondi Timoner | February 18, 2014

Cavedigger and The Lady in Number 6 are two of the nominees for Best Short Documentary at the 2014 Academy Awards, and we enjoy a conversation with the filmmakers behind both films. The evocative cave sculptures of Ra Paulette are featured in Cavedigger, and director Jeffrey Karoff guides us through his film ahead of the Oscars, as producer Nick Reed discusses the bittersweet and lyrical story of The Lady in Number 6, which shares the story of Alice Sommer, the world’s oldest surviving Holocaust survivor and her world of music. All on BYOD hosted by Ondi Timoner–the world’s only documentary talk show…

Watch new episodes of BYOD live each week on Tuesdays at noon on TheLip.TV, or tune in for the archived replay starting here on the following Thursday.

ABOUT BYOD:
BYOD is hosted by Ondi Timoner, director of “DIG!,” “JOIN US” and “WE LIVE IN PUBLIC,” and has the rare distinction of winning the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance twice. Each week the show explores a different documentary filmmaker or aspect of filmmaking, with special guests and a live Q&A– diving deep into creative process and the business realities of producing and distributing films. Ondi shares her insider views, opinions, and personal stories, welcoming audience participation. BYOD aims to entertain, inform, and elevate documentaries in general by bringing attention to films and film makers that deserve exposure.

GUEST BIO:
Cavedigger: Ra Paulette digs wondrous art caves into the sandstone cliffs of Northern New Mexico using nothing but hand tools. Each creation takes him years to complete, and each is a masterpiece. But patrons who’ve commissioned caves typically cut off his funding due to artistic differences and cost overruns. As a result, Ra has only completed 3 of his 13 works.

Fed up, facing financial hardship and marital strain, Ra still chooses to devote his final working years to create his Magnum Opus – a daunting, 10-year venture without a patron. Will his body hold up for his strenuous and dangerous style of art? Will his finances hold? Will he finally find the satisfaction he has been searching for his entire artistic life?

Jeffrey Karoff is a commercial director whose body of work includes national spots for HP, Lincoln and Allstate as well as documentaries aimed to raise funds for organizations like New York’s philanthropic powerhouse, Robin Hood Foundation. Karoff honed his skills at UCLA and the American Film Institute’s director’s program, and he was a founder of the director/actor workshop, Paradox Works.

The Lady in Number 6 – Music Saved My Life: The world’s oldest living Holocaust survivor is 110 years old and still going strong. Alice Sommer is the star of a remarkably inspiring documentary film, “THE LADY IN NUMBER 6 – Music Saved My Life” which has been nominated for an Academy Award®. Always smiling and laughing, Alice credits her longevity to never blaming anyone or anything, to always seeing the good in people and to her lifelong passion for music! She’s fond of saying; “I was born Jewish, but my religion is Beethoven.”

This unforgettable film was directed by Academy Award® winner Malcolm Clarke and produced by Nick Reed.

Nicholas (Nick) Reed is an Oscar-nominated film producer, media, entertainment and technology entrepreneur, with interests in film finance, viral and video marketing, and motion picture and television production.

Working with writers, directors, and actors, Reed has been involved with such movies as MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING, AUSTIN POWERS I, II and III, ELIZABETH, TRAINING DAY, BRIDGET JONES DIARY, MOULIN ROUGE, THE BOURNE IDENTITY SERIES, MONSTER’S BALL, WHITE NOISE, UNDERWORLD I, II and III, MEET THE PARENTS, MEET THE FOCKERS, BORAT, LIVE FREE DIE HARD, PRINCE OF PERSIA, among many others. In television, he was involved with the successful CSI series franchise, and the relaunch of HAWAII 5-0, among others.

Nick is the owner of Reed Entertainment also Contagious, a viral video and YouTube marketing company, Kallisti Media, a Science and Technology company. Reed is also co-owner of Hollywood Media Bridge, a film and Distribution Company.

EPISODE BREAKDOWN:
00:01 Welcome to BYOD.
00:31 Introducing Nick Reed and Jeffrey Karoff.
02:00 The decision to make a short film.
04:30 THE LADY IN NUMBER 6, Trailer.
06:56 Finding Alice Sommer.
14:30 The story of CAVEDIGGER, and where art meets finance.
18:53 CAVEDIGGER, Trailer.
20:53 “Living the dream so you don’t have to.”
26:00 A first time turn at short documentary.
27:35 Art vs. Compromise.