You Asked ... "Fuel" Producer Greg Reitman

In honor of Earth Day, environmental advocate/producer Greg Reitman, FUEL, answers questions from the StoryLink Community. FUEL, the 2008 winner for Best Documentary at Sundance is a revelatory film that explores America's addiction to oil. It is based on Josh Tickell's bestselling book, From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank.

Reitman was recently named one of "10 Moviemakers Making a Difference" in MovieMaker magazine. Below are Greg’s answers to StoryLink reader questions. Those whose questions were chosen won a one-year subscription to MovieMaker Magazine.

There are plenty of scholarships and competitions rewarding classic genres such as Drama and Comedy, are we likely to see more support for budding writers and filmmakers when it comes to Environmental Awareness issues? - William

Yes, William, there are becoming increasingly more opportunities than ever for social conscious environmental documentary filmmakers. Many of the broadcasters throughout the world are programming green content and bringing the issue of global warming and other environmental issues to the forefront of the worlds’ people. Plus. channels like Sundance and Discovery Planet Green, as well as many foundations, are giving for the environmental cause.

What challenges do you face shooting a documentary that feature filmmakers do not encounter and vice versa? - Rob

In the narrative format you spend months working on the script, the storyline, casting, etc. Essentially you have 30 days to execute that vision versus a documentary which is much more lucid, expansive, and evolves with you as your story progresses. The challenges can be harder, as there are many turns you can take in your story arcs and often we see filmmakers who work on films for more than 10 years who have had a hard time weaving there stories together. Besides the editing pitfalls, you also need to be aware of clearance in both archival and music, which can at times be another hurdle in completing one's vision.

What documentary films in general inspired you to pursue your path to make them as a way to create a dialogue among people? What are the top 3 environmental challenges that we face that aren't being addressed in your opinion that could benefit from this kind of discussion? - Cain

Michael Moore documentaries inspire me, as his approach is real and somewhat comedic, but generally persuasive to the point that the issues he documents deserve further dialogue and solutions. Documentaries that inspire me are the ones that are captured on the front lines. I walk out of a movie theatre and I say, “Could that really have happened?”

The top 3 environmental challenges that are really being sidelined and should be in the forefront of political thought are nuclear proliferation, peak oil, and the emerging water crisis.

So how do you go about gathering sources/permission for a documentary? Do you put a random ad calling for subjects, or do you research people involved and then ask if they would be interested? Also, do they sign a waiver/contract and do they get paid? - A

Thousands of hours should be spent on internet research on your subject or subjects. Many successful documentaries come from books, where the research has been compiled, which can become a very useful tool, and which helped in the making of Fields of Fuel (aka FUEL).

Yes, every individual who is interviewed needs to sign a depiction release and often fees are waived depending on the issue and commercial outlet.

Greg, out of everything you have done in film and in life, what are you most proud of? - Poochie

As a filmmaker, what brings me the most enjoyment is seeing people genuinely affected by an issue and how the content can serve as a bridge toward healing or personal human development. It’s a wonderful experience to watch.

Greg, can you recall a time when you felt most frustrated with your art form? And how did you get through this period of time? - Gemayel

My first film, Hollywood’s Magical Island – Catalina was financed off of 6 credit cards. This was extremely difficult time for me in balancing both the creative and commerce forces. Persistence, commitment, and believing in oneself and one's vision have served me during those difficult times.

How did you handle the difficult process of making a film that is both commercial and personal? - Ron

The delicate balance between a personal and commercial story is probably the most difficult process in the documentary genre. Many have failed, and a few, like Morgan Spurlock and Michael Moore, are seen as pros. The key ingredient is to highlight the personal or human story to engage the viewer to help move the storyline forward in a way that serves the issue. This delicate balance is crucial and, when done effectively, is a valuable story element to the documentary.

Do you believe that Al Gore's successful documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, had any impact on your decision to film Fuel since it also deals with a world wide crisis? - Carol Lorentz

No, FUEL has been a lifetime journey for Josh Tickell. This film was destined to be made and Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth was a wonderful gift has it opened the eyes of the world to the impact of global warming and set the stage for FUEL in terms of looking at America addiction to oil and providing solutions to the current crisis.

How did you fund the project and what were the sources of funding? How long was it between the time you got the idea for the project and when you had the funds in place to begin production? - Tony

I met Josh Tickell in 2003 and started working on FUEL in 2004. The first two weeks we raised $50K from West Central Soy, a biodiesel supplier out in the midwest. We then raised additional sponsorship money, coupled with a small equity investment and some charitable donations.

My husband and I are on the "green" learning curve in our efforts to become the first sustainable production foundry ever. In your experience, are there reliable sources for information, support, neutral guidance (not provided by those selling products or services), government programs, etc., that assist people in not "inventing the wheel" for each new application? Even though we're doing something that hasn't been done before, we'd rather not hunt and gather from scratch. Enthusiastic help would be great. - Kristin

There are tons of resources out on the internet and you easily can begin by watching FUEL and going to the website....www.thefuelfilm.com.