Eddie Schmidt
Encyclopedia
Eddie Schmidt is a documentary filmmaker, writer/producer, commentator, activist, and satirist. He is best-known for producing and shooting the Oscar nominated Twist Of Faith
(2005), producing, co-writing, and shooting the irreverent This Film Is Not Yet Rated
(2006), and producing the Emmy-nominated, all-star music documentary Troubadours (2011), all of which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.(1)(2)(3) Since 2009- , he has served as President of the IDA (International Documentary Association
), and was its interim Executive Director for the latter half of 2008.(4)
, where he received a BA in Drama/Film in 1992. Later, in 2005, he was named a "Vassar Innovator" by the school, placing him in a distinguished group of alumni from the college's history including Nickelodeon
founder Geraldine Laybourne
. (5)
Schmidt emerged as a producer of feature documentaries with Chain Camera (2001), a groundbreaking look at urban teenage life in which video cameras were given to students at John Marshall High School
in Los Angeles
and passed around like chain letters, presaging YouTube
and user-driven media by several years. (6) The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival
, and went on to air on Sundance Channel, BBC
, and Cinemax
, and had a multi-city theatrical run. In 2005, it was released on DVD with deleted scenes and filmmaker commentary. (7)
Chain Camera began a long creative partnership between Schmidt and director Kirby Dick
, which included Twist of Faith
, the story of a man confronting the trauma of past sexual abuse by a Catholic priest. Nominated for an Academy Award in 2005, Twist Of Faith
also premiered at the Sundance Film Festival
, and is one of the all-time highest-rated films on film critic website Rotten Tomatoes
, with a 100% positive rating. (8)
The duo’s equally provocative follow-up, This Film Is Not Yet Rated
, provided an irreverent investigation into the MPAA movie ratings system and American
culture, marking the first time that the secretive industry organization had been exposed. The film was met with a standing ovation when it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival
in 2006 and was released theatrically that fall by IFC Films
(9).
Schmidt returned to the Sundance Film Festival for the fourth time in 2011 with Troubadours, directed by music documentary vet Morgan Neville. Troubadours, released theatrically before airing on PBS’ “American Masters,” tells the story of the ‘rise of the singer-songwriter’ in late 1960s/early 1970s Los Angeles, featuring Carole King, James Taylor, Jackson Browne, David Crosby, Bonnie Raitt, and many other luminaries. (10) The film was later nominated for an Emmy for Nonfiction Cinematography. (11)
, IFC
, and other cable outlets. (12) He is featured in two documentaries directed by Jeffrey Schwarz
for Starz/Encore, In the Gutter (2008) and Sex and the Cinema(2009).(13) Schmidt often moderates panels at film festivals or events, conducting talks with other well-known filmmakers and making memorable appearances at awards shows and industry events. (14)(15)
Schmidt has also worked frequently in television, producing, directing and writing both documentary and comedy series and specials for HBO, Lionsgate, E!
, IFC
, A&E
, GSN, and Adult Swim
.(16)
He appears as himself, along with Ira Glass
and his own parents, in a 2004 episode of National Public Radio's This American Life
("Family Legend"), which re-ran in 2005 and is available on ITunes.(17)
Schmidt is currently in postproduction on a major music documentary for release in 2011, and is Executive Producer of the pop culture biopic Candyman: The David Klein Story, which debuted at the Slamdance Film Festival
and Toronto
's Hot Docs in 2010. Candyman, the bittersweet tale of the inventor of the Jelly Belly
jellybean, also features "Weird Al" Yankovic, and makes its U.S. television broadcast debut on the Documentary Channel in November 2010 and its DVD debut from Indiepix in February 2011.(18)
In 2011, Schmidt was one of six documentary experts brought in as a program consultant to hash out Current TV’s final 50 Documentaries To See Before You Die, then counted down in a summer mini-series hosted by Morgan Spurlock. Schmidt also appears on-camera in the series discussing films like Truth or Dare, Dogtown, Z-Boys and Gasland.(19)
Schmidt also orchestrated the distribution of Harry Shearer’s feature documentary The Big Uneasy.(20)
), a major, nonprofit community and resource for nonfiction filmmakers, since 2009. For the latter half of 2008, Schmidt served as the organization's day-to-day interim Executive Director, overseeing its 2008 DocuWeeks Theatrical Showcase and the 2008 IDA Documentary Awards, hosted by Morgan Spurlock
, and honoring Werner Herzog (21)
During his time with the organization, Schmidt has re-energized its advocacy base, lobbying lawmakers for filmmakers’ rights with regard to fair use and net neutrality, among others. (22) (23) During filmmaker Joe Berlinger
’s battle with oil giant Chevron
over all 600 hours of his film “Crude,” Schmidt engineered an open letter signed by over 200 filmmakers, including 20 Oscar winners, as well as supplying amicus brief for Berlinger’s court case. (24)
Most recently, Schmidt was part of a major IDA effort petitioning the IRS to affirm the notion of documentary filmmaking as a for-profit enterprise. (25)
, Harry Shearer
, Ice Cube
, and Julie Delpy
, the book quickly became a top-seller during the 1998/1999 holiday season, hitting #75 on amazon.com, receiving a nomination for an American Library Award, and being dubbed the literary "Pick of the Week" by the LA Weekly
. (26)
Schmidt, along with Patterson and Loheed, were pioneering internet satirists with the website ooze.com, one of the first digital humor publications to exist as early as 1993. Excerpts from ooze.com appeared in the McGraw-Hill book Internet Insider (1995), and the 'zine was hailed alongside the Onion
in magazines such as Yahoo!
Internet Life. (27)
In the late 90s, ooze began to incorporate video into its satire, receiving worldwide attention for mocking Fundamentalist Christians with "The Force Is A Tool of Satan," a fake video and website purporting to represent zealous Fundamentalists offended by the Star Wars
myth. In 1999, ooze signed a deal with Fox Broadcasting Company
to produce a TV series. (28) Although that did not materialize, during 2001–2007 the group continued to perform live and produce numerous video pranks targeting celebrities, PETA
, tourism, and mainstream pornography, with total YouTube
views of their stunts reaching over 500,000. (29)
; Pretty Little Liars
). They live in Los Angeles
with their son. (30)
Twist of Faith
Twist of Faith is a 2004 American documentary film directed by Kirby Dick about a man who confronts the Catholic Church about the abuse he suffered as a teenager. The film was produced for the cable network HBO and screened at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival...
(2005), producing, co-writing, and shooting the irreverent This Film Is Not Yet Rated
This Film Is Not Yet Rated
This Film is Not Yet Rated is a 2006 independent documentary film about the Motion Picture Association of America's rating system and its effect on American culture, directed by Kirby Dick and produced by Eddie Schmidt. It premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival and was released limited on...
(2006), and producing the Emmy-nominated, all-star music documentary Troubadours (2011), all of which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.(1)(2)(3) Since 2009- , he has served as President of the IDA (International Documentary Association
International Documentary Association
International Documentary Association , founded in 1982, is a non-profit organization promoting documentary film, video and new media, to support the efforts of documentary filmmaking and video production makers around the world and to increase public appreciation and demand for the art of the...
), and was its interim Executive Director for the latter half of 2008.(4)
Life and career
Schmidt attended Vassar CollegeVassar College
Vassar College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York, in the United States. The Vassar campus comprises over and more than 100 buildings, including four National Historic Landmarks, ranging in style from Collegiate Gothic to International,...
, where he received a BA in Drama/Film in 1992. Later, in 2005, he was named a "Vassar Innovator" by the school, placing him in a distinguished group of alumni from the college's history including Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
founder Geraldine Laybourne
Geraldine Laybourne
Geraldine Laybourne founded Oxygen Media and served as its chairman and chief executive officer until it was sold in 2007 to NBC Universal. Oxygen was launched in 2000 to fill a void in the television landscape—creating a television network targeted to younger women...
. (5)
Schmidt emerged as a producer of feature documentaries with Chain Camera (2001), a groundbreaking look at urban teenage life in which video cameras were given to students at John Marshall High School
John Marshall High School (Los Angeles, California)
John Marshall High School is a high school located in the Los Feliz district of the City of Los Angeles at 3939 Tracy Street, in Los Angeles, California, USA.Marshall, which serves grades 9 through 12, is a part of the Los Angeles Unified School District...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and passed around like chain letters, presaging YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
and user-driven media by several years. (6) The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
, and went on to air on Sundance Channel, BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, and Cinemax
Cinemax
Cinemax, sometimes abbreviated as simply "Max", is a collection of premium television networks that broadcasts primarily feature films, along with softcore erotica, original action series, documentaries and special behind-the-scenes features. Cinemax is operated by Home Box Office, Inc., a...
, and had a multi-city theatrical run. In 2005, it was released on DVD with deleted scenes and filmmaker commentary. (7)
Chain Camera began a long creative partnership between Schmidt and director Kirby Dick
Kirby Dick
Kirby Dick is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor. He is best known for directing documentary films. He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature for directing Twist of Faith...
, which included Twist of Faith
Twist of Faith
Twist of Faith is a 2004 American documentary film directed by Kirby Dick about a man who confronts the Catholic Church about the abuse he suffered as a teenager. The film was produced for the cable network HBO and screened at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival...
, the story of a man confronting the trauma of past sexual abuse by a Catholic priest. Nominated for an Academy Award in 2005, Twist Of Faith
Twist of Faith
Twist of Faith is a 2004 American documentary film directed by Kirby Dick about a man who confronts the Catholic Church about the abuse he suffered as a teenager. The film was produced for the cable network HBO and screened at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival...
also premiered at the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
, and is one of the all-time highest-rated films on film critic website Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, with a 100% positive rating. (8)
The duo’s equally provocative follow-up, This Film Is Not Yet Rated
This Film Is Not Yet Rated
This Film is Not Yet Rated is a 2006 independent documentary film about the Motion Picture Association of America's rating system and its effect on American culture, directed by Kirby Dick and produced by Eddie Schmidt. It premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival and was released limited on...
, provided an irreverent investigation into the MPAA movie ratings system and American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
culture, marking the first time that the secretive industry organization had been exposed. The film was met with a standing ovation when it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
in 2006 and was released theatrically that fall by IFC Films
IFC Films
IFC Films is an American film distribution company based in New York, owned by AMC Networks. It distributes independent films and documentaries under the IFC Films, Sundance Selects and IFC Midnight. It operates the IFC Center....
(9).
Schmidt returned to the Sundance Film Festival for the fourth time in 2011 with Troubadours, directed by music documentary vet Morgan Neville. Troubadours, released theatrically before airing on PBS’ “American Masters,” tells the story of the ‘rise of the singer-songwriter’ in late 1960s/early 1970s Los Angeles, featuring Carole King, James Taylor, Jackson Browne, David Crosby, Bonnie Raitt, and many other luminaries. (10) The film was later nominated for an Emmy for Nonfiction Cinematography. (11)
Other media
In recent years, Schmidt has appeared as a pop culture pundit, guesting several times on G4's Attack of the Show, as well as on MSNBCMSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
, IFC
Independent Film Channel
The Independent Film Channel is an American cable TV network that airs independent film and related programming. IFC programming includes commercially interrupted feature-length films, original documentaries, shorts, animated series, original series, acquired series, and content exclusively for...
, and other cable outlets. (12) He is featured in two documentaries directed by Jeffrey Schwarz
Jeffrey Schwarz
Jeffrey Schwarz is President & CEO of Automat Pictures, a Los Angeles based entertainment company specializing in the production of studio EPKs , Blu-ray and DVD content, original television programming, and feature films....
for Starz/Encore, In the Gutter (2008) and Sex and the Cinema(2009).(13) Schmidt often moderates panels at film festivals or events, conducting talks with other well-known filmmakers and making memorable appearances at awards shows and industry events. (14)(15)
Schmidt has also worked frequently in television, producing, directing and writing both documentary and comedy series and specials for HBO, Lionsgate, E!
E!
E! Entertainment Television is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by NBCUniversal. It features entertainment-related programming, reality television, feature films and occasionally series and specials unrelated to the entertainment industry.E! has an audience reach of...
, IFC
Independent Film Channel
The Independent Film Channel is an American cable TV network that airs independent film and related programming. IFC programming includes commercially interrupted feature-length films, original documentaries, shorts, animated series, original series, acquired series, and content exclusively for...
, A&E
A&E Network
The A&E Network is a United States-based cable and satellite television network with headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles and Stamford. A&E also airs in Canada and Latin America. Initially named the Arts & Entertainment Network, A&E launched...
, GSN, and Adult Swim
Adult Swim
Adult Swim is an adult-oriented Cable network that shares channel space with Cartoon Network from 9:00 pm until 6:00 am ET/PT in the United States, and broadcasts in countries such as Australia and New Zealand...
.(16)
He appears as himself, along with Ira Glass
Ira Glass
Ira Glass is an American public radio personality, and host and producer of the radio and television show This American Life.- Early life :...
and his own parents, in a 2004 episode of National Public Radio's This American Life
This American Life
This American Life is a weekly hour-long radio program produced by WBEZ and hosted by Ira Glass. It is distributed by Public Radio International on PRI affiliate stations and is also available as a free weekly podcast. Primarily a journalistic non-fiction program, it has also featured essays,...
("Family Legend"), which re-ran in 2005 and is available on ITunes.(17)
Schmidt is currently in postproduction on a major music documentary for release in 2011, and is Executive Producer of the pop culture biopic Candyman: The David Klein Story, which debuted at the Slamdance Film Festival
Slamdance Film Festival
As a year-round organization, Slamdance serves as a showcase for the discovery of new and emerging talent in the film industry; it is also the only major film festival fully programmed by filmmakers. Slamdance counts among its alumni many notable writers and directors who first gained notice at the...
and Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
's Hot Docs in 2010. Candyman, the bittersweet tale of the inventor of the Jelly Belly
Jelly Belly
The Jelly Belly Candy, or simply Jelly Belly, is the maker of The Jelly Belly and other candy, formerly known as The Herman Goelitz Candy Company...
jellybean, also features "Weird Al" Yankovic, and makes its U.S. television broadcast debut on the Documentary Channel in November 2010 and its DVD debut from Indiepix in February 2011.(18)
In 2011, Schmidt was one of six documentary experts brought in as a program consultant to hash out Current TV’s final 50 Documentaries To See Before You Die, then counted down in a summer mini-series hosted by Morgan Spurlock. Schmidt also appears on-camera in the series discussing films like Truth or Dare, Dogtown, Z-Boys and Gasland.(19)
Schmidt also orchestrated the distribution of Harry Shearer’s feature documentary The Big Uneasy.(20)
Non-profit and public works
In addition to his film and television career, Schmidt served as the Board President of the IDA (International Documentary AssociationInternational Documentary Association
International Documentary Association , founded in 1982, is a non-profit organization promoting documentary film, video and new media, to support the efforts of documentary filmmaking and video production makers around the world and to increase public appreciation and demand for the art of the...
), a major, nonprofit community and resource for nonfiction filmmakers, since 2009. For the latter half of 2008, Schmidt served as the organization's day-to-day interim Executive Director, overseeing its 2008 DocuWeeks Theatrical Showcase and the 2008 IDA Documentary Awards, hosted by Morgan Spurlock
Morgan Spurlock
Morgan Valentine Spurlock is an American documentary filmmaker, humorist, television producer, screenwriter and journalist best known for the documentary film Super Size Me...
, and honoring Werner Herzog (21)
During his time with the organization, Schmidt has re-energized its advocacy base, lobbying lawmakers for filmmakers’ rights with regard to fair use and net neutrality, among others. (22) (23) During filmmaker Joe Berlinger
Joe Berlinger
Joseph "Joe" Berlinger is an American documentary film-maker who, in collaboration with Bruce Sinofsky, has created such films as Paradise Lost about the West Memphis 3, Brother's Keeper, Some Kind of Monster, and Crude....
’s battle with oil giant Chevron
Chevron Corporation
Chevron Corporation is an American multinational energy corporation headquartered in San Ramon, California, United States and active in more than 180 countries. It is engaged in every aspect of the oil, gas, and geothermal energy industries, including exploration and production; refining,...
over all 600 hours of his film “Crude,” Schmidt engineered an open letter signed by over 200 filmmakers, including 20 Oscar winners, as well as supplying amicus brief for Berlinger’s court case. (24)
Most recently, Schmidt was part of a major IDA effort petitioning the IRS to affirm the notion of documentary filmmaking as a for-profit enterprise. (25)
Author and satirist
Schmidt, along with MJ Loheed and Matt Patterson, authored the book, The Finger: A Comprehensive Guide To Flipping Off (1998). A definitive look at the middle finger gesture and its place in popular culture, and featuring cameos from John WatersJohn Waters (filmmaker)
John Samuel Waters, Jr. is an American filmmaker, actor, stand-up comedian, writer, journalist, visual artist, and art collector, who rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films...
, Harry Shearer
Harry Shearer
Harry Julius Shearer is an American actor, comedian, writer, voice artist, musician, author, radio host and director. He is known for his long-running role on The Simpsons, his work on Saturday Night Live, the comedy band Spinal Tap and his radio program Le Show...
, Ice Cube
Ice Cube
O'Shea Jackson , better known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper and actor. He began his career as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. and later joined the rap group N.W.A. After leaving N.W.A in December 1989, he built a successful solo career in music, and also as a writer,...
, and Julie Delpy
Julie Delpy
Julie Delpy is a French-American actress, director, screenwriter, and singer-songwriter. She studied filmmaking at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and has directed, written, and acted in more than 30 films, including Europa Europa , The Voyager , Three Colors: White , Before Sunrise...
, the book quickly became a top-seller during the 1998/1999 holiday season, hitting #75 on amazon.com, receiving a nomination for an American Library Award, and being dubbed the literary "Pick of the Week" by the LA Weekly
LA Weekly
LA Weekly is a free weekly tabloid-sized "alternative weekly" in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Editor/Publisher Jay Levin and a board of directors that included actor-producer Michael Douglas...
. (26)
Schmidt, along with Patterson and Loheed, were pioneering internet satirists with the website ooze.com, one of the first digital humor publications to exist as early as 1993. Excerpts from ooze.com appeared in the McGraw-Hill book Internet Insider (1995), and the 'zine was hailed alongside the Onion
The Onion
The Onion is an American news satire organization. It is an entertainment newspaper and a website featuring satirical articles reporting on international, national, and local news, in addition to a non-satirical entertainment section known as The A.V. Club...
in magazines such as Yahoo!
Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc. is an American multinational internet corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, United States. The company is perhaps best known for its web portal, search engine , Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, advertising, online mapping ,...
Internet Life. (27)
In the late 90s, ooze began to incorporate video into its satire, receiving worldwide attention for mocking Fundamentalist Christians with "The Force Is A Tool of Satan," a fake video and website purporting to represent zealous Fundamentalists offended by the Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
myth. In 1999, ooze signed a deal with Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
to produce a TV series. (28) Although that did not materialize, during 2001–2007 the group continued to perform live and produce numerous video pranks targeting celebrities, PETA
Peta
Peta can refer to:* peta-, an SI prefix denoting a factor of 1015* Peta, Greece, a town in Greece* Peta, the Pāli word for a Preta, or hungry ghost in Buddhism* Peta Wilson, an Australian actress and model* Peta Todd, English glamour model...
, tourism, and mainstream pornography, with total YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
views of their stunts reaching over 500,000. (29)
Personal life
In 2001, Schmidt married production designer Rachel Kamerman (Gilmore GirlsGilmore Girls
Gilmore Girls is an American family comedy-drama series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, starring Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel. On October 5, 2000, the series debuted on The WB and was cancelled in its seventh season, ending on May 15, 2007 on The CW...
; Pretty Little Liars
Pretty Little Liars
Pretty Little Liars is a series of more than 10 young adult novels by Sara Shepard, from 1981–present, which have been made into a television show . The series follows the lives of four girls — Spencer, Hanna, Aria, and Emily — whose clique falls apart after the disappearance of their leader,...
). They live in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
with their son. (30)