Every Person Should Know

Post Production!

2011-12-05T14:12:00.000-08:00

I know I know I know...where the heck have I been? Am I still working on the documentary? Is it finished? Will it ever be finished? What are my plans with the film? Well It is about time I give everyone an update so here goes.

In January of 2011 I found an editor who wanted to do the film but unfortunately by February that fell through, he told me that he simply had to take the better paying jobs that were coming his way. So in March I was connected with another editor who was deeply passionate about the film, and willing to work for the discounted rate I had warned him and my previous editor about. But sadly after two months of viewing the footage, this second editor needed to tend to personal issues and could no longer be a part of the film. So this left me with two failed editors, 5 months of wasted time, and still absolutely no progress had been made with post.

This was a rather dark time for the film and it was clear to me that I needed a break, I was burnt out. I work full-time in addition to the film, as well as have my own personal training business in Malibu, so I focused on my work, rock-climbing and on having fun!

As fall rolled around I started to interview editors once again, but I was unable to find anyone who could work for the price I could afford. In a desperate attempt to get in contact with some talented editors, I wrote my UCLA documentary filmmaking instructor Curtis Freilich and asked him if he knew any editors who might be interested in the job. He promptly responded that he was interested in editing the film. Below is our initial correspondence:

Dear Curtis,

I am writing to you in hopes that you might be able to recommend an editor for my documentary. If you recall, I started my documentary about modern oncology and my father's career, almost 3 years ago. I have completed production and I have been searching for an editor for a couple of months now. I have 80 hours of raw footage, logged manually, but not in final cut. I am desperate to find a good editor, not someone who toys around with final cut in their free time, but my budget is very limited so I am hoping they would take a discounted rate since the film is sponsored by a non-profit, they could get a tax write-off or I could give them a percentage of the profits if the film goes on to make money. I am sending you the links to my website and blog to get a better idea of what this film is about. If you have any ideas for me I would really appreciate it. Thank you for your time.

www.thesimontondocumentary.org

www.everypersonshouldknow.blogspot.com

-Elizabeth

Hey Elizabeth,

I certainly remember you and your father's story. I think it's a strong and important subject. I might consider helping since I'm in between

work right now - hoping to start a full time teaching position at Santa Monica College this winter. I need to know a little more about

the project - what format it's in now, what is your time frame and where do you want to edit? Will you have an assistant editor?

I do have a full Final Cut or Avid set up and can cut here which I'd prefer. Also do you have any recent trailers or sizzle reels?

Good to hear from you and glad you're still working on the project.

Best,

Curtis

These emails were sent at the end of August of this year and since then Curtis and myself have been pluggin' away, trying to get a rough cut of the film by the end of January. I am so thankful to have Curtis as a teammate and colleague, he is truly passionate about the subject, and wants to see this film succeed, he truly believes this film has the power to make a difference. I asked Curtis to write a short little biography for the blog:

A word from Curtis Freilich:

I’ve been an editor working in the Motion Picture & Television Industry for

more than 25 years . I’ve worked on many well known television shows like

“Moonlighting” and “The Wonder Years” as well as films like “Days of Heaven”

and “The Jacksons; An American Dream”. I’ve also worked on several animated

features and in 2007 made the documentary “Ghana @50”.

In 2004 I began teaching documentary video courses at UCLA Extension and

post production courses at Colombia College Hollywood.

It was in 2010 that I first met Elizabeth Simonton who was a student in my documentary

course at UCLA. I was moved and inspired when I first saw the documentary about her father. Some time later she asked me if I could recommend someone to help in the editing of the project. I said yes, me. This is a subject that resonates deeply with me and that I feel is important to the community of cancer patients world wide and to anyone who has an interest in navigating the perilous path of healthcare. It is a subject that is eminent and can make a difference.

So please feel free to call, write, and ask questions. It is my goal to update the blog as often as possible, but I don't have a lot of free time these days. Thank you for your interest in this film, and for your support for the past 3 years! We are almost THERE!!!!!!

For more information on how to support this film please visit:

www.thesimontondocumentary.org

Truth

2011-06-02T20:15:00.001-07:00

All truths are initially either ridiculed or violently opposed.

Schopenhauer (philosopher)

This is still news???

2011-02-18T21:26:00.000-08:00

Study after study have been done year after year and we still consider this news? Let's learn from our studies, because what are we doing them for if not to learn and adapt??

Negative experiences can stop painkillers working

By James GallagherHealth reporter, BBC News

Negative thoughts rendered painkillers ineffective

A patient's belief that a drug will not work can become a self fulfilling prophecy, according to researchers.

They showed the benefits of painkillers could be boosted or completely wiped out by manipulating expectations.

The study, published in Science Translational Medicine, also identifies the regions of the brain which are affected.

Experts said this could have important consequences for patient care and for testing new drugs.

Heat was applied to the legs of 22 patients, who were asked to report the level of pain on a scale of one to 100. They were also attached to an intravenous drip so drugs could be administered secretly.

The initial average pain rating was 66. Patients were then given a potent painkiller, remifentanil, without their knowledge and the pain score went down to 55.

They were then told they were being given a painkiller and the score went down to 39.

Then, without changing the dose, the patients were then told the painkiller had been withdrawn and to expect pain, and the score went up to 64.

So even though the patients were being given remifentanil, they were reporting the same level of pain as when they were getting no drugs at all.

Professor Irene Tracey, from Oxford University, told the BBC: "It's phenomenal, it's really cool. It's one of the best analgesics we have and the brain's influence can either vastly increase its effect, or completely remove it."

The study was conducted on healthy people who were subjected to pain for a short period of time. She said people with chronic conditions who had unsuccessfully tried many drugs for many years would have built up a much greater negative experience, which could impact on their future healthcare.

Professor Tracey said: "Doctors need more time for consultation and to investigate the cognitive side of illness, the focus is on physiology not the mind, which can be a real roadblock to treatment."

Brain scans during the experiment also showed which regions of the brain were affected.

The expectation of positive treatment was associated with activity in the cingulo-frontal and subcortical brain areas while the negative expectation led to increased activity in the hippocampus and the medial frontal cortex.

Researchers also say the study raises concerns about clinical trials used to determine the effectiveness of drugs.

George Lewith, professor of health research at the University of Southampton, said: "It's another piece of evidence that we get what we expect in life.

"It completely blows cold randomised clinical trials, which don't take into account expectation."

Money Talks

2011-01-25T13:17:00.001-08:00

2011-01-25T10:06:00.000-08:00

The Rutten Family

John and Elizabeth Grether

Barbara Andersen

The Cvitan Family

Cleveland and Joyce Bell

Jemma Eriksen

Kenyon Whetsell

Gail Pritchett

Chris Young

Veronica Barton

Helen Hening

Peggy Platner

Nick Van Beurden

Alee Negrete

Jenny Wilson

Sarah Finke

Natalie Hess

Brandon Zamel

Julie Carmen

Jamie Sharbak

Thank you.

A big THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to the All I want for Christmas Fundraising Campaign this past month. We were able to raise $2,600, enough to get us through the beginning stages of Post Production! January had flown by, and I am almost finished logging all of the footage for my editors. We will begin editing the first week of February.

What They want for Christmas!!

2010-12-13T15:08:00.000-08:00

Deborah Ogg and Leslie Bachant emailed me their Christmas wish this year and showed their support for the "All I want for Christmas" Fundraising Campaign.

"It is my Christmas wish for people to understand how powerful the mind can be, particulary when dealing with a life threatening illness. Carl Simonton , an adventurer in the area of psychoneuroimmunology, was a critical, imploring voice acting as a guide to many, including me, exploring the terrain and possibility in this area. It is imperative for the film about Carl's work to be finished because his brilliance would finally be honored. But even more important, there are millions of people who might be exposed to the possibility of the powerful intervention of the mind on the body, of the possibility of control rather than helplessness, of living well again.
Thank you, Elizabeth, for your dedication, love, and hard work. Where can we send the checks!!"

- Deborah Ogg

"Dr. Simonton's work is a rare, comprehensive approach (mind, body & spirit) to dealing with the challenges, and gifts, of a cancer diagnosis. This work taught me how to prioritize what's most important in my life; provided the tools and skills needed to live in peace and joy; and help me create dreams for a happy future. It's made a tremendous difference in the quality of my life, and that of my husband's, who was diagnosed with throat cancer as I was on my 2nd round of chemo. We are happier, healthier and enjoy a calm and peaceful life as a result of this work. My Christmas wish is that this vitally important documentary get finished so that others can experience the powerful benefits of this work and have hope for a fully present life in joy, despite cancer!"

Leslie Bachant
Metastatic Breast Cancer patient

Production is Complete!

2010-11-15T15:20:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

I apologize for the lull in my blog activity, my last post was in June and it has been an action packed past 5 months, so let me update you. In June I began a documentary filmmaking class at UCLA that ran for 12 weeks, it was a wonderful experience and I met many talented documentarians. In July I got the much anticipated interview with David Spiegel up at Stanford. In August I flew to Montana for my third and final interview with Paul, one of the cancer patients I have been following since 2008. At the end of August I hopped on a plane to see Barbara Andersen at Ohio State to discuss her research with breast cancer patients. In September I spoke with Stephanie Matthews-Simonton at her home in Little Rock, Arkansas to capture the story of how the Simonton Cancer Center got started. At the end of September I flew up to San Francisco to interview Marty Rossman, as well as film my third and final interview with Leslie, another one of the patients I have been following for the past two and a half years. And somehow it is already November. With production seemingly finished I have been hard at work on post production, trying to organize, log and time-code all of the footage (we have about 80 hours). And unfortunately post-production is the most expensive part of this documentary so I am going to be starting a fundraising campaign in the next few weeks, and fight to the finish line!!

Thank you all for your interest and most of all for your support. I will be posting information on the fundraiser in the next few days so please keep checking in!

As I mentioned earlier we have about 80 hours of footage to create a 90 minute movie. That means the majority of this footage might never be seen, so I decided to broadcast little clips from interviews over the past 2 years. I am going to try and do this every week if possible. I am starting it off with Ed Gilbert's interview shot this past May in Texas. Enjoy.

We WON Members Choice for Citizens Alternative Media Proposal Contest!!!

2010-06-25T23:59:00.000-07:00

We Won the Member's Choice Award!!!! I want to thank everyone who voted and showed their support. The prize for winning is $100 cash and a feature in their newsletter. It might not seem like a lot, but everything helps get us closer to our goal of completing the film and bringing it to as many people as we possibly can. Thank you for voting!!!

Summer Update

2010-06-21T12:52:00.000-07:00

Happy first day of summer everyone! I thought today would be the perfect day for a summer update. So here is our status:
Production:
We are looking to finish all interviews by the beginning of fall 2010. Having the projected end so near is a very exciting thought since I have began work on this film in February of 2008. We have about 10 more interviews to get until we can call it a wrap.
Fundraising:
We are still trying to fundraiser, and we just applied to our first grant from CAMgrants - visit www.camgrants.org to check out our written proposal and a quick 2-minute teaser of the documentary. If any of you out there hear of exciting opportunities for grants or donations, please let us know.
Post Production:
Some more exciting news is that I just received my first little bit of "source footage" (footage taken of Dr. Simonton back in the day) from my Uncle Terry. It is an interview for the CBS morning show in 1992. It's pretty amazing and I am so thankful my Uncle retrieved it for me. If any of you out there following this blog have original footage of my Dad, or knows someone who might please contact me, this kind of footage will help this story come to life.

Well that is all for now, I hope you all have a wonderful summer!!!

Going back to where it all began

2010-05-10T14:52:00.000-07:00

So I just got back from Texas where I was filming for two weeks. For those of you who might not know, Texas was the birthplace of the Simonton Cancer Center. I explored much of the giant state, visiting the very first retreat center in Fort Worth Texas, interviewing Dr. Simonton's very first colleagues and patients and discovering what a very special time this was for all involved in the work. Here are a few pictures from the trip, I hope you enjoy.

An old sign we saw on our drive from Dallas to Austin...

With Flint Sparks at his home in Austin

(Flint was one of the very first therapists ever trained by Dr. Simonton)

Chuck Holland in Justin, TX

With Jana Baird and Dottie Bishop

(Dottie has worked for the Simonton Cancer Center for about 40 years!)

From Left: Bill Swenson, Chuck Holland, Jane Hardwick

A big Shout Out to this amazing woman on my right, Jana Baird who dropped everything to make this trip possible, driving me all over Texas making sure I could make it to all of my interviews and opening up her home to me. Thank you JANA!!!! xoxox

All in All an extremely successful trip. About 70% of the way through production, hopefully we can wrap filming in the next 3-4 months!!!

Watch Our Most Recent Reel !!!!!

2010-04-25T07:22:00.001-07:00

Watch some footage from the FUNDRAISER!!!

2010-04-20T11:11:00.000-07:00

A Successful Fundraiser and Silent Auction

2010-04-12T14:37:00.000-07:00

On March 27 The Simonton Documentary teamed up with the Simonton Cancer Center for a fundraiser that would benefit both the cancer counseling center and this independent documentary. The night was a huge success with over 100 guests in attendance and over $4,000 raised!

I would like to thank each and everyone of you who made the effort to come out and support us that night, I was deeply touched by all of the love. I would also like to thank all of the donors who contributed to the silent auction, your generosity has truly made a difference.

Here are a few pictures from the evening.

The silent auction was a big hit, but fortunately enough for you not every item was taken home that night. So I have decided to put the wonderful items that remain on my website for you to bid on. Simply click here and you will be taken directly to the silent auction where you can start your bidding!

I will have these items up and open for bids until 5:00pm on June 1st. The highest bidder on that date will win the item. Every individual who particiaptes will receive an email if they are outbid at any point in time, giving you the option of raising your bid.

Please take a look at the website, and don't be afraid to email me with any questions you might have

simontondocumentary@gmail.com

Malibu Times Article!!!

2010-03-19T20:08:00.000-07:00

Local's documentary raises cancer treatment awareness

Elizabeth Simonton and Dr. O. Carl Simonton in 2007.

By Olivia Damavandi/ Assistant Editor

Published:

Wednesday, March 17, 2010 4:02 PM PDT

Malibu native Elizabeth Simonton is filming an independent medical documentary, “The Simonton Documentary,” which takes a critical look at modern oncology and analyzes the role of consciousness in the treatment of cancer.

A fundraising event to benefit the documentary will take place March 27 at Charlie's restaurant, and will include entertainment and a silent auction.

“What motivated me to start this documentary was the subject matter, plain and simple,” Simonton, 24, said. “It is my dream to share with the world the story of this magnificent doctor, my dad, Dr. O. Carl Simonton.”

The idea that emotional and psychological counseling in the treatment of cancer plays a large role in how patients will respond to their experience with the disease was a controversial topic first brought to the public's attention in the 1960s by Dr. Simonton, a radiation oncologist who passed away last year.

Dr. Simonton conducted a four-year study in which he treated 159 cancer patients who were told they had no more than 12 months to live. Patients in this study, versus the control group of patients who received no emotional support, lived an average of twice as long. In addition, 22 percent of those living after the study ended showed no evidence of disease.

In 1981 the American Cancer Society placed Dr. Simonton on their “Quack List” otherwise known as the Unproven Methods List. He is the only board-certified radiation oncologist to ever be placed on this list, and the only person who has ever been removed from it.

The main message to be taken away from this study was that there was hope for patients deemed “terminally ill,” and that a patient could participate in their recovery and possibly influence the course of their disease.

“I have always felt that there was something unjust in the fact that more cancer patients were not informed of their own personal potential to heal or of their ability to actively participate in their health,” Simonton said. “I feel it is irresponsible for an oncologist to tell someone that there is ‘nothing more than can be done for them,' when there is so much that can be done.

I started this documentary with no money, no equipment and no experience, but look how far we have come,” she continued. “I have learned that if you have enough courage and enough conviction, the possibility of all of life's pursuits are truly endless.”

Tickets for the fundraiser, which takes place from 10:30 p.m. to 1 a.m., are $20 (cash and checks only) and will be sold at the door at Charlie's restaurant, 22821 PCH, on March 27. More information can be obtained at www. thesimontondocumentary.org.

Documentary Fundraiser!!!

2010-03-01T15:15:00.000-08:00

SPECIAL EVENT!

We are having a FUNDRAISER for the documentary on Saturday March 27, 2010. The event will take place at Charlie's Restaurant in Malibu from 10:30pm- 1:00am.

There will be:

- A sneak-peak of the documentary that is currently in production

- A live DJ

- Complimentary, delicious appetizers provided by Charlie's

- A Silent Auction

Tickets will be sold at the door and cost $20 (cash and check only please). To RSVP to this event please visit our website. By clicking on this link you will be automatically directed to the RSVP page. The event is expected to sell out so please RSVP to reserve your spot TODAY! You can also RSVP to this event on Facebook.

If you are unable to make it on Saturday you can still be a part of the fundraising effort as we accept donations at all times either through mail or PAYPAL. You can even participate in the silent auction online. We will be posting auction items online at www.thesimontondocumentary.org for those who would like to be a part of the auction and the event but cannot attend the fundraiser in person.

The Simonton Documentary Fundraiser

Saturday, March 27, 2010

10:30pm - 1:00am

Charlie's Restaurant

22821 Pacific Coast Highway - Malibu CA 90265

Reel

2009-12-14T13:26:00.001-08:00

This short reel was cut in April of 2009, when we were barely into production. This reel does not represent the film as a whole, and we are still in production, but with the limited footage we had to draw from we believe it does address many of the important aspects that this film will cover when it is finished. More reels will be cut in the next 2 months, so please stay tuned and enjoy.

2009-12-14T00:53:00.000-08:00

Why does this film need to be made?

In 1981 the American Cancer Society placed Dr. O. Carl Simonton on their “Quack List” otherwise known as The Unproven Methods List, for his work in addressing the emotions and beliefs of his cancer patients. He was the only board-certified radiation-oncologist to ever be placed on this list, he was also the only person to ever be removed from the list. After 19 years, Dr. Simonton was quietly removed from the list but there was no public apology ever sanctioned for their attempt to derail his entire career.

The advancements in western medicine are indeed impressive and important, but what seems to have been forgotten in the process is the miraculous healing power of our very own body and mind. Dr. Simonton captured this paradox very well in his book Getting Well Again when he says:

“So much time, money and knowledge have gone into our medical technology that it is easy to think of medical science as all-powerful. But when, in spite of everything, people still die, it is illness that seems all-powerful. The glittering machines, the giant laboratories, and the genuine medical accomplishments of our time can cause us to forget that many of the essential ingredients of healing are still mysterious. It is important that we remember the limits of our knowledge” (16).

To say that this topic is important is a gross under-statement, I believe it is vital that the public be informed of the studies that have been conducted over the past decades that have scientifically supported the concept that psychological and emotional counseling has increased the survival rate for cancer patients, as well as improved the quality of life and death for these patients. This film does not seek to disregard modern medical accomplishments but rather, inquires why western medicine has disregarded the numerous studies that have proven the significance of mind-body work. Why is counseling for cancer patients and their families not treated as essential as chemotherapy or radiation? Why are so many families not informed of the science behind this work, while they are dictated to about the science and importance of risky, experimental drug treatments?

The public will not ask for what they do not know exists, this film merely seeks to introduce the public to these concepts in an attempt to create a place for the emotional treatment of cancer in modern oncology.