A Year in the Pit: A Journey into Music Photography is a one-hour documentary about still photographers commonly found front stage in the pit at music festivals. Shooting “in the pit” requires intense, split-second decisions to capture the ultimate on-stage moment. The symbiotic relationship between image-maker and musician provides the backdrop for a great story. The film explores the artistry and images of some of America's finest music photographers. 

The film was shot at at Virginia based festivals including LOCKN', FloydFest, Rooster Walk, Galax, Hoopla, The Festy, The National, and others. Additional footage was acquired at French Quarter Fest, The Hamilton (D.C.), The Regency Ballroom (S.F.), Terapin West (S.F.) and other venues. 

Additional footage was recorded in Lost Angeles, San Francisco, and Lake Tahoe. The entire documentary was shot using the iPhone platform supported with professional stabilizers.

Director's Bio

John M. Woody is a Professor Emeritus in the School of Media Arts at James Madison University. In 2001 he was named an Apple Distinguished Educator in Media Design. An accomplished filmmaker, editor, and digital compositor, and iPhoneographer, he taught advanced post-production, field production and media design courses at JMU. Mr. Woody’s students have won more than 50 national and international awards. Many of his former students work in the film industry, major post-production houses, advertising, and network level production companies. Mr. Woody’s productions have been recognized with 33 national awards including 12 first place awards from the Broadcast Education Association. He gained extensive video production and management credentials. as manager of program development at The Learning Channel. He has produced nationally recognized programs for The Learning Channel, Merck & Co., Inc., U.S. Army, Smithsonian, Crutchfield, MillerCoors, the Commonwealth of Virginia, ESPN, and numerous other organizations and companies. He currently owns and operates iEDITHD in Harrisonburg, Virginia.