Once the documentary has been financed, the production team must determine the budget and design an appropriate production plan. As with the artistic field, the unpredictability of working with reality is decisive in this organization, so flexibility in management is absolutely necessary in the three phases, pre-production, filming and post-production. The selection of the technical team is another key factor, especially in productions where the human factor can be delicate or where deadlines are extended over time. Documentary film faces specific challenges for production such as ethical issues and the management of rights and legal aspects.
ProfilesAddress Production
Knowing the Film Before Its Birth
- How much do you know about the film before making it?
- What kind of film do you think it will be?
- What audience will it be aimed at?
- What kind of trajectory could it have?
- How does it affect the search for financing?
- How does it influence the very early phases if the project originates from the director or if it is a commission or a production initiative?
Production Scale: From Self-Production to Industry
- How do you recognize the scale a production should have?
- Can a film lose its direction or coherence due to disproportionate production (in terms of financing or production design)?
- What factors determine whether a film is produced at a more artisanal or less industrial level?
- As a filmmaker, how and when do you decide to engage in producing your own film as a self-production?
- How does self-production allow you to optimize the result?
- What are the particularities of production on an artisanal or self-produced scale?
- And on an industrial scale?
- Can you provide some examples?
- How do you create the budget at this stage?
Tailored Financing
- How is the search for financing for a documentary film designed?
- How specific is this task for each film?
- Can you provide examples or particular cases of financing models in your career?
- How do you identify possible financing avenues?
- How do you reformulate the strategy if the funds are not secured?
- How do you assess the current landscape of financing funds for documentaries in your context, and how has it evolved in recent years?
The Creation of the Dossier, Teaser, and Other Materials
- Is the dossier a creative or marketing element?
- To what extent?
- In your opinion, who should be involved in preparing the dossier?
- What elements of the film should be conveyed/communicated/distilled in the dossier and teaser?
- How does the renewal of the dossier evolve throughout the creative process for different calls?
Selling Your Documentary: Pitching, Markets, and WIP
- What are the key points for pitching your project? How does the context and specific audience of each event influence pitch preparation and execution?
- How do you identify which markets/labs to present your film in?
- How do you make the most of the opportunity that each market offers?
- Can a film move forward and find its path without resorting to markets in the current landscape?
- How much do you learn about your own film by participating in markets/labs?
- How can you improve your film during this process while preserving its essence and authorial freedom?
