The first step in producing a film begins with the selection of a project and the identification of its specific characteristics and its possibilities for financing and artistic-creative proposal and innovation. The next steps require taking into account the dimension of the project in order to plan a sustainable budget and tailor-made financing. The documentary can be approached in different ways depending on the model it represents, from an artisanal, industrial or self-produced production. At this stage, a crucial task is the development of attractive sales materials (dossier, pitch, teaser) to implement the planned strategy in the competitive ecosystem of funds, grants, markets, forums, festivals and platforms.
Profiles Address 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 kind of audience will it target?
- What trajectory will it be able to follow?
- How does this impact the search for funding?
- How does it influence the earliest phases, depending on whether the project originates from the director, is a commission, or an initiative of the production team?
Dimension of production: From self-production to the industry
- How do you identify the appropriate scale of production?
- Can a film lose direction or coherence if the production is disproportionate (in terms of financing or production design)?
- What factors determine whether a film is made on a more artisanal or less industrial level?
- As a filmmaker, how and when do you decide to engage in self-producing your film?
- How does self-production allow you to optimize the result?
- What are the particularities of a production on an artisanal or self-produced scale?
- And on an industrial scale?
- Could you provide some examples?
- How do you approach budgeting at this stage?
Tailor-made financing
- How is the search for financing for a documentary film structured?
- How specific is this process for each film?
- Can you provide examples or specific cases of financing models from your experience?
- How do you identify potential funding sources?
- How do you adapt your strategy if funding is not secured?
- How do you evaluate the current funding landscape 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 a marketing tool?
- To what extent?
- Who should be involved in preparing the dossier?
- What aspects of the film should be communicated through the dossier and teaser?
- How does the dossier evolve throughout the creative process to adapt to different calls?
Selling your documentary: Pitching, markets, and WIP
- What are the key elements for pitching your project? How does the context and audience of each event affect pitch preparation and delivery?
- How do you determine which markets or labs to present your film in?
- How do you make the most of each market opportunity?
- Can a film succeed and achieve recognition without participating in markets in today’s landscape?
- How much do you learn about your own film by participating in markets or labs?
- How can you enhance your film during this process while preserving its essence and creative independence?
