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
Pre-production: Organizing the Unforeseen
- Is production planning compatible with the common unforeseen events of a documentary film? How do you balance these elements?
- Specifically, what implications does unforeseen events have on the management and organization of resources (schedules, work plans)?
- How do you organize this in your specific case? How do you react to these unforeseen events?
- How does production planning adapt to the needs of a film whose development, direction, or completion time are unknown in advance?
Team Relationships: Direction-Production-Photography-Sound-Editing-Music
- Who (production, direction) and how are the professionals who form part of the team chosen?
- At what stage of the project do they join?
- How are contacts between them established or fostered?
- How do these relationships influence the different stages and the film's outcome?
Specific Challenges of Documentary Filmmaking: Legal Aspects, Rights, Ethical Issues
- What are the specificities of documentary filmmaking in relation to the legal aspects of production?
- How are the rights of the people involved in the films managed and secured?
- How do production documents (rights) reflect the ethical aspects of the representation of these people?
- Can you provide specific examples?
Post-Production Coordination: The Final Cut
- How does the production role evolve throughout the creative process of a film?
- How is the director supported during this process?
- How is the production team involved in the creative decisions of the team?
- How is this aspect reflected in the final cut?
- How do you negotiate with management the responsibility or decision regarding the final cut?
