Getting started in the documentary world

S

scottfs

Well-known member
I've been knocking around in 'fly-over' country in Sacramento for over a decade, mainly doing production sound and other crew. All of them narrative films of varying quality.

But my goal has always been documentaries. I am in my second career, so I don't have to make money doing this (since there is no money in this anyway).

I do have a project coming up making a short (30 min) doc I hope to get on the air locally. It's about local wildlife and the people who are involved in it. I want to focus on the human nature more than nature itself.

Ultimately the goal is to get a small group of passionate folks who want to explore fly-over country like Northern California, and have an venue to have these passion pieces seen.

Is there an art to develop a career path to get a reputation as a documentary filmmaker where by distributors or TV execs would look at your work?

Do you make a doc and show it around, or gave a business plan or proposal and then do your film once you get a commitment to show it?
 
There are many routes. Shoot something as a passion project and get it on the festival circuit is about the best way to go if you don't have any sort of track record in the field.
 
Liam is spot on.

I'll also say that the documentary filmmakers I have worked with look at it as a business, and don't shoot without pay. I have worked on numerous doc's that were never brought to fruition due to lack of funding. And let's be honest, not many of us have the pocket to work without pay for months.
 
My docs would be very modest, and totally self-funded. I have an independent income, own all the equipment, and don't envision tons of on-set time. I'm aiming for the PBS Nova-type programs, but on aore modest scale, of course. These are passion projects rather than making $$$. I will pay crew, editor, etc. Nobody pats for your doc anyway, unless you gain an audience at a film festival, or have the last name of Burns or Moore.
 
Scott, aside from the film festival circuit, you might try this: send a snippet to your local newspaper. They're always looking for online content (since they're trying to compete with multi-platform outlets). My local paper, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, is doing an awesome doc right now on the local high school football team in my little town. It's called Titletown Texas and http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/dfwvarsity/titletown-tx/article96133272.html is the link.
 
If you do not need financing, and you do not care about making money, then just go and shoot something. And then just keep shooting more and more. Eventually you will either get tired of making doc, or you will find a niche and a market. You can also start by posting on YouTube and building an audience and following. PBS also has local stations that would not be very hard to approach. If you are giving stuff away, there are bound to be takers.
 
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