Planning a documentary

[DigitalBard]

I've worked on numerous short films, a feature film and a few TV shows. I got an idea for a documentary that I want to shoot this summer and I'm looking to make sure all my i's are dotted and my t's are crossed before I begin.

It's all sit-down interviews with b-roll. I know I need to get talent & property releases signed. But I'm wondering what other paperwork might I need... A guess is "form letters of introduction and project description" for the people I want to interview. A copy of the paperwork for my state-grant? Should I send them a demo reel on my non-documentary work? Are releases sufficient or do I need to create some kind of contract for each interviewee? What kind of documentation do I need from my insurance provider to prove I have liability insurance, is there a standard form?

Several people who have agreed to be interviewed are politicians. I plan to shoot b-roll of them in chamber and in committee meetings. I'm guessing I'll need to get signed releases from everyone I can, or since they are public places, do I need releases?

Thanks for any advice.

 

[Allan Black]

Pollies are the same the world over, friendly to start with but can get tough to deal with. You'll probably end up dealing through their offices and it takes time .. plan for that.

Get friendly with one of the aids first and ask what paperwork his/her boss wants. Use that as a template in dealing with the others. Obviously forward the questions well ahead of time and have a number of alternates ready in case of objections. It's important to work out the finished duration now, imo 20-30mins is the average attention span of an audience.

I'd send them a close rough cut (no grading etc) in case they want changes.

Include what you intend to do with your doco in all your release forms. Good luck.

Cheers.

 

[woodcarver]

Good questions Digitalbard. Normally, you'd want to get releases from anyone if you want the movie to make any revenue (or want someone else to make revenue from the movie). If the movie will have no commercial value, then you don't need to get releases. This legal issue is about making money off of someone's name, likeness or persona. However, there might be a exception here. You should check with a lawyer, but it's possible that recording a public official as they carry out there official duties is fine--even if you will use the recording for commercial purposes. Not sure. Sit down interviews with politicians, that's a different matter.