Evaluating how to sell a documentary nowadays

They are among the better means for documentary filmmakers to get their films seen.


Documentary filmmaking is amongst the most accessible forms of filmmaking that exist currently. It is because it is completely possible for one individual to make a whole documentary single-handedly. Even documentary crews bigger than one individual do not need to be anywhere near the size of the average narrative feature film, as Andrew Ruhemann will know. Because numerous filmmakers choose to make independent documentaries, many of them prefer to remain independent in as much of the distribution process as possible. Over recent years the choices for independent documentary distribution have increased dramatically. There was a period that the only option a documentary filmmaker had would be to sell their film straight to cinemas. The innovation of VHS and DVD then allowed people to produce their own copies of their movie in order for them to sell. In the past few years, the world wide web has supplied a whole new platform, where people can upload their films online for the whole world to see.


Showbusiness is a famously hard industry to break into if you have no connections. One of the most significant reasons individuals even go to film school or take entry-level internships and jobs is to build connections that could help them down the road. One of the most common means for a individual to make their way into the industry is to employ a manager or an agent. This course has existed for people since the beginning of the industry, as Tim Parker will likely be well aware, but is continuing to grow over the years as receiving employment contracts from studios is rarer. If somebody has not made a film yet, then these experts will help guide their job in to the best path for achieving that goal effectively. If somebody has produced a film, then managers and agents can help navigate the documentary distribution process and help with parlaying the film into future projects.


There are a wide selection of distributors nowadays, from streaming platforms and TV networks to cinema and video shop chains. Mark Herbert will be able to tell you that finding a documentary distributor can be the key ensuring the long-term success of a documentary film and also the future career of the filmmaker. Distributors could be found before and following a movie is created. If before, chances are they will probably help fund the project but may have more impact over what exactly is made. If after, then a filmmaker has to take all of the risk but the distributor may be more tempted due to the lower costs on their end. Being awarded filmmaking grants and awards may get a filmmaker noticed by distributors, as is submitting the movie to film festivals. There is no way to guarantee attention, but that means that every avenue is a possibility.

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