Small-budget films mainly do this type of financing to reach their goal or reach a portion of finance. Short film financing is done by crowdfunding, where cast and crew collaborate and donate the money to achieve the goal.
Filming a documentary is one of the most rewarding yet challenging activities that every filmmaker can engage in. Making a documentary is a wonderful adventure, but it requires a lot of patience and drives. Documentary filmmaking is a labor of perseverance and passion that only a few possess. When you intend to make a documentary, the following are steps you can take.
- Find a story.
A documentary is way different from a Hollywood action movie and therefore its filming would require an entirely unique form. To successfully create a documentary means one must be able to identify the narrative in non-fiction take to create a captivating story. You must be to decipher every little detail behind a narration, know what to look for, and arrange them properly.
- Tell a story you like.
In the making of a documentary, it is not only necessary to find a story to tell. Make it a narration that interests and excites you. The reason for this is that in telling a story that interests you, one can add life to the subject. If you are lukewarm or unexcited about the story you want to tell, you might not add in the creative resonances into the body of the work, making the film also most likely lukewarm. Many people might not understand the story at first, but your understanding can help create a good make of the narration.
- Research
Research is essential if you intend to tell a captivating story. Sometimes the storyline could be well obvious, other times it may not but brilliant research helps you learn all that you need to know about the subject and subsequently decide on if it’s worth the effort. Doing a lot of digging and following leads can even give newer insights about the story, making your narration more educative. The gems of most stories sometimes get buried deep out of sight, and only excellent research can help dig them out.
- Make a plan.
Planning is a key criterion if you intend on making an amazing body of work. It is not enough to have a good thought-up idea or story you want to tell, you must also be ready to outline how the ideas can come to fruition. Does this include asking yourself questions like What are my core story points? Who is the primary character? Is there an existing photograph or footage that can help my story or will everything get shot brand new? What will be the structure?. An answer to these questions can help set the ground for captivating content.
- Create a shot list
To make a brilliant documentary, you will need a list of the interviews and footage that you require in making your movie. This will aim at guiding your story approach.
- Shoot the scenes.
Shooting the scenes of the movie is getting right at the storytelling. Before you shoot, keep in mind how the movie will get viewed as that can dictate your shooting and storytelling style. Make sure your shots capture a wide variety of angles including close-ups, medium shots, and wide shots.
Other steps include writing the script, editing the footage, checking copyrights and legal issues, and Distribution of the works.
The area of funding is a major concern for most filmmakers cannot ignore. Documentary funding is one of the most challenging aspects of filmmaking. Some ways we can fund documentaries include.
Personal funds: One way to fund your documentary is through self-funding. This includes your savings, personal loans, credit cards, and so on.
Friends and Family: Financial help from family and friends is also a genuine option for funding your documentary, especially as a first-timer.
Email campaign: Sending out emails to your personal networks is another great way to source funds for your documentary project. You don’t just jump right at requesting a donation, you must do well to engage them in your project by keeping them up to date and offering incentives and reasons to donate.
Letter-writing campaign: Some people are old-fashioned and would give listening ears to a traditional physical letter than an online version. Understand this and create a fundraising letter with a handwritten note and a DVD of your trailer. This can be a great way to raise money.
Filmmaking Grants: Big and small foundations will be ready to fund your project it’s the right fit. Have a proposal and budget ready and also get prepared to fill out paperwork. Although most of these grants get reserved for more experienced filmmakers, if your pitch is excellent and professional then you might get a shot.
Crowdfunding: Crowdfunding is highly recommended for documentary filmmakers. It describes an online campaign set at raising a set amount of money in a set amount of time. In Crowdfunding, you pull a crowd together to fund your project or some part of it.
When in search of how to fund a webisode, the methods above can also get applied.
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