Crafting Success: Inside The Film Festival Doctor’s Winning Strategies

Crafting Success: Inside The Film Festival Doctor’s Winning Strategies

by Carole Dean

 

Dr. Rebekah Louisa Smith is an award-winning film festival strategist and founder of The Film Festival Doctor.  They are committed to securing film festival screenings, winning awards, and earning positive recognition within the film industry for their clients. Currently, Rebekah’s company has helped win more than 2,000 awards for its clients and has supported nearly 850 creatives across the world.

Rebekah said, “I help filmmakers get their film seen in the right festivals by creating a very streamlined and targeted strategy for their film. Every festival strategy and campaign is bespoke to the film that we’re working with. Nothing’s the same. Every client has different goals and different budgets and different types of films. We create the right kind of plan for each film.”

Filmmakers normally come to me when the film is close to completion or fully completed and they say, look, we’ve made the film, what do we do with it? What festivals do we send it to? How high can we aim? And we solve those problems by finding the right festivals for their film to achieve their key goals.”

 

Aligning goals with festival selection  

Goal setting for your festival run is crucial as it’s important to be in alignment with what you want to achieve and decide if the film can achieve it. The most common goals she discusses with filmmakers are, do you want to get it into Sundance, Slamdance, Cannes, Berlin, Tribeca, all the key festivals? Or do you want to qualify for the Oscars or BAFTA or are you more keen for exposure and networking?

You want to ask yourself, is your film strong enough for the top festivals and awards? If it’s not, there are other festivals that can help you get the film seen and achieve your goals.

This is a very important process. The Film Festival Doctor gives honest feedback based on years of working with festival programmers. They will not say it has potential for top tier festivals if it does not. They give you an excellent constructive critique and explain if the film can potentially achieve the filmmakers’ goals. They take into account if it is possible for Sundance, Tribeca, and Cannes, they do a very detailed plan and timeline. If it’s a no, then you decide if you want to use plan B. If so, they will detail and curate that plan for you.

 

Personalized festival strategies for every film

Plan B will be festivals a tier below which will still be a good fit for the film. What’s the key goal here? Why do you want to get into those festivals? Most of the time filmmakers want a lot of exposure and access to the right kind of networking. Rebekah wants to get your film seen by people in our industry and your peers.

Setting goals is a priority because I know that I’ve talked to many filmmakers and they have totally different goals. Some of them simply want to promote themselves. Some say they want people to see their film and recognize their talents.  Some people want to change belief patterns. Some just want the film to be seen for educational purposes. Some want to find distribution.

Once you have firmed up your goals then Rebekah and her team will “unpack the film.” Let’s pretend it’s a horror short film. The question is, can it break out of the horror genre niche, or will it do better to stay within its niche and thrive on the genre festival circuit?

The benefits are you may meet the right kind of people to build long term relationships with and get the right type of exposure.  She really wants you to receive appreciation for the film and win awards. She says, “We give each film a thorough and detailed look.” And the reason is because Rebekah and her colleagues have an excellent background in film festival programming. They bring a fresh pair of eyes to the film. They know what kind of festivals to choose for each one.

Every filmmaker gets this very specific and very targeted outline for their film festival strategy.

 

Leveraging short films as visual business cards

If the goal is about promotion for themselves like a short film, Rebekah considers this short film as a “business card,” she says it is a “visual business card” showing what they can do as a director, writer, actor, DP, sound, etc. It is showing what the filmmakers can do and can show that with bigger budgets this filmmaker has the talent to make a feature. So, the festivals to go to that can help them achieve that goal of networking and promo in the right way will be festivals that have a large industry presence and a big filmmaker presence. A lot of festivals can be more like local communities, with local audiences that don’t work in the film industry. On the other hand, a lot of them can be very filmmaker focused which is good for connecting with the right kind of people.

 

Selecting festivals with industry presence and networking opportunities

Rebekah and her team look at different perspectives when they are putting your strategy and list of festivals together. They base decisions on their personal programing tastes from their years of experience curating festivals. They know what films their contacts like and what their individual tastes are. They know what kind of stories these programmers like, what kind of executions they find interesting, and what kinds of themes they like. This is where their knowledge pays off for filmmakers.

Some festivals are heavily focused upon LGBTQI+A. Some on women filmmakers, some on filmmakers which are within the local area of say New York, Miami and LA etc.

 

Researching previous winners and nominations

Part of the planning process comes from The Film Festival Doctor staff researching what kind of films win at these festivals by looking at the previous winners, nominations, and what kind of categories they have. Obviously, all festivals are different. They don’t have the same kind of awards or the same kind of programming techniques. Their decisions are based upon long-time knowledge and knowing where best to position your film.

 

Academy Awards submission strategies

To submit to the Academy Awards, there’s two ways you can submit to the Oscars. With a narrative feature, you must do a limited theatrical run release 1 screening for 7 consecutive days, which requires screening your film in theaters that are Oscar approved in one of six U.S. cities (L.A., N.Y., Chicago, Miami, Atlanta, or San Francisco).

For documentary features, live action short films, animation & documentary, you can apply to the Oscars by doing a release theatrically in an Oscar approved theater in one of those cities in the US. Or if you win an Oscar qualifying award at an Oscar qualifying festival, then you can submit. You may need advertising and a PR film to help.  Rebekah will advise you on all of this.

 

Budgeting for festival expenses and The Film Festival Doctor’s services

What are the costs for your festival budget? Festival fees may run from $1,500 to $2,000.00.  Rebekah’s services begin at $800.00. She suggests you put $3,000 minimum for your festival expense.

Their strategies are global.  They are familiar with all of the key international festivals and can strategize for you all over the world.

I am impressed with her staff’s knowledge.  They are living all over the world and specialize in creating film festival strategies.  You may want to talk to The Film Festival Doctor and learn more about the possibilities you have to get your film seen on the circuit.

Rebekah says, “I’m proud of all the films I represent. I am proud of every single one of them because they’ve all been seen on the circuit, they’ve all achieved their goals, and everything’s been what they wanted. It is not always a linear journey for results to come in, but they’ve got there in the end.”

 

Learn more at www.thefilmfestivaldoctor.com

 

Carole Dean is president and founder of From the Heart Productions; a 501(c)3 non-The Art of Film Funding Podcastprofit that offers the Roy W. Dean Film Grants and fiscal sponsorship for independent filmmakers.

She is creator and instructor of Learn Producing: The Ultimate Course for Indie Film Production.  26 classes which will teach indie filmmakers how to produce their films.

She hosts the weekly podcastThe Art of Film Fundinginterviewing those involved in all aspects of indie film productionShe is also the author of  The Art of Film Funding, 2nd Edition: Alternative Financing Concepts.  See IMDB for producing credits

Mastering Narrative: Keys to Crafting Compelling Documentaries

How to use the screenwriter’s definition of a story to create a good story structure for your documentary

by Carole Dean

Karen Everett is one of the world’s leading documentary story consultants. Her company, New Doc Editing, has pioneered ways to tailor screenwriting principles to non-fiction films. She has helped filmmakers structure captivating documentaries for PBS, HBO, Sundance, and other top film festivals. 

 

 

On my recent podcast, The Art of Film Funding, I asked Karen what is a good story structure?

A Character Driven Documentary

Karen said she follows a screenwriter’s definition of story. A good story is normally about someone who wants something badly and that something is difficult to get.  And in this world, we call this a character driven documentary with a three-act structure, a beginning, a middle and an end.

In act one, we meet the protagonist and learn something that throws their world upside down into chaos. That’s called the catalyst, or the inciting incident.

What comes out of their desire is their quest, it is the story we’re telling. Karen says it is important to include in your script narration or in an interview what she calls “a protagonist statement of desire.” This is where the protagonist says in one or two sentences exactly what they want. This should be punctuated with sound effects or music to guide the viewer to the narrative arc.

Tips from Aristotle

Karen notes we use the three-act structure from Aristotle, which has been used in all kinds of art forms. We are adapting it for a nonfiction format.

The protagonist’s desire should be something important like finding a cure for Alzheimer’s. This first act is where you introduce me to your characters and begin your character development. This act one is 25% of the film.

The second act’s focus is on how difficult it will be to achieve the goal and we see many obstacles in their way.  This is where a lot of drama happens, and it is about 60% of the film.

In The shortest act, which is act three where the protagonist either reaches or does not reach his objective.

Plot Driven Vs. an Idea Driven

That structure adopted from Aristotle is a plot driven documentary as opposed to an idea driven. This idea driven film is an essay style documentary.  People often start those by posing a thesis statement.

This type of documentary was radical 20 years ago.  Karen mentioned An Inconvenient Truth as an example. That was Al Gore’s hypothesis, and he spent most of the film proving it. For this type of film, you start with a thesis statement. Then, through most of the film, you’re finding arguments to bolster your notion.

At the end of the film, you say now we’ve proven it. This film could also start with a central question like who killed the electric car? This gives us several culprits who were all behind the killing of the electric car, General Motors or was it the battery technology or was it the executives or the consumers? You have those questions to answer yourself at the end of the film. 

You should feel that you’ve learned something purposeful from this type of documentary.

A Paper Edit 

In idea driven films, many people make a paper edit. Karen says she likes to have at least a one-page outline that identifies the central question or the central thesis. It then lists the ways that we’re going to examine this thesis, this idea.

At the end, we have meaning so the viewer walks away with a sense of “Oh, I’ve not only learned something, but I’ve also learned something useful.”

Karen explains once you have that list of plot points; let’s say you have four items that are obstacles and the protagonist is facing, you look at those closely and say, ‘I have a lot of ideas, so which plot point best relates to this idea?’

Now, use the plot points as a springboard for opening a discussion among the characters or the experts on an idea that you want to explore in a character driven documentary.

How to Start the Opening of a Documentary Story

I asked Karen to tell us how they start the opening of a story. I find this is most important to grantors and to viewers. Where do you begin?  She replied, “Yes, the opening is so important you should be trying at least a dozen different openings.

Personally, I believe it’s the most difficult part of a documentary to edit. I’ve heard people say that. So here are a few things to keep in mind for the first 20 seconds:

  1. Make sure you’re using sound and video that looks and sounds stellar. You must have high production values because research shows that the first thing the audience notices is not what the film is about but how it’s made. And they will make judgments immediately if the footage is dark or the composition is wobbly or even more important than video the audio is scratchy. Do not start with this type of material unless it is highly compelling.
  2. You need to hook the viewer in the first 20 seconds. You might use a crazy image. You might pick a bit of a conversation or start with humor. The thing that works most of the time is to come up with three or four very good one sentence sound bites that are emotional, like, how could they let them do that? And use a voiceover or a related music theme. You need something that captures the theme of the film. What works well here are superlatives, meaning the first or the best. Like, what was the first surgeon general to recommend we stop smoking. It’s just a statement from an interview somewhere that you put at the beginning. And when you have four or five of those, they can build on each other. So how could they let this happen? This could follow that statement and it generates two things. One is a sense of excitement about the conversation, and two, we began to get an understanding of the content of the film.
  3. And certainly, by two minutes the viewer should basically have a sense of what the film is about. Establish the film storytelling grammar. In the first two minutes you want to reveal a few of these and by seven minutes you should ideally get those off the ground so that the viewer has a sense that this is not only an interesting film, but it’s artistic, it’s cohesive, it’s using a recurring motif.
  4. Once you have introduced all of this within the first 7 minutes, you use these different looks and sounds periodically throughout the film.

Free e-book “Documentary Editing”

Karen Everett is offering a free e-book on documentary editing which is filled with 27 chapters that include:

  • Organizing Folders and Sequences
  • Launching and Editing a Character-Driven Documentary
  • Pacing With A Doc Plot Map
  • Editing An Essay-Style Documentary
  • Editing Trailers, Sizzle Reels, and Fundraising Samples
  • Multiple Protagonists and Subplots

“With an insider’s love and knowledge of documentary form, Karen Everett takes us into the beating heart of documentary filmmaking. Filled with useful references and possible scenarios, her book ‘Documentary Editing’ will be of enormous help to those of us who have sat in front of our unmade films and wondered how the hell we were going to move forward.”  Robb Moss, Harvard Film Professor

Click here to get your copy. 

 

Carole Dean is president and founder of From the Heart Productions; a 501(c)3 non-The Art of Film Funding Podcastprofit that offers the Roy W. Dean Film Grants and fiscal sponsorship for independent filmmakers.

She is creator and instructor of Learn Producing: The Ultimate Course for Indie Film Production.  26 classes which will teach indie filmmakers how to produce their films.

She hosts the weekly podcastThe Art of Film Fundinginterviewing those involved in all aspects of indie film productionShe is also the author of  The Art of Film Funding, 2nd Edition: Alternative Financing Concepts.  See IMDB for producing credits

Unveiling the Art of Film Funding and Distribution: An Insightful Interview with Sky Bergman

by Carole Dean

 

Sky Bergman

In the world of filmmaking, the journey from concept to the silver screen is a complex and multifaceted process. One critical aspect that often determines a film’s success and reach is its funding and distribution strategy. In a captivating interview on the Art of Film Funding podcast, Skye Bergman, an accomplished photographer, and director, delves into the intricacies of her directorial debut, “Lives Well Lived,” while sharing her insights into securing funding, navigating distribution channels, and connecting with audiences. This article offers a detailed exploration of Bergman’s interview, shedding light on her experiences, strategies, and valuable lessons for aspiring filmmakers.

 

The Genesis of a Documentary

Sky Bergman’s journey into filmmaking began with a personal passion project inspired by her grandmother’s remarkable life. The seed for her documentary, Lives Well Lived, was planted during a series about her grandmother’s cooking called “Kachina Nana.” Bergman’s desire to portray aging in a positive light led her to interview 40 individuals aged 75 and older, amassing a collective life experience of 3000 years. This diverse group became the cornerstone of her film, serving as role models for vibrant and fulfilling lives in the later years.

 

Crafting the Narrative

One of the most intriguing aspects of Bergman’s approach was her meticulous crafting of interview questions. Drawing upon her academic background, Bergman engaged with experts in social sciences, honing her questions to capture authentic and diverse perspectives on aging. Through a montage of interviewees, even those not prominently featured, she seamlessly wove a tapestry of shared experiences, resulting in a rich and comprehensive narrative.

 

A Festival Premiere and Distribution

Premiering at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, “Lives Well Lived” gained initial recognition and momentum. However, Bergman’s journey did not end there. Her strategic decision to partner with Ken Isen, a distributor and festival programmer, played a pivotal role in the film’s theatrical release. By retaining control over specific rights, including community and educational screenings, Bergman empowered herself to generate income for future projects while maintaining her artistic vision.

 

The Power of Community Screenings

Bergman’s advocacy for community and educational screenings proved instrumental in extending the film’s impact. Leveraging relationships and networks, she secured a plethora of screenings, engaging diverse audiences and sparking discussions around aging and living life to the fullest. Her creative strategy of offering sponsorships to organizations lacking funds showcased her resourcefulness and commitment to spreading her film’s message.  If the nonprofit wanted to screen the film she gave them the time and opportunity to find sponsors and then promoted both in the screening.

 

Nurturing Relationships and Expanding Reach

Bergman’s success underscores the significance of nurturing relationships within the film industry. Her proactive approach to attending conferences and engaging with potential partners not only secured screenings but also facilitated valuable connections. By showcasing teasers and behind-the-scenes insights, she generated enthusiasm and anticipation for her film, enabling her to broaden her network of supporters. This way she made sales of the film to convention attendees and created virtual screenings that were sometimes priced with her or without her.

 

Navigating Distribution Channels

Skye Bergman’s journey into the world of distribution was marked by strategic choices and a deep understanding of her target audience. Partnering with PBS Plus provided her film with a broader reach, while her engagement with PBS distribution facilitated various platforms, including Amazon and iTunes. Bergman’s insightful negotiation, where she retained certain rights for community and educational screenings, demonstrated her commitment to both financial sustainability and meaningful engagement.  She did not put her film on PBS for three years during which she was able to use the lucrative virtual distribution window for many screenings.

 

Crafting Successful Underwriting

Bergman’s approach to securing underwriting for her film involved more than mere solicitation. By identifying synergies between her project and potential sponsors, she forged meaningful partnerships that went beyond financial contributions. Bergman’s research into similar films and reaching out to like-minded filmmakers served as a blueprint for identifying potential sponsors and underwriters.  She reached out to filmmakers with similar films, and they shared beneficial information willingly.

Skye Bergman’s podcast interview unveils a treasure trove of insights into the world of film funding and distribution. Her journey, from a personal passion project to a nationally recognized documentary, serves as a beacon of inspiration for filmmakers navigating the complexities of bringing their creations to a global audience. Through strategic networking, community engagement, and a deep understanding of her audience, Bergman’s story is a testament to the power of perseverance, creativity, and a genuine connection with the stories we tell on the big screen.

 

You can listen to the full interview here:

 

 

 

Carole Dean is president and founder of From the Heart Productions; a 501(c)3 non-The Art of Film Funding Podcastprofit that offers the Roy W. Dean Film Grants and fiscal sponsorship for independent filmmakers.

She is creator and instructor of Learn Producing: The Ultimate Course for Indie Film Production.  26 classes which will teach indie filmmakers how to produce their films.

She hosts the weekly podcastThe Art of Film Fundinginterviewing those involved in all aspects of indie film productionShe is also the author of  The Art of Film Funding, 2nd Edition: Alternative Financing Concepts.  See IMDB for producing credits

Insights with Corky Kessler on Film Funding and Tax Incentives

by Carole Dean

 

Corky Kessler on the Art of Film Funding Podcast with Carole Dean

Corky Kessler

Our award-winning podcast, The Art of Film Funding is dedicated to exploring the world of film financing and tax incentives for filmmakers. We recently interviewed the renowned entertainment lawyer Corky Kessler. He is directly responsible for shepherding the tax law 181 and helping to create the new tax law 168. The purpose of this interview was to determine how and when you use these lucrative tax laws created for features, theater, and documentary filmmaking.

Currently Corky Kessler works at Filmojy, whose mission is to support film makers by providing guidance and funding for movies in the United States under section 181 and 168.

 

Grandfathering under section 181 of the U S Tax Law

To use section 181, you need to qualify and you must meet specific requirements. Corky explains you need a screenplay, summary budget, one day of photography with dialogue, and investor’s documents. Once you have these you can be grandfathered under section 181 for life. That way you can shoot whenever you get the funding, there is no expiration date.

Corky says the best countries for film shoots with attractive incentives are England, France, Germany, and Canada. This is where Corky and FILMOJY can help filmmakers with presales and navigating the process of shooting in these countries.

The highest state rebates currently are New Jersey, New Mexico, Georgia, and Louisiana.

 

Understanding section 168 versus section 181

Corky informed us that section 168 and section 181 under the US tax law are both beneficial. Section 181 offers more advantages for filmmakers with budgets of 15 to 20 million. Section 168 has certain limitations and requires timely action for maximum benefits. Your benefits are reduced by 20% for each year you don’t screen your film. The law says that investor’s write off happens when you put your film in service and Corky says that means when you screen it to an audience.  168 requires that you screen the film in the year you make it to get 100% write off and each year that passes you lose 20% of that write off.  Section 168 has no upper limit; it can be a $100 million budget and you still get your U.S. tax law return.

 

Raise 25% of the funding and get the balance with tax and state credits.

Corky gave an example of investors who are 35% taxpayers. With the 181 they can get a 35% reduction on their taxes.  Now when you shoot in one of these states with 40% rebates New Jersey, New Mexico, and Louisiana, you can guarantee your investor’s that they are covered by $0.75 on every dollar spent. There is no other business in which you can do this. You’ve got 75% of your investment back before you even start and if you can get presales, you can get 100% back.

For more questions on this subject, you can call Corky at (312)925-2110. Tell Corky that you read this blog or heard our interview, and he will take good care of you. He’s one of our great film funding, tax specialist attorneys in the film industry.  Corkykessler@aim.com 

You can listen to the full interview here:

 

 

Carole Dean is president and founder of From the Heart Productions; a 501(c)3 non-The Art of Film Funding Podcastprofit that offers the Roy W. Dean Film Grants and fiscal sponsorship for independent filmmakers.

She is creator and instructor of Learn Producing: The Ultimate Course for Indie Film Production.  26 classes which will teach indie filmmakers how to produce their films.

She hosts the weekly podcastThe Art of Film Fundinginterviewing those involved in all aspects of indie film productionShe is also the author of  The Art of Film Funding, 2nd Edition: Alternative Financing Concepts.  See IMDB for producing credits

Jewish Story Partners: Expanding and Diversifying Jewish Narratives in Film

by Carole Dean

 

 

Roberta Grossman

In a world where storytelling plays a crucial role in shaping our understanding of different cultures and identities, it is essential to ensure that diverse voices are heard. Roberta Grossman, an award-winning filmmaker, and co-founder of Jewish Story Partners, is on a mission to transform the landscape of Jewish storytelling in film. In a recent interview, she shared insights about the organization’s purpose, its impact, and the future of Jewish storytelling.

 

A New Narrative for Jewish Stories: Jewish Story Partners, founded two years ago by Roberta Grossman and Caroline Resco, is a non-profit production company with a clear mission: to support filmmakers telling Jewish stories or stories with Jewish content. However, their vision goes beyond the traditional narratives often associated with Judaism. Grossman emphasizes the importance of representing the vast diversity within the Jewish community, encompassing people of different races, classes, and origins. By encouraging a broader range of stories, Jewish Story Partners aims to foster pride in Jewish identity while making a uniquely Jewish contribution to global culture.

 

Supporting Filmmakers and Films:  In just two years, they have awarded 72 grants, amounting to close to $2 million. Their dedicated staff of seven individuals focuses on fundraising and providing support to filmmakers, helping them navigate the challenging process of bringing their visions to life. By offering funding from the development stage all the way through post-production, Jewish Story Partners plays a vital role in priming the pump for filmmakers and encouraging the creation of high-quality documentaries.

 

Criteria and Funding Opportunities: Jewish Story Partners takes a generous approach in defining what constitutes a Jewish film. Their website showcases a diverse range of films they have funded, highlighting the breadth of stories they support. To be eligible for funding, a film must explore, expand, or deal with some aspect of the Jewish story, broadly defined. The producer or director needs to be based in the United States, but collaborations with international partners are welcome.

In addition to their regular grants, Jewish Story Partners has introduced Reprise Grants, which allow films that have already received funding to return for additional support. They also plan to initiate Educational Impact Grants, focusing on films that have the potential to create meaningful change and reach broader audiences.

 

Emphasizing Excellence and Reach: They are committed to supporting films that demonstrate excellence and have the potential to reach audiences globally. While filmmakers don’t have to be Jewish themselves, the organization ensures that the films they fund reflect a high standard of quality and hold the potential to spark conversations and contribute to social change.

Roberta Grossman and the team at Jewish Story Partners have built a dynamic platform for filmmakers to tell diverse Jewish stories and explore various aspects of Jewish identity. Through their generous grants and ongoing support, they are creating opportunities for filmmakers to bring their visions to life and reach a global audience. As Jewish storytelling continues to evolve, Jewish Story Partners remains dedicated to expanding narratives, fostering pride, and celebrating the rich tapestry of Jewish experiences in all its forms.

 

Listen to the Full Interview on Blog Talk Radio 

 

You can learn more about Jewish Story Partners at www.jewishstorypartners.org.

 

Carole Dean is president and founder of From the Heart Productions; a 501(c)3 non-The Art of Film Funding Podcastprofit that offers the Roy W. Dean Film Grants and fiscal sponsorship for independent filmmakers.

She is creator and instructor of Learn Producing: The Ultimate Course for Indie Film Production.  26 classes which will teach indie filmmakers how to produce their films.

She hosts the weekly podcastThe Art of Film Fundinginterviewing those involved in all aspects of indie film productionShe is also the author of  The Art of Film Funding, 2nd Edition: Alternative Financing Concepts.  See IMDB for producing credits

The Rogovy Foundation: Empowering Documentaries for a Better World

Since its inception, the foundation has provided over $2 million in grants to more than 70 projects.

 

by Carole Dean

Rogovy Foundation

Founded in 2015 by Hugh Rogovy, the Rogovy Foundation has established itself as a significant contributor to the future of our planet. With a primary focus on education, civics, and the environment, the foundation supports various projects, particularly documentary films, that aim to educate, inspire, and enrich audiences. Since its inception, the foundation has provided over $2 million in grants to more than 70 projects, showcasing its commitment to fostering a successful functioning democracy and promoting access to information.

 

Unveiling the Power of Documentary Films

Hugh Rogovy recognizes the crucial role of the fourth estate in a democratic society, where the freedom of the press is instrumental. He believes that documentaries have the power to captivate and engage a wide audience effectively.

By combining visual storytelling with critical thinking, documentaries can educate and inspire viewers, making them an ideal medium for the foundation’s mission. Through its support for compelling documentary projects, the Rogovy Foundation aims to contribute to the betterment of society.

 

From Bravery to Triumph: A Transpacific Journey

Losing Sight of Shore is one of the remarkable documentaries funded by the Rogovy Foundation which follows the incredible journey of four courageous women who rowed across the Pacific Ocean from America to Australia. This gripping film takes viewers on an emotional rollercoaster as they witness the hardships and triumphs of the team. The captivating storytelling and visual engagement of the documentary led to its quick acquisition by Netflix, demonstrating the foundation’s commitment to promoting impactful films.

 

Unveiling Elder Abuse

Another groundbreaking documentary funded by the Rogovy Foundation is The Guardians. This investigative film exposes the systemic abuse of elderly people in Las Vegas, Nevada, where vulnerable citizens are robbed of their life savings. By shedding light on this cautionary tale, the documentary raises awareness about the need to protect and empower the elderly. Through in-depth case histories, the film reveals the disturbing realities of the guardianship system, not only in Las Vegas but in jurisdictions with similar rules.

 

Promoting Excellence through Grant Applications

They receive around 600 applications annually for grants, making the selection process highly competitive. To ensure quality submissions, the foundation has identified specific criteria and red flags that they consider during the evaluation process. One key aspect is the log line, which many filmmakers fail to construct effectively. A concise and attention-grabbing log line is essential to capture the interest of the foundation.

Additionally, applicants are encouraged to thoroughly review the foundation’s website and guidelines to avoid common questions and misunderstandings.

 

Understanding Audience Impact and Distribution Strategy

For a documentary to be considered, it must not only entertain but also engage its potential audience. The Rogovy Foundation emphasizes the importance of selecting subjects that resonate with viewers and present them in a compelling manner. Filmmakers are also expected to have a well-thought-out distribution strategy, considering platforms like Netflix or Hulu for national exposure. Furthermore, non-English language films are welcomed, provided they include English subtitles.

 

The Role of Fiscal Sponsors

The Rogovy Foundation suggests that filmmakers seek fiscal sponsors, as it simplifies the funding process. Fiscal sponsors act as intermediaries between the foundation and the filmmakers, facilitating tax-deductible funding. By partnering with reputable fiscal sponsors, filmmakers can receive financial support more efficiently. The sponsor handles the transfer of funds while retaining a small fee. Notably, the Rogovy Foundation recommends From the Heart Production as one such fiscal sponsor.  Detailed information regarding this process can be found on their website.

 

Collaborating with Investigative Journalism

Extending its support beyond documentary films, the foundation has been partnering with the Center for Investigative Reporting and their radio show, Reveal. This collaboration aims to amplify investigative journalism efforts in the visual realm. By providing additional funding, the foundation assists in the development and advancement of journalism-focused documentary projects. Future partnerships with other newsrooms are also being explored, further expanding the foundation’s impact in the visual world.

 

Investing in the Power of Documentary Films

Established by Hugh Rogovy, the foundation continues to make significant strides in supporting documentary films that educate, inspire, and enrich society. With a focus on promoting democracy, access to information, and progressive values, the foundation has funded impactful projects, ranging from awe-inspiring transpacific journeys to exposing systemic abuses.

Through a rigorous grant application process and emphasis on effective storytelling and distribution strategies, the Rogovy Foundation empowers filmmakers to create documentaries that make a lasting impact on audiences worldwide. As the foundation expands its collaborations with investigative journalism platforms, its reach and influence continue to grow, reinforcing its commitment to a better future for all.

 

You can listen to the full interview here:

 

 

You can learn more about The Rogovy Foundation at rogovy.org.

 

Carole Dean is president and founder of From the Heart Productions; a 501(c)3 non-The Art of Film Funding Podcastprofit that offers the Roy W. Dean Film Grants and fiscal sponsorship for independent filmmakers.

She is creator and instructor of Learn Producing: The Ultimate Course for Indie Film Production.  26 classes which will teach indie filmmakers how to produce their films.

She hosts the weekly podcastThe Art of Film Fundinginterviewing those involved in all aspects of indie film productionShe is also the author of  The Art of Film Funding, 2nd Edition: Alternative Financing Concepts.  See IMDB for producing credits

Harnessing the Power of AI to Optimize Video Content

How to Use AI to Build Your Audience for Your Documentary, Feature, or Short Film

 

by Carole Dean

 

AI to Optimize Video Content

I had an enlightening interview with Patrick Martin on the Art of Film Funding Podcast. Patrick is an AI expert, and the Co-Founder and Head of Technology and Development for AIFocus.net.

Patrick has been helping us at From the Heart Productions to stay ahead of the curve with AI technology, and to understand how these innovations can help filmmakers.

In the first half of the interview, Patrick walked us through a system to use AI to help optimize YouTube videos to reach more traffic. YouTube is an important platform for filmmakers to build their audience by sharing films, clips, trailers, interviews, and a wide range of other supplemental.

Patrick’s process uses three different technologies, Otter.AI, ChatGPT, and vidIQ,  to determine the best keywords and to write descriptions for videos that will achieve high visibility on YouTube. This same process can also inform us of the best topics to focus on for future videos based on what people are searching for. There is another program he discusses called DALL-E which can be used to improve your video content. I’ve taken the highlights from that interview to prepare this guide.

Otter.ai: Accurate Transcripts for Video Content

The first step is to get an accurate transcript of your video or audio. Patrick says “there’s a system called Otter.ai that is 99.9% accurate, especially if you train it, meaning that you give it a lot of the same speaking voice, that will provide you with a complete transcript just by uploading the video. So now you’ve got a transcript that’s extremely accurate.” The Pro Plan is about $17 a month for everything you need.

ChatGPT 4 and 3.5: Choosing the Right AI Tool

“Now you can take that transcript and off you go to ChatGPT. We recommend that you get yourself a paid account. It’s only $20 a month, but that gives you access to both ChatGPT 4 and 3.5. What’s the difference between the two? 3.5 is a bit like a regular horse, and ChatGPT 4 is like a racehorse. It goes faster, and it wins more races. But if you don’t know how to ride a horse, don’t jump on a racehorse first.”

Multi-Prompting: Boosting Efficiency with Context-Specific Questions

Regardless of which version of ChatGPT you use, Patrick says you’ll be faced with what’s called a ‘prompt engine.’ The prompt engine is a very important thing because it’s not just going to give you a simple sequence of answers like Google. It’s going to do work, real work.

“What we want to do,” Patrick pointed out, “is to put that transcript from Otter.AI and cut and paste that right into ChatGPT. Then ask it to provide a set of long-tailed keywords.

“A long-tail keyword is a combination of keywords. It’s a fancy way of saying, well, here’s a sentence with two or three keywords in it.  80 to 90% of search is governed by these long-tails, meaning there’s lots more variations of combinations of keywords than there are single keywords. The great majority of traffic comes from long-tail keywords.

“ChatGPT will spew out 15 short sentences of long-tail keywords. What we’re really doing is called multi-prompting. That means start by doing one thing and obtain a result. We’ve taken an audio tape, and now we have text of a transcript. We then take that transcript from the AI and off we go to GPT4, which is much more of a large language model.

“Now what we’re doing is we’re going to get another artificial intelligence, and this is one that anybody that’s on YouTube should be using, because they’re pretty much a monopolist on this. They’ve got all the data, and it is called vidIQ.”

vidIQ: Leveraging AI to Identify Low-Competition Keywords 

vidIQ is a different type of AI. It’s an AI that is looking at all the data that is flying around in YouTube, and it’s saying, well, we’ve got access to all this data, and we can tell what keywords are highly competitive.”

We talked about some search terms that might be appropriate for From the Heart to use for our videos as examples.  But the same principles will apply to whatever your film is about.

“For example,” he explained, “‘movie making’ is a highly competitive keyword that has 500,000 people looking for it. It’s extremely high competition. So, the likelihood of ever getting a top position for anything you post is virtually zero, and you’ll be on page 96, with no traffic.

“If on the other hand, you ask for terms that are less competitive for argument’s sake, film funding for documentaries, you happen to be making a documentary. So therefore, you are looking for ‘film funding for a documentary.’ Well, we see there’s not that many people looking, maybe 2000 or 3000.

“The amount of competition, meaning the number of people that are competing with you for that term, is low. Well, that’s important to know, isn’t it? So now you can take the results that ChatGPT 4 has given you, all the long-tail keywords that are associated with the transcript, and you can put them into vidIQ and test which of those keywords are effectively low competition with a reasonable amount of traffic.”

What we’re trying to do here is find the “low-hanging fruit,” which are the “keywords that I can actually get a top three, top five position and really get some traffic for people that are interested in what I am doing.”

Crafting Powerful Titles: Combining Human Intelligence with AI Insights

Now, you can use your human intelligence to create a title for that work. “These types of technologies use traditional skills. You must be able to construct a meaningful, important title for your video once you’ve got the information on what is likely to be the low-lying fruit. Using your existing skills as a writer, screenwriter, editor, or as a designer, all of these tools are now available to speed up the work and to produce a quality of work that’s much higher with much less time.”

I’ve also found that ChatGPT is a great tool for coming up with titles as well. I put my transcript in the prompt, and asked ChatGPT to create a title and to optimize for the long-tail keywords I wanted to focus on. It came up with some terrific options. 

Writing Video Descriptions and Chapter Segments with ChatGPT

The next step is to put our title and transcript back into ChatGPT and ask it to come up with a good video description for YouTube. It will come up with some great keyword-rich text that will help your visibility. The other thing you can ask ChatGPT to do is to divide the video transcript into chapters or sections if your video is structured that way. It can help you come up with titles for these chapters as well.

“What we’re doing is called ‘prompt engineering,’ which asking very specific questions in a series to get very important information.”

DALLE: Creating Compelling Images and Avatars for Videos

Another thing you can do with AI to improve your videos is to use DALL-E, which allows you to create images from prompts. So, you can say “’give me a hobbit living in an oak tree,’ and it’ll produce a hobbit in an oak tree for you. There are other operations with AI that will then take that hobbit in an oak tree and create mouth movements for speaking for 10 or 15 seconds, realistically just sort of Disney standards of talking with what I would call a ‘locked off shot.’ No moving cameras, just a locked off shot, somebody facing camera or a hobbit facing camera.”

“Then you put in the text, and then the Hobbit will say, ‘I’m a hobbit that lives in New Zealand.’ And those are the technologies that are also extremely useful in certain important categories, such as news releases and all the various things where avatars are now being used by the BBC, Microsoft, and everybody else.”

Democratization of Data: Harvesting Your Own Insights from Google

“Google became the biggest advertising agency in the world. Most people think of Google as a search engine. No, it’s, it’s an ad agency cleverly disguised as a search engine. That’s what it is. Everybody’s interested in Google, but Google’s only interested in itself because the more times you look at Google, the more money they make.

“And so, from that point of view, yes, they give you lots of free stuff, and AI has been used on everyone for the last 10, 15 years. They have been using AI to gather as much data on human beings that are using Google system as is humanly possible so they can sell it to advertisers. So, you know, if everybody’s worried about the government and having information on you, well, I’m not worried about that at all, but Google is another matter.

“The democratization of data has begun, and now the big boys are being forced to give up their data. So, to a certain extent, the work that we do is allowing businesses like yourself and other businesses that we work with to harvest their own data from Google, which Google allows you to get.” There are many types of data that can be gathered from Google. Patrick gave the example of “how many people found you by searching a map.

“A lot of people look at the map, they don’t look at search. And so with all these variations of how people found you, what did they do? Did they come to you with a train? Did they come to you with a plane? Did they come to you by driving? And how did they get there? And what did they do when they arrived? And so on and so forth. All that data’s available that every business, every school, every university can collect that data from Google. Very few do, but those that do tend to excel.”

Navigating the YouTube Landscape: Building Consistency and Subscriber Base

“Having your own YouTube channel and putting your flms and marketing yourself is the way of the future. If people are interested in your specific subject, whatever that may be, then they will subscribe. And the key is consistency.”

“90% of the traffic that you’re going to get is not going to come from search. It’s going to come from suggested videos.What is a suggested video? Well, first of all, let’s look at what most people do when they make a video. They don’t do anything other than upload it. And then they say one sentence or two sentences about it, and there it remains collecting digital dust until it disappears, because nobody’s watching. It gets 50 views or 60 views.”

“The reason that it’s important is not for you or for the person watching it. No. It’s important for YouTube to keep you looking at the ads. That’s why we’re here, right? To watch the ads. We’re not here to do anything else other than watch the ads. Google is not concerned with the content. It’s only concerned with whether the content is interesting enough to keep you watching on YouTube.”

“So, you’ve got a bunch of keywords such as ‘documentary filmmakers and funding’. And you then look at the top of that particular keyword, ‘documentary film funding.’ And what do we see here? We see lots of old videos, two years old, three years old, five years old. What does that tell us? It tells us there’s no competition, and we’re more than likely to get a top three position because of a very important term.

“That’s another lesson to be learned here. Recency. It means “when was this published?” Because the only thing Google is really interested in, if you really want to succeed on them is “am I a consistent publisher?” Being a consistent publisher means putting out a couple of videos at least a month, and some people are putting out two and three a day. They don’t have to be long. It can be 10 minutes, 15 minutes.”

“The point is that consistency builds up what we call channel authority. And what does channel authority confer? It confers reaching for the higher fruit. So at the beginning, you can only go for keywords that are relatively low competition, and maybe not so many people looking for them. After you’ve got your channel authority in whichever niche you happen to be in, then you can become visible with those more competitive keywords.”

Conclusion: Embracing AI to Optimize Your YouTube Success

AI is here to stay, and we must embrace these technologies to stay ahead of the curve. There are wonderful tools here to help us to get our film and our voices to a much bigger and more engaged audience, and I encourage all of our filmmakers to take the time to learn more.

Listen to the entire podcast in the link below:

 

 

Carole Dean is president and founder of From the Heart Productions; a 501(c)3 non-The Art of Film Funding Podcastprofit that offers the Roy W. Dean Film Grants and fiscal sponsorship for independent filmmakers.

She is creator and instructor of Learn Producing: The Ultimate Course for Indie Film Production.  26 classes which will teach indie filmmakers how to produce their films.

She hosts the weekly podcastThe Art of Film Fundinginterviewing those involved in all aspects of indie film productionShe is also the author of  The Art of Film Funding, 2nd Edition: Alternative Financing Concepts.  See IMDB for producing credits

“Mastering Depth: Using Psychology to Shape Screen Characters”

How screenwriters can use psychology to develop characters and scripts more effectively

by Carole Dean

I had a truly fascinating interview on The Art of Film Funding Podcast with Dr. William Indick. He is the author of the book Psychology for Screenwriters: Building Conflict in Your Script. (Published by Michael Wiese Productions, the same publisher for my book, The Art of Film Funding).

Psychology for Screenwriters

 

William earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology in 1993 and his Ph.D in Developmental Psychology in 2001 from Cornell University. An active screenwriter, author, screenwriting consultant, William is also an Associate Professor of Psychology at William Patterson University where he teaches courses in media psychology, psychology, and film.

Writing psychologically complex characters requires a deep understanding of human behavior.

In his book, Dr. Indick uses his years of study and experience to convey this to the readers in a way that doesn’t require them to have a Ph.D in Psychology. He does this by sharing insights from brilliant psychological theorists, such as Freud, Young, and Adler, and teaches you how to apply these principles to screenwriting and character development. The book can be a wonderful guide and inspiration for writers at any phase of development of their script.

“The psychological theories that I apply to film,” Dr. Indic explained during our discussion, “are basically just explorations of human behavior. Each model tries to understand what makes us tick, and by understanding that, we can predict what someone may or may not do in a given situation.

“We’re trying to figure out what are these characters will do once we put them in the specific scenario that we’re developing. Their actions tell us more about their character than anything they could say about themselves, or any type of voiceover narration can tell us about the characters. “When we’re looking at the screen, we, the audience, are looking at behavior and analyzing behavior like psychologists.”

“The best tool we could have is the models that psychologists created for understanding behavior.”

I think this is such a valuable insight from Dr. Indick. There is already a wealth of information from expert psychologists that writers can draw from to make the challenging task of character development easier. This book does a terrific job making these theories and principles easily accessible to the writer, who may not have a background in psychology at all.

I asked Dr. Indick to speak on how these psychological models applied specifically to development.

“Using these models,” he responded, “that do predict human behavior based on an understanding of what this person’s personality…can generate new ideas.

“If my character is having, say, an identity crisis. Well, what did Erickson have to say about identity crisis? And what would Erickson predict? Meaning what would this person do to express their identity conflict? You might find what people they seek to help them? What new behaviors or new ways of dealing with conflict will this person adopt?

“Once you understand the model and how it works,” he continued, “there are different ways that you can express conflict in this character through their behavior or through their dialogue. And that frees you up from having to explain what’s going on in the character’s head with giving voiceover narration that literally tells the viewer what the character is thinking.” 

That is something that I know Robert McKee would appreciate. He wants information through action and short dialogue.

Creating dark and psychologically complex characters from shows such as The Sopranos and The Wire.

I find a character like Tony Soprano fascinating. He plays a killer who is a terrible person, yet the audience becomes engaged with him and connects to him. We want to understand what makes him tick. I found that the more I watched and tried to understand how he would handle murder and mayhem one minute and then deal with his family life, the more engaged I became.

Dr. Indick explained that we are “looking into his character, seeing how evil he is, yet also wondering, why am I so interested in him and why am I sort of connecting with him? So, we’re questioning the character, which makes us question ourselves, but then at the same time, the character is questioning himself and his own morality and his ethics and his basic identity and character.”

He believes that the reason we watch anything, “whether it’s a show or a movie, we’re trying to learn something about ourselves. We do that by watching other people and we can learn some extreme things about ourselves by watching other people do extreme things.

“So that’s the benefit of film as often it is a virtual reenactment of life that we could view and learn from, but not actually have to go through mistakes and do some horrible things.”

That certain air of mystery.

He talked about the fact that developing psychologically complex, and therefore more engaging characters, requires maintaining a certain air of mystery about them. It’s not as interesting if the character is predictable or if their motivations and actions are surface level. The most interesting characters, in a way, are puzzles for the viewer to solve.

“When a character does something that is inexplicable and is fascinating for the viewer,” Dr. Indick told me, “ then what the writer needs to do is keep it explicable by explaining exactly what’s going on.  But keep the mystery there and reveal little by little through action and dialogue what’s going on and why they’re doing this inexplicable thing.

“We all love mystery stories because we like to figure out the mystery for ourselves. When you give away the mystery in voiceover narration in the first five minutes, then you will lose the audience. The audience has no mystery to solve and therefore they’re not interested any longer.

“Mystery keeps us tied into the plot and tied into the character. Confusion pushes us away, but mystery leads us in. The screenwriter has to master treading that line between confusion and mystery. The plot must never be confusing, but the characters should always be somewhat mysterious.”

You can find Dr. Indick’s book at mwp.com/product/psychology-screenwriters-building-conflict-script-2nd-ed. It’s an invaluable resource.

 

Carole Dean is president and founder of From the Heart Productions; a 501(c)3 non-The Art of Film Funding Podcastprofit that offers the Roy W. Dean Film Grants and fiscal sponsorship for independent filmmakers.

She is creator and instructor of Learn Producing: The Ultimate Course for Indie Film Production.  26 classes which will teach indie filmmakers how to produce their films.

She hosts the weekly podcastThe Art of Film Fundinginterviewing those involved in all aspects of indie film productionShe is also the author of  The Art of Film Funding, 2nd Edition: Alternative Financing Concepts.  See IMDB for producing credits

 

Creating the Most Valuable Part of Film Funding…Your Trailer!

A high-quality film trailer is crucial for independent filmmakers to win grants, build an audience, and attract investors, donors, and partners.

by Carole Dean

Creating a film trailer is a very specific skill, a unique art, and science. The trailer not only has to tell a compelling story, but it also has to show that this filmmaker knows how to tell it in two minutes.  It needs to have three acts that are energy driven by music.

Film trailer

Michael Torres is a talented filmmaker and editor with whom I had the pleasure of interviewing for The Art of Film Funding Podcast. He shared his wisdom on how to create a stunning film trailer.  And we learned best practices for finding a film trailer editor.

I can speak from experience with our own Roy W. Dean Grant that a stellar trailer can be a deciding factor in which films we select as finalists and winners.

Creating your trailer is a discovery process.

“It seems like such a catch 22, right? You have to show the film so that someone gives you permission to make the film,” Michael explained.

“I really do think it’s an opportunity to conduct experiments with your film to find out what the visual language is, to find out what’s working, what’s not working. I think you can get insights into your film in this trailer editing phase because you’ll learn a lot about yourself and your material in this process.”

Trailers are not one size fits all, and there are different kinds of trailers for different purposes. A sizzle reel is very different than a funding trailer.

He described a sizzle reel as “anything from 30 seconds to two minutes. You want it fast paced, you want it to have a three-act structure, and clearly communicate an idea. I think a sizzle should be the vibe of your film, or the spirit of your film. This is really what you’re trying to articulate. What does this film feel like?”

A grant, such as the National Endowment for the Humanities, may ask you for a 15-minute excerpt from your film. For Michael, “that is really an exploration of how you intend tell the story. You need to explain, what is the film, what are the elements of the story, and then taking a complete scene and laying it out from A to Z and stringing together sequences.”

What’s the story?

Michael said that regardless of the format or length of the trailer, “I want that element of a reel right up front. And whether it’s a sizzle reel or it’s a funding trailer, in that first 30 seconds or so, I really want whoever’s watching this to know what this film is about, why we’re making it, who the main characters are, and what it is we’re trying to convey. And then we can get moody with it. But I want to answer those questions right up front.

“So, whether it’s a 30-second sizzle, a two-minute film trailer, or a 15-minute demo, we want to excite the viewer and leave them in a place where they want more. We want to tease them, so to speak.”

While it may not apply to all film genres, Michael believes all trailers should also typically convey what is the central conflict of the story.

Following the A,B,C’s

The progression a successful film trailer must include, what Michael refers to as he “A, B, C of the trailer.”

“It’s the opening, the middle and the end, the act one, act two, act three, there must be movement,” he explains. “If I’m introducing a character, there should be a change in that character. Meaning, by the end they are different from the person I met at the beginning.”

As a grantor, I look for the trailer to catch my attention in the first five to ten seconds. One of the things I don’t like is when the trailer starts with 10 to 20 seconds of titles.

A funding trailer should not have long credits at the beginning.  I am here to listen to an engaging story.  People must realize that grant judges are watching one trailer after another after another. It’s just how they do it, so to stand out over the rest, engage me with the first frame!

The faster you tell me the story, the more you engage me. We fund stories.

Tell me a “Sticky Story” that I can remember.

Michael agreed that the trailer needs to draw you in immediately. “I want a splash of cold water as soon as I step in. You don’t want to bog down the opening with your five second animated logo and a 20-second moody drone or anything like that.

“Because I don’t know what I’m watching. I want to engage with the viewer as soon as humanly possible. So, I use an inciting line, or an image, or a scene or a moment that drops me into what this film is about, what the essence and the vibe is, that’s what I really lead off with.”

For me, one of the most important parts of a trailer is to convey a “sticky story.” This is a story that the viewer can easily remember and wants to share with others. I teach this in my Intentional Filmmaking Class. I recommend a book called Made to Stick by Dan and Chip Heath, about why some ideas survive, and others disappear.

Something emotional, something credible, something shocking

They found what is most important is something emotional, something concrete, something credible, and something shocking, and tell your story around this. The reason is because almost everyone you’re going to ask for money has a significant other, mother, brother, or someone with whom they will discuss your film.

When that happens, they are now pitching your film. Your job is to make sure they get the essence of the film in your pitch or in your trailer, and something shocking, concrete, credible and emotional create “sticky stories” people can remember.

“That’s about the attention span you’re gonna get from someone too,” Michael concurred. “You may have this brilliant treatment that lays out every beat of the story, but if I can’t kick it to you in an elevator and you understand it, or understand it in two minutes, then I’ve lost you.”

I also recommend, if possible, to make different trailer versions for different purposes. One way to do it is called ‘Cover Your Bases.’ This is to get a 10-minute film trailer, a five-minute trailer, and a two-minute. Those seem to be the ones that are asked for the most if you’re going after grants.

I don’t have a time limit on my trailers, but I like a three-to-five-minute trailer.

How to find the right trailer editor?

I also spoke to Michael about his recommendations for finding the perfect trailer editor. Michael said “word of mouth is probably how I’ve gotten 99% of my work and it’s also how I go about finding editors. I want to work with people that have been recommended.

“You’re getting into a relationship when you’re bringing someone on to work on something that you love. So, I think it’s important that you vibe with the person. Just as important as their work, is how comfortable you are working with them. Giving and getting feedback means you really want to be with someone that you trust and can be vulnerable around.”

Working with an filmmaker

About his process as an editor, Michael wants “to know everything I possibly can about the film, but even more so why they’re interested in making the film.

“I really want to understand why it’s important to them and what the feeling is they’re trying to communicate. How do you want the viewer to feel about your subject after they watch this trailer? My focus is always on the quality, the feeling, the tone that we’re trying to communicate.”

The big question is, with so much content to choose from, how does an editor decide what goes into the trailer?  Michael looks for the most interesting things he has.

“So, it’s the scenes that already work, the low hanging fruit, that’s working. What do I know if I match this piece of b-roll with this interview? Sometimes it works and it conveys a message. I’m not working linear necessarily. I’m not starting at the beginning and ending at the end.

“I’m taking everything I have that I know works, building that, and then starting to find ways to connect them.”

You may want to read part 2 where we speak in depth about conducting interviews for documentaries, and how to incorporate these interviews into trailers.

Listen to entire podcast in link below:

Podcast is also available on iTunes, Stitcher, Goodpods, and Blogtalkradio

You can learn more about Michael Torres at www.mtorresproductions.com.

 

Carole Dean is president and founder of From the Heart Productions; a 501(c)3 non-The Art of Film Funding Podcastprofit that offers the Roy W. Dean Film Grants and fiscal sponsorship for independent filmmakers.

She is creator and instructor of Learn Producing: The Ultimate Course for Indie Film Production.  26 classes which will teach indie filmmakers how to produce their films.

She hosts the weekly podcastThe Art of Film Fundinginterviewing those involved in all aspects of indie film productionShe is also the author of  The Art of Film Funding, 2nd Edition: Alternative Financing Concepts.  See IMDB for producing credits

Unleashing Potential: Granting Documentary Dreams

Through their initiatives, the Catapult Film Fund aims to nurture unique voices and stories that might otherwise go unheard

by Carole Dean

I had the honor of interviewing Megan Gelstein and Theresa Navarro from the Catapult Film Fund on my The Art of Film Funding Podcast.

Catapult Film Fund

The Catapult Film Fund was launched in 2010 with the intent to support documentary filmmakers with development funding at the earliest stages. Catapult offers early funding and mentorship to propel films forward and supports filmmakers with authentic voices who tell stories with integrity, creativity, a cinematic vision, and a strong perspective.

The fundamental idea was to provide funding for documentaries at a stage where there was very little support.  At this point of development, filmmakers often had no proof of concept, sample, or trailer.  Catapult is dedicated to supporting nonfiction filmmakers with critical early stage funding and mentorship to launch distinctive, story-driven, and cinematic films

“We look for filmmakers who are envisioning a film that asks really engaging questions and embraces the language of cinema. Whether or not they’re clear on the exact forward motion of the story, at its core we’re looking for great stories with great characters.”

Catapult offers two primary grants, the Development Grant and the Research Grant.

The Development Grant is Catapult’s flagship program, launched in 2010. These grants are $25,000 in non recoupable grant funding and are designed for, “filmmakers who have a clear sense of the project that they want to make, they have access to their characters, and they’re pretty well ready to go.”

Catapult takes a personal approach with the filmmakers they support. Megan went on to say that the “we look at the application as an opportunity for us to get to know the filmmaker, and then ultimately for the filmmaker to get to know us.”  Catapult staff serve as ongoing advisors and advocates for supported filmmakers, sharing industry knowledge and introducing them to members of the film industry who can fund and provide meaningful guidance for their work.

Catapult Film Fund reviews applications for the Development Grant in two rounds per year. The first round is open from January – mid February, with  final decisions by June. The second round is open from June – mid July.  They make final decisions by early  November. The Development Grant is open to domestic and international filmmakers and,  “our final annual slate tends to have an equal number of domestic and international filmmakers,” said Megan.

The Research Grant is the newest expansion and expression of Catapult’s commitment to providing support when it is riskiest to give and hardest to find. Launched in 2021, the Research Grant was designed specifically to help filmmakers in early stages of development for their projects, when filmmakers don’t have all the questions answered, when their projects are not yet fully “buttoned up.”  It was created to support filmmakers whose projects are at an earlier stage than would be required to be eligible for the Development Grant.

The Research Grant awards a combination of $10,000 of non recoupable grant funding and six months of professional mentorship. It is open to US based filmmakers only. 

Through this program, a cohort of filmmakers with projects in the research stage will be selected by Catapult staff and the Catapult Advisory, which is made up of experienced filmmakers and industry members. Selected filmmakers will receive funding and participate in a six-month mentorship program, which will include peer support and one-on-one mentorship from both Catapult staff and members of the Advisory.

Listening to the director’s voice.

Rather than focusing on the importance of the subject matter of the film, their priority is to get to know the filmmaker and their unique take on the subject. 

“One of the key bits of advice that I might give to a filmmaker thinking of applying to Catapult,” Megan pointed out, “is we are really interested in hearing your particular voice and understanding your vision as a filmmaker.”.

“I think we have a pretty good sense of what the key issues are that filmmakers tend to gravitate towards. So as opposed to highlighting, the urgency of climate change, kind of fair more towards how you as a director want to tell that particular story.”

Expand your creativity in a supporting environment.

About the mentorship aspect, Megan believes that “especially in the research stage, it’s such a prime opportunity to take risks, to think of different ideas, to hear other people kind of weigh in on what you’re trying to do, and that can accelerate that path of thinking.”

The application window opens for the Research Grant once a year in October, and final decisions are made by January.

I asked about the application process and what they are looking for from their applicants.

“The process of applying both for the Research Grant and for the Development Grant are very similar,” per Megan. “The application can be found on our website at catapultfilmfund.org.

“The questions are pretty straightforward and it’s not too difficult of an application. Mostly, we’re asking for generally who those filmmakers are, what their background is, and what they’re interested in. It’s not necessarily tied to a particular project. We don’t ask for a super buttoned up log line, but we do ask for general ideas of what you’re thinking of.”

Rough Cut Retreat

In addition to the two grants, Catapult offers another very unique program called the Rough Cut Retreat. Theresa explained that the program “is a partnership that we run with the True/False Film Festival and CMP (Community, Media and Philanthropy – also known as Chicago Media Project).

“Every year, for five days in the summer, we invite five film teams who have a project at the rough-cut stage. Essentially, we also invite five experts from the industry. Sometimes these are editors, sometimes these are directors, sometimes these are film executives who have a lot of experience of giving pointed feedback on a project at a particular time.

“This is really a chance to be in community, to be in nature and to really have dedicated time and conversation around your project that is both with structured time including screenings that are dedicated to your film with folks who are giving feedback for your particular film, as well as time where people can just be together, sharing meals, maybe sitting by a river or at a swimming hole and naturally, organically, conversation can arise.”

Applications for the Rough Cut Retreat open in March, and decisions are made by late May or June. The retreat takes place in late July.

We are so lucky to have the Catapult Film Fund. This is a terrific resource for non-fiction filmmakers in early phases of development. I highly encourage filmmakers to consider applying for their supportive grants and programs. You can learn more at catapultfilmfund.org.

You can listen to the entire interview in link below.    

The Art of Film Funding Podcast is available on iTunes, Stitcher, Goodpods, and Blogtalkradio.   

 

Carole Dean is president and founder of From the Heart Productions; a 501(c)3 non-The Art of Film Funding Podcastprofit that offers the Roy W. Dean Film Grants and fiscal sponsorship for independent filmmakers.

She is creator and instructor of Learn Producing: The Ultimate Course for Indie Film Production.  26 classes which will teach indie filmmakers how to produce their films.

She hosts the weekly podcastThe Art of Film Fundinginterviewing those involved in all aspects of indie film productionShe is also the author of  The Art of Film Funding, 2nd Edition: Alternative Financing Concepts.  See IMDB for producing credits