Uncovering how to get documentaries seen by people

Distribution is one of the hardest parts of the process of producing documentary films.


Documentary filmmaking is one of the most accessible forms of filmmaking that exist currently. This is because it really is perfectly possible for someone to create a complete documentary single-handedly. Even documentary crews bigger than one person don't need to be anywhere near to the size of the average narrative feature film, as Andrew Ruhemann will know. Because many filmmakers decide to make independent documentaries, most of them opt to stay independent through as much of the distribution process as they are able to. Over recent decades the options for independent documentary distribution have increased substantially. There was a period that the sole choice a documentary filmmaker had would be to sell their movie straight to cinemas. The innovation of VHS and DVD then allowed individuals to manufacture their own copies of their movie for them to sell. In the past few years, the world wide web has supplied a complete new platform, where filmmakers can upload their movies online for the whole world to see.


Showbusiness is a notoriously difficult industry to break into if you have no connections. One of the most significant reasons individuals even attend film school or take entry-level jobs and internships is to build connections which could help them down the road. One of the more typical means for a person to make their way to the industry would be to employ an agent or a manager. This path has existed for people since the early days of the industry, as Tim Parker will likely be well aware, but has grown over time as getting employment contracts from studios is now rarer. If somebody have not made a film yet, then these specialists will help guide their profession into the best course for achieving that goal effectively. If somebody has already made a film, then agents and managers can help navigate the documentary distribution process and help with parlaying the film into future jobs.


There are a wide variety of distributors nowadays, from streaming platforms and TV stations to cinema and video store chains. Mark Herbert will be able to inform you that finding a documentary distributor can be the key ensuring the long-term success of the documentary film and the future career of the filmmaker. Distributors could be found before and following a film is created. If before, then they are going to help fund the project but will have more impact over what exactly is made. If after, then the filmmaker has to take all the risk but the distributor can be more tempted because of the lower expenses on their end. Being awarded filmmaking grants and awards could get a filmmaker noticed by distributors, as is entering the movie to film festivals. It is impossible to guarantee attention, but this means that each direction is a possibility.

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