The art of nonfiction movie making

Academy Award-winning documentary filmmakers show readers how to handle the process of making their own nonfiction filmâ€"from conception and financing through shooting, post-production, and distribution.;Title; Copyright; Contents; Foreword; Acknowledgments; Introduction; Part One: Development; 1. The Idea; Where Do Documentary Ideas Come From?; What Makes a Good Idea for a Documentary?; Is the Idea Fundable?; What Are Funders Looking For?; Is It a Worthy Subject?; Is the Subject Important?; Has It Been Done Before?; Is It a Good Story?; Are There Strong, Interesting Characters?; Is There Conflict?; How Good Is Your Access?; Are There Strong Visual Elements to Tell the Story?; Case Study: The Times of Harvey Milk; Conclusion; 2. Research and Evaluate Your Subject. Title Copyright Contents Foreword Acknowledgments Introduction Part One: Development 1. The Idea Where Do Documentary Ideas Come From? What Makes a Good Idea for a Documentary? Is the Idea Fundable? What Are Funders Looking For? Is It a Worthy Subject? Is the Subject Important? Has It Been Done Before? Is It a Good Story? Are There Strong, Interesting Characters? Is There Conflict? How Good Is Your Access? Are There Strong Visual Elements to Tell the Story? Case Study: The Times of Harvey Milk Conclusion 2. Research and Evaluate Your Subject. Read Everything, Talk to Everyone (within Reason)Rights and Licenses Case Studies Researching a Historical Film: Paragraph 175 Researching an Archival Film: The Celluloid Closet Researching Storytellers Archival Research Researching an Observational Film: Crime & Punishment Researching an Essay Film: Where Are We? Using Research to Determine the Form: Common Threads Conclusion 3. Make Your Case: From Story to Proposal Define the Story Find the Story Arc Write Your Film Define the Storytelling Elements Storytelling Tools ""Objective"" Elements ""Subjective"" Elements. ""Directorial"" ElementsNarration On-Screen Text Reenactments Music The Proposal Case Study: Paragraph 175 Case Study: Where Are We? Outreach/Distribution Plan Conclusion 4. The Treatment Case Study: Common Threads Case Study: The Celluloid Closet Case Study: Paragraph 175 Case Study: Taking HOWL from Documentary Treatment to Nonfiction Feature Screenplay Conclusion 5. Development Materials: The Budget and Sample Reel Production Schedule Case Study: Filming Common Threads Budget Budget Notes Create a Sample Reel Work with What You Have, Play to Your Strengths. Case Study: The Sample Reel as a Creative Tool for The Celluloid ClosetConclusion Part Two: Preproduction 6. Financing Development Funding versus Production Funding Foundations Broadcast Partners Sales Presales Coproductions International Opportunities Pitch Markets Individual Donors Targeted Fundraising Campaigns Fundraising Events Cocktail Parties Individual Supporters Individual Contributions Investors Conclusion 7. Casting the Nonfiction Film Casting Criteria How Do They Fit In? Can They Tell a Good Story? Casting Historians and Other Experts Screen Presence. PreinterviewsCase Studies Casting an Interview-Driven Documentary: Common Threads Casting a Vérité Documentary: Crime & Punishment Pitfalls and Obstacles Reluctant Storytellers: Paragraph 175 Celebrity Storytellers: The Celluloid Closet Casting Actors for a Nonfiction Movie: HOWL Casting Tools Conclusion 8. Legal Headaches: Releases, Rights, and Licenses Personal Releases Story Rights Book and Magazine Rights Music Rights Footage and Photo Rights Fair Use Errors and Omissions Insurance Case Study: Licensing Clips for The Celluloid Closet Conclusion Part Three: Production. "The past few years have featured such blockbusters as Super-Size Me, Fahrenheit 9/11, Sicko, March of the Penguins, and An Inconvenient Truth. And as news articles proclaim a new era in the history of documentary films, more and more new directors are making their first film a nonfiction one. But in addition to posing all of the usual challenges inherent to more standard filmmaking, documentaries also present unique problems that need to be understood from the outset. Where does the idea come from? How do you raise the money? How much money do you need? What visual style is best suited to the story? What are the legal issues involved? And how can a film reach that all-important milestone and find a willing distributor? Epstein, Friedman, and Wood tackle all of these important questions with examples and anecdotes from their own careers. The result is an informative and entertaining guide for those just starting out, and an enlightening read for anyone interested in a behind-the-scenes look at this newly reinvigorated field of film."--Publisher description "Rob and Jeffrey's documentaries have been inspirations for me since I first became aware of them as a teenager watching The Celluloid Closet at my neighborhood movie theater. Their work reflects a deep commitment to craft and to authenticity-qualities I experienced first-hand when we worked together on HOWL. This book-a guide-book, a how-to manual, and a filmmaking memoir-is a gift to anyone interested in making nonfiction films." Introduction Development. The idea Research and evaluate your subject Make your case: the proposal The treatment Development materials: the budget & sample reel Pre-production. Financing Casting the nonfiction film Legal headaches: releases, rights & licenses Production. Assemble a team Directing documentaries Post production. Editing Launch your film. Academy Award-winning documentary filmmakers show readers how to handle the process of making their own nonfiction filmoOe1/4OCOfrom conception and financing through shooting, post-production, and distributio