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Saturday, February 11, 9:30am - 4:30pm
At The Writers Boot Camp
Learn to design and get funding to make your documentary. Explore the ins and outs of both for-profit and not-for profit fundraising, distribution, and marketing opportunities. Learn how to best package your work to attract funding, get rights, put together the strongest package, do presales, structure the right business form, and more.
Share your ideas or projects at any stage of production and have them evaluated as part of the class.
Part ONE
Look at public sector funding. Grants from government agencies, working with local and national public television stations. Working with PBS and CPB. How to work with foundations to tap into the hundred of millions of dollars available for grants and support of media. How to work with for profits to get funding for projects. A look at business structures. Case studies will cover grant writing, business plans and proposal writing for documentaries.
Part TWO
We will look at private sector funding. Business plans, private placements, offerings. How to design a project to attract funding. What is the exit plan? How to work with venture capitalists. Collaborate and partner with cable and other broadcast entities. Presales on a global basis. How much your project is worth? Where to go to sell and pitch. How to pitch, develop, and protect your idea. Learn how to pitch and who to pitch to. Block will answer specific questions on funding for individual projects time permitting.
Cost of seminar includes numerous handouts. Specific case studies will be covered that show in a step-by-step manner how to finance documentary films.
Documentary Tune-up with Mitchell Block and Peabody and Emmy award-winner Jeffrey Tuchman (Day 2)
Sunday, February 12, 9:30am - 4:30pm
At The Spitfire Grill
"If you can't sell your project every time you pitch it, then there's something wrong with it."
Can't find funding? No one wants to invest? Perhaps it's the idea or some aspect of the project/package? Get a doc proposal check up, and tune up. This daylong workshop is intended to help you decide if that dream doc is worth pursuing and if it's not selling, how to fix it.
Why isn't your project attracting funding from a studio, network or cable, company, sponsor or other funders?
It can ONLY be six things:
The package?
The proposal?
The idea?
The budget?
The production team?
Are you pitching to the right people?
Explore how your doc project can be tuned up, cleaned up or perhaps junked.
Find out who might produce it, how to pitch it, what is needed to sell it, and which broadcasters or cable companies should be considered.
Find ways to make your packaging bankable.
We'll look over your proposals and see why it's not pulling in offers. You will receive hard information to build into your business plan and make your project sell.
We will review each individual project and review case studies to develop an understanding of how to pitch and sell projects. Case studies come from the class and the instructor's extensive collection of actual productions. You do not need a project to attend but preference will be given to those that have them. A one-page project description will be requested at time of registration for review if it's available.
Ideas or projects at any stage of development are welcome. We spend the day reviewing a number of projects as a group. This class can be taken multiple times since it is directed to the individual students' projects. When you register, e-mail a copy of your proposal (up to 2 pages) as a PDF file to Block.
Program might run 30 minutes longer. Join fellow participants for an after session networking drink (no host) at the Spitfire Grill.
Good Pitch is an invitation-only event starting with an intensive two-day campaign development workshop, followed by the day-long live event. This process covers a four-day period.
WHAT'S HAPPENING IN 2012?
We have three flagship events planned for 2012, taking place in New York, San Francisco and Europe.
Good Pitch New York: May 24th 2012
Closing date for applications: Wednesday 1st February, 4pm UK time
Good Pitch Europe: June 2012
Closing date for applications: Wednesday 1st February, 4pm UK time
Good Pitch San Francisco: October 2012
Closing date for applications: Wednesday 9th May, 4pm UK time
YOU'RE A FILMMAKER?
If you're a filmmaker and you'd like to present your documentary project at one of the three flagship Good Pitches, carry on reading for guidance on what we are looking for, what we offer and what we expect in return.
- We're looking for documentary film projects which tackle important global and national issues and enhance our understanding of the world.
- We look for projects at any stage from early production to completion; rough cut stage is ideal. The call is open to projects looking for completion funding, outreach funding, campaigning networks or a combination of these.
- Your finished film must be 60+ minutes in length.
- You must submit a trailer or key sequence or trailer by 4pm UK time on the closing date of each call to be eligible for Good Pitch 2012. You can upload your material after you've submitted your written application, as long as it is before the closing date & time.
- You must also record and upload a 2-minute video of yourself, telling us why you want to make this film and what want it to achieve. The video can be very rough and ready - recorded on a flipcam, iphone, on your computer, whatever. It's not production values we are after, we just want to see you and hear what you've got to say. Easy!
- You can only apply for Good Pitch if you have outreach or audience engagement plans for your film. Your outreach campaign can take any form, with any ultimate goal.
- In order to finalise our selection, we enlist some external reviewers who have experience in the field of using films for social impact. You will need to confirm you are happy for your project to be viewed by external parties.
Sundance Institute Documentary Fund grants are announced twice a year. Since its inception, the Fund has supported more than 500 films in 61 countries. A committee of human rights experts and film professionals make recommendations from projects submitted by filmmakers from around the world. The Fund reviews between 1,400 and 2,000 proposals annually, choosing 35-50 for support each year. In funding such work, the Documentary Fund encourages the diverse exchange of ideas that is crucial to fostering an open society and public dialogue about contemporary issues.
The Documentary Fund provides grants to filmmakers worldwide for projects that display:
- Artful and innovative storytelling techniques
- Global relevance
- Contemporary social issues
- Potential for social engagement
Funding Categories
Applications are accepted in two funding categories:
- Development funding is provided to projects that are between development and preproduction. Grant amounts for this category are up to $20,000. There is no reel required with an application, but clips, teasers, trailers, or images are highly encouraged. A previous work sample is required.
- Production/Post-production grants provide funds up to $50,000 to filmmakers in various stages of the production and post-production process. Applications are required to include continuously edited material that is approximately 20 to 75 minutes for the project being proposed. The reel should convey the narrative and aesthetic visual for the final film. If available for consideration, longer cuts and fine cuts may be submitted. A previous sample work must also be included with the application.
If you have already received a grant from the Documentary Fund, there is an additional category for which you can apply for the same project. Audience Engagement grants support innovative outreach and engagement campaigns and cutting-edge multiplatform engagement strategies.
Apply
The Sundance Institute Documentary Fund application is now open for the spring 2012 cycle. Applications are being accepted now through February 9th, 2012, with decisions anticipated in early June.
After reviewing the materials on the links below, you may contact dfp@sundance.org with any outstanding questions.
A year-long program designed to nurture emerging producers with project-specific support through Labs, grants, and long-term advisor relationships.
The Sundance Creative Producing Fellowship was conceived to develop and support the next generation of American independent producers. For over 30 years, Sundance Institute has offered in-depth year-round programs for feature screenwriters and directors. In an increasingly competitive and complex marketplace, the health and excellence of the independent film movement hinges on sophisticated creative and strategic producers with whom these directors and writers can collaborate.
The Fellowship focuses on the holistic producer, who identifies, options, develops, and pitches material; champions and challenges the writer/director creatively; raises financing; leads the casting/packaging process; hires and inspires crew; and navigates the sales, distribution, and marketing arenas. The Program is designed to hone emerging producers’ creative instincts and evolve their communicating and problem-solving skills at all stages of realizing a project.
Five producers will be selected for a one-year fellowship, with Fellows supported to participate in the following:
- Feature Film Creative Producing Lab
- Creative Producing Summit
- Sundance Film Festival attendance (screenings, curated meetings, and networking opportunities)
- $5,000 living stipend
- $5,000 pre-production grant
- Year-round mentorship from two industry Advisors
- Community building among Producing Fellows
- Year-round support from Sundance Institute staff
Fellows will attend a five-day lab focused on creatively strengthening their projects from script to screen. Through a series of one-on-one sessions with Advisors, as well as group sessions, Fellows will explore their own creative take on the project and develop skills and a process for evaluating, developing, and implementing their material to reflect these ideas. Scripts will be discussed alongside issues, such as creative imperatives, marketplace valuation, and production challenges. Case studies will be used to explore creative issues in preproduction, production, and editing processes, while techniques in communicating with writer/directors and potential production partners will also be addressed.
Eligibility
- Candidates must have produced at least one short or feature-length narrative or documentary film (no more than two narrative features total).
- Candidates must have a completed, legally-optioned, scripted narrative project in hand with a director attached to the project.
- Candidates may not be the writer or director of submitted project.
- Candidates must live in the United States, though the project may be filmed internationally
Giving Back to Sundance Institute
Sundance Institute is a nonprofit organization funded by foundations, corporations, film industry sources, individuals, government agencies, and earned income such as ticket sales at the Film Festival. The Institute was founded by Robert Redford as a way to give back and support other film and theatre artists by providing them with an opportunity to develop their projects and skills. Should you be selected to participate in the Creative Producing Fellowship, you will be asked to continue the spirit of giving back. Since securing funding for the Institute's programs is a consistent challenge, we request that Lab Alumni whose projects are produced contribute to the Institute's work to support new generations of emerging filmmakers. Projects supported by the Creative Producing Fellowship are asked to contribute 0.25% of their production budget calculated after the first $1 million (e.g. if your film is produced for $1.2 million, the fee due to the Institute would be $500). Additionally, Lab Alumni are asked to recognize the Fellowship with the credit, "Developed with the assistance of the Sundance Institute Feature Film Creative Producing Fellowship." Any revenue that is designated to Sundance Institute is allocated to the Feature Film Program and is used on an annual basis to provide critical support for the Labs. Your ability to give back really makes a difference.
Timelines
The timelines for the 2012 Creative Producing Fellowship are as follows:
November 14, 2011 - Application available online.
February 10, 2012 - Online application deadline and hard copy of materials postmark deadline.
March 9, 2012 - Notification of second round selections
June 14, 2012 - Notification of final selections
July 2, 2012 - Start of 2012 Fellowship
July 30-August 3, 2012 - Creative Producing Lab (Sundance Resort, Utah)
August 3-5, 2012 - Creative Producing Summit (Sundance Resort, Utah)
January 17-27, 2013 - Sundance Film Festival (Park City, Utah)
June 29, 2013 - End of 2012 Fellowship
Vimeo® opened submissions for the second Vimeo Festival + Awards, which celebrates the most creative and original videos online, as well as the individuals who make them. Vimeo will award Grants of $5,000 to all of the category winners as well as awarding a Grant of $25,000 for the Grand Prize winner.
Beginning December 13 through February 20, 2012, filmmakers can submit their works for consideration in one of 13 different judged categories. With the continued exponential growth of quality online video, Vimeo is recognizing four new categories:
- Fashion: Fashion photographers are exploring creative filmmaking, blurring the line between fashion and art. Similarly, designers are able to bring to life the mood and inspiration behind their collections in greater detail and with more emotion than through still photos.
- Action Sports: As lightweight, durable, and wearable HD cameras have become more accessible, adventurers, athletes, and documentarians can go anywhere while filming it all.
- Advertising: Due to the high volume of content online, advertisers have been forced to become increasingly creative in order to reach audiences. As a result, many people now seek out commercial films as standalone entertainment.
- Lyrical: This category celebrates videos that showcase the natural world or personal experience using a dramatic creative style. With filmmaking techniques such as slow motion and time lapse now increasingly available, these videos provide thought-provoking and oftentimes heart-wrenching windows into other people's worlds.
A full list of the video categories can be found at www.vimeo.com/awards. An independent jury will judge entries, which includes all of the category winners from 2010 as well as two industry luminaries/experts per category. Vimeo released the following jury members for its newest categories: Stacy Peralta for Action Sports, David Droga for Advertising, Nick Knight for Fashion, and Phillip Bloom for Lyrical. Vimeo plans to release the full jury in January.
Vimeo will accept submissions from December 13, 2011 through February 20, 2012 for a $20 (U.S.) fee per video ($5 for Vimeo Plus and PRO members) at www.vimeo.com/awards. Entrants can submit any original work that premiered anywhere online between July 31, 2010 and February 20, 2012 or any original work that has never been premiered before. All entries must comply with the Official Rules of the Vimeo Festival + Awards.
