Get any group of documentary filmmakers together and, no doubt, a big topic of conversation will be money: how to get it, how to make it, and how to keep getting and making it. Why? Because making docs is hard enough, but figuring out how to make a living making docs can be downright maddening
Panels & Workshops
Our year-round series of topical seminars led by experts in the documentary field.
Interviewed by Marjan Safinia Join us for the first in a new series of “Conversations With…” as maverick documentary filmmaker Nick Broomfield looks back on his incomparable body of work that spans more than 40 years. IDA Board President Marjan Safinia is our guide for this on-stage interview and
From Citizenfour to Virunga, documentary filmmakers are increasingly breaking important investigative stories, while at the same time employing gripping story-telling techniques and delivering powerful cinematic experiences. What are the artistic and personal challenges of working in both the
Making a successful, long-term career in documentary filmmaking has never been more challenging than it is now. Demand for documentaries is rising, but, simultaneously, so is the number of filmmakers competing for the same grants and jobs. How can you generate the support you need, strengthen your
Is writing a key component of your documentary film and nonfiction projects? The Writers Guild of America, West is available to you as a resource and to help sustain writing careers through contractual benefits and protections. Find out what the Writers Guild offers you or writers you are seeking to
Expanding the documentary pie has always been the dream for both documentary filmmakers and enthusiasts alike. With the recent explosion of non-fiction series, that dream may be coming true. Just about every week, the press announces the launch of a new docu-series—many affiliated with prominent
Doc U: Selling Your Doc Sales Agents’ Tips and Tales Tuesday, February 25, 2014 Discussion & Audience Q&A: 7:00pm - 8:30pm The Cinefamily611 N. Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90036 Admit it. You want to sell your documentary. You worked on it for years, went into debt over it, agonized over every
Your cinematographer will make or break your film. No other relationship is more central to the success of your project than this one, and, yet, the skills, tools, and insights of cinematographers are somewhat mysterious to the rest of us. No more. Whether you are a shooter yourself or a documentary filmmaker who has never picked up a camera, your work will benefit immensely from this Doc U spotlighting the art and craft of cinematography from the point of view of some of the top shooters in documentary today.
Great documentaries are made, not born, and the place where that happens is in the editing room. A good editor can save a documentary director's neck; a great one can make a director look like a genius. So, who are these saviors and alchemists and what special storytelling skills do they have that filmmakers can benefit from?
Sound and music are critically important ingredients in any documentary's success, but are all-too-often overlooked or neglected. This intensive workshop will discuss best practices and creative possibilities in audio from the beginning of your filmmaking process to the end: starting with location audio and sound design, through original music and licensing, and culminating in the final mix and mastering. Filmmakers and industry experts will give practical advice and share their knowledge to give you the tools for creating the best soundscape for your film.