State of North American Documentary
BY CYNDI GREENING, AUSTIN, TEXAS, USA (CINEMA MINIMA) -- I'm attending the State of North American Documentary Filmmaking at SXSW Film Festival this afternoon. The panelists include:
- Krysanne Katsoolis of GreeneStreet Productions
- Sean Farnel of HotDocs
- Michael Burns of Documentary Channel
- Maryann Thyken of ITVS
- Heather Wyer of Canadian National Film Board
HEATHER WYER: National Film Board of Canada. International co-productions easier than U.S. coproductions. Produce English and French language films. THE LAST TRAPPER. DIAMETER OF THE BOMB.
MARYANN THYKEN: ITVS; largest funder of non-commissioned work. Social action documentaries. Fund through OPEN CALL which is an long, arduous process. LINKS puts a partnership together with a PBS station and filmmaker. ITVS International looks for international filmmakers and projects. Trying to get more international stories on U.S. television. About 15 projects in the works. DEVELOPMENT FUNDING. Her department has about 90 projects per year. Distribute through variety of sources, primarily INDEPENDENT LENS. Look at about 1000 different projects over the year to choose 90. Acquisition, about 400 examined per year.
We see a lot of politically based films. A lot around hot topics like health care, immigration and so on. Would like to see more of ... we do have a sense of humor. A need for wide variety in form and content.
MICHAEL BURNS: Documentary Channel from Canada. Digitally cable and/or satellite delivered content. Interest in feature-length films. Canadian broacasting corporation and National Film Board are partners. They show two new feature-length documentaries every day. We fund, license, buy and show films. Loosely based agreement with Celluloid Dreams and Mongrel Media. Best small distributors in the world. North America is a little ahead in idea that documentary is art-house cinema world. For example: SPELLBOUND is watched because it's a good film. Commissioned: FOUR WINGS AND A PRAYER (migration of the Monarch butterfly); MY DAD IS 100 YEARS OLD which played at Berlin and will play at Tribeca. About Roberto Rossellina, conceived by Isabella. THE CITADEL, Atom Egoyan's new documentary about Beruit. MY WINNIPEG, directed by Guy Madden, started filming last week. We see this product as movies with the same attraction as a movie for the audience. Theatrically released and reviewed. If you want to see this, you better get the channel. HBO is U.S. equivalent. DOCUMENTARY CHANNEL is broadcaster for HBO docs.
FARNEL: HotDocs film festival in Toronto that also has a film market component. The come through the Doc Shop. Begins April 28.
KRYSANNE KATSOOLIS: CACTUS SAND develops, funds, produces documentary film products. Three films at SXSW. Some are archival. Some are verite.
QUESTION: WHAT DON'T PEOPLE KNOW?
KATSOOLIS: Most people don't know the whole process.
THYKEN: Most people don't understand the whole business model. More options for moving product out into the world but more demands for rights. The playing field is really changing. Very complex for emerging filmmakers.
QUESTION: WHAT NEW THINGS ARE COMING UP?
WYER: Alternative methods of distribution. So many filmmakers committed to theatrical distribution but there may be more successful and viable forms of viable distribution.
BURNS: I don't think about rights or alternative distribution options. I assume our legal will get as many rights as possible. I don't think about whether a film will play on a cell phone. But I am concerned with something else. There are some documentary films that are "made for television" films. There's an incredible need for that product. There's another group that plays at film festivals. If a film plays at a festival and is not picked up, we think of it as a "Straight to Video" title. For us, it is a flop. No one wanted it.
KATSOOLIS: New marketing can save these "flops" and make them quite successful. They can still have an audience. Online reviews can really propel a film.
THYKEN: We try to work around getting theatrical or broadcast airing first. So many more viewers will watch a broadcast documentary than will attend a theatrical screening. Filmmakers can get bigger in the market, faster.
QUESTIONS: HOW DO WE BETTER DISTRIBUTE AND REACH MARKETS?
KATSOOLIS: Watch out with pre-sale agreements. They can bind up and tie up promotions and distribution.
WYER: You can end up backing into your broadcast airing if agreements are not well-planned and formed. If someone has to have Premiere you can end up hurting other chances.
BURNS: Large broadcasters to not feel it is in their best interest to stretch out marketing and distribution. It may dull the impact of the film.
THYKEN: Market is changing and now documentaries can get a theatrical distribution. There are many successful documentary films. Digital production is also speeding variety of product to the market. This is changing the documentary field and making the major broadcasters (PBS, Discovery, NatGeo) not the only distribution source. There are more options now.
KATSOOLIS: Stacking your team and marketing so that your film stands out in the crowd. About 10 documentaries get theatrical release. Several hundred are broadcast. Thousands are produced each year. You have to work to get your film to stand out.
STRONG: IS IT POSSIBLE TO MAKE YOUR MONEY BACK IF YOU SELF PRODUCE?
KATSOOLIS: There are a number of funding sources to get your film made. If, however, you fund it yourself you own all current revenue streams and all future revenue streams.
FARNEL: Every film is its own business model.
KATSOOLIS: Try to minimize risk and enhance revenues.
QUESTION ON SHORT FILMS:
THYKEN: We love them and feature them.
BURNS: We love them. We get a lot of short features so we can use the shorts to help fit the slot. Viewers love short films. I love seeing a 12-minute or 15-minute film along with your submission and I love it. BERLIN FILM FESTIVAL loves shorts, too. I went this year for the first time and they love shorts. I also think it's a great way to introduce yourself as a filmmaker and storyteller.
WYER: You can also gather and produce additional material to make a richer DVD that adds marketability.
QUESTION: WHAT ABOUT SHORTS THAT HAVE BEEN POSTED ONLINE ON LIKE IFILM AND UTUBE PRIOR TO DISTRIBUTION.
THYKEN: We're flexible and find that it helps us reach our market more effectively at times. We're okay with it.
BURNS: We would NOT like it because we have a premium channel. Why will people buy our station if they can watch the material free on another channel or free online?
QUESTION: SHOULD WE GET INVOLVED WITH BROADCASTERS EARLIER? IN THE PRIOR PANEL THEY INDICATED THAT WE SHOULD?
THYKEN: The earlier the better.
WYER: Yes, it is easier for us.
QUESTION: WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR REALLY EVALUATING FILMS THAT ARE SENT TO THEM IF YOU PITCH US A FILM FOLLOWING THE PANEL?
WYER: After a festival, yes we do look at submissions. We look at potential avenues of distribution and choose the most viable.
THYKEN: We would refer you to the ITVS website to submit. Yes, people are evaluating all the time.
BURNS: We look at everything that comes in. Up until a decision is made, the material is watched.
QUESTION: I DON'T WANT TO SEE ANOTHER FILM ABOUT:
WYER: This year was the year of the Middle East conflict. I've seen too many of those, now.
THYKEN: Filmmakers who think topic is important without actually making the film compelling to the viewer. Just because it's important doesn't mean you made us feel that way.
BURNS: Morgan Spurlock and Michael Moore. That confessional, follow me while I discover this about myself and others.
KATSOOLIS: I was going to say the exact same thing.
FARNEL: Prison films are getting weary. Although we have three prison films at HotDocs this year. They told their stories in fresh, exciting, new and different voices. So, while I'm tired of them, the right story still comes through.
QUESTION: WHAT ABOUT GRADUATE FILM SCHOOL STUDENT PRODUCTIONS?
FARNEL: We're getting a lot of DVDs of sample work from schools in Eastern Europe and the U.S. and other locales. It's a great new source.
QUESTION: What is the most exciting new trend or development in documentary filmmaking that you see.
KATSOOLIS: A lot of new filmmakers coming to it. We're getting a lot of new voices, new filmmakers, new topics.
BURNS: Popularity of documentaries in theaters. This year, the Best Picture made less money than the Best Documentary. With the exception of WALK THE LINE, all made less than MARCH OF THE PENGUINS so the genre is competitive. We are getting things moving.
THYKEN: Technology is helping us. Issues around rights. Book entitled THE BEST PRACTICES IN FAIR USE. Too many people are getting sued and rights are limiting filmmakers. People are leery. It's getting too risky and you need to know your rights. Come to the panel tomorrow.
