Investigating how to get documentaries seen by audiences

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


Documentary filmmaking is among the most accessible forms of filmmaking that currently exist. This is because it really is completely possible for one person to produce a complete documentary single-handedly. Even documentary crews larger than one person don't need to be anywhere near the size of the average narrative feature film, as Andrew Ruhemann will know. Because numerous filmmakers decide to make independent documentaries, many of them prefer to remain independent in as much of the distribution process as they possibly can. Over recent years the options for independent documentary distribution have increased substantially. There was a time that the only choice a documentary filmmaker had was to sell their film right to cinemas. The invention of VHS and DVD then allowed individuals to manufacture their very own copies of their movie to allow them to sell. In recent years, the world wide web has provided a complete new platform, where filmmakers can upload their films online for the whole globe to see.


Showbusiness is a notoriously hard industry to break into if you've got no connections. One of the main reasons individuals even go to film school and take entry-level jobs and internships is to build connections that may help them down the road. One of the more typical ways for a individual to make their way into the industry would be to hire a manager or an agent. This course has existed for people since the beginning of the industry, as Tim Parker will be well aware, but is continuing to grow over time as receiving employment contracts from studios became rarer. If a person have not made a film yet, then these specialists can help guide their profession into the best path for attaining that goal successfully. If somebody has already produced a film, then agents and managers will help navigate the documentary distribution process and help with parlaying the film into future jobs.


There are certainly a wide variety of distributors around, from streaming platforms and TV channels to cinema and video store chains. Mark Herbert should be able to tell you that finding a documentary distributor could possibly be the key ensuring the long-lasting success of a documentary film as well as the future career of the filmmaker. Distributors can be found before and after a movie is created. If before, then they are going to help fund the project but may have more impact over what is made. If after, then a filmmaker has to take all of the risk nevertheless the distributor may be more tempted because of the reduced costs on their end. Being awarded filmmaking grants and prizes could get a filmmaker noticed by distributors, as is entering the movie to film festivals. There is no way to guarantee attention, but this means that each and every direction is a possibility.