After a successful career in the corporate world, you might now want to pursue something else, maybe even documentary filmmaking. But, you might wonder how can you speed up your learning process and become successful in the movie trade? Here are certain tips to help you break into documentary filmmaking.
Learn everything
Enroll in a
documentary workshop to learn the fundamentals. Instead of trying to fund your
film, you can invest in some gear and tuition. This will give you access to
everything you need to make your documentary film; a camera, audio equipment
and lighting, a team of lecturers that you could get opinions and expertise
from and a team of students to work with.
Have a reliable plan
Pick a
topic or subject that you are passionate about. Making a docu-film takes more
time, resources and money for you to explore something that you will not want
to be doing for the next few years or even more. You need to have a good plan
as to what you wish to do in your shoot. You need to have dedicated time to concentrate
on your film with stern deadlines.
Make connections
Connect
with faculty, professors, festival programmers, fellow filmmakers, and others
you might come across. Getting involved is key to keeping your momentum going,
and obtaining pure word-of-mouth marketing for the documentary film. Every
screening or event that your film takes part is a chance for any future
partnership.
Be sharp about the film festival approach
Research
the film types every festival has chosen in the past, what they are seeking,
and what other directors have to say about it.
Narrow down your festivals list that would be an ideal match for your
documentary film. Think about what value your film can bring to the film
festival, like press mentions, a good social following, or something that the
festival people would find valuable.
Take advantage of your transferable Skills
Make the
most of the skills that you have. You would be pleasantly surprised at how many
skills are necessary for this industry. You might have experience in raising
funds or have operational management skills. They are ideal in funding a film
or managing the team, efficiently.
Market the film and yourself
Marketing a
film is an around-the-clock job, however, there are certain things that you can
carry out that will aid in reaching a wider audience. You can reach out to
sites to get a review or interview of your film or write guest columns. You can
find an audience via Twitter, Facebook groups etc. and connect with them.
Ask for recommendations and referrals
When you
ask the right person, people in the industry are ready to offer help. They can
share pitch desks, get on Zoom calls, or even share contacts. You need to think
about what you can do to reciprocate. You need to turn yourself into a resource
for the individuals you are trying to reach out to.
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