Published July 2005 £25 (£15 for Shooting People members) 297pp
Documentary is the rising star of filmmaking. Features such as Touching the Void, Fahrenheit 9/11, Spellbound, and Capturing the Friedmans has lead to the unprecedented popularity of factual films in both the arthouse and multiplex cinemas, not to mention the DVD shelves. People such as Michael Moore and Kevin MacDonald, to name but two, have shown that documentary can be not only informative but dramatic, compelling and often entertaining viewing. Small wonder then that growing numbers of filmmakers have been inspired to tell stories of their own.
Ever at the forefront of supporting filmmaking in the UK, Shooting People have now written what could be considered the essential book for anyone stepping out into the genre.
Their Ultimate Handbook is a straightforward and highly practical guide to doing exactly what it says on the label - getting your documentary funded and distributed. Jess Search, co-founder of Shooting People, provides an enlightening overview of the history of documentary for starters, before launching straight into the first section of the book - 'funding'. What we have is an indispensable step-by-step guide that takes you through how to find a television production company, and discusses how the BBC operates, from its central commissioning processes and opportunities, to national and regional commissions, and then takes us through ITV, Channel 4 and FIVE, as well as looking at the non-terrestrial channels. It then leads us through the sticky quagmire of public funding - government, lottery, NESTA Fellowships, Development Funds, the UK Film Council and British Film Council, and the host of schemes available, all national and then moving on to regional funding before looking at various sources of private funding. And then we move on to Europe - the broadcasters, the commissioners, the key events and forums, and finally on to the US.
The second part of the book is introduced by Peter Broderick and Jan Rofekamp, and focuses on distribution. You've got the money, you've made your film - now how do you ensure that it reaches the people it's aimed at? As with the previous section, no stone is left unturned. Distributors are discussed at length, as are key festivals, markets, competitions and awards. It gives you advice on where to get support for your film at markets and festivals, and takes a look at market listings, and the options for DVD release.
Finally, there's a checklist for documentary filmmakers, and a list of training resources.
The book also contains passages from many of the filmmakers, talking about their own experiences and dispersing their tips and advice.
Brimming with practical and up-to-date information, John Smithson - producer of Touching the Void - says of the book "at last, the essential nuts and bolts guide for any documentary filmmaker"
Buy from: www.shootingpeople.org/docsbook
Email: docsbook@shootingpeople.org |
