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Documentary Funding

How to Fund Your Documentary

Documentary Pitch

The following sections prepares all you need to pitch your documentary to investors.

Basics: Genre

Types of Documentary Genre

Documentary genres refer to the thematic focus or subject matter of the film. Here are some common documentary genres with their definitions and descriptive examples:

Audience: Age Groups

Define the Age Group for your Documentary

Documentary films appeal to a wide range of age groups, each with distinct preferences and interests. Here's a breakdown of various age demographics and the types of documentaries they typically enjoy.

Audience: Demographics

Documentary Demographic Examples

Providing examples for each audience demographic can offer a clearer picture of how documentaries can be tailored to meet the interests and preferences of different viewers.

Marketing: Topics

Define the Topic of your Documentary

The subject matter of a documentary defines its core focus and is pivotal in attracting an audience interested in those topics. Here's a list of main topics, issues, or subjects that are commonly covered in documentaries, along with descriptive examples:

Basics: Formats

Documentary Format Examples

Documentary formats refer to the style and method in which the documentary is presented. Here are some common documentary formats with their characteristics and descriptive examples:

Basics: Taglines

How to Write your Documentary Tagline

Here's a list of various types of documentary taglines, each serving a unique purpose and engaging viewers in different ways.

Marketing: Film Hooks

Define your Film Hook

A film hook is a unique angle or aspect of your story that grabs the audience's attention. It's the selling point that makes your film intriguing and worth investing in.

Basics: Logline

How to Write a Documentary Logline

Writing a logline for a documentary involves writing a concise and compelling summary that captures the essence of the film's main topic or narrative.

Basics: Synopses

How to Write a Documentary Synopses

Writing a synopsis for a documentary involves providing a concise and compelling overview of the film's narrative, theme, or focus. 

Basics: Timeframe

Define your Documentary Timeframe

The timeframe over which a documentary's events are covered can vary significantly, depending on the subject matter and the storytelling approach. Here's a list of different types of timeframes that are commonly used in documentaries:

Basics: Atmospheres

Define the Atmosphere of your Documentary

The atmosphere in a documentary plays a crucial role in setting the tone and influencing how viewers perceive and engage with the subject matter. Various types of atmospheres can be created, each evoking different emotions and responses. Here's a list of some common types of atmospheres found in documentaries:

Basics: Main Subjects

How to Describe the Main Subjects

When writing for a documentary, particularly in the planning or pitch phase, clearly defining your main subjects is crucial. This helps to provide a clear focus for your narrative and guides the direction of your research and interviews.

Basics: Themes

Define the Theme of your Documentary

Documentaries cover a wide array of themes, each offering a unique perspective on the world and our place in it. Here's a list of various types of documentary themes, along with their primary and additional themes, and examples:

Finance: Budget Types

Documentary Budget Funding Sources

Documentary film budgets can vary significantly based on the scope, scale, and ambitions of the project. Understanding the different types of budgets is essential for filmmakers to plan their productions effectively. 

Marketing: Budget Types

Define your Marketing Budget

Marketing budgets for documentaries are crucial for reaching the intended audience and maximizing the film's impact. Depending on the scale of the distribution and promotional strategies, marketing budgets can vary. Here are some common types:

Finance: Bankable Elements

What are the Bankable Elements for your Documentary

In the world of documentary filmmaking, certain key elements can significantly enhance a project's appeal to investors, distributors, and audiences. These 'bankable elements' are crucial in determining a documentary's commercial viability and success. 

Distribution: Selling Points

Define the Selling Points of your Documentary

Documentary selling points are key features or aspects that make a documentary appealing and marketable to its target audience, investors, and distributors. These points highlight what makes the documentary unique and why it's worth watching, supporting, or distributing. 

Finance: Funding Sources

How to Approach Funding Sources

Funding a documentary can be challenging, but there are multiple sources filmmakers can tap into. Here's a list of potential sources of funding for documentaries, with suggestions on how to approach each:

Finance: Revenue Projections

How to Research Documentary Revenue Sources

Creating revenue projections for a documentary involves estimating the potential income from various distribution and monetization channels. Here's a breakdown of typical revenue sources and how they might contribute to the overall revenue of a documentary: