How long does it take to make a short documentary?

How long does it take to make a short documentary?

Though shorter than a ‘feature’ documentary, production can still take several weeks. Between research, script development, and other pre-production, shooting interviews, and editing/post-production, even a ‘short’ documentary can take 6-8 weeks – or even much longer – to produce.

How long is pre-production for a documentary?

Pre-production (commonly known as “Prep”) – the period where the project/production begins to hire the crew, opens a production office and prepares to shoot the project. This stage usually lasts 3 – 8 weeks*.

How much does it cost to make a 30 minute documentary?

As a general rule of thumb, producers assume an average cost of $1,000 per finished minute for a short film. So, if you’re planning a documentary that is in the estimated length of 30 minutes, you can potentially anticipate an expense of $30K.

How do you make a documentary film?

Key Steps to Making Documentaries:

1. Tell a story you care about. Start with a subject that excites you.
2. Research. Learn everything you can about your documentary subject.
3. Make a Plan. Create an outline.
4. Create a Shot List.
5. Start Shooting.
6. Write a Script.
7. Begin Editing.
8. Check Legal and Copyright Issues.

How long does it take Netflix to make a documentary?

In a nutshell, it typically takes 2-3 months or more to make a documentary.

How much does it cost to make a documentary?

That said, those baseline estimates – $1,000 to $10,000 per finished video – will give you something approaching an idea of how much a documentary will cost to make. A public television documentary may cost several hundred thousand dollars, even upward of $1 million to make.

Do you need a shot list for a documentary?

It’s easy to put it all together with our documentary budget template pack. Set up a Website/Blog/Facebook page to start building buzz. Don’t wait until your documentary is finished to start looking for your audience. As soon as you have your documentary idea, get going on social media and start building your audience.

How do I sell a documentary on Netflix?

Netflix only accepts submissions through a licensed literary agent, or from a producer, attorney, manager, or entertainment executive with whom we have a preexisting relationship. Any idea that is submitted by other means is considered an “unsolicited submission.”

Do you get paid for being in a documentary?

We normally associate payment with actors – and people in documentaries are not supposed to be actors. That said – there are many ways participants get “paid” without getting paid. These are usually in the form of stipends – and given as compensation for time, travel or expenses.

How do documentaries get funded?

While there are several forms of fiscal sponsorship in the US, the most common arrangement for documentary projects is known as “comprehensive fiscal sponsorship” or Model C. For nearly 30 years, IDA’s Fiscal Sponsorship Program has helped independent documentary projects of all types get funded, finished and seen.

What are the rules of making a documentary?

The first rule of documentaries is: Don’t make a documentary — make a MOVIE. Stop making documentaries. Start making movies. You’ve chosen this art form — the cinema, this incredible, wonderful art form, to tell your story. You didn’t have to do that.

How to become a documentary filmmaker?

To engage in documentary filmmaking you must brave the unknown, and capture a story that unfolds in its own unpredictable way. Although, if you are a filmmaker, then you know controlling chaos is your job. All you need is an idea that you believe in. Along with a solid grasp of the filmmaking process, your path will soon emerge.

How long does it take to post a movie?

You see some SXSW movies that pop up only a month or two after shooting. Kevin Smith tells a story about how he shot Red Stare digital, so he could show a rough assembly at the cast party when shooting was over. But a larger movie with a lot of VFX could take around 18 months to go through the entire post process.

What makes a good documentary film?

Context is key in documentary filmmaking. In addition to finding an engrossing subject, you need a bigger theme to relate it to. In Abacus, its small story speaks volumes to why the financial collapse happened in the first place. It examines one small bank that was punished, while major banking institutions were excused.