Jen mentors team for Ngarrindjeri’s Being Heard documentary in Raukkan.
Change Media Training Toolkit: 3 – Producing
For every digital media project you will need to work out the nuts and bolts before you can start filming.
Where is my money… Latoya on location at Wendworth
Change Media Training Toolkit 3: Producing – Funding and Finances
How to raise money for your production or make it happen anyway.
Change Media Producer Carl Kuddell outlines the key points to viable low budget documentary and community film making.
OVERVIEW:
• There is a budget in my art
• How to raise money for your production
• Or make it happen anyway
• Equitable agreements
Printable PDF worksheets
Coming soon: Budget templates!
Coming soon: Agreement essentials!
Watch video demos by clicking on the links below:
Carl explains how to find money for your digital media project – coming soon.
Change Media Producer Carl Kuddell outlines the key points to viable low budget documentary and community film making.
Training Tips: Show me the money
There is a budget in my art
We always get asked, what does it cost to make a documentary?
It’s a classic ‘how long is a piece of string’ question… and leads to more fun:
How valuable is your time; are you willing to work for free?
Is this project as passion of yours or are you hiring yourself out to make someone else’s film / promo?
And with anything in current market economies, it depends how valuable your skills are, how good your reputation is – in short: how much you can reasonably – or unreasonably – ask others to pay for your creative efforts?
Industry standards are changing constantly, but accepted costs used to be:
• TV doco half hour costs ~ AU$100.000
• TV doco full hour costs ~ AU$200-500.000
• Promotional doco 10-30 minutes costs ~ AU$30-50.000
• Promotional doco 5-10 minutes costs ~ AU$20-30.000
• Interactive website – depending on scope ~AU$10.000 to 100.000plus
• Community project – depending on scope ~AU$0-100.000plus
These figures are for professional productions employing a full crew [can include: producer, director, writer, researcher, camera operator, sound recordist, editor, marketing etc]
With the changing digital economy, we now find all sorts of costings offered – it really depends what you think you are worth and how big the project needs to be.
We made our first documentaries on next to no budget, meaning we didn’t get paid and poured a lot of our own savings in to telling stories that were important to us.
This helped, though mostly unplanned, to launch our career, and as a result, we were able to apply for funding, as we now had examples to show how good we are. It is very hard to raise funding if you don’t have a track record, showing you have been able to finish projects successfully.
And yes, this seems unfair – the people who got some get more – but if you see from funders perspective, you’d want to spend your [or tax payers] money where you feel safe to get good results in return.
Always think back from your final outcomes of your idea – what are your delivery items [web video, DVD, broadcast TV doco etc] and then plan backwards and put a cost to each. Get help, there are great mentors out there – and lots of courses on budgeting and producing.
It’s a wrap – our crew on production for Ngarrindjeri Ruwe – Working On Country.
Change Media Training Toolkit 3: Producing – Crew
Finding the right team to work with is crucial for the success of your project.
Carl explains what to look out for when working in teams, with friends and professionals.
OVERVIEW:
• Select your team
• Identify passions and skills
• Agree on feasible delivery timeline
• What gear and talents are available
Printable PDF worksheets
Coming soon: Crew contract template
Coming soon: Call Sheet template
Watch video demos by clicking on the links below:
Carl explains team building for documentary production – coming soon.
Finding the right team to work with can be crucial for the success of your project.
Training Tips: Who is your team?
Think back from your desired final product or outcome: who do you need to make your vision come true?
Film making is double the fun when you work with others, but it can be challenging to create with other people.
• Identify early on who is driving the project:
For example, if you you have to deliver a project to client brief against a budget, it is important to make sure who has final say.
You will need to clarify with your team who does what and by when.
Can you work as equals or do you prefer a leader who is in control?
Both power arrangements have their merit.
• If possible, work as a collective:
Equal team work process can be very rewarding, but you need to agree on clear terms, who does what and by when.
Identify people’s strength and weaknesses and support each other to build on your strength – agree on what you are good at and have a passion for.
Not everyone needs to become an editor or likes to organize interviews.
Make use of what people love doing and delegate/ rotate the not so fun chores equally.
It is very uplifting for a team if everybody takes turns in preparing lunch…
Director Jen Lyons-Reid liaises with Ngarrindjeri Elder Major Moogy Sumner on location for Moogy’s Yuki.
Change Media Training Toolkit 3: Producing – Organising Shoots
The more you are prepared the easier it is to shoot on location.
Carl steps you through his process of getting things done.
OVERVIEW:
• Setting limits & goals
• Build relationships
• How to prepare your production folder
• Set daily schedules
• How to keep it real
Printable PDF worksheets
Coming soon:
• Call sheet template
Watch video demos by clicking on the links below:
Jen explains how to organize your gear with Comiclife storyboards.
If your device can’t play the video, click on this link.
If your community media gear gets used a lot, it can be helpful to make a visual content list and DIY manual for people to use.
Carl explains how to organize your documentary shoot – coming soon.
Being prepared helps you to be flexible and be ready for the unknown…
Training Tips: Organising Shoots
If your device can’t play the video, click on this link.
Setting limits & goals
To identify your limits and set realistic goals, you need to ask a few tricky questions:
• What do you want to achieve with this production?
• How much time do I have? Is it doable?
• When are the elders available we need to interview?
• What is our error margin – can we re-shoot this later or does it need to happen NOW?
• What is at stake [money, funding outcomes, reporting deadlines, relationships, world peace...]
Build relationships
Building relationships with your clients, community partners and participants is the most important thing.
In all documentary productions we had people keen to help and be part of telling the story.
It is at the heart of our programs, that we tell stories WITH people, not about them.
Often we get asked, how we pull these amazing stories out of disengaged communities – the secret is we casually talk to people a lot during all stages of production, gauge their interest, trying to read their emotions and keep them happy.
In short, we take them seriously, regardless of their background, gender or abilities [that doesn't mean you have to tolerate abusive behavior...].
We found it essential to find at least one key person in the community / area / workplace etc, that your project is about.
The key person we liaise with doesn’t have to appear in your film, but most likely they will have all the contacts and know who is in town and who might be keen to participate.
We usually find these people [often it is just one person] a few months before the project officially starts and include their feedback and ideas into the development.
A few weeks prior to the shoot, we then run our creative ideas past them.
Depending on your documentary, you might want to send them a call out flyer to get participants involved or hand an info sheet at the local deli for people to know you are coming to town.
Ngarrindjeri Elder Tom Trevorrow being interviewed for Ngarrindjeri Ruwe – Working On Country.
Change Media Training Toolkit: 3. Producing – Legals and Protocols
A basic introduction to manage your rights and obligations when making media.
Carl demystifies the essential legal things you need to know.
OVERVIEW
• Basic info on copyright and intellectual property
• Demystifying funding contracts
• What are moral rights
• Make distribution agreements work for you
Printable PDF worksheets
Personal Release Form – Coming soon!
Location Agreement Form – Coming soon!
Contract template for crew – Coming soon!
Watch video demos by clicking on the links below:
Hank explains basic indoor interview set up.
Jen works with Hank and Jeremy to set up an indoor interview. She covers the basic steps you should follow to ensure you get the best interview possible.
Training Tips: Legals and Protocols
Basic info on copyright and intellectual property – coming soon
Demystifying funding contracts – coming soon
Equitable agreements – coming soon
What are moral rights – coming soon
Make distribution agreements work for you – coming soon
Screenshot with credit roll from Moogy’s Yuki.
Change Media Training Toolkit: 3. Producing – Credits
Acknowledging your contributors is essential – get it right the first time and people and organizations will love working with you again.
Carl explains why it is so important to be publicly grateful and credit everyone involved in your project.
OVERVIEW:
• Importance of gratitude
• Check your agreements
• Generosity
• Values and budgets
Printable PDF worksheets
Coming soon: Template credit list!
Watch video demos by clicking on the links below:
Carl explains importance of credits for documentary production – coming soon.
Making sure everybody gets acknowledged is a key ingredient for success in documentary.
Training Tips: Importance of Crediting
Importance of gratitude:
In documentary and community-driven projects, most people are volunteering their time to your project.
Sometime you might be lucky to have community staff on payroll dedicate to your project, but even when we work with paid people, their daily schedules are already full.
Even with professional film crews, their pay onky goes so far – that’s why credits are one of the most important currency in documentary production.
Pay your respect with great care to everybody who gave time, effort, info – whatever it was – include them in your Thank You at the end of the film or the bottom of your webpage.
It is so easy and doesn’t hurt anyone – but even easier to forget, because we get stressed and this is one thing too many to take care off so close to the deadline…
Make the time. Check your credit list again, email it to your key liaison person in the community to double check:
• are all names spelled correctly?
• is everybody on the list?
• are all organizations included?
Check your agreements
Before you sign off on your edit, check your funding contract again [if you have received funding that is]:
• What is the exact wording that needs to be mentioned at the end?
• Do you have the correct logo for their organization? Get several version from them if possible, as jpeg and tiff files.
• Is there a hierarchy of logos, ie do sponsors / funders who gave more get listed first with bigger logo etc. How can you make it most fair for all?
• If at all unclear, CALL THEM – before you have printed your film onto 1000 DVDs
Generosity:
As per above – even if you didn’t really like that one expert you interviewed, pay them respect.
You want to be known to pay your dues, people want to feel appreciated and safe.
But – be aware, don’t promise something that you can’t deliver. For example, if your funding agreeement or any other contract states, that you can’t have any other logos attached to your project, don’t offer it to anyone else.
Or – renegotiate the contract so that you don’t feel restricted.