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Anyone any experience in making a documentary?

  • 10-01-2011 7:21pm
    #1
    pog it
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,912 ✭✭✭


    Have an idea for an investigative documentary and while I can manage the research and the material that makes up the subject matter of the documentary, I have never done anything like this before and an obvious stumbling block is the actual filming and selling it to RTE1 afterwards. It is an Irish story and breaking news if it can get aired and legal issues sorted and wouldn't sit as well on a UK station as it is Irish based. So RTE are my only option I think... or how do TV3 fare on this stuff?

    The task ahead of me is enormous and I'm just scouting for any tips or helpful ideas anyone has on the production/selling side of things especially. Also if anyone knows what my chances are of getting funding as a first time maker with no experience.
    Appreciate any help! Thanks!


Comments

  • #2
    flogen
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 10,247 Mod ✭✭✭✭flogen


    I don't know anything about getting a TV doc made in Ireland but I have spoken to a few people about making radio docs and I'd imagine a lot of the same things apply across the board.

    Firstly 99% of the independent productions made today are via the BAI Sound and Vision fund. In order to get considered for that you need to have a station on-board from the start and that generally won't happen with an inexperienced person for obvious reasons.

    This creates a bit of a catch-22 - you need experience to get commissioned but you can't get commissioned if you're inexperienced.

    One option would be to try to do it on the cheap yourself - though that might be difficult if you need someone to fill in the knowledge gaps you have (editing, filming etc.)

    Another option would be to look at independent production companies in Ireland (check IFTN.ie for a list) and see what ones tend to make the kind of programming your idea would fit into.

    Then see if you can go about meeting someone in there to pitch them the idea, perhaps offering it to them in return for a decent role and credit in making it happen.

    To be honest I can't advise you how to approach that and I'm not even sure if it's a realistic approach to take... there's always the risk of a scurrilous company or individual simply taking your idea so you need to insure yourself against that.

    One way of doing that is to make yourself indespensible to the process - if you can go in there with a huge amount of the dog work done you'll not only show you're for real but that you are the one who can make it happen.

    Hopefully that's of some use to you - I'm hoping to do something on radio myself this year and have decided to go it alone and make it myself... I imagine that's somewhat easier to do for radio, however, and I do have some training in the area which makes it easier again.


  • #3
    fatgav
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 627 ✭✭✭fatgav


    flogen wrote: »
    Firstly 99% of the independent productions made today are via the BAI Sound and Vision fund. In order to get considered for that you need to have a station on-board from the start and that generally won't happen with an inexperienced person for obvious reasons.

    This creates a bit of a catch-22 - you need experience to get commissioned but you can't get commissioned if you're inexperienced.

    One potential way around this is to make the documentary in conjunction with your local community radio station. S+V docs are a primary source of income for many, and they're more likely to say yes to you than a commercial one. You won't get the exposure/audience you want, but if it goes well you can always sell it on afterwards, and at the very least you'll have something to put on a CV


  • #4
    flogen
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 10,247 Mod ✭✭✭✭flogen


    fatgav wrote: »
    One potential way around this is to make the documentary in conjunction with your local community radio station. S+V docs are a primary source of income for many, and they're more likely to say yes to you than a commercial one. You won't get the exposure/audience you want, but if it goes well you can always sell it on afterwards, and at the very least you'll have something to put on a CV

    That's true, though I've been told by a very experienced radio producer that - in her experience - community stations tend to ask for money in return for their carriage, which they're not supposed to do.

    That effectively means you have to take it out of your own pocket or game your S&V accounts to get it from there.

    My guess is they wouldn't ask for it if you're an active volunteer already and some would not ask at all - but others would see it as only right that you contribute to their operation in some way.


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