ASK & DISCUSS INDEX

7 years ago - Helen Jack

Hey Theo,

I would totally encourage you to post into the Ask (here) or Discuss forums on SP if you're looking to engage other documentary filmmakers in discussion or ask questions. We would welcome your contributions, and I'm sure other members would too.

Warmest,
Helen

7 years ago - Theo Wallis

Thank you for your reply Helen. The documentary genre seems to be a less popular genre in which to work, certainly in this Shooting People website but I may be wrong. Just a feeling I get from viewing discussions and seeing what work people are advertising for...

7 years ago - John Lubran

It's probable that the factual and documentary section here is populated by fewer beginners and enthusiastic amateurs than in the 'film' group. Many members are active across all genres though.

I can imagine that the ratio of viable factual projects represented by members here compared with that of fiction films is in inverse proportion to the numbers discussed, mooted or launched.

The term 'viable' in this context relates to productions that are at least cost neutral and able to pay the people who make them something commensurate with a fee. There's another element to this in regard to the issue of intellectual property. Factual film making is vulnerable to IP theft/copying, one can copyright a fiction script but not things occurring in the real world. Such " copying" is and has been a problem, and an appalling one at that, during the near half a century I've been invloved in the creative industries. The increasing demand for factual programmes has created a tactical business model that differs significantly to that of drama. The irony is that aspirations in documentary are likely to have a greater chance of becoming a career than with movie making, if only because there's less people competing for the opportunity. I can also imagine that documentary folk are less inclined to chat about their work until they're finished making it. So whilst there's lots of overlaps it's an apples and oranges thing. Clubs that are harder to get into often provide more valuable benefits.

7 years ago - Vasco de Sousa

To me, it sometimes seems like everyone on this site wants to make documentary and horror.

There is of course the documentary bulletin:
https://shootingpeople.org/bulletin/view/list/6

A lot of the jobs listed are documentary.

I think there should be a horror bulletin too, not that it's my genre (I only have a few horror scripts), but there are so many horror filmmakers, and horror has its own rules. (I've seen lots of bad horror that is shot like Romantic comedy or documentary.)

7 years ago - Theo Wallis

Thanks again for both your replies. I subscribe to the documentary bulletin which is of obvious interest to me.

John, your answer is very informative and yes, intellectual property is always a tough one to manage especially, as you say, you cannot copyright factual information.