About this Guide
This guide supports the course Doc Industries. Description:
An overview of the political economies, infrastructures, and operations of documentary practices across platforms such as print, analog, digital media, and hybrid forms within both national and international contexts. It discusses budgeting, project development, technologies, research, production and team management, fundraising, co-productions, granting agencies, legal and ethical issues, marketing design, public relations, press kits, festivals, broadcast, streaming, roll-out strategies, website development, engagement campaigns, audience development for festivals and screenings, distribution, four walling, roadshowing, self-distribution, institutional and home-use sales, community-based screenings, and eventizing.
Library Support
This guide provides information on: financing, marketing / festivals, story development, practitioner books, & copyright information. If you have have any suggestions, please contact me.
Case Study or Pitch Document
- Hot Docs: ArchiveFind listings of films by year or by searching film name or director. Sample pitches include: How Come You Walk Funny?; The Boy who Plays on the Buddhas of Bamiyan; and Build me Up, Break me Down
- Film Independent: Case StudyBlog of case studies such as The Making of Short Term 12
State of the Documentary Industry
- CSMI ReportsIncludes the report on The State of the Documentary Field. The Center for Media & Social Impact (CMSI) at American University’s School of Communication in Washington, D.C., is an innovation lab and research center that creates, studies and showcases media for social impact.
