Innovative Documentary Tips for ITVS Grant
Are you applying for the ITVS open call due January 13, 2012?
If so, I helped design a Film Arts Forum with ITVS senior executive Richard Saiz that inspired so many filmmakers to think more creatively about their storytelling approach that I want to share some tips here…just in time to spruce up your application!
But first, in case you missed the announcement, my new Inner Circle program is starting January 30th, 2012. If you are seeking guidance in structuring your film, motivation to meet deadlines, as well as the creative support of other talented filmmakers, this 6-month program is right for you. Check it out at:
newdocediting.com/land/innercircle
Now back to the Independent Television Service, the largest U.S. funder of independent documentaries.
Whether or not you are writing an ITVS grant (Open Call is due tomorrow), it’s important to address the important creative aspect of your proposal with fresh eyes.
ITVS promotes innovative storytelling, and filmmakers who think outside the doc box are more likely to get ITVS funding that those who don’t.
(You can see my forum on “Thinking Outside the Doc Box” with ITVS’s Richard Saiz at https://newdocediting.com/client-resources/documentaryinnovation/.)
Here are several ideas to inspire you to, in ITVS’s words “take creative risks” and think in new ways about three standard documentary conventions:
1. Narration. In my opinion, narration is making a comeback. So how can you provide narration differently than the old “voice of god” drone and in a way that reinforces the theme of your documentary?
– Crowd source the narration. (See Tiffany Shlain’s new short “A Declaration of Interdependence”.)
– Have a child narrate
– Have someone sing the narration
– Film the narration being delivered in the audio booth to convey transparency or collaboration, if these are important themes in your film.
2. Interviews. How can you shoot your remaining interviews in a way that makes them stand out and expresses the themes in your film? Here are some examples:
– Have experts on a documentary about history appear in their own historical reenactments (“Herskovitz: Heart of Darkness”).
– Combine a talking heads film with a narrative story. (“What the Bleep Do We Know?” “Paulina”)
– Interview only one person in your film. To capture an aspect of their personality or a theme of the film, use a special camera device such as a jib (see “Collapse”) or Errol Morris’s Interrotron (“Fog of War”) or the newly named EyeDirect device at (http://www.mceyeliner.com/index.html).
– Have experts on a documentary about child development be interviewed by children. (Not done yet to my knowledge.)
3. Personal Documentaries. First-person films are still growing in popularity. How can your storytelling leverage the “access” you already have, or recreate the access you thought you had?
– Use animation to recreate scenes with family members or others who are part of your story but now don’t want to be on film. (See Kirby Dick’s “This Film Is Not Yet Rated”).
– Contrive a ridiculously funny quest. (“Supersize Me”)
– Crowd source your quest. Describe your goal or problem and send out a request for You Tube videos from people in your family, or community, or the big wide world, with suggestions for solving the problem. Then film yourself acting on some of the suggestions.
I hope these suggestions will spark your own creativity, whether or not you are aiming for the ITVS deadline. Several of our Inner Circle members have benefited from rethinking their storytelling approach in a more innovative way.
Here are a few testimonials:
“Karen helped me look at my project with fresh eyes,” said Inner Circle member Scott Ryan, “providing a wealth of provoking new ideas for telling my story with the greatest impact.”
According to one Inner circle member, Greg Boozell, “The Inner Circle was a creative haven of mutual support and constructive critique…thanks to its collaborative nature.”
To learn more and register for the January 30th Inner Circle, click on:
newdocediting.com/land/innercircle
I’m accepting six filmmakers in the Inner Circle and there are five slots left.
Please email me today if you are interested in talking about whether the Inner Circle is right for you, as the early bird discount ends soon!
