Jameson FIND Your Audience Award for Feature Docs

“Film Independent is now accepting submissions for the 2012 Jameson FIND Your Audience Award. The award includes a cash grant of $40, 000 designed to assist the winning filmmaker with a qualifying feature film build the audience for his or her film. All applications are due by December 2, 2011.”

Find out more about grants and funding in the grants and funding category.

To purchase a download of the Funding Your Dream Documentary seminar, click here.

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PBS Challenge Fund

The PBS Challenge Fund is accepting proposals for television project proposals will national appeal that will attract new audiences.

“The Program Challenge Fund was created to support high-profile, primetime, limited series for the national public television schedule.  The Program Challenge Fund is jointly administered by CPB and PBS, which make funding decisions based on mutually established programming goals and objectives.

CPB and PBS have refined the purpose of the Program Challenge Fund in an effort to bring additional impact to the National Program Service schedule. The Program Challenge Fund funds high-visibility, high-impact, limited series that offer a definitive take on a subject or break new ground in popular, public service media.  CPB and PBS expect a successful Program Challenge Fund program to be the highlight of a given season’s schedule, have the potential to generate publicity, and attract new audiences to PBS broadcast and online content. ”

For more information, click here.

Find out more about grants and funding in the grants and funding category.

To purchase a download of the Funding Your Dream Documentary seminar, click here.

Documenary & Series Proposal Check List

PROPOSAL/TREATMENT CHECK LIST

This is the basic format I use for writing a documentary or series proposal. I change it, add to it and rearrange it as needed. Please note that most places where you will submit your proposal, especially for grant funding (check out the Grants and Funding category), will ask for specific information.

• Title – think long and hard about your title. It should be short, sweet and to the point.
• Project description – what makes this idea special?
• Overview of story – step by step, how will the documentary or series unfold?  Include sample segments and/or episodes.
• Story-telling style – how will you convey the story (interviews, still photos, graphics and charts, music). Help the reader SEE your idea.
• Need or importance of project – why should this story or series be made?
• Target Audience – who are they and why will they watch?
• Project timeline – a brief calendar outlining the workflow from development to delivery.
• Distribution plan (including Website and New Media) – how and where will viewers be able to see your documentary or series?
• Budget with fundraising plan including any funds already raised (read the Sample Budget blog to see how a budget is laid out).
• Personnel bios or resumes
  • Key production staff involved
  • Key interviewees
  • Consultants

Note: Any pictures that can be inserted into the proposal or video that can be sent with the proposal always helps.

• Trailer or funding reel if you have it.  It should be polished.

Secrets to Funding Your Dream Documentary

Here is an except from my interview with Bill Einreinhofer from the CD recording of the  teleseminar “How To Fund Your Dream Documentary.”  Bill is a National Emmy-Award winning producer, writer and director with over 20 years of television production experience.  He shared a lot of useful tips about how to raise money to produce a documentary.  Here he discusses how to approach potential funders.

SYDNYE: Before you introduce yourself and how fabulous you are and how fabulous your idea is, you need to know why and where and how much they give?

BILL: Yes. This is where you start looking at the giving history. This is where these various reference libraries, whether you go to the actual library or whether you view it online line, find out where the money has gone in the past. What are their interests if they are a foundation? Of if they are a corporation, who they are trying to reach? Corporations, I’ve gotten corporation grants to do public television programs, and it’s because those particular corporations wanted to reach the audience that public television gets. You have to figure out what the grant maker wants. And then be able to tell them, “I can deliver what you want to you.” It only makes sense. I mean obviously, it these people are going to be making grants or if they are going to be making advertising buys, they have certain needs. You have to understand what those needs and be able to tell them “this is how I can help you meet those needs.”

SYDNYE : So we’ll talk a little bit more a little bit later about distribution because that is part of it.

BILL: And this is probably the biggest mistake that many people make. In that they’ll put together a wonderful proposal. They’ve got a great theme. They’ve got colorful characters. A really, really good story, they’ve figured out exactly how to shoot it and edit it. They know what the look is and they don’t put anything about how they are going to distribute it. And if no one is ever going to see this program, this film, then why fund it?

You can learn more tips from Bill Einreinhofer about funding documentaries on the 45-minute audio CD “How To Fund Your Dream Documentary.”