Production of documentary movie...

[meand]

Production of documentary movie


I am not familiar with producing documentaries since my background is more in imagination stories so I'll need some help and explanations from the people who are more familiar with it...

Great idea stroke me about subject for my documentary. I't about musician and his friends who are traveling on two continents (N.America +Europe).Following them and their stories but in a specific way which I can not tell because it's still not registated nor copyrighted story
I have a concept and a "wishable" list of shots that I would like to have and then edit them. I deeply belive you can not direct documentary before editing process.
So my plan is basicly to hire camera and sound people (and myself) to achive as much as possible in terms of the "wish list of shots" and than edit and start selling a movie around...

But...

The thing where I am scared (I don't know that part of story)is legal and financial work:
How do you organise production of that kind of movie? I never worked on a documentary before...
I also assume that (mini) DV is quite a good option for broadcasting on TV and eventualy DVD market?

Is it better to form a company or just hit the road and shoot the footage as an guerilla?
I am afraid that later one could bring problems if I need to shoot some specific footage that demands going in the certain places, performance halls, private properties etc. who might ask for "official" way with permits ,budgets, paperwork (yes I can bribe them to get in and shoot inside but what if later on they sue me for attending and shooting footage on the event where I didn't had permit to shoot)?
Is it possible to obtain some financing (for traveling and basic costs of miscelanious equipment)
from independant sources who will not claim later that they own a movie because they paid for tapes and microphones?
If I want to commercialy explot the movie is it better to go through production company or maybe Non-profit (non goverment) organisation?
Should I form one If am not satisfied with the existing ones (I don't belive they will bite as much as I will for my movie)?
What exact kind of releases and permits I need from people that are acctualy in my movie?
Do I need to option their stories or make a contracts withe them or just simply to ask them to sign that they are gladly accepting theirs faces and lives exposed in my movie?

Do you know any other legal/paperwork catches that I missed?

I am sure I have a buch of other questions bit this is for a start.

Thank you in advance for your efforts

and wish you a nice light!!!

Also, idealy,
what kind of crew/production team you are suggestin for such a project (shooting in Northern America, going to Europe for a half month or month, coming back to America shoot some more if needed and edit; and then shop it aroud)?
blue

 

[indietalk]

 

[BUS125]

i am workin on my documentery about the underground scene in skate music and graffiti i dont have a crew i haev been doing the camera work my self but on some parts i have a friend do it so i can get in the interviews.if u need help pm me or e-mail i might be able to help

continuepunx@aol.com

 

[rizien]

i love it when indie just pops in and says welcome on posts like these

 

[NicklausLouis]

Wow. meand, you ask a lot of questions that I could not even begin to answer, but let me give you some advice that may or may not be good, and you may or may not choose to listen.

Worry about the doc first, and then the legal issues and business side afterwards. Basically, worry about the story while shooting and let the chips fall as they may later.

I can already hear the cacophony of dissenting views to come, but that is my advice.

Poke

 

[Demosthenes X]

I disagree with Poke.

 

[NicklausLouis]

I disagree with Poke.

Can you be more specific?

Poke

 

[Demosthenes X]

No. I was just disagreeing because you invited it. I really don't have anything to back that up with. Except for...

Mwah!

 

[Zensteve]

Well, I agree with DemX... but I think I can elaborate a little better than "mwah".

Take care of any legal issues that need to be addressed, before they turn into real problems. Fixing a problem after it blows up will cost more $$ than spending a few bucks on doing it right from the start. (This is assuming you want the public to be able to see it)

The business side... well, that may (or may not) be taken care of before starting. Obviously you'll do better with moolah in place, but if everyone sat around and waited for that moolah to appear noone would ever get started on anything. So finding money to continue, while doing it, can happen. (Hint: If you are looking to hit people up for "investment" or "production" monies, you'll probably do a bit better at it... if you have your basic legal requirements already met)

Doing this line by line now, and tossing back a few questions in the mix...

_______

a "wishable" list of shots that I would like to have and then edit them. I deeply belive you can not direct documentary before editing

You've already started directing.

How do you organise production of that kind of movie?

No idea. If you're going for that "real" doc, you'd be working around other peoples' schedules to get it. It's not like a set where you can have cast/crew/etc all show up at 4pm on a Tuesday. You're supposedly being objective... and what you see is what you see, when it happens.

I also assume that (mini) DV is quite a good option

Some DV cameras are better than others. Get a good one. More importantly, get good sound. If you get crappy footage from certain places, you can always layer over some other (relevant) footage to hide visual gaffs. If you have crappy sound, you're stuck with it... and noone is going to watch a doc where you can't hear what people are saying.

Is it better to form a company or just hit the road and shoot the footage as an guerilla?

Company - (LLC). How deep are your pockets? What would you do if the boom poked someone's eye out, and they sue? Are you comfortable with working in foreign countries on a tourist visa? Comfortable with everyone in the crew that you bring along having to lie to get through immigration on their tourist visas?

(yes I can bribe them to get in and shoot inside but what if later on they sue me for attending and shooting footage on the event where I didn't had permit to shoot)?

Two outcomes, if you haven't taken care of those legal-things.

1) You have to remove footage, or be content in knowing that only you will ever see the finished doc.
2) You pay through the wazoo to get permission after the fact, if you really need it.

Is it possible to obtain some financing (for traveling and basic costs of miscelanious equipment)
from independant sources who will not claim later that they own a movie because they paid for tapes and microphones?

Yes. You can arrange this through taking care of legal things... before it becomes a problem.

If I want to commercialy explot the movie is it better to go through production company or maybe Non-profit (non goverment) organisation?

This confused me. Non-profit is not the same as non-government. Even if they were... i still wouldn't know. Maybe the NEA would go for a doc about rock-musicians, but with slashed budgets and fierce competition for it... It's a hard case

Should I form one If am not satisfied with the existing ones (...)?

Still confused. Form a non-profit? What happened to your LLC?

(I don't belive they will bite as much as I will for my movie)

nt

What exact kind of releases and permits I need from people that are acctualy in my movie?
Do I need to option their stories or make a contracts withe them or just simply to ask them to sign that they are gladly accepting theirs faces and lives exposed in my movie?

Big question, (mostly) simple answer... and easily solved through taking care of legal things.

Get releases from anything & anyone that you come into contact with. Get the releases signed before you even start filming, or ask the first question. Even if you are fairly sure that their footage will end up on the cutting room floor... get the releases.