Last week, we began our coverage of Independent Lens (IL), the flagship U.S. public television documentary strand.
This week, we cover IL’s vision and commissioning process
AND, we asked Dana Bramble to pick 3 recent IL docs that each lit a fire for her classmates at American University.
See the clips below.
PLUS, for doc producers:
Don’t miss our earlier detailed coverage of POV
Based nearby in Brooklyn’s DUMBO neighborhood, POV is the other PBS tentpole for independent docs.
Inside PBS’s POV Strand (1/2): How Many Docs? The Fees? Budgets? And Rights
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Curatorial Vision
According to IL co-curator Lois Vossen:
Independent Lens aims to be the best showcase of documentary film. We support films that represent the breadth of work being done by independent nonfiction filmmakers, from across the spectrum of documentary genres.
We’re looking for consequential films that resonate individually and together create a slate that captivates a television audience over the course of our nine-month season.
IL expects films to be extremely well made, compelling in their storytelling, relevant, and to provide insight into the world or a topic our audiences haven’t seen or heard before.
We’re focused on working with diverse filmmakers, and bringing stories to underrepresented audiences. Each film is deliberately unique and brings something different to our audiences every week. The series is continually evolving on television and online.
Categories
Key categories in IL‘s social issue and point of view documentary genre are:
Political history
(The New Black, The Trials of Muhammad Ali, We Were Here, How to Survive a Plague, Let the Fire Burn, Black Power Mixtapes, The Weather Underground)
Current affairs
(The Kill Team, Park Avenue, The Invisible War, The House I Live, The Waiting Room, Detropia, Hell and Back Again, Love Free or Die)
Artist profiles
(Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, Muscle Shoals, Billy Strayhorn: Lush Life, Jean-Michel Basquiat, The Woodmans, Art & Copy)
Culture
(Jiro Dreams of Sushi, Soul Food Junkies, Seeking Asian Female, Hip Hop: Beyond Beats & Rhymes)
International topics
(God Loves Uganda, Blood Brother, Summer Pasture, The Island President, Waste Land, Iron Ladies of Liberia, Please Vote For Me)
Curatorial Team
ITVS and PBS co-curate IL.
Members of curatorial team are:
Lois Vossen, IL Senior Series Producer
Claire Aguilar, ITVS Executive Content Advisor
Donald Thoms, Vice President, Programming at PBS
Kathy Lo, Director, Program Development at PBS
Content & Editorial
We program nonfiction films in a character-driven documentary format.We present films that open and shape conversations today, and remain relevant over time. We are focused on social issue storytelling, told in entertaining and innovative ways. We feature first-rate journalistic documentaries and festival favorites with wide audience appeal.
Filmmaker has final cut
Independent Lens Senior Series Producer work with filmmakers to assure films meet FCC broadcast standards and PBS Editorial and Broadcast standards
IL doesn’t program news, reality television, purely experimental film, and narrative fiction
Submission process
Open Submission: The annual open submission deadline is the late March. Guidelines are posted here
Read more about the IL submission process here
Receive 750+ submissions / year
Filmmakers are notified of decisions as they are made during the curating process
22-24 broadcast premieres plus 5-7 encore presentations per season
Funding Commitments
Independent Lens commits to programs in two ways:
Production funding (60% – 80%) – Working with ITVS, Independent Lens provides production funding through limited commissioning. Projects are commissioned at R&D, production with proposal/treatment, rough cut, and fine cut.
Acquisition (20% – 40%) – Films acquired at rough cut, fine cut, or completion
Acquisition Timeline
Actively curate the series from September through May
Curators attend 15+ festivals and markets in the U.S. and internationally each year to scout films
Slate for the new season is finalized each April/May
Slate for the new season is announced in August
The summer months are spent in production: produce host introductions, contracting, work with filmmakers to deliver programs to Independent Lens, package shows, deliver shows to PBS, create marketing and publicity collateral for new season launch
New season launch is Fall
Format & Delivery
IL has worked with films shot and completed on all formats (film, video, HD)
Final delivery to PBS is HD
Spending Funding
$2.5 million annual operating budget
Funding sources: Corporation for Public Broadcasting, PBS and MacArthur Foundation
MARKETING, PUBLICITY, OUTREACH & ENGAGEMENT
The Independent Lens Marketing and Publicity team pitch all films in a season for long lead and short lead press.
All films can leverage the 345+ PBS stations nationwide to reach deep into communities and connect with viewers on a local level.
Using IL and ITVS platforms, films will get support on the robust social media platforms including newsletter, blog, and leverage longstanding media partnerships.
Films are featured and promoted on pbs.org and the IL homepage.
Select films will be presented and receive promotional paid campaigns that contain radio, print, online and on-air paid advertising.
Read more about IL social media and marketing here…
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Why IL Matters
Dana Bramble, a senior at American University and a recent Nat Geo Channels intern selected three IL documentaries that particularly speak to her and her friends.
The Invisible War
Click here to view the embedded video.
Kirby Dick’s Academy Award nominated documentary uncovers the horrifying epidemic of sexual assault in the military.
The House I Live In
Click here to view the embedded video.
The true nature of the nation’s War on Drugs is examined in this powerful film.
Ai Wei Wei: Never Sorry
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ma6Q03ljdrg
Click here to view the embedded video.
China’s most controversial artist proves that loving your country sometimes means fighting against it.
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Next Workshop / Tutoring Session:
World Congress of Science & Factual Producers, Montreal
Co-Production Surgery: US Funds and Foundations
Thursday, December 5th 9:00-12:30
The post Independent Lens: The Curators’ Vision & Commissioning Process (2/2) appeared first on DocumentaryTelevision.com.