Documentaries as a Platform for Change
For over 20 years, I have produced documentaries, not only as an art form, but also as a platform for change. Documentaries are a compelling format for activism, education, outreach, and action. The vast number of streaming entities has increased opportunities, as well as, commercial viability. of this format tremendously. The popularity of documentaries has also soared allowing documentary filmmakers greater “eyeball exposure”. Nontraditional theatrical screenings, such as in museums, science centers, schools and association/corporate gatherings, have increased revenue streams and audiences for documentaries, in addition.
There is always an underlying cause or motive for creating these type of projects. Yes, they must certainly be entertaining, engaging, and inspiring to garner the audiences’ attention along with being highly informative. However, to understand a documentary filmmaker, one must consider that many of the projects are purpose-oriented, labors of love, and personally motivated as a response “to wanting to do something” - whether it be a current issue, to be a voice for those who have none, or to enlighten the public on a subject. Although filmmaking can still be considered high risk, the business and distribution opportunities are plentiful. Documentary filmmaking has evolved to be a highly sought after and profitable art form.
To be effective, documentaries must be story- driven and connect the audiences on an intellectual but also deeply emotional level. Those appearing in documentaries should be credible participants, demonstrative storytellers, vetted experts, and overall, relatable, Audiences must also be shown as to why they should care and why they should take action. To do a “doom and gloom” documentary isn’t motivating except to have people turn it off. Rather, audiences must be shown that they have the power to change and that there is hope even in the face of hopelessness.
Educational institutions, governmental agencies, nonprofit associations, and corporations have discovered documentaries as a worthy forum for membership recruitment, visibility, grassroots movement, volunteerism, fundraising, dissemination of information on the global stage, and other. They further have the power to shape the hearts and minds of future generations and even with children, in turn, with their parents and grandparents.
We are a society, more fast paced than ever, that inhale the visual, the stories, and produced content. There are substantial and countless competing platforms for our time, focus, and consumption. Now more than ever, documentaries are in demand by content providers and distributors. If there ever was a time for producing documentaries, particularly those of quality and with all of the aesthetics and features that blockbusters have, that time is now.
