Documentarytelevision.com: Inside PBS’s POV Documentary Strand

[gmolodtsov]

В США есть много частных сайтов, создаваемых специалистами в разных областях. Один из них - http://www.documentarytelevision.com
Эксперт сайта, предоставляющий как консультативные, так и образовательные и продюсерские услуги, ведет постоянное обновление информации о том, по каким правилам в США существует те немногие островки независимого документального кино.



В мире самым известным таким "островком независимости" и пристанищем для неамериканских документальных фильмов явлется слот POV, показываемый в летний сезон с небольшим захлестом на осень на общественном телевидении сша - PBS. Здесь стоило бы рассказать о системе организации PBS через членские станции в каждом из 210 основных округов США, но это довольно долго. Общая идея такая: PBS предоставляет членским станциям контент, который они вправе разместить в свои свобоные слоты. Но, чтобы гарантировать корпоративным спонсорам и фондам зрительский охват, есть устоявшиеся слоты и стренды, которые показываются всегда в одинаковое время. И, в основном, в прайм-тайм. Для документалистов это, прежде всего, POV, Independent Lens, FRONTLINE и American Experience.

Слот POV реализуется компанией American Documentaries с офисом в Бруклине, практически прямо под Манхеттенским мостом.

Адрес их сайта, где, кроме линейки их фильмов в этом сезоне, вы можете найти кучу информации для независимых режиссеров (календари, дедлайны, фонды, статьи, блоги и пр) простой: http://www.pbs.org/pov

К сожалению, у меня нет возможности перевести весь материал, который сделал Питер Хамильтон на Documentarytelevision.com, но я просто вставлю английский текст и буду надеятся, что те, кому это нужно, смогут это прочесть и усвоить :)

In its 26 seasons, POV has racked up an impressive list of accomplishments:

• More than 390 films
• Lots of Awards
  • Seventeen Oscar nominations, eleven since 2005: 5 Broken Cameras, Cutie and the Boxer, The Act of Killing, If a Tree Falls, The Barber of Birmingham, Food, Inc. The Most Dangerous Man in America, The Betrayal, My Country My Country, Street Fight, Hardwood, and more
  • 32 Emmys
  • Numerous DuPont and Peabody awards, including recent Peabody awards for Best Kept Secret, and The Law in These Parts.

Spending:

• More than $50 million since 1988
• $1 million per year in production funding and licensing fees
• Plus $2 million per year on community engagement, education, online and public awareness campaigns that support each film
• A funding magnet
  • A POV commitment has given filmmakers the leverage to raise millions more from foundations, private investors and government agencies
• Audience and community impact
  • Each broadcast premiere reaches more than 1 million viewers, plus online streams
  • Community engagement, educational and online activities are central to all POV campaigns

The Pipeline

POV offers 20-25 films from feature length to shorts

• 14-16 premieres / year
• 2-4 encores - often of Academy Award nominees or notable films from previous season

Budget Benchmarks

According to Simon Kilmurry:

• On the high end, production budgets are $1 million plus
• The average is about $375K to $450K
• And about $200K on the low end

Funding

The annual operating budget for POV is $3.2 million

Sources of funding are:

• PBS: $1.5 million
• McArthur Fund: $500K
• NEA: $100K
• Bertha Foundation: $70K
• New York State Council on the Arts: $40K
• Additional: “Grants and contributions vary from year to year. Our sources include the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and the desJardins/Blachman Fund.”

Program Length

Feature Length (81:25)

• Around 7-8 / year
• Includes POV branding, sponsor messages, credits, DVD offer, etc.
• Most include a filmmaker interview
• (PBS slot is 86:46)

Hour (51:25)

• Around 6-7 / year
• Includes filmmaker interview, POV branding, etc.

Shorts

• 3-5 / year
• POV occasionally packages a broadcast hour comprised of half-hours and shorts
• And many features come in at 70+/- minutes, and they need shorts to fill the slot

Commercial Arrangements

License Fee

• The basic fee is $30,000/hour or $45,000 / feature
• The high mark is $150,000 / film

Rights

• 6 plays over 4 years
• Community engagement screenings
• Online streaming catchup windows
• Limited PBS Free-VOD

DVD

Filmmakers cut their own DVD deals:

• “POV often facilitates deals and does not take a rev share”
• POV offers a DVD promotional tag at the close of each program
• PBS Home Video often acquires home video rights in deals directly with filmmakers

Takeaways

POV is a major broadcast player for the U.S. independent documentary community:

• POV, Independent Lens and HBO Docs offer the peak U.S. broadcast slots for feature docs.
• The longevity, scale and prominence of the POV slot all underline the tremendous value of the PBS system to independent filmmakers and their viewers.
• A greenlight from POV is not a one-stop solution for filmmakers. POV partially funds docs. However, POV commissioners do actively partner with international broadcasters and foundations to help complete budgets.

SELECTION PROCESS

Filters:

• Great non-fiction storytelling.
• Address social issues and issues neglected elsewhere.
• Have a strong point of view from the filmmaker and/or the characters.
• Character-driven:
  • “Our strand is called ‘POV’ for a reason” says VP of Programming & Production Chris White. “Our films are often a subjective take on a controversial issue.”
  • “POV films Involve viewers in an issue through the eyes of an active participant or observer.”
• Aesthetically bold: “The filmmaker has a unique editorial style that pushes the boundaries of the craft of filmmaking.”
• Emotional resonance

Curatorial Discretion

• POV’s filters are combined with a “curatorial eye”
  • The POV team ensures that themes and styles are not repeated.
  • And that needed topics are explored.

• “Themes frequently emerge organically” says POV’s Executive Producer Simon Kilmurry. “Examples are human rights and immigration.”

Domestic? Or Global?

• U.S. topics: 10+/-
• International topics: 6+/-
  • “About half of these come from international filmmakers - but the mix varies from year to year.”

Marketing and Promotional Clout

We asked if it makes a difference if a project arrives with powerful marketing relationships in place:

• “We’re interested in hooks and ties that will expand a film’s audience. But it’s the quality of the film that leads the decision.”
• POV develops national public awareness campaigns which can include presenting films to critics at the Television Critics, satellite tv and radio media tours.

Technical Format

• HD
• Film

ACQUISITIONS PROCESS & TIMELINE

1. Open Call

• End of June
• POV receives 800-1,000 entries for 16+/- slots
• The entries fall into three categories based on their level of completion:
  • In the Works
    Treatment and some scenes are complete
    Few projects are funded that are in these early stages
    But many are watched or mentored for the next year’s Open Call
  • Completion Funding
    Substantially complete: rough cut or close
    They represent 50% of funded projects
  • Fine Cuts
    Films need post: 50% of projects

2. Scouting

POV staff also attends many markets and festivals scouting for projects in production

• These include Sundance, IDFA (Amsterdam), Hot Docs (Toronto), Sheffield Doc/Fest, Full Frame and others

3. Screening for Short List

• June- September
• 20 pre-screeners + 5 POV staff members sift through the 800-1,000 Open Call applicants
• They develop a shortlist of 25-30 films

4. Editorial Advisory Committee

• Selection panel is comprised of
  • 6 public TV station representatives
  • 6 independents, including filmmakers and festival programmers
• Panel is sequestered for a long weekend in early October
  • Each film is screened by 4 of 12 panelists
  • Each film is presented to the full panel, with extended clips
  • Final 15-16 films recommended by end of weekend
• The POV team exercises a final ‘curatorial filter’ in case a topic or style of filmmaking is over-represented
• The final decision made by POV’s executive producer

5. Contract

• Offers are sent out after final decision

POST / COMPLETION

• Filmmakers who accept the offer complete their work and cut their film to the POV clock
• Kilmurry says “POV provides editorial feedback and support, but we don’t make the final cut. The filmmaker’s vision is key.”
• The work is completed either in the filmmaker’s facilities or in POV’s editing suites
• Winners are announced in early February

BROADCAST

Schedule

• The POV slot is scheduled weekly on Monday nights at 10PM, June-October

Audience

• The PBS footprint covers 115 million TV households, and POV reaches 96%+/- of them
• Audience for premieres:
  • High: 1,900,000
  • Low: 500,000

Outreach

• POV has a mission to create dialogue in communities around issues that are raised in its films
• The POV team works in partnership with local organizations and PBS stations, organizing over 700 screenings around the US annually.
• Lesson plans, discussion guides and resource lists are developed for all films
• Examples of outreach resources are: Here, here, here and here

OTHER POV INITIATIVES

• American Documentary Inc is the non-profit organization that is the parent of POV.
• A new series AMERICA REFRAMED was launched in 2012 in collaboration with the WORLD.
• AMERICA REFRAMED licenses completed films focused on contemporary American stories.
• Films that are in a second window are eligible for AMERICA REFRAMED
• The license fee for AMERICA REFRAMED IS $4,o00 for a two-year license.
• POV HACKATHONS - held 4 times per year, the HACKATHONS are a place to experiment with new digital storytelling tools, matching filmmakers with coders and programmers to develop prototypes. Applications due by 5/31.
• Digital Co-productions - With funding from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, POV will increase its digital co-productions, hire a technology fellow and continue its successful Hackathons.
• Filmmaker Resources - POV launched a new online resource for filmmakers with opportunities for funding, distribution and festivals.

Partnerships

POV and The New York Times announced a collaboration to premiere a series of digital documentaries on the organizations’ websites, with accompanying articles and interviews, throughout 2014.

И еще раз - материал опубликован с сайта DocumentaryTelevision.com. Фотографии - мои.