The importance of making a promotional video, writing a proposal and a letter of enquiry so that you will find the necessary funding for your documentary.

In today's competitive world of film, you need more than just an idea or a written proposal. Many sponsors and stakeholders are only convinced when they SEE something that MOVES them.

Most broadcasters today prefer to buy the finished product. On the positive side, the producer can then retain the intellectual capital. However, the trick is getting the production funds to make the finished product. This is where the promotional video is vital.

After aligning your self with a suitable facility house, which agrees to assist you with postproduction facilities, you are ready to begin.

Making the Video:

The promo is the first impression for potential funding organizations and there is only one chance to do it right! When making the video consider the following criteria:

Subject Matter:

Before you even begin filming, you should do all the necessary research so that you can easily answer any related questions.

Presenter/Voice Over:

It is wise to find your intended presenter and use him or her for the promo. The same applies for a suitable voice over artist. You can agree to hire him or her for the making of the actual documentary once the funds have been sourced.

Locations:

Unless your facility house has a filming studio, you will need to find a location for shooting. Quality is everything!

Music:

Facility houses with sound studios will most likely have a great variety of usable tracks from which to choose. Remember that if you are planning to use well-known artists' work for the actual documentary, you need permission and may need to pay a relative fee.

Potential Stakeholders:

During research, you should compile a list of potential sponsors and stakeholders and contact them in due course.

Broadcasters:

Whether you are planning to sell the finished documentary to a broadcaster or you are looking for a broadcaster to co-sponsor with funding organizations, you will also need to send them a project proposal.

The Proposal:

When the promotional video is ready, you should have the letter of enquiry and proposal ready for the funding organizations and broadcaster.

The proposal should include:

• Concept
• Motivation
• Distribution and marketing plan
• Treatment
• Track record of company
• The letter of enquiry should include:
• Focus of the series
• Genre
• Target market
• Intentions
• Financial requirements
• The process

Depending on content, it will take a day or two to shoot the video and about three days to edit. You may decide to make an example of a program or snippets from the entire documentary series.

After shooting, digitize the footage, copy it onto a hard drive and view the tapes. Be clear about what you want. Then inspire your editor with your dream. It does help to have your own computer with final cut pro so that you can easily stay ahead of the game. Work closely with your editor, making sure your dream becomes reality!

Once the footage is roughly assembled on a timeline, write the voice over script. It will come pretty naturally at this stage because you should know exactly what the message of the documentary is.

When you have combined the voice over with the visuals and soundtrack, and you have polished the show, render it and copy a disk that is clearly marked and packaged professionally.

Be Patient:

Chances are the prospective funding organizations have many other requests to deal with. However, DO follow up that the proposal was delivered and received by the correct person.