Documentary Film Production
Course code
BFM7403.FK
old course code
Course title in Estonian
Ideest paketini - dokumentaalfilmi produtseerimine
Course title in English
Documentary Film Production
ECTS credits
6.0
Assessment form
Examination
lecturer of 2023/2024 Spring semester
Not opened for teaching. Click the study programme link below to see the nominal division schedule.
lecturer of 2024/2025 Autumn semester
Not opened for teaching. Click the study programme link below to see the nominal division schedule.
Course aims
To teach the basics of the creative producing. To learn and practice visual writing and art of pitching. To give an abstract about functioning of the small and medium size production company.
Brief description of the course
The class will based on both theoretical and practical work: every student will develop the package of the documentary project that will be ready for production at the end of the class. We’ll have case studies of successful documentaries, learn the documentary slots of different European TV channels, and different financial sources (national foundations, Creative Europe, distributors) 7-page production kit will be prepared at the end of the class.
Week 1 Visit of Baltic Sea Documentary Forum in Riga
Week 2 Introduction to the class. Introduction to a documentary storytelling. Role of creative producer. Outcome: TV, cinema, DVD … Forms of collaboration with TV: commissioned, co-produced, pre-buy, buy. The birth of an idea. Evaluation of the ideas.
Week 3 Visual writing. Log-line. Synopsis. Treatment.
Week 4 Market survey and strategy. Databases of the documentary films. Slots of European TV channels. Distributors. Markets.
Week 5 Budget and financial plan. Financial sources (foundations, Creative Europe, sponsors). Creative budgeting.
Week 6 Distribution and markets
Week 7 Art of pitching
Week 8 Agreements (eke co-production)
Week 9 The structure and management of small and medium size production company. Can little player have big impact?
Week 10 Evaluation of production kits. Pitching of the projects.
Week 1 Visit of Baltic Sea Documentary Forum in Riga
Week 2 Introduction to the class. Introduction to a documentary storytelling. Role of creative producer. Outcome: TV, cinema, DVD … Forms of collaboration with TV: commissioned, co-produced, pre-buy, buy. The birth of an idea. Evaluation of the ideas.
Week 3 Visual writing. Log-line. Synopsis. Treatment.
Week 4 Market survey and strategy. Databases of the documentary films. Slots of European TV channels. Distributors. Markets.
Week 5 Budget and financial plan. Financial sources (foundations, Creative Europe, sponsors). Creative budgeting.
Week 6 Distribution and markets
Week 7 Art of pitching
Week 8 Agreements (eke co-production)
Week 9 The structure and management of small and medium size production company. Can little player have big impact?
Week 10 Evaluation of production kits. Pitching of the projects.
Learning outcomes in the course
Upon completing the course the student:
- understands what is visual writing, what is the task of creative producer, what kind of support is needed from the other team-members in order to develop the documentary project from idea to the production package;
- in the course of practical work the Mini-kit (production package) will be developed enabling to enter the production phase.
- understands what is visual writing, what is the task of creative producer, what kind of support is needed from the other team-members in order to develop the documentary project from idea to the production package;
- in the course of practical work the Mini-kit (production package) will be developed enabling to enter the production phase.
Teacher
Riho Västrik
Study programmes containing that course