The Insiders’ Guide to Factual Filmmaking is an accessible and comprehensive ‘how to’ guide about the craft of making documentaries for TV, online or social media. Filmmaker Tony Stark distils a long career at the BBC and as an independent producer to explain the conceptual, visual, editorial and organisational skills needed to make impactful and stylish factual films. Interviews with top industry professionals in the UK and US - commissioners, executive producers, filmmakers, strand editors and media lawyers – add valuable insight and authority to this book. For more experienced filmmakers The Insiders’ Guide tells you how to get the green light for undercover investigations, how to tell film stories online and on social media, and how to budget a factual film. This is a key text for anyone who wants to succeed in the rapidly changing, competitive freelance markets in Britain and America. It provides expert guidance to students on filmmaking courses, journalists wanting to move from print to video and non-professionals with an interest in film-making. Whatever the final destination of your film – and whatever the budget - The Insiders’ Guide provides a vital roadmap. The book’s accompanying website is a ‘show-me’ resource for new directors: with 24 specially-shot film clips illustrating the key rules of filmic grammar and sequence shooting – together with downloadable versions of essential production forms.

"The recipe book of great television from one of the best TV makers in the world" Jamie Oliver Story structure is a huge weakness for many factual or reality filmmakers and TV producers, who often concentrate on subject areas and issues rather than dramatic and memorable narrative. Consequently programmes fail to attract the audience or win any awards. In this book Robert Thirkell, the international consultant known as 'The TV Troubleshooter' and renowned television producer, sets out a professional toolkit for developing a compelling storyline in factual and reality programmes and films. Based on his popular international C.O.N.F.L.I.C.T seminars, it lifts the lids on the making of leading series such as Kitchen Nightmares, Wife Swap, The Apprentice, Coastguards, Firefighters, Oprah's Big Give Fat March, Jamie's School Dinners and When Big Chef Met Little Chef as well as offering insight and advice from leading filmmakers and TV producers worldwide. The tips and tools go right the way through the filmmaking process from finding stories and characters, to structuring scripts and filming, editing, through to delivery, titles and getting people to watch.

"The recipe book of great television from one of the best TV makers in the world" Jamie Oliver Story structure is a huge weakness for many factual or reality filmmakers and TV producers, who often concentrate on subject areas and issues rather than dramatic and memorable narrative. Consequently programmes fail to attract the audience or win any awards. In this book Robert Thirkell, the international consultant known as 'The TV Troubleshooter' and renowned television producer, sets out a professional toolkit for developing a compelling storyline in factual and reality programmes and films. Based on his popular international C.O.N.F.L.I.C.T seminars, it lifts the lids on the making of leading series such as Kitchen Nightmares, Wife Swap, The Apprentice, Coastguards, Firefighters, Oprah's Big Give Fat March, Jamie's School Dinners and When Big Chef Met Little Chef as well as offering insight and advice from leading filmmakers and TV producers worldwide. The tips and tools go right the way through the filmmaking process from finding stories and characters, to structuring scripts and filming, editing, through to delivery, titles and getting people to watch.

"The recipe book of great television from one of the best TV makers in the world" Jamie Oliver Story structure is a huge weakness for many factual or reality filmmakers and TV producers, who often concentrate on subject areas and issues rather than dramatic and memorable narrative. Consequently programmes fail to attract the audience or win any awards. In this book Robert Thirkell, the international consultant known as 'The TV Troubleshooter' and renowned television producer, sets out a professional toolkit for developing a compelling storyline in factual and reality programmes and films. Based on his popular international C.O.N.F.L.I.C.T seminars, it lifts the lids on the making of leading series such as Kitchen Nightmares, Wife Swap, The Apprentice, Coastguards, Firefighters, Oprah's Big Give Fat March, Jamie's School Dinners and When Big Chef Met Little Chef as well as offering insight and advice from leading filmmakers and TV producers worldwide. The tips and tools go right the way through the filmmaking process from finding stories and characters, to structuring scripts and filming, editing, through to delivery, titles and getting people to watch.

Critically acclaimed, award-winning independent filmmakers Mark and Michael Polish offer this practical guide to writing, shooting, editing, scoring, promoting, and distributing short and feature films--an indispensable resource for anyone interested in filmmaking.

This book explores the industrial and personal challenges faced by filmmakers in bringing the current worldwide craze for documentary films and series to screens small and large. Utilizing a number of case studies drawn from in-depth interviews with acclaimed documentary directors, producers, and screenwriters from around the world, Phoebe Hart offers a thematic analysis to reveal the risks and opportunities for practitioners. Hart examines these themes in the context of current scholarship to provide insight into the modes and methods of making factual screen content as she engages with the documentary form and the marking of it, acquisition of mastery and inspiration, and specific rituals and habits of practice. From the unique vantage point of being a “pracademic” – that is, being both a successful documentary filmmaker and a recognized screen researcher and teacher - Hart ultimately argues for greater support of filmmakers and pursuit of a deeper understanding of creative processes.

This book is aimed at independent media producers or storytellers interested in making sure they get maximum exposure in today's competitive market.