Room 2806: The Accusation is a 4-parter from France’s CAPA Productions that follows the sexual assault case in New York involving French presidential candidate and IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn. On May 14 2011, Nafissatou Diallo, a hotel maid reported that DSK had forced her to perform oral sex in his suite in the Sofitel Hotel …
The Academy announced the eligible candidates for Oscar consideration in the Documentary Feature category for 2021. APOCALYPSE ’45 is one of the candidates. Don’t miss our detailed Case Study of how producer / director Erik Nelson developed and completed his gripping archive-based project for Discovery. Case Study APOCALYPSE ’45: Discovery’s powerful WW2 documentary in virtual …
Oscar Documentary Award 2021. APOCALYPSE ’45: The Road from Concept to Qualification Read More »
Twelve documentary buyers and producers reveal what drives their decisions. Each commissioner is driven by a particular strategy, pipeline and budget ‘sweet spot’. Each producer describes a unique path from concept through funding and production to distribution. Since 2010, the mission of my Documentary Business newsletter has been to reveal how these individual production pathways …
Who are the documentary buyers? What do they want? How many? Deal highlights and more Read More »
Director Erik Nelson describes Apocalypse ’45 as the “first 20 minutes of Saving Private Ryan meets Apollo 11.” He shares his original concept; how his almost casual pitch to Discovery‘s Howard Swartz led to a full commission; the archive research and transfer process; his veteran interviews; the pre-edit planning, editing and final delivery. Our informative …
Making Discovery’s APOCALYPSE ’45: A podcast with director Erik Nelson Read More »
Discovery Channel and distributor Abramorama teamed for a virtual theatrical and broadcast rollout of Apocalypse ‘45. This powerful documentary from Oscar-nominee Erik Nelson recounts the harrowing end of WW2, using unseen archive and the eyewitness accounts of 24 veterans who lived through the Pacific campaign. My Apocalypse ‘45 Case Study and podcasts capture the development, …
Independent filmmaker Pat McGee explores the fast track production of his feature documentary Bernie Blackout: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised . We discuss: The Concept: documenting Bernie Sanders’ campaign and the media bias against him. His unique access to the Sanders campaign. The High-risk decision to commit to the production without a buyer. The …
“26 Days to Kill de Gaulle” is a unique French production made possible by the discovery of a hidden archive that suggested a dramatic documentary format which blends facts with speculation. Talweg Productions’ Vincent Gazaigne shared the story of his project from concept to delivery for Sunny Side of the Doc. The Case Study is sponsored …
I’m reading in The New York Times about the complex system of COVID-testing and armband ID’s used by the director Baltasar Kormakur to get his Sci-Fi series back into production. According to Mr Kormakur, as well as a rigorous protocol for testing, temperature-taking and masking, “those wearing yellow armbands could be near the camera; the …