While most of my documentary film experience — many years in NYC — involved working for broadcasters via production companies, I’ve also produced and directed some independent documentaries. In the US, “independent” means raising the money by jumping, somersaulting and skydiving through hoops.
Then I came to Canada, and as luck would have it, I met Tracey Friesen, who was then executive producer of the National Film Board’s Vancouver office. I worked on a project with her – and what a treat. Friesen is a can-do person with a quick mind and an extrovert’s confidence. I soon realized the Canadian documentary world, which relies heavily on government funds, is very different than in the US, where funds often come from many sources, including foundations. But one aspect is the same. Funders, whether public or private, want to know a film’s potential outreach and impact. And this part of the skydiving, somersaulting hoop experience is increasingly complicated as online digital tools constantly change and improve.
To the rescue, Friesen’s book, “Story Money Impact: Funding Media for Social Change” (Routledge Press), which shines light on the ever-shifting film/fund/impact conundrum.
This may be Friesen’s first book, but she’s played big on the Vancouver, and the Canadian, film scene for many years. After ten years with the NFB, she worked for a short time with a Vancouver foundation, and then prepared studies about media and funding for another organization. Most recently she joined forces with radio star Don Shafer to create a community focused, commercial radio station, Roundhouse Radio 98.3FM.
“Story Money Impact” is a “101” resource book, formatted as a guide fully equipped with worksheets, for any and all filmmakers and funders who want to understand how to get their message out with measurable effect. While it is targeted for an academic market, it will fit comfortably on the shelf with other well-loved and useful film, funding source and editing/writing/scripting how-to books.
As the title infers, the book is neatly divided into three categories. (okay, there is a dangling section with allies or those in independent journalism, digital platforms and radio). The reader quickly enters Friesen’s meticulously organized mind as chapters are tidily sectioned into sub-categories, each of which pairs an interview with a film to highlight the topic under consideration. By weight of words, the book feels like its heart is in the interviews (and this is a stellar cast), but in point of fact, it is in the lists.
Or, as Friesen might say, the take aways.
About Story: Photo by Bill Weaver
Friesen outlines six points that help tell a good story, from narrative arc to access, but by book’s end, it is clear that hitting the right emotional tone is the most important storytelling element. Elise Pearlstein from Participant Media, US, talks about protecting the filmmaker in the initial process from the overwhelm of outreach and distribution considerations, but her voice is later buried in a chorus of others that press the importance of planning for social impact while developing the film and seeking funders.
In Friesen’s first Producer’s Memo (Memos are included in each section to personalize with a case study based on her NFB experience), she focuses on Carts of Darkness. The questions she asks will help filmmakers hone their stories in order to present them to executive producers, broadcasters and funders. This is not a Robert Mckee in-depth story structure lesson, but Friesen has a lot of territory to cover. Next up, Money.
About Money
Since funding structures vary country to country, this section has to be read with perspective in mind. Through interviews and contextualizing, Friesen touches on approaches in England, Australia, the US and Canada. Two sample financing scenarios are presented in the appendix: Hadwin’s Judgment, an NFB international coproduction that cost over a million dollars; and Big Joy: the Adventures of James Broughton (US), a more common independent documentary film budget at just over $500,000 that, sadly, is about half in-kind.
A great tip comes from Geralyn Dreyfous of Impact Partners Film fund, US, who says, filmmakers should have someone comfortable asking for funding on their team. The funding worksheet is also helpful.
About Impact
The Impact Section digs deep and looks at the shifts in how impact is studied. Debika Shome, Harmony Institute, US, (a great interview, by the way) talks about a site they launched in 2015 as a free service where filmmakers can explore the social impact of past documentaries. As Dreyfous says, filmmakers need no longer think of getting the “scoop” but of becoming part of a pod of films that together address specific social justice concerns. Also found online is BRITDOC’s “Impact Field Guide and Toolkit”, which Friesen raves about.
Photo by Bill Weaver
The book is chock a block with great interviews with some film world powerhouses, such as Beadie Finzi of BRITDOC, Geralyn Dreyfous, Steve Cohen of The Chicago Media Project, Elise Pearlstein and, those closer to home, such as Michelle van Beusekom, NFB, Andrea Seale, David Suzuki Foundation, Katherine Dodds, Hello Cool World and Vancouver Observer’s founder, Linda Solomon.
By book’s end, filmmaker and funder alike will have a good sense of the conversations taking place around funding films for social change, and if they fill out the worksheets, a clearly outlined project plan.
Friesen has inspired many with her passion for film and social change. This book is just one more example. I’m hoping there will be a second book soon (nudge, nudge) that will guide funders and filmmakers on a new Canadian funding path.
Friesen is leading a workshop at Hollyhock on Story Money Impact at the beginning of June.