DocumentaryBusiness.com
My newsletter DocumentaryBusiness.com, formerly DocumentaryTelevision.com, is my ‘indispensable’ platform for sharing my current industry analysis with more than 20,000 network executives, producers and professionals in 150+ countries.
Dawn Porter, Sundance Finalist and MIPDOC Keynote on her Productions and their Inspirations
At MIPTV in Cannes, I caught up with Dawn Porter multiple Sundance finalist and this year’s MIPDOC keynote speaker. In our latest Documentary Business webinar, Dawn describes how her Harlem family, and particularly her great, great uncle Paul Robeson provide values that inspire her filmmaking. We discuss her recent projects as well as her present […]
ANZAC Day & the Aussie Prince. How Rupert Murdoch Learned from his Kingmaker Father. My Rafah Connection
How did Rupert Murdoch become Rupert? My short answer: Look to the father! Keith Murdoch was the Australian kingmaker who taught the young Rupert how to forge political influence from media ownership. For Australia’s solemnly observed ANZAC Day (April 25), I reposted my reflections on how the disastrous Gallipoli campaign launched the Murdoch dynasty that enabled Brexit, Fox News, the Trump […]
True Crime: The Boom Continues. What’s Breaking Through?
The True Crime boom continues. And evolves. Ampere Analysis‘ findings presented at the recent MIPDOC capture how True Crime (in light blue) dominates all other genres in net added programs on four of the Big 5 major streaming platforms. And ID‘s disturbing Nickelodeon expose Quiet On Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV dominated minutes […]
RAPTORS: Indie Producer Matt Hamilton’s Copro for Terra Mater Studios and PBS Nature. A Case Study for MIPDOC ’24
Independent producer / director Matt Hamilton created for Terra Mater Studios and PBS’s NATURE series, a superb two-parter that reveals the magnificent world of raptors to a global audience. For our RAPTORS Case Study, I connected with Vienna-based Sabine Holzer, Head of Specialist Factual, Terra Mater Studios, Nature’s Executive Producer Fred Kaufman, and Matt Hamilton. […]
MIPDOC ’24: Co-Production Case Study, Meet the Expert Sessions, and Dawn Porter’s Keynote
The 26th International Documentary and Factual Co-Production Market & Screenings is back again this year during a dedicated weekend ahead of MIPTV. Gathering the international doc & factual community, MIPDOC offers 2 days of networking, screenings, pitch, and conferences. I produced the inspiring Co-production Case Study and two Meet the Expert sessions, and helped arrange […]
Factual Trends 2024. What I Learned about Buyers, Buckets and Budgets
What are the key trends for Factual producers and buyers as we work our way towards 2Q24 and MIPTV? I’ve been checking in with industry insiders and analysts for their key Takeaways, and here my highlights from these conversations. Top Finding: The Documentary business boomed in the ‘Eighties thru the late ‘Teens as dozens of […]
NEWF Pan-African Wildlife Congress: Breakout Funding by Nat Geo Society. Webinar with Noel Kok
I caught up with Noel Kok, the co-executive director of NEWF, Africa’s Nature, Environment & Wildlife Filmmakers Congress. In our webinar, Noel described how NEWF moved at full speed into training and mentoring filmmakers from all over Africa from its Durban base and brand new facility nearby in KwaZulu Province. National Geographic Society‘s Storytelling Program is NEWF’s […]
On the Road Again in ’24. Takeaways from NATPE and Realscreen Summit
The 2024 Conference season kicked off in earnest in January with back-to-back-to-back events in Miami (NATPE) and New Orleans (Realscreen). Producers, distributors, and content platforms all gathered once again to network and pitch as our industry tries to steady itself coming out of a challenging 2023. Cactus Tree Entertainment President Liz Levenson and True North’s […]
Netflix Dominates the Streamers: Comparing 2023’s Most Viewed Unscripted Shows
Netflix rolls on, leaving its competitors far behind! Netflix just announced the second largest quarterly uptick in subscribers (13.1 million) in the company’s history, second only to Q1 2020 (15.8 million), which benefitted from the onset of the COVID pandemic. Cutbacks in spending on programs and marketing by Netflix’s streaming rivals is a key factor […]
Sundance: How to Improve Your Chance of Acceptance into the Documentary Program
Producers submitted 1,809 feature documentaries for the Sundance program. Thirty-four films were selected, as I reported here. Six of the 34 selections (18%) had received prior Sundance support through labs or grants. That’s comparable to 19% in 2023, and 22% in 2022. Selected documentaries for 2024 in the ‘Prior Funding’ category are: Igualada / Colombia, […]