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The future of documentaries in “the library of the air”

Written by Jess Chandler
Tuesday, 02 December 2008 00:00

TV schedules are saturated with factual programming. While strands like Storyville and First Cut in the UK remain dedicated to the promotion of independent documentary filmmakers, the overwhelming majority of factual slots are committed to the repetitive production of celebrity-driven, tastelessly voyeuristic and often patronising “reality” shows. Constructed, manufactured entertainment is masquerading as reality.

But what of the art of documentary filmmaking? As more and more filmmakers search for alternative means of funding and distribution, the internet may provide a final haven with documentaries leading the way in the inevitable progression of digital media.

“Factual Entertainment” has emerged as the new configuration of the TV documentary genre, indicating the shift of the documentary along the spectrum of popular entertainment. This fusion indicates a collapse of traditional genre boundaries; rigidities are unhealthy, but the combination of these two forms seems to me to be working to the complete detriment of the former. BAFTA award-winning documentary maker Molly Dineen’s observation that documentary is “fast becoming soap opera to keep its place in the schedules” voices an opinion shared by many of her contemporaries. Independent documentary filmmakers increasingly seem to share the feeling that the possibilities for the production of factual television are becoming severely limited by the commercial criteria of commissioning editors; financial pressures and rigid formulaic demands are taking precedent over creative integrity. The need for sensationalism, the continual dumbing down of factual content, and the institutional mentality of the industry are gradually spurning an alternative alliance of filmmakers who are turning to the internet for funding and distribution.

The landscape of online distribution is rapidly evolving, both in scale and technological capability. With the iTunes Store leading the way in the legal download sphere and torrent file-sharing communities continually expanding, there is now little choice but to follow the trend and consider the possibilities opened up by the comparative freedom of online distribution. As people increasingly attune their viewing habits to the flexibility of streaming, the opportunities for gaining large viewing numbers lie increasingly with internet, not with television. The widest distribution is that available through what Albert Maysles describes as the “library of the air”, where a documentary maker may hope to have his or her “masterwork…readily viewed at little cost to any one of millions punching into their computers.”

Peter Dale, former head of More4 and Documentary Events at Channel 4, and witness to the successive stages of the industry’s progression, insists that fresh thinking is needed regarding funding, technology, and distribution. There is a need not just for “new stories, but new ways of getting them heard.” At issue is a fundamental question about communication: what is the most effective way to make yourself heard by the largest number of people? While the internet poses the danger of falling into obscurity and insignificance, the huge number of television channels, and the takeover of reality and entertainment programming, has made the internet an option to be taken far more seriously. This shift in domain is no longer a prospect for the future; documentary makers are already demonstrating the value of taking an alternative route to the traditional commissioning editor production line.

The influence and popularity of iPlayer and Channel 4 On Demand is playing an extremely significant role in the gradual shift in people’s viewing habits. The decision by mainstream channels to expand their distribution to the internet was initially a reaction to an unstoppable trend – they had to join in, or else suffer the consequences of falling behind. With the availability of terrestrial programmes online, for free, the momentum is now being propelled from a new angle. They have made online viewing the norm so that broadcast via the internet is no longer associated with illegality and poor quality, but is a respectable faction of mainstream visual media distribution. These terrestrial channel portals are, of course, streaming material that has already been through the commissioning process; it is, in essence, still television. But the change being instigated is extremely important; it takes a reputable name to initiate a revolution.

The encouragement of and participation in online distribution by some of the most important forces in television is a clear sign of the inevitability of this progression and of its importance. Channel 4’s Britdoc Foundation belongs to the next phase of the process; its aim is to focus on new ways, alongside television, of developing, funding and distributing the work of the next generation of UK documentary filmmakers. By acknowledging the rapid transformation of the media landscape, the initiative is committed to “going beyond TV to find new ways to make important, world-changing documentaries happen.” Channel 4 has joined a movement that otherwise threatened to cause its demise.

Sites like Babelgum and Joost are utilizing the possibilities of technology to expand the potential for independent broadcast. Babelgum markets itself as an independent web TV platform, combining “the full-screen video quality of traditional television with the interactive capabilities of the internet”. Its goal is “to act as an international ‘glue’, bringing a huge range of content to a global audience” with a particular focus on independent film. Babelgum offers filmmakers a secure platform on which to distribute their programming worldwide, as well as providing business models by which they can “monetise their assets”. Online distribution does not equate with cost-free viewing; financial issues are central to the success of these initiatives, particularly in the current financial climate.

While creative freedoms may be unlimited via internet broadcast, there must also be the opportunity to make money or else the independent film market will soon find itself redundant. With new technologies making broadcast quality cameras and editing software available at an affordable cost, documentaries are now cheaper than ever to make. Reducing the cost of marketing by confining distribution to the internet provides yet another favourable condition. The story of A Swarm of Angels attests to the possibilities of online funding. A project initiated by film producer and author Matt Hanson, founder of the onedotzero digital film festival, A Swarm of Angels is an open source film project, whose aim is “to make the world’s first internet-funded, crewed and distributed feature film.” Through the collaboration and financial support of 50,000 subscribers, a £1 million production has been enabled. The success of Hanson’s project is unprecedented and sets an inspiring example of the power of communal creativity and support. Collaborative projects, funded by individuals, may well be the way of the future, allowing complete freedom from the demands of traditional commercial broadcast. They also guarantee an audience; in this case over 50,000 sources of promotion and exposure.

The idea of community lies at the core of independent documentary filmmaking. Support networks, allowing filmmakers to offer and receive advice, share ideas and resources, are gradually evolving into influential production forces. One notable example is The Workbook Project; founded by Lance Weiler, a filmmaker and “self-distribution pioneer”, the project’s goal is “to create a free resource for content creators that will become a user contributed repository of information.” Describing itself as an “open source social experiment”, The Workbook Project offers extensive information about funding, production values, clearance and delivery issues, how to create a fan base and a buzz, how to make TV deals and deal with sales, and how to target emerging markets. It is essentially a support network, and offers invaluable assistance to filmmakers starting out and following alternative funding and distribution routes.

Indiegogo is an online network with a similar ethos, a “social marketplace connecting filmmakers and fans to make independent film happen.” The platform offers filmmakers the tools for “project funding, recruiting and promotion, while enabling the audience to discover and connect directly with filmmakers and the causes they support.” So, community and collaboration relies heavily on audience support and enthusiasm. It is built upon this essential relationship and its success is dependant upon it. Inherent in the collaborative foundation of online filmmaking is an association between filmmaker and viewer with which television will never be able to compete.

But can films ever achieve real success if they are confined to online distribution? One of the most talked about films at this year’s Sheffield Doc/Fest was a documentary based on Naomi Wolf’s book The End of America. The film of the same name, directed by Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern, was made within a period of three months in order to be ready for distribution before the US election in November. Its frightening comparison of the current situation in America with the conditions of pre-fascist regimes made it a campaign film as much as anything else; its rapid and widespread distribution was essential. The film was not released for cinema or television, and instead relied entirely on the power of the internet to spread the word. The film was distributed by IndiePix, home to the broadest online selection of indie films from around the world, providing filmmakers with the opportunity to distribute their projects while maintaining the rights to their work. Through IndiePix, the film was made available for purchase. “House Party Screening Kits” sold in large numbers, part of a tradition that has become extremely popular in America – people purchase a number of copies of a film at a reduced price, hold a screening of it in their home, and sell it to their friends at the end. A huge number of copies were sold in a very short length of time.

There is something exciting about this kind of social epidemic; online documentary distribution makes audiences feel involved and allows everyone to participate in the communication of issues that matter. The documentary film will always be a political force and the self-initiating nature of online distribution holds great appeal. Viewers are transformed from passive voyeurs, soaking up whatever information is placed before them, to active seekers and spreaders of information – promoters of and campaigners for real matters of social interest and concern.