Ask Programming
Shop Talk: Q & A with Programming
When is the International Call deadline for 2011?
The International Call 2011 deadline is December 10, 2010. The application will go live on October 15, 2010 and all submissions must be in-office by Friday, December 10. In addition, we aim to have an interactive international message board up and running by October 1.
What kinds of documentaries are you seeking?
For International Call, the › Continue reading
Shop Talk: Q & A with Programming
Q. My last program was funded by ITVS several years ago. I see that the Open Call guidelines state that I am not eligible to apply if I am not “up to date with reporting requirements.” How do I find out if I am current or not?
A. If you have previously received production funding from ITVS, your ancillary income reporting requirements were laid out in your original agreement. Please revisit this to understand your requirements. You should also contact the business finance staff if you have questions about your ancillary income reporting status or about the steps you need to take to come up to date.
› Continue reading
Ask Programming: Questions from Filmmakers
ITVS programming staff answer questions from filmmakers about the funding process:
Q. Does it help my application if I include letters of support from funders or letters of interest from broadcasters?
A. No, do not waste your efforts in padding your application with letters of interest and support––these do not improve the quality of your application under ITVS review.
From our point of view, the development of your idea and the overall quality of your project is apparent in the articulation of your program treatment and the execution of your work-in-progress.
For the application, letters of interest and support are extraneous. If you like, you can provide a brief summary (one to two sentences) of your supporters in a paragraph describing the project’s status.
Ask Programming About LINCS Funding
ITVS programming staff answer questions from filmmakers about the funding process:
Q: My proposal was declined from the last round of Open Call. Can I apply to LINCS with the same project?
A. Yes, you may apply for LINCS with the same project. The application and evaluation processes for the two initiatives are distinct and a declination in one initiative does not affect your chances in the other. There are differences between the initiatives. The most notable is that the LINCS initiative requires a producer and public television station partnership while Open Call does not. Please read the full guidelines to see if your project is a good fit for LINCS.
Q. I am putting together an application for LINCS. What makes a strong Letter of Agreement?
A. The Letter of Agreement is more than a simple contract between the filmmaker and the public television station. ITVS reviewers read an applicant’s Letter of Agreement as a reflection of the strength of your partnership with the public television station. The terms of this partnership are unique and vary for each production. However, the depth of commitment can be demonstrated in how well you lay out and articulate the obligations of the public television station and the role of the public television representative as well as the obligations of the filmmakers. Similar to your development and articulation of your program treatment, the Letter of Agreement should be one of substance.
For more guidance on crafting a Letter of Agreement >>
Ask Programming: FUTURESTATES
ITVS programming staff answer questions from filmmakers about the funding process:
Q: I recently discovered the FUTURESTATES website, and I’m really enjoying the films. How did ITVS come up with the idea for this project?
A: The long answer could fill a chapter in a book. But here’s the short version. ITVS has a long history of supporting independent narrative filmmakers, from TV Families in 1993, to the more recent Goodbye, Solo by Ramin Bahrani (airing nationally on Independent Lens on June 1st – check local listings). Back in the day, American Playhouse broadcast independent narrative films on PBS, but over the years it has become a lot harder for narratives to find a home on public television. Independent Lens remains one of the only national series to broadcast independent fiction films on PBS. Without guaranteed distribution on public television, how could ITVS continue to support narrative filmmakers in a way that made sense in the world of public media?
To help answer this question, ITVS convened two “Drama Summits” in 2007/2008, one in Los Angeles and another in New York. We brought together key stakeholders: writers, directors, and producers; academics; distributors; and media arts organizations. We learned a lot from this process, with discussions focusing on funding models, distribution obstacles, and new media opportunities. But one lesson stood out: Because of the broad scope of ITVS programming, narrative filmmakers found it difficult to know how to approach us with projects that fit our mission. They wanted clearer content guidelines. They wanted more direct cultivation and funding of narrative projects. It was clear we all needed a new way of working to create films that fit everyone’s needs, including the new generation of public media audiences.
At the same time, along with many other public media organizations, ITVS was exploring ways to help filmmakers take advantage of the rapidly expanding world of online distribution. Already, a few full-length films were streaming on AOL True Stories and Snag Films. So it was perfect timing when the Programming Department proposed an online series, inviting narrative filmmakers to create short films specifically for the web. Eighteen months later, we have season one of FUTURESTATES streaming online, with season two in development right now. By asking filmmakers to explore the direction of our society by projecting their stories into the near future, ITVS was able to fulfill two important goals at the same time — creating a home to showcase the work of narrative filmmakers, and creating a place online for a wide audience to engage with the ideas that public media does best.
Ask Programming: Recent Questions from Filmmakers
ITVS programming staff answer questions from filmmakers about the funding process:
Q: My proposal was declined from the last round of Open Call. Can I apply to LINCS with the same project?
A. Yes, you may apply for LINCS with the same project. The application and evaluation processes for the two initiatives are distinct and a declination in one initiative does not affect your chances in the other. There are differences between the initiatives. The most notable is that the LINCS initiative requires a producer and public television station partnership while Open Call does not. Please read the full guidelines to see if your project is a good fit for LINCS.
Q: I have had communications with two stations who are interested in supporting my proposal for LINCS this year. Can I partner with both?
A. Yes, you can partner with more than one public television station for the LINCS initiative. Letters of Agreement with each station must be negotiated and included with the proposal materials. These letters should make clear how the required LINCS partnership responsibilities are divided up among the partnering stations. You can also use the combined in-kind from both stations in your matching funds request from LINCS (up to $100,00).
Ask Programming: Seven Tips When Applying for Funding
ITVS programming staff answer questions from filmmakers about the funding process:
Q: How can I improve my chances of being successful in the Open Call?
A. ITVS Programming staff recently contributed to an article for Shaking the Money Tree by Morrie Warshawski. Here are seven tips for producers when applying for funding from ITVS.
1. Read the guidelines and application instructions thoroughly and follow them. This tip sounds so simple and one should assume that it goes without saying –– but like any instruction manual, it is essential to go over the guidelines very carefully and to follow them before filling out the application.
Here are some other pieces of advice to keep in mind:
- Submit the proposal online, and ALSO submit the paper and required (video) materials –– some applicants do not submit their hard copy proposals and video materials and then they are disqualified.
- Deadlines are not flexible –– we need to receive them in the office by the deadline date or they will not be accepted.
- Read the fine print on the guidelines and application. The ITVS award is not a grant, it is a contract agreement, thus certain requirements and deliverables must be accepted (because of FCC guidelines, your project must adhere to broadcast standards).
- Do not submit extra materials –– letters of recommendation, graphics or illustrations, gifts or personal director statements are not required. The materials will be reviewed by staff and evaluators based on the required materials only.
- Use 12-point font –– don’t try to cram everything in your treatment pages because of limited space. The evaluators appreciate clear writing and size 12 font is easier on the eyes.
2. Budget your project realistically. If you under-budget your project, that does not mean that you have a greater chance of being approved. If you over-budget your project, this will be taken into account and can jeopardize the approval. Each initiative has different budget thresholds and is indicated in the guidelines. For example, Open Call does not require an itemized budget in the first phase, but does require that you indicate the request amount and what money has been already raised. The average request for Open Call is between $80,000 and 250,000 for a one-hour documentary.
Ask Programming: Recent Questions from Filmmakers
ITVS programming staff answer questions from filmmakers about the funding process:
Q. Why does ITVS only support three-act, character-driven films?
A. This is a common misconception about ITVS. We actually support all types of documentaries, and don’t prescribe to any one approach. It’s up to the filmmaker to determine the approach and most choose the character-driven, three-act structure form. As part of our mission, we encourage innovation and want filmmakers to come to us with non-traditional forms of storytelling that will work for a broad public television audience.
A recent example of a documentary that breaks out of the conventional genre is Herskovits at the Heart of Blackness, airing on Independent Lens, Tuesday, February 2 at 10:00 PM (check local listings). Three-act, character-driven documentaries are an effective and powerful way to tell a story, but we invite filmmakers to explore and innovate with new forms.
Q. Is there anywhere that I can I learn more about documentary storytelling?
A. Glad you asked! On February 8, ITVS is co-presenting a seminar at the San Francisco Film Society, entitled Thinking Outside the Doc Box. Video from the seminar will be available after the event on Beyond the Box blog and the ITVS Facebook fan page.
Ask Programming: International Call Questions
With the ITVS International Call deadline quickly approaching on February 5, 2010, the ITVS programming staff takes some time out to answer a few of your frequently asked questions:
Q. How does the International Call work?
A. Through the International Call funding initiative, ITVS works to:
1. Seek out international projects. We work closely with international media markets, film festivals and producer organizations to find and attract the most compelling television project proposals from around the world.
2. Select the best projects created by international independent producers. The International Call incorporates a peer-review process involving distinguished industry professionals (filmmakers, commissioning editors, broadcasters, etc.) from around the world.
Cynthia Kane, ITVS International Program Manager, posing in front of the International Call submissions library.
3. Fund and manage projects to completion. Through the International Call, we provide production funds in exchange for a license for domestic broadcast; strategic commissioning commitments vary. ITVS works with producers to ensure that all programs meet broadcast and editorial standards.
4. Find U.S. television distribution outlets. Working with the producer, public television and other outlets, we negotiate U.S. distribution through public or cable television.
5. Maximize impact. Through publicity and community outreach campaigns, we help programs find and impact audiences.
Ask Programming: Recent Questions from Filmmakers
ITVS programming staff answer questions from filmmakers about the funding process:
Q. How many times must I submit an application to ITVS before my project is recommended for funding? I’ve heard that ITVS doesn’t fund first-time applicants and that a person generally has to apply with a project multiple times before it’s awarded funding.
A. This is certainly a myth to bust, and our statistics for 2009 do just that. In reviewing the projects that were recommended for funding by peer panels for Open Call, International Call and LINCS, 65 percent were first-time applications. And of those funded projects, over one-third came from applicants new to ITVS.
True, sometimes a filmmaker applies with a project two, three or even seven times (on rare occasion), before his or her project is finally recommended for funding. However, it is in no way part of our evaluation criteria; generally, it’s a matter of timing. Often a filmmaker submits an application to ITVS early in the production phase, and their proposal isn’t as developed as other projects in competition that are further along in production. There are examples of projects that were recommended for funding early in production, but they were exceptional in other aspects (ie. urgency of the story; filmmaker’s track record).
Whether you’re a newbie or a veteran, devote your resources to developing your project proposal, and rest assured that statistics are descriptive, not prescriptive.
Want to know more about ITVS policies and procedures for funding? Read past entries of Ask Programming >>
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