Subscribe to Beyond the Box and stay on the lookout for more excerpts from Sreenivasan’s conversation with Davis and many others.

Filmmaking is no cheap endeavor, and very few people have the personal means to fund their own projects. Not surprisingly, fundraising has always been closely tied to the filmmaking process. However, navigating through the large number of public and private foundations that fund media production can be as complicated and daunting as making the film itself.

Funders often have very specific requirements dictating how and why they decide to fund a particular project. A film may have to meet a funder’s mission, geographical location, cultural background, and subject matter before even being considered for funding.

Another requirement could be that, in order to receive funding, the applicant must have not-for-profit 501(c)(3) status.  However, not-for-profit status is not an easy thing to obtain, especially if a filmmaker is only producing a single film. This is where fiscal sponsorship comes in.

By the time ITVS gets involved in the production of a film, filmmakers may already have fiscal sponsorship in place, or they may be in the process of securing funds through a fiscal sponsor. We get a lot of questions on this topic. ITVS doesn’t require producers to handle ITVS funds through fiscal sponsorship, but we often engage directly with fiscal sponsors as part of the co-production relationship with our filmmakers.

Here’s how it works: A fiscal sponsorship is a formal arrangement in which a 501(c)(3) public charity agrees to sponsor your project because it fits their mission. This partnership allows you to seek grants and solicit tax-deductible donations for your film from funders that otherwise (without your association with the not-for-profit) could not give to your project. In addition, you have the support and endorsement of an experienced organization.

Fiscal sponsors usually charge a fee based on a percentage of the funding they are helping the filmmaker secure (fees usually range between 5 percent and 7 percent of said funds, but make sure to ask the fiscal sponsor about its fee structure.) This fee can include significant services, such as bookkeeping, budget tracking, generating 1099 forms, and more. These fees and services vary from organization toorganization, so make sure you do your research.

Tips

If you decide to go with a fiscal sponsor, select an organization that has a solid track record of experience and expertise. Find out from the sponsor which films have been supported by them in the past, and contact those filmmaking teams for references.

A good relationship with a fiscal sponsor can help you further develop the reach and impact of your film. A fiscal sponsor can provide a direct line of contact to the communities touched by your subject matter. They can offer promotional advice, or even put you in contact with seasoned professionals in the field.

Agreements between producers and fiscal sponsors should clearly spell out the arrangements and responsibilities of each party. These agreements must allow the producer to retain copyright and editorial and financial control of the project at all times, so make sure you engage with your legal team whenever discussing these rights.

Carefully weigh whether or not to engage with a fiscal sponsor. Some producers feel that the fees are too high for the benefits offered by the sponsor. Others welcome the idea of having an organization support them during their process and feel they have a mutually beneficial arangement.  Whatever the case may be for your project, make sure you read and compare the pros and cons of every potential sponsor and make the decision that best suits you.

Here are some of the organizations that ITVS producers have worked with in the past:

• Arts Engine

• Center for Independent Documentary

• Women Make Movies

• Documentary Educational Resources

• San Francisco Film Society

• International Documentary Association

For a more complete list, feel free contact me at jorge_trelles@itvs.org

The Oath, which is streaming free on ITVS Indies Showcase from September 11-13, follows the story of Abu Jandal, Osama bin Laden’s former bodyguard, and Salim Hamdan, a prisoner at Guantanamo Bay Prison and the first man to face the controversial military tribunals.

Moderated by NewsHour’s Hari Sreenivasan, Monday’s live chat will feature a panel of experts including:

• Abdul-Ghani Aliryani
Political Analyst and Co-founder of the Democratic Awakening Movement
Abdul-Ghani Aliryani is a Yemeni political researcher and analyst, who played an advisory role to filmmaker Laura Poitras in the making of The Oath. He is based in Sana’a, Yemen.

• Lt. Cmdr. Brian L. Mizer
Assistant Federal Public Defender in the Eastern District of Virginia
Lt. Cmdr. Brian L. Mizer served as Salim Hamdan’s lawyer at Guantanamo and is featured throughout the documentary The Oath.

• Laura Poitras
Filmmaker, The Oath
Academy-Award nominated filmmaker Laura Poitras has directed several acclaimed documentaries including Flag Wars (2003) and My Country, My County (2006). Her film The Oath is part of a trilogy of films about America post 9/11 and earned top honors for cinematography at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.

• Andrea Prasow
Senior Counterterrorism Counsel, Human Rights Watch
Prior to joining Human Rights Watch, Andrea was a defense attorney with the Office of Military Commissions. She served as assistant counsel for Salim Hamdan alongside Lt. Cmdr. Brian Mizer.

Join us for the event on BTB on Monday, September 12 at 11AM PT / 2PM ET.

By Sreedevi Sripathy

This month, ITVS will be re-launching our popular IndiesLab monthly blog post with Sreedevi Sripathy, Director of Broadcast and Distribution, discussing research, news, and trends that come out of ITVS’s IndiesLab.

Please Vote for Me chronicles the intensity behind eight-year-old students in an elementary school in China as they campaign for class monitor. Check out the film’s trailer below…

As part of BTB’s ongoing mission to curate news and opinions on public media, we have called upon key players to share their take on the evolving environment. Over the next several weeks, BTB will be rolling out their thoughts and ideas, adding to the conversation on public media’s role now and in the years to come.

First up is Ken Ikeda, Co-managing director of Public Media Company (PMC) in San Franicsco.

Celebrate 20 years of Independent filmmakers on ITVS’s Indies Showcase, streaming award-winning documentaries now until September 23.

The following is an excerpt from the executive summary of the 2011 ITVS Digital Survey. The findings, which are available for download below, offer new trends on the digital media environment with a particular focus on independent producers.

Who put the audience in charge? Technology, demographic shifts, and a globalized economy have all shaped a 21st century media ecosystem where power has shifted away from traditional broadcasters and gatekeepers. It’s a shift that’s revolutionized where, how, and why people use media. And content makers and distributors are playing catch-up, trying to figure out ways to reach viewers, make money, and break through the deafening noise of the marketplace.

In three of the past four years, ITVS surveyed independent producers — who so often bridge the public interest, artistic, and commercial worlds — to share their opinions, knowledge, and yes, anxiety about these changes. With this most recent survey, we took the opportunity to combine their responses with other ITVS research and observations on the landscape and its impact on producers, all as part of the mission of ITVS IndiesLab, our joint initiative with PBS to test and model  independent filmmaker strategies for online distribution platforms.

VIEWERS: WHERE THEY ARE, WHERE THEY ARE GOING?

Every day, the average American watches four to five hours of television, uses the Internet for almost an hour, and views nine minutes of online video. While television consumption continues to rise and still dwarfs all other media, Internet and mobile viewing are growing fast — over 10 times TV’s growth rate — and faster yet among the younger demographic. A recent report from Retrevo found that 29 percent of Americans under age 25 get all or most of their TV online, compared with only eight percent of the entire video watching population.

What they’re watching online, however, looks increasingly like television. In the first half of 2011, one-third of Internet users watched full-length films and TV programs online, and full-length content now makes up 18 percent of online viewing, compared to 11 percent in 2009. Eight percent of online viewing is now spent on full-length movies, up from five percent two years ago, and the audience for premium online video content is expected to expand to three-quarters of Internet users in the next two years. New research also shows viewers are spending less time watching online video during the day, with online viewership now peaking around 9PM — the same time broadcasters air their most valuable TV properties.

The result: The number of Netflix Streaming subscribers nearly doubled in 2010, and cable is losing subscribers, with heavy Netflix users cutting the cable cord. For the first time it appears clear that these services are cannibalizing the TV market. And the evidence suggests more viewers are building the habit of watching their favorite films and television programs online — a trend likely to be driven faster and further with the rise of iPads, Apple TV, Roku, Boxee, Google TV, game consoles, and other devices that offer content beyond the web browser with a more seamless, “lean-back” experience.

Check out the video below as Matthew Meschery discusses the digital survey and how Public Media is uniquely positioned to respond to some of its findings. Big thanks to the 1,000+ independent filmmakers who participated in ITVS’s 2011 Digital Survey.

Well, even though the Independent Lens season premiere is still a few months away, we put together this handy guide of recent IL shows that are now available online for your viewing pleasure.

Here’s a list of those shows from our most recent season that can be found online for rental or purchase:

The Parking Lot Movie — iTunes and Amazon Video on Demand

Art & Copy — iTunes

The Longoria Affair — iTunes; Preview:

Between the Folds — iTunes and Amazon Video on Demand

The Calling — iTunes

Deep Down — iTunes and Amazon Video on Demand

The Desert of Forbidden Art — iTunes and Amazon Video on Demand; Preview:

For Once in My Life — iTunes and Amazon Video on Demand

Me Facing Life: Cyntoia’s Story — iTunes and Amazon Video on Demand

Men Who Swim — iTunes and Amazon Video on Demand; Preview:

Two Spirits — iTunes and Amazon Video on Demand

Welcome to Shelbyville — iTunes and Amazon Video on Demand

When I Rise — iTunes and Amazon Video on Demand

Introducing Freebie Tuesday!

Every Tuesday throughout the summer we’ll give you a link to an Independent Lens film available to watch online for free.

This week, check out 2009′s D Tour on Hulu. Watch this preview:

FOCUS ON is a regular interview series profiling independent filmmakers and their projects. Up this week is Mark Thiedeman, who has directed many short films and one feature film, The Scoundrel. His new feature, Last Summer, is currently in development and is scheduled to shoot in Arkansas in August.

A scene from "Last Summer," Mark Thiedeman's upcoming feature film

What is the least amount of money you’ve spent on a narrative feature, and how did you manage that?

I shot a no-budget feature in New York a few years ago called The Scoundrel. It cost about $3,000, which was essentially the cost of food, transportation, and half a dozen props. I had an amazing cinematographer, David Goodman, who worked for free, and had some nice looking locations, which were also free. Lucky for us, there are certain neighborhoods in Brooklyn with beautiful restaurants, apartments, and bars that seem to have come from a different era. No art direction required. Why pay for set decoration when you don’t have to?

What is a recurring challenge you face on every shoot as a result of having such a low budget?

For me, the simplicity of a shoot is directly proportional to the amount of money involved. I can’t afford to have a ton of people on set, a ton of equipment, etc., but I also don’t want those things. It’s my experience that as more money and more people become involved, the more difficult, chaotic, and challenging it becomes. I work with a simple crew, and we work together as a small family to make the film. That said, if there’s any downside to low-budget filmmaking, I’d say it’s the amount of time it takes to finish a film. When you’re doing everything yourself (because great editors and great sound designers cost a lot of money), it takes time. When one person is doing the job of 200 people, it takes a lot of time.

How do you think the low cost of digital filmmaking has helped (or harmed) the craft of filmmaking?

You’re seeing narratives shot without scripts or storyboards, directors figuring out the movie as they go. I doubt many American producers would allow that to happen if the film were shot on 35mm. We’re seeing film move towards becoming more of a visual medium than a storytelling medium, which I love. This is precisely because of the low cost of digital technology and its versatility. We have outstanding filmmakers like Pedro Costa working with mini-DV tapes, lighting with windows and foil paper, and his films are major works of art. Would anyone fund a movie like Colossal Youth (shaped from 320 hours of digital footage and shot without a single light) if 35mm were still the standard? I don’t think so. If you ask me if digital filmmaking has had a negative impact on filmmakers, I’d say it hasn’t. Not at all.

What has your experience with crowdsourcing been? Do you think an “etiquette” needs to be established as far as giving friends money for their projects and expecting them to contribute to your projects?

I’m not sure that any particular etiquette is required. I’ve contributed to a handful of projects over the past month or so because I believe in the films and people involved in the projects, not because I want those people to give me money.  My new feature, Last Summer, is currently seeking some additional financing on IndieGoGo, and we’ve received donations from complete strangers. That isn’t because I have a billion friends. It’s because someone read about the project, told a friend, who told a friend, and people are interested.

You are a filmmaker formerly based in NYC, and currently based in Little Rock, Arkansas. What do you wish the independent film worlds of NYC and Los Angeles knew/understood about rural filmmaking communities?

We don’t have a large film industry here, but you’ll see more films coming out of Southern states in the next few years. I was surprised when I attended the Little Rock Film Festival this year to find that the shorts in the “Made in Arkansas” program were, in many cases, much stronger than the shorts coming out of cities like New York and Los Angeles. The talent was incredible, and that’s because these filmmakers are making movies because they love doing it — not just to be a part of the “industry.”  Since there isn’t an established film industry here, there are fewer rules, so filmmakers have a chance to express themselves more freely.

What advice do you have for an emerging filmmaker who has no money?

Great movies aren’t great because of money; they’re great because of content. The people and places you choose to film will be the heart of your movie. Cast wisely, choose locations wisely, and learn as much as you can about the equipment you have. When you’re working with no budget, “production value” is 10-percent money and 90-percent talent. So, practice, practice, practice. Keep making short projects, learn your own rhythms, find your style.

How has the South community welcomed you as an artist, as opposed to NYC where artists are everywhere?

It’s true, when you live in a city of artists, it’s easy to get cynical when you hear people introduce themselves as filmmakers. It’s easy to think, “yeah, who isn’t a filmmaker?” Being in the South is different. I made A Christian Boy and assumed people in Arkansas might not like it, because it’s what some folks would call “artsy” and it deals with both religion and homosexuality (two hot topics down here!). But when we screened it at the Little Rock Film Festival, I had people coming up to me and saying, “Thank you so much for moving here. We need people like you.” They want Southern people to have a voice, a presence in the film world. Also, I think most people will agree that it’s important to give a voice to the experience of being gay in the South. I want to tell stories about real Southerners — more than that, real Americans — not the kind you typically see in movies.

What’s next for you?

In August I’ll shoot my next feature Last Summer. It’s a love story about two high school sweethearts, Luke and Jonah, who live in a rural Southern town. This is the story of their final summer together. As Jonah prepares to leave home for bigger and better things, Luke is faced with an uncertain future and the growing pressures of adulthood. The idea of the film is to present a world of baseball fields and apple pie and church on Sundays and the fourth of July in which a love story between two boys fits right in.

This BTB interview was conducted and condensed by Melody Morgan.

As part of ITVS Programming’s ongoing mission to serve the filmmaking community, Jonathan Archer has been seeking out filmmakers to provide their perspectives and experiences from the trenches. First up, The Weather Underground producer, Marc Smolowitz. He recently presented on a panel entitled The Power of Storytelling and was kind enough to share some of his thoughts and strategies with BTB.

Scene from The Power of Two by Marc Smolowitz

Last month, I presented at the Netsquared Meetup in San Francisco on “The Power Of Storytelling.” I decided to connect my remarks to two current labors of love — The Power Of Two — my feature documentary inspired by the life stories of twin double lung recipients; and The HIV Story Project — a new nonprofit that I co-founded in 2009.

Both projects are anchored by social issue filmmaking and wrapped around by global calls-to-action that are uniquely tied to story and character. Produced concurrently in less than two years, my starting point on both has always been a creative one: “What are the stories I am trying to tell?” and “Who are the characters I am trying to bring to the screen?”

From there, a well-developed engagement campaign combined with a broad range of interactive, cross-platform components has fueled funding, capacity, and the ability to execute.

Marc Smolowitz

In fact, these projects — and the strategies that made them possible — have confirmed for me that there is no such thing as powerful storytelling without some or all of the following “non-story” strategies in the mix:

Infrastructure & Partnerships

Good storytelling strategy should include both online and offline community elements — and it’s the job of storytellers to build this sort of dual, effective infrastructure around projects from the start.

Two ways I do this is to include the creation of engaged advisory boards and robust partnership programs, with a focus on experts and nonprofits that are vested in my film’s call-to-action. More often than not, nonprofits find great value from aligning with separately branded media programs, especially as they face growing challenges around how to use media to engage their own stakeholders.

By designing partnership programs that offer real benefit to nonprofits, the storyteller will receive unexpected benefits in kind. Early on, the onus may be on the filmmaker to prove his or her commitment to prospective partners,  to make concessions, to work that much harder to win over trust.

Over time, the terrain of partnerships shifts into equitable, two-way relationships that fuel mutual benefit, funding, story, capacity, and more. See The Power of Two partnerships page and check out how we structure our program here, which currently involves 40+ nonprofit organizations actively connected to our cause.

Calendar & Events

Many documentaries are tied to social movements that come with powerful calendar opportunities that pre-exist us as producers. It is our job to connect to that calendar of events in meaningful ways that add value. For example, April was National Donate Life Month for organ donation awareness; therefore, on The Power of Two, we put tremendous amounts of energy into pushing out our own and collaborative April initiatives — see details about “The Daily Gift,” our 1^st of its kind organ donation iPad app, which features short-form video content recorded during the making of my film.

On The HIV Story Project, we expressly launched a new nonprofit focused on HIV and storytelling back in 2009 because we were mindful that 2011 would mark the 30^th anniversary of HIV/AIDS.

Events like anniversaries drive opportunities, marketing, partnerships, engagement, funding, and story. We knew that the HIV/AIDS communities would be hungry for good content in conjunction with the 30^th anniversary, and we’re now able to offer a range of compelling story telling programs to them, including: Generations HIV, an interactive video storytelling booth, and Still Around, an 82-minute compilation featuring 15 short films that can be repurposed in different settings across a range of distribution channels.

Social Media & Real-Time Engagement

While things are changing fast, in the second decade of the 21^st century there are essentially four types of content that can be published and shared easily via online and mobile channels — text, photo, audio, and video. Powerful storytellers are able to originate and aggregate all four with some amount of frequency, with the goal of always being in front of some segment of your audience.

Long before The HIV Story Project had a website, we had a very active presence on social media. We used monitoring, dashboards, and RSS aggregation to “appear” ubiquitous and engaged with our followers in real time. While it may be tough for independent filmmakers to be truly ubiquitous, social media done right can extend the sphere of influence of a powerful story in ways that create demand, awareness, change policy, etc.

On my projects, our social media protocol is simple: always emphasize the creation of original quality content (text, photo, audio, video), and when we’re unable to, focus heavily on aggregating quality content from our partners, trusted third party sources, and like-minded storytellers.

In this way, social media becomes a shared funnel of diverse storytelling, whereby all of our voices are amplified and our brand identities take on a life of their own.

Although it some times feels like it, none of this is rocket science. In fact, every day filmmakers and storytellers are figuring out ways to innovate on the above by placing their unique storytelling handprint on these tools.

In this age of shareability, the most important thing we can do is share our ideas. We’re all experts — and at the end of the day — there are no more secrets.

Marc Smolowitz is a director and producer based in San Francisco. His feature documentary producing credits include Trembling Before G-D and the Oscar-nominated The Weather Underground, which he brought to ITVS through the LINCS funding initiative. He currently teaches digital filmmaking at the Art Institute of California, San Francisco. Follow Marc on Twitter @marcsmolowitz.