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Examine the inner workings of a documentary production company by taking courses in production

Prior to searching for documentary film companies, you might want to take a course on production. This helps determine legitimacy of the company you hire and also helps you express what you are looking for as you consult with potential documentary making production companies.

I recommend: The New York Film Academy offers students an opportunity to have hands-on experience in producing films. The course covers aspects such as budgeting and talent search as well as developing your scheduling and marketing plans. The Entertainment Career Connection assists students in finding a local instructor who offers hands-on experience in the field of film production.

Locate documentary companies with expertise in the medium you hope to use for your documentary

Whether your film is going to make its statement through stage performances, photographs, old film clips or acting, find documentary producers who are familiar with your chosen medium to achieve optimal results in the final production.

I recommend: Grapeflix.com recommends documentary producers such as Cinema Alliance. This production house is passionate about getting films focusing on integrity and love out to the viewing audience and specializes in using artists from a wide variety of disciplines. Pinhole Pictures collaborates with clients from concept all the way through to delivery to ensure that the client is satisfied. It provides a variety of services and delivers final product in whatever format the client desires.

Utilize the expertise of a documentary production known for working with a specific audience

Some professional documentary film producers target specific audiences and know what this audience is looking for. Use their experience and insight to fine-tune your production.

I recommend: Yiddish Theater specializes in creating documentaries that appeal to audiences throughout the world. It works with TV stations in the United States, Europe and Israel and produces films under auspices such as the Center for Jewish Culture & Creativity. Christian Video Productions produces documentaries for the Christian market and works closely with filmmakers to create quality films while sticking to budget. It offers clients hybrid video productions, so customers see their film distributed on the Internet and also on CDs and DVDs.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Look for documentary companies that support non profit organizations and offer discounts.

Guide to Documentary and Nonfiction Film Production Companies

Use a documentary production company to tell your story or spotlight an issue

By Paul Kocak

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Seek documentary producers with ties to nonprofit organizations, sponsors or other funding

Successful documentary production companies or related organizations have established relationships with financial backers, lenders or advocates of various social causes. These documentary companies can parlay their prior successes on behalf of your project because they know what distribution companies want from independent producers.

I recommend: Although not a documentary production company, Working Films connects independent filmmakers with community advocates. Serving as a clearinghouse of networking resources, this organization connects documentary film companies to socially active individuals and groups. Documentary film production companies like Action Films offer a history of success which can facilitate funding or distribution opportunities.

Choose a documentary production company whose work and values you respect

You want to feel comfortable with the style and substance of the documentary producers you select. Don't aim too high or too low, but seek documentary-making production companies that mirror your own style and outlook.

I recommend: Engel Entertainment and Associated Producers garner worldwide acclaim for their work as documentary and nonfiction film production companies.

Use online resources to get an overview of leading documentary film production companies

Documentary enthusiasts assemble information from around the world on the best and the brightest of established as well as up-and-coming professional documentary film producers. These sites perform dual functions: networking contacts for documentary producers and forums for exchanging ideas and resources.

I recommend: RealScreen's annual Global 100 provides links to the top documentary film producers in the industry. Free Speech TV provides a digital outlet for professional documentary film producers and lists partners for networking.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Scour insider industry partners and information exchanges to introduce your project to a real name.
• •  Attend one of the many industry events like international or local film festivals where you can meet documentary producers in person.

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Match your message with your specialized documentary and non fiction production companies

Many documentary production companies specialize in certain fields. This gives them familiarity with issues that might arise and expertise in handling the issues.

I recommend: Bullfrog Films works with filmmakers to produce films with a focus on environmental issues, social sciences, economics, genetics and marine biology. Fanlight Productions works closely with filmmakers to produce educational films and documentaries focusing on mental health, aging, general health care, women's health issues and more. Its clients have received a variety of awards ranging from Oscars to the broadcast journalism award the duPont-Columbia Silver Baton.

Use documentary film companies that offer discounted prices for non-profit organizations

Some production services offer packages to non-profit organizations at a much lower rate than commercial production houses. These companies tend to look for films with social relevance and films that are not commercial.

I recommend: Deproduction is a small production group based in Denver, Colorado that specializes in affordable production packages for non-profit organizations. It offers a top-of-the-line, post-production facility. Red Sky Productions produces film for non-profit organizations. It takes pride in its state-of-the-art documentary productions.

Obtain training via workshops and internships with documentary companies

Instead of having professional documentary film producers simply do the work for you, consider collaborating on your filmmaking project. This allows you to learn how to produce a film.

I recommend: NW Documentary offers workshops and internships for filmmakers. It's a non-profit organization dedicated to creating and instructing on documentary production. Shapiro Video & Multimedia is a large production company that also offers workshops and seminars. Its current clients include Apple Computer, Bell Atlantic and USA Today.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Consider whether your project would be better for television, Internet or the big screen before approaching documentary production companies, then work with companies that specialize in that particular medium.

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Above the line

This term refers to film costs covering major creative talent such as actors, directors, producers and writers.

I recommend: IMDb.com, also known as the Internet Movie Database, offers a detailed description of the term. It links to other key words for explanations in further detail.

Adaptation

An adaptation takes one art form and presents it in another medium. For example, an adaptation could include a film version of a popular book or a stage version of a film. The adaptation maintains historical settings and a majority of the original dialogue.

I recommend: The A.V. Club reviews a series of adaptations and offers opinions on which made the best adaptation from book to film.

Character actor

This is the term for an actor specializing in a stereotypical or otherwise recognizable part or behavior. The type of actor is familiar with typecasting.

I recommend: Go to InstantCast if you want to find out specifics on character actors. It offers examples of famous actors who fit this bill and describes why they were so successful.

Genres

There are many genres, or categories, in documentary and nonfiction. Some of these include autobiographical or ethnographic documentary, direct cinema, compilation films and television documentary journalism. Non-fiction includes memoirs and autobiographies.

I recommend: American Movie Classics Company, better known as AMC, defines the genres of documentaries.

Narrative film

This type of film covers a series of events in a structured format. Using cause and effect, the events themselves provide the plot for the films. The story lines tend to run in a linear or chronological format.

I recommend: The Center for History and New Media offers a detailed explanation of how narrative films work. It offers the history of the process and the equipment used to make this type of film.

Time lapse

This filming method is popular in documentaries. Videographers shoot the frames at a slow rate, letting action happen between the shots. This makes the action seem quicker in the final film. This type of filming is popular in nature scenes depicting topics such as plants growing or seasons changing.

I recommend: YouTube shows a storm using time-lapse filming. It clearly shows the stops between takes.