Documentaries: Storytelling's Holy Grail and How to Get There

The popularity of short-form video continues to rise as a way to showcase customers or key executives in support of news, or to share an organization's unique point of view. But what happens when a company has a compelling or complex story that needs more than two or three minutes to be told effectively? That's where a long-form documentary comes in.

Increased accessibility through streaming services like Netflix has created a renaissance for these educational and entertaining films. That renewed interest is spurring brands like Chipotle, McDonalds, PepsiCo, Johnson & Johnson, and more (many of whom are already getting their feet wet with mini-docs by Bloomberg TV) to turn to documentaries as a way to humanize their corporate stories.

Some brands are taking a subtler approach by lending a hand to seemingly unbranded documentaries. Espresso company Illy supported a work called A Small Section of the World for little more than the benefit of a shot of an Illy-sponsored conference and some scenes inside an Illy factory. Similarly, GE will soon be releasing its own sponsored documentary on breakdancing, of all things. The hope is that Shake the Dust will reach those who've shunned traditional TV by being released exclusively through streaming services.

I checked in with Kelly Carty, former CNN and Al Jazeera America producer, about her views on the power of the documentary. Kelly's a subject matter expert, having recently premiered her new documentary film, "The Paper Trail," which spotlights Hudson Valley, New York writers (including Susan Orlean) and their perspective on the publishing industry's transition to the digital age.

Q: How do you define a documentary?

It's a pretty broad definition. A documentary typically focuses on a non-fiction story. It doesn't necessarily have to be hard news. Because of the long form a documentary takes, it enables a filmmaker or an organization to tell a story better and really flesh it out. That's the beauty of it.

Q: What makes for a good documentary subject?

I think a good documentary sheds light on an issue and has a particular point of view. The word that comes to mind is "edgy" – whether a documentary is about politics or a cultural/social trend, it has to share something that's new and compelling to a viewer.

Q: What's the process for creating a documentary?

The first step is to determine the channels you'd like to use to share the documentary. If you're creating something primarily for your YouTube channel or a company's website, you've got a lot more flexibility in how you approach the project. In this case, you'll want to develop an outline of the documentary – a story arch that shows how the documentary begins and ends. Based on that, you script the film ahead of time and create a work-back schedule to guide the production process.

If you're producing a one-hour film with a goal to sell it to a broadcast network, you'll need a one-page treatment and a trailer for them to review.

Q: How long does it take to create a documentary?

It depends on how much research is involved. You'll likely want to plan for a couple of weeks of pre-production, a couple weeks of production, then time for post-production that factors in any required approvals. For instance, if you're using archival footage that has to be researched, cleared, and purchased, you may need more time in the post-production area.

But typically anywhere from 4-8 weeks* is a good ballpark if you have all the required elements nailed down.

*(Note from Tier One: The precise timetable will depend heavily on the amount of pre-production and research time your project requires.)

Q: Are there general budget guidelines for creating a documentary?

There are a lot of variables to consider with a documentary budget. First, is any travel involved for shooting? Does the project require any stock or archive footage that you aren't shooting yourself?

Will you need talent, whether that's actors or voice-over narration? Will you need original music or images? Does the documentary need to be produced immediately or do you have the flexibility to edit it at a location that would offer you a better deal if there were no rush?

Factoring in all of that, the budget scale can range from $40-50K if you have a single producer/crew to upwards of $100-200K if more time and production is required.
But there are always creative ways to reduce costs with filmmaking.

So once your documentary is "in the can," what are some ways an organization can promote it? Here are my views on three ways to start:

• Every good film deserves a premiere, and a documentary is no different. Consider renting a theatre and premiering your film Hollywood-style with a red carpet and VIP guests that include your customers and key media who may write stories for their publications.
• Take advantage of your company's social media channels to promote the film, along with a link. Consider purchasing LinkedIn ads, sponsored Tweets or Twitter ads, Facebook boosted posts or YouTube ads to increase views. If you've got a corporate blog, use that social real estate to share an overview of the film's content and promote views.
• Leverage a content syndication site like Outbrain or Taboola to syndicate a link to your content across top publishing sites like CNN or USAToday.

Filmmaker Spike Jonze once commented that "Doing a documentary is about discovering, being open, learning, and following curiosity." Don't neglect the documentary when you're crafting your company's 2015 content marketing portfolio. The long-form video story your company has to tell may be just what it takes to help prospective customers discover and learn, while positioning your organization as a thought leader.