Documentary Filmmaking: From Prep to Post

4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. (PT): Introductions

Topics include:

• Welcome & orientation
• Weekend overview
• Opening Circle
• Break-out networking sessions

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (PT): Developing Your Story

Topics include:

• Finding your style
• Understanding the various types of documentaries and approaches
• Discovering your topics through research
• Choosing your subjects and interviewing with professionalism
• Shaping your characters and their journeys
• Using archival materials
• Using cinematic storytelling in an effective way
• Considering the ethics in documentary filmmaking and caring for your subjects

1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. (PT): Pre-Production

Topics include:

• Working with a Producer
• Making a budget at different levels
• Scheduling
• Selecting your gear
• Finding your collaborators
• Planning for roadblocks
• Considering legal elements
• Planning your post-production schedule and workflow

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (PT): Fundraising

Topics include:

• Filling out the Documentary Core Application
• Understanding different approaches to financing
• Applying to grants and labs
• Researching international financing options
• Considering co-productions

1:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. (PT): Finishing Your Film

Topics include:

• Working with an editor
• Organizing timelines and workflows
• Knowing your role in post-production
• Using narration and working with a writer
• Navigating and applying to film festivals
• Distributing and marketing your film
• Closing Circle

In Sundance Collab’s Intensives, participants attend live, virtual class sessions in a condensed time period. These sessions are led by an instructor and supported by the Sundance Collab courses team. 

All members of the Sundance Collab community are welcome to register for Sundance Collab Intensives. Some Intensives require an application. Please review the description and any eligibility requirements to ensure the Intensive is a good fit. If you have any questions, please email collab_courses@sundance.org. 

For application-based Intensives, note that space is limited. Applications are considered as they are received and applicants are accepted on a rolling basis until the Intensive is full or the deadline has passed, whichever comes first. If the application window is open, you will see an “Apply” button on the course page.

We send our application acceptance notifications on a rolling basis, starting after the application deadline. You will be notified of your acceptance status no later than three days before the first session. At any point, you can check the status of a course that you have applied to by logging into Sundance Collab and visiting the course page. You’ll see a purple bar there indicating your status.

When reviewing applications for an Intensive, the Sundance Collab team evaluates the needs and expectations of each applicant. We are also looking to convene a diverse group of participants who will work well together and support each other throughout the Intensive. Finally, we will confirm that the applicant can meet the time commitment necessary and has a strong interest and readiness to complete the Intensive and meaningfully contribute to the group process.

We do not offer any combined applications or discounts for Sundance Collab Intensives.

We often offer a limited number of need-based, full or partial scholarships. Check the course description to see if that course currently has scholarships available. Scholarships are prioritized for one per person per year (from the date of issue). Scholarship applications are available up to one week before the registration deadline. To apply for a scholarship, complete the registration form by clicking the REGISTER button and selecting the option to apply for a scholarship, if available.

Applicants will be notified about their scholarship decision prior to the first day of the course. Due to the volume of applicants, we are not always able to provide a scholarship, but we may still offer a spot in the course. In this case, depending on the course, payment plans may be available and can be selected at checkout.

No, because of the length of the course, we do not offer payment plans for Intensives. However, we do offer a limited number of need-based scholarships which can be applied for within the course registration process.

Yes, you are welcome to take a live, online Intensive even if you can’t make the live sessions. Recordings of each session are available online within two business days.

All sessions are recorded and usually made available within two business days. The videos will also contain the chat and transcript from the session, viewable in the video playbar.

Participants will have access to the recordings for one year following the last session.

All participants will receive a Certificate of Completion. The certificate will include the name associated with your Sundance Collab account.

You can join a course via a computer or mobile device. All of our Intensives are conducted via Zoom.

Download and set up the Zoom software and make sure you have the latest update. Here are some great resources from Zoom’s Knowledge Base to take a deeper dive into using Zoom:

• Watch Zoom's Video Tutorials or review training materials on the Getting Started page.
• Join a Live Training from Zoom.

If you have any further questions, please email collab_courses@sundance.org.

Sundance Collab provides accommodations and support services to participants with disabilities. Please contact us at (435) 776-7790 or email us at accessibility@sundance.org to ask any questions or to discuss your specific needs after you have been accepted into the course.