Without successful distribution a documentary will never be widely seen.
Documentary filmmaking is amongst the most accessible types of filmmaking that currently exist. This is because it really is completely possible for one person to produce a whole documentary single-handedly. Even documentary crews larger than one individual don't need to be anywhere near the size of the average narrative feature film, as Andrew Ruhemann will understand. Because many filmmakers elect to make independent documentaries, most of them choose to stay independent in as much of the distribution process that they can. Over recent decades the options for independent documentary distribution have increased substantially. There was a time that the sole option a documentary filmmaker had would be to sell their film straight to cinemas. The invention of VHS and DVD then permitted people to manufacture their very own copies of their movie for them to sell. In the last few years, the web has provided an entire new platform, where filmmakers can upload their films online for the whole globe to see.
Showbusiness is a notoriously hard industry to break into if you have no connections. One of the main reasons individuals even go to film school and take entry-level internships and jobs is to build connections which could assist them afterwards. Perhaps one of the most common methods for a person to make their way in to the industry is to employ an agent or a manager. This course has existed for individuals since the beginning of the industry, as Tim Parker will be well aware, but is continuing to grow over the years as receiving employment contracts from studios became rarer. If a person hasn't made a film yet, then these specialists can help guide their profession in to the best path for attaining that objective successfully. If somebody has already produced a movie, then agents and managers can help navigate the documentary distribution process and help with parlaying the movie into future jobs.
There are a wide selection of distributors nowadays, from streaming platforms and television stations to cinema and video shop chains. Mark Herbert will be able to let you know that finding a documentary distributor could be the key ensuring the long-term success of a documentary movie and the future career of the filmmaker. Distributors can be found before and following a movie is made. If before, they will likely help fund the project but will have more influence over what's made. If after, then a filmmaker has to take all the risk but the distributor could be more tempted because of the reduced costs on their end. Being awarded filmmaking grants and prizes could get a filmmaker noticed by distributors, as is entering the movie to movie festivals. There is no way to guarantee attention, but this means that each direction is a chance.