DOC NYC PRO Day: Documentary Producing Wed, September 30 from 11 am-3 pm ET
Individual tickets on sale for $40; or buy an All Access Pass to attend all DOC NYC PRO events for $150.
DOC NYC PRO presents a day dedicated to the art of documentary producing. Sessions will feature guidance in negotiating credits and waterfall structures; career sustainability in pivotal times; and developing financing, co-production and executive producer relationships. The daylong course will also include an interactive Q&A breakout session and social hour.
Session One: 11-11:45 am ET
Career sustainability in the Covid-19 era.
In session one, we host a conversation with five producers who share their efforts to build sustainable careers within the documentary field. What producing skills are crucial for career longevity? How can producers diversify their roles across multiple mediums and formats? How important is self-advocacy when it comes to crediting and compensation? We’re joined by producers Razan Ghalayini (Full Frontal with Samantha Bee); Alice Henty (Welcome to Chechnya); Diane Quon (Minding the Gap); Jameka Autry (Through the Night, Ernie & Joe) and David Felix Sutcliffe (Black Mothers, (T)ERROR), who share the paths they’ve taken and challenges faced and overcome. Moderated by Farihah Zaman. Co-presented by SVA’s MFA Social Documentary Film program.
Session Two: 12-12:45 pm ET
Spotlight on the Documentary Producers Alliance
In session two, we give a close-up to the Documentary Producers Alliance, a coalition of more than 300 international doc producers, which sets standards for inclusive, sustainable and equitable business practices while amplifying the voice of documentary producers worldwide. In this session, we welcome DPA members Susan Margolin and Beth Levison, and attorney and investor Brenda Robinson, who illuminate two pieces of recent DPA guidance: new guidelines for doc producer crediting, and new waterfall guidelines that seek to create fair and transparent systems for negotiating a film’s investment structure.
Session Three: 1-1:45 pm ET
Co-production, financing and the executive producer relationship
In our third session, we discuss models for documentary financing, including co-production, equity financing and the role of the executive producer. We’re joined by Impact Partners’ Executive Director, Jenny Raskin; Executive Vice President of Imagine Documentaries, Sara Bernstein; Suhad Babaa, Executive Director of the nonprofit Just Vision; Jannat Gargi, VP, Head of Documentaries at VICE Studios; and Multitude Films producer Jessica Devaney (Pray Away, Always in Season).
Co-presented by Impact Partners.
Breakout Sessions and Social Hour: 2-3 pm ET
Following our panel programming, live attendees will be paired with presenters in small-group settings for virtual breakout question-and-answer sessions.
If you have questions about accommodations and accessibility for this event, please email accessibility@docnyc.net.
Tickets to this event are $40 and offer access to participate in the livestreamed panel sessions and to have unlimited access to session recordings after the livestream. All registrants will receive written resource materials, including a transcript of the live sessions and a copy of the slide presentation.
To purchase a pass to DOC NYC PRO’s entire line-up, register here; passes are $150 and include live access to upcoming PRO programs and access to recordings and transcripts for all past events.
