Documentary Resources
There's a ton to learn when making a documentary. Here's a list of some of our favorite documentary resources to help you in your documentary filmmaking journey.
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A.I. Tools For Filmmakers
- Storyboarding - Top tools include MidJourney and Krock.io
- Narration/Character Voices: Use tools such as voice.ai or murf.ai
- Voice Cloning - Descript, respeecher and Play.ht
- Grant Writing - Use ChatGPT or Grantable
- Color Grading and Video Clean-Up: Runway, ColourLab.ai and Fylm.ai.
See more AI tools for Documentary Filmmakers
Documentary Funding Resources
- Documentary Film Grants
- PBS / American Documentary - Documentary Funding List
- Documentary Fundraising Tool Kit
- Candid (formerly the Foundation Center)
- IndieGoGo (crowdfunding site)
- Kickstarter (crowdfunding site)
- Seed&Spark (crowdfunding site)
- Grantable - A.I. grant writing tool
Documentary Gear Resources
- Low-Budget Documentary Gear List
- Documentary Film Camera Kits
- Professional Video Gear at Amazon.com
- Video Production Gear at Adorama.com
- B&H Photo and Video
- Rental Gear at BorrowLenses.com
Documentary Courses, Templates and Learning Resources
- 7-Day Documentary Crash Course
- Documentary Learning Center at Desktop Documentaries
- Grant Writing, Pitching & Proposals
- Documentary Budget Templates
- Film Sales & Distribution Tool Kit
- Documentary Storytelling Essentials 101
- Documentary Case Studies
- Ken Burns Teaches Documentary Filmmaking (MasterClass)
Documentary Sales and Distribution
- Selling To NETFLIX and the Streamers
- Film Sales and Distribution Courses
- How To Get Your Documentary On Netflix
- Documentary Sales & Distribution For Independent Filmmakers: How To Sell Your Film
- Peter Hamilton Consultants / documentarytelevision.com
- Documentary Film Festivals
- Peter Broderick Distribution Bulletins
- Film Collaborative
- WestDoc Online (Formerly WestDoc Conference)
- IFP Market (NYC)
Documentary Legal Resources
- IncFile LLC - To set up your LLC for your film and production company
- Documentary Legal Forms & Contracts (talent release forms, location release forms, etc)
- Channel 4 Producer's Handbook | Media Law
- Society of Professional Journalists Legal Defense Fund
- Volunteer Lawyers For The Arts
- Clearance & Copyright: Everything You Need To Know For Film and TV
- Documentary Legal Tool Kit from Entertainment Attorney Gordon P. Firemark
Best Documentary Websites
- International Documentary Association
- PBS.ORG - POV Resources for Filmmakers
- D-Word.com (Documentary Filmmaker's Forum)
- DocSociety Resources List
- Desktop Documentaries :-)
