3rd EDN INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY CONGRESS
The 3rd EDN International Documentary Congress took place on Tuesday, March 15, 2011 at the AKMI ITV hall in the framework of TDF and the TDF Doc Market. The European Documentary Network (EDN) and TDF organize the forum under the auspices of the Municipality of Thessaloniki.
The Forum is educational and is addressed to Greek and foreign directors and producers present in Thessaloniki. Mr. Οve Rishoj Jensen (EDN, Denmark) was the coordinator of a panel consisting of Jan Rofekamp (distributor, Films Transit, Canada), Philippa Kowarsky (distributor, Cinephil, Israel) and Jesper Osmund (editor and trailer expert, Denmark).
In his welcoming speech, Thessaloniki’s Deputy Mayor for Culture, Education and Tourism Spyros Pegas said: “In today’s globalized world, international collaborations are the only way forward in the production and marketing of documentaries. It is the Festival’s goal and obligation to bring professionals together, allowing them to join their forces and help the creators’ work to find its way to theaters and television. The Municipality of Thessaloniki is willing to offer its assistance to any such effort, because what interests us the most is the international prospects and appeal of Greek art”.
Filmmakers often fail to dedicate the necessary time and attention to the trailers aimed at producers and the public, thus neglecting the marketing aspect of their work and idea. “It might have been the case ten years ago, but today it is virtually impossible to secure funding if the only thing you can show is a simple script. The filmmaker has to make a good trailer that will give to a potential partner and to viewers a clear idea about his vision and his work’s context”, noted Mr. Jensen.
Taking the floor, Jesper Osmund talked about what makes an efficient and professional trailer. He illustrated his point by presenting and commenting on a number of trailers from well-known films. “Trailers addressed to audiences, which aim at success at the box office, are different compared to the ones used to convince producers to invest in a film. In the first case, we are talking about sensational, impressive trailers, while in the second case we need something that is sufficiently clear and informative – for professionals in the film industry, the cover is not important, what matters is the essence“, observed Mr. Osmund.
Mrs. Philippa Kowarsky focused on another crucial element of film production: timing. “Let me give you an example. If a filmmaker has made a film about London or the Olympic Games, this is a good time for him to sell his work. The reason is that starting from today and up to the next eight months before the Olympics, all media are deeply interested in the subject and would be inclined to buy his work”, she said. Mrs. Kowarsky also commented on the fact that many filmmakers often fail to take advantage of the huge power of the Internet. “Nowadays, a good trailer could very well allow a film to become well known in no time, thanks to the social media and other online venues. This is something filmmakers should exploit to the fullest”, she stressed.
Jan Rofekamp highlighted the importance of the story in a documentary, suggesting that this is the key element in any work: “The dramatization of the story is the element that determines success more than any other single factor. Then, of course, come the characters. If I were making a film, I would be presenting a really interesting story with two trailers: a short one dealing exclusively with my protagonist or protagonists, and a second one focusing on the story”.
The forum was concluded after the panelists commented on the demo of a trailer presented by a filmmaker from the audience.
On Thursday, March 17, 2011 the “New markets – New opportunities” masterclass will take place at AKMI ITV’s hall (15.00 – 17.00) in the framework of Docs in Thessaloniki Pitching Forum 2011 of the 13th TDF. The event is organized jointly by TDF and EDN.
