Publisher: Megafilms
ISBN-10: 0976458101 / ISBN-13: 978-0976458104

Fernanda Rossi is a writer, filmmaker and story consultant who helps filmmakers craft the story structure of their films in all stages of the filmmaking process. She has doctored over 100 documentaries and fiction scripts.

Book description:
In order to raise money to make a documentary, it is essential to produce a trailer that will capture the imagination and confidence of grant-makers and investors. "Trailer Mechanics" guides the filmmaker step-by-step through the entire process of making such fundraising trailers.

UVK Verlagsgesellschaft mbH; Auflage: 2. überarb. Aufl. 2008
ISBN 978-3-86764-113-5

At the moment the book is only available in German, but translations into other European languages are planned!

Ein gelungener Pitch kann nicht hoch genug eingeschätzt werden, man darf ihn deshalb auch nicht dem Zufall überlassen!
„Pitching“ bedeutet »Präsentieren auf dem Punkt« – der richtige „Pitch“ eines Filmprojektes entscheidet in der Regel über seine Chancen auf eine Realisierung.
Es geht also nicht darum, seine Geschichte in Einzelheiten zu erzählen, sondern sie überzeugend und präzise zu verkaufen – eine Kunst, die auch brillante Autoren und Produzenten nicht immer perfekt beherrschen.

In der stark überarbeiteten und aktualisierten Neuauflage ihres Buches liefert Sibylle Kurz Techniken und praktische Tipps, die Filmschaffenden helfen sollen, sich und ihre Filmprojekte prägnant und mitreißend zu präsentieren. Die Gesprächsvorbereitung mit der eingehenden Klarheit über die eigenen Stärken und Schwächen sowie die Einschätzung seines Gegenübers sind dabei das A und O.

Sibylle Kurz hilft zu klären, welche Zielsetzungen man mit seinem Pitch verbindet, wie man kommuniziert und mit seinen Gesprächspartnern, mit Produzenten, Redakteuren, Filmförderern oder Verleihern ein Verhältnis aus Kreativität, Professionalität und Vertrauen herstellt.

Studio City: Michael Wieser Productions, 1998.
German edition. Frankfurt a.M.: Zweitausendundeins, 2001.
ISBN 3-8615-0228-3

At the beginning of The Writer's Journey, Christopher Vogler asserts that "all stories consist of a few common structural elements found universally in myths, fairy tales, dreams, and movies." Some may be hard-pressed to accept this idea (and will wonder how storytellers from Homer to Shakespeare to Robert Altman might respond to the proposition). Others may imagine that since Vogler uses movies like the Star Wars trilogy and The Lion King to defend his mythological philosophy, he is, unwittingly, listing the reasons why Hollywood films of the last 20 years have been so unimaginative. But there's no doubt that Vogler's notion, based on psychological writings by Carl Jung and the mythmaking philosophy of Joseph Campbell, has been profoundly influential. Many screenwriters have used Vogler's volume to understand why certain scenarios sell, and to discover a blueprint for creating mythic stories of their own.

Manchester Univ. Press, 1996.
ISBN 0-7190-4687-4

This work looks at the functions of documentary in film and television. Its attempts to depict reality and to comment on it have provoked disagreement from the 1920s to the present day. Recent debates about knowledge and representation, and about the changing character of public culture have increased its interest and relevance. The author presents a clear view of the theoretical issues and critical debates about documentary, and discusses the development of the main styles and approaches, including dramadocs and fly-on-the-wall. The book also looks at the dual identity of work in documentary as both artefact and as a reference. This work provides an analysis of specific examples of powerful documentary films and programmes such as: "Cathy Come Home" (whose presentation of homelessness and young women had enormous impact); "Life and Times of Rosie the Rivetter" (depicting the treatment of women in US factories during World War II); and "When the Dog Bites" (a view of life in the previously industrial town of Consett following the closure of the steel works).

If you are interested in participating in the MEDIA PROGRAMME, we recommend that you take contact with the MEDIA DESK/ ANTENNAE in your country. They can help you with information and advice.

Jennifer Merin from About.com presents her list of the 10 best documentary films of the year 2010.

TIME OUT New York presents a list of The 50 best documentaries of all time
by David Fear, Joshua Rothkopf and Keith Uhlich

'German Documentaries' is the international label for the promotion of German documentary films abroad. An initiative of the German Documentary Association AGDOK and German Films Service + Marketing GmbH, 'German Documentaries' presents German non-fiction films at international festivals and markets, and organizes co-production meetings and film series. 'German Documentaries' also publishes an annual catalogue featuring some 200 new films which are available for distribution worldwide.

Launched recently, in June 2010, CriticalPast offers a fundamentally new approach to obtaining historical footage, with a fully digitized, viewable collection of over 57,000 archival clips from over 4000 locations worldwide.

"Uniquely, we offer immediate downloads of screeners and full resolution clips in a variety of HD and SD codecs."

BBC MOTION GALLERY is the commercial archive of the BBC.

BBC Motion Gallery offers creative professionals access to the most comprehensive collection of superb, unique motion imagery in the world.
Here you will find a wealth of content covering natural history, wildlife, news, locations, art, music, celebrities, culture, performing arts and more, including acclaimed programming produced in conjunction with Discovery and PBS.

BBC Motion Gallery provides the creative community of the world with a unique breed of content. Hand-picked from programming, films, documentaries and other unique sources, this is footage that not only has a distinct look and feel, but has production values that go far beyond typical stock footage. Moreover, BBC Motion Gallery content makes it easy to piece together the footage you need tell a complete story. A story that can take your production to a whole new level, at a fraction of the cost of shooting it yourself.

Documentary film suggestions The website about.com published a list of 10 must-see documentaries about great women - mothers, teachers and entertainers - who have nurtured, inspired and enriched the lives of others.

As a new service on its website, the German Short Film Association offers interested industry professionals the possibility to view short films from the annual "German Short Films" catalogues online (if the copyright holder has given his or her permission for an online preview).
The streaming technology allows a real-time access on audio, video and multimedia contents via internet. As opposed to usual downloading processes, the films can be played immediately without longer waiting periods.

To apply for access to the preview database, users have to fill out an online form.

Detailed information on the streaming technology, system requirements and optimal playing conditions can be found here.