I’ve been getting into true crime content lately and wanted to try something a bit different — recreating short stories (politics, hacking/cybercrime, historical cases, etc.) with actual 3D visuals instead of just talking-head or stock footage.
I build the scenes in Blender and edit everything in DaVinci Resolve, aiming for something a bit more cinematic than the usual format. Videos are short (~5 min), narrated by me, and I’m still early — just 3 episodes in.
Would genuinely love feedback from people who watch a lot of true crime content: does this style of visual storytelling appeal to you, or do you prefer the more traditional formats? Trying to figure out if this is worth pushing further before I sink more time into it.
Hidden away from the public for decades, this reggae archive holds rare footage, recordings, and history that could have easily disappeared.
We’ve been following this story for over 25 years.
This is just the tip of the reggae iceberg.
I’m curious whether there would be interest in something like this, so I figured an anonymous Reddit poll would be a good way to test the waters before I seriously consider doing it. Not sure if this is the right subreddit to do it, though.
I’m considering producing a high-end, historically focused documentary, potentially in collaboration with the 9/11 Memorial & Museum for archival material, licensing, interviews, etc. But importantly, this would not be a museum-sponsored production, it’d be independent to have free will to talk about things many documentaries just disregard.
Licensing and access costs are a significant part of the budget. My idea would go well beyond simply retelling what happened on September 11. Of course, the back story and the survival testimonies come first. But I’d like to cover the background story and also the aftermath over the last 25 years, including the geopolitical shift, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and their broader consequences, the fall of Al-Qaeda but its evolution into ISIS and the global counterterrorism landscape, how the post 9/11 world affected other regions, changes in U.S. foreign policy, intelligence, aviation and national security and where the global fight against terrorism stands today.
I’d like it to be a 3-part series, ultimately showing what the world looks like 25 years later and today’s threats.
Part of the reason I’m considering doing this is that 9/11 is surprisingly poorly understood outside the U.S., especially in Latin America. Most people know the basic story, but not necessarily the geopolitical chain of events that followed or how deeply it affected the rest of the world.
For context, I’m a lawyer and I run a YouTube channel focused primarily on business, law and investments. I already have a fairly established Latin American audience and a community that trusts me for long-form educational content. So, I’m not starting from zero in terms of distribution or credibility.
The problem is the budget.
When I initially thought about this, I figured I could potentially put around $50K of my own money into it. After looking more seriously at archival licensing, interviews, testimonials, travel, production, research, etc. I’m currently estimating that could end up at around $175-200K.
And honestly, I wasn't planning on putting $200K of my own money into a 9/11 documentary… I’m not Hulu 😂
So this is basically a reality check…
If a serious, independently produced, non-monetized 9/11 documentary was being made for the 25th anniversary with that context and target audience, would you or a small company you know actually consider sponsoring it to cover part of the production gap?
The idea would not be to turn it into a sponsored propaganda piece. I’d want editorial independence and transparency, and the documentary would be freely available and serve more as a historical and educational project than a monetization vehicle.
I'm mostly trying to figure out whether there is enough genuine interest from individuals to make the economics of this possible.
If so, roughly what level of sponsorship would you guys consider realistic?
Even if the answer is "absolutely not, you are crazy" I'm trying to determine whether this is an actually crazy idea or something that could be crowdfunded into existence.
Hi, I am a typical enviro filmmaker who has been submitting on the doc prestige or niche circuit for the last 10 years, I understand those programmers well and the majority looks for social issue or character driven docs that drive world issues etc. I now have a film about Saturday Night Live fans. Its short and charming and very well done but I'm worried that the usual suspects will just pass over it because it doesn't feel "important" etc. Trying to figure out my strategy and though I will focus heavily on mid-tier regional fests, I am trying to think laterally about what other fests might be interested. High production value and entertaining. Recommendations are welcome.
I’ve been working on this documentary for the past year and just put together the first trailer. Would love to hear any honest feedback on the trailer itself: pacing, editing, visuals, etc.
Thanks!
I'm a documentary filmmaker heading to Ghana for a week in October. Budget is genuinely small.
I'm bringing roughly 10k USD of gear as accompanied baggage. Two bodies, lenses, audio kit, an Easyrig, a small tripod. Everything comes back out with me a week later.
AFAIK, legally this has to go through a licensed clearing agent, and I can't self-declare. I got a quote back and it breaks down like this:
That lands close to $800 for what is, from my side, one person walking through an airport with two Peli cases. The 3% to customs I understand. The rest is roughly three times that amount in fees.
Hello, I'm a filmmaker getting my masters in basically various forms of media. I'm making a documentary where I've been interviewing people about their dreams, and have them explain their most memorable dreams in detail. There is more to it, but I dont want to post to such a large forum with all the details. I am looking for more people to participate, currently I have 14 interviews and I would at least 10 more. I would be interested in interviewing people in general, but I have interviewed a psychologists about dreams, I would also like to interview a neurologist or someone who works with brains, someone who works with and studies people while they sleep, and a philosopher to talk about the history of dream theory. And whoever else thinks they have an important perspective on this. I can interview you through webcam.
Sorry at this point it's an ultra low budget documentary, and I can not pay, but I think you will find what I'm doing interesting.
If you are interested please message me directly, and we can discuss and schedule from there.
Just finished a doc and would like to reach out to several organizations doing work that aligns with the film's message/topic. Any advice on how to open those doors?
Hello!
I'm an agency owner/commercial director and filmmaker based in the Cincinnati/Dayton area. I'm interested in starting a documentary project (based nearby) and am looking for the right story/subject/collaborator to donate my time and skills to.
I have equipment/experience/self-financing available, and I'm at a place in life where ultimately I'm looking for a passion project to scratch a filmmaking itch - so, if you have a story to tell or a subject you believe in and are looking for a filmmaker, it could be a match.
Open to conversations, but looking for subjects where travel would be minimal for interviews (Ohio-based).
Hey everyone — I've been working on a short documentary about
Machu Picchu for my channel focused on ancient civilizations and
world wonders. This one covers how the Incas engineered a city on
a mountain ridge without wheels or iron tools, why it was
abandoned, and how it was rediscovered in 1911.
Full transparency: the visuals are AI-generated (Google Flow) and
the narration is AI voice (Gemini TTS) — I wrote the script,
directed every shot, and did all the editing myself. Wanted to
be upfront about that since it's obviously not traditional
documentary footage.
Genuinely curious what this community thinks — both on the
history/content side and on whether the AI visuals work for this
kind of subject or feel off. Appreciate any feedback, good or
critical.
I’ve spent almost 20 years chasing storms. Somewhere along the way, I realized I wasn’t interested in making another highlight reel.
I wanted to create a documentary series that captures what storm chasing actually feels like—the uncertainty, the miles, the decisions, the victories, the failures, and the rare moments when everything comes together.
That’s what THE REAR FLANK is.
If you’re into storm chasing, filmmaking, or long-form storytelling, I’d genuinely appreciate you checking it out. And if you have constructive feedback, I’d be glad to hear it. My goal has always been to keep making the series better.
Hello guys, nice to know you. Guys, I'm thinking about making a documentary film about my hometown and I'm thinking about the shooting of some scenes. I'm thinking about using both an anamorphic lens, which I haven't chosen yet and a Tamron 17-70mm. Do you guys think it'd be weird to use both lens types in the same project? I really like the look of anamorphic lens and probably they would be enough, but it's good to have another lens to use in some cases. Considering a documentary where most of the time there would be only interviews and some shots of specific points of the city, what do you think that could be a possible way to work? I'm thinking about getting a Sony a6700 and shoot in 4K for a 30-minute film.
So, I've made a documentary that deals with themes around the attention economy and the road we're on as creators vis-a-vis big tech, and I'd like to find ways to screen without ever putting it on the Internet. Not really interested in distribution deals or such. I actually want to find a way to do some kind of grassroots screenings in non-traditional settings with small groups of people. Anyone ever done something like that?
https://letterboxd.com/film/tie-xi-qu-west-of-the-tracks/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0389448/
A detailed look at the gradual decline of Shenyang’s industrial Tiexi district, an area that was once a vibrant example of China’s socialist economy. But industry is changing, and the factories of Tiexi are closing. Director Wang Bing introduces us to some of the workers affected by the closures, and to their families.
In a 2012 poll by the British Film Institute, eight critics named it one of the 10 greatest films ever made.
In 2025, the film was showcased in the section 'Decisive Moments in Asian Cinema' at the 30th Busan International Film Festival, as part of the special "Asian Cinema 100", being the signature work of the director Wang Bing.
I’ve been thinking about how much structure is actually useful during documentary interviews. Too many prepared questions can make the conversation feel stiff, but going in with nothing can leave you digging through hours of footage later.
Janeson Films got me thinking about this while looking at different approaches to documentary production. I’m wondering where other filmmakers draw the line between having a solid interview plan and simply following wherever the conversation goes.
Do you prepare a detailed list of questions, keep a few themes in mind, or mostly let the subject lead once the cameras are rolling?
If you're about to feature on a documentary, or TV, or any type of recording, why would you choose to just show up like this??
Looking like Ursula from little mermaid
I'm currently writing a novel set at a remote wildlife research station in Madagascar. One of the main characters is a filmmaker who travels with a research team to film a conservation documentary about the researchers' work studying lemurs and deforestation.
I have a background in biomedical science and have contacts that perform field research, so I feel comfortable writing about that side of the story. However, I know considerably less (i.e., like, nothing??) about what it's like to shoot a wildlife documentary in remote field conditions, and am trying very hard not to rely on assumptions from watching finished product!
If anyone has experience with this type of filmmaking, I'd love to pick your brain. Stuff like understanding what you bring to the field, how you plan shoots when wildlife is unpredictable, what day-to-day life is really like, and the little frustrations or realities that movies/books tend to get wrong, would help me make my novel much more authentic.
TIA!