Writing a proposal

First and foremost, it is important to make sure your reader can visualize your project as a completed film. A strong proposal often succeeds by including a strong narrative and clear visual approach. How can you ensure your proposal is as effective as possible in doing so?

This page is intended to give you some pointers on how to write your proposal. Please know that there is no one way to write a documentary film proposal. What’s most important is that you get your creative intention across and make the reader both understand and feel what kind of documentary film you want to make. The items referred to below (e.g. project description, story outline, visual approach, director’s note) will often vary depending on the organization you’re writing for, so consider them as flexible guidelines or writing prompts rather than fixed categories.

Give a clear and simple description of your project. What is it about? What is the film’s subject (topic, person, group, environment, social issue, etc.)? If your project is non-narrative or not character-driven, then what is your project’s concept, what are the themes you want to bring across, and how is it constructed? Keep it short and as clear as possible.

A project description should bring your film to life and trigger the visual imagination of a potential film. 

A project description can include background information, story outline, visual approach, main protagonists, access to protagonists/subjects, and director’s note. Try to capture the essence of your story in a couple of paragraphs. Provide a clear overview of how the film’s story will unfold (or what you think will happen). Use the above-mentioned elements and link them in such a way that the tone and style of your story, and of your creative voice as a director, are palpable.

Story outline: Making a documentary film is unpredictable, especially when based on character or environment-driven storylines, so good research is essential to getting ideas on where your film’s story can go: possible narrative trajectory, conflicts, likely outcomes, and events that may occur along the way. Where does your story start and where does it end? Even when a film is based on a more conceptual idea, it is still important to be able to imagine how multilayered themes unfold in a creative beginning, middle and end.

Visual approach: Describe the visual mood and feel of the documentary film. How will you tell the story? Think about the use of sound, pacing, and rhythm, whether you will use interviews or not, whether the story is character-driven, etc. What creative influences can you perhaps reference, or even genres that you like? Don’t forget that the most important goal here is to help the reader visualize your film.  

The right combination of story outline and visual approach makes your film come to life. Is it poetic, a piece of art, expository, observational, participatory, reflexive, or a mix? Don’t be vague. Aim for accuracy and simplicity.

Collaborators/protagonists: Describe the main characters in your documentary film. Who is in front of the camera and why are you sure their story is going to work on camera and as an edited film? Why is your point of view of their story unique?

Director’s note: Highlight what makes your film stand out. Why should this documentary film be made? Provide your own motivation for making this film. What makes your film different from other projects, and why will audiences connect with it? Explain why you want to make it, and why you’re the right person to tell this story, reflecting on your own positionality as individual and filmmaker in relation to the film’s topic, environment and communities.

Access: For most projects, access is crucial to the story. Describe how you have obtained and maintain the access you have to individuals/communities/organizations/locations included in your story. Also consider how your story will affect this community and what your plans are to in this regard during the development, production and distribution of the film.

A clip can make or break your project’s perception. Ultimately, you are a visual storyteller at the core, so a well-written proposal can only be complete with creatively representative visual material. This can be edited scenes or a sequence that includes a visual exploration of the topic, story and cinematic universe the director wants to create. Make sure the material is representative of the final film you have in mind and that the visuals synchronize with the written proposal. Otherwise, the viewer will get lost, and the project will lose its power.

Make sure to explain what kind of material you are sending. What should readers be looking for in your sample? What is present and absent in the sample, and how will it differ as a finished film? How is it representative of the intended story, style, subject, or other aspects of the project? Be critical about the clip/trailer or research material you choose. Show it to others before sending it with your proposal.

Depending on the stage your project is in, different aspects can be presented in the audiovisual material:

In early stages, it is helpful to introduce the story, mood, and characters, and to give a sense of the filmmaker’s style and approach.
As the project progresses—when it has reached the production stage—the focus shifts more toward access to characters, the visual treatment, and the developing tone and style. For example, a completed scene can provide insight into the team’s ability to communicate their intention.

Later-stage material—when in post-production—will not only highlight the characters and visual treatment, but also provide insight into the story arc or concept, preferably proposing edited scenes that have the look and feel of the final film.

After writing your proposal, be sure to review it carefully. When reading over your texts again, one important thing to consider is that repetitions should be avoided in the text. Think of details such as names and ages of characters that are constantly repeated, or sentences that are reused in different sections.

This overview has been compiled based on information obtained from various sources, including the experiences of members of the IDFA Bertha Fund selection committee, presentations made by industry professionals, and information on the websites of partner organizations. It is a living document—you are welcome to contact us with any relevant feedback.

• Tribeca Film Institute: Pro tips: How to succeed at grant proposals