Now in its third year, micro-documentary initiative Loading Docs is preparing its next load of three-minute shorts with Boosted – the Kiwi crowdfunding site that allows you to back artists and their art.
Flicks asked Loading Docs executive producer Julia Parnell about the journey so far, what to expect from this year’s batch, and what former Loading Docs filmmakers are up to now…
FLICKS: Two years on from the first Loading Docs, what were the main lessons from the experience?
JULIA PARNELL: After two years distribution experience we have gained a deeper understanding of our audience and the genre of documentaries that most appeal across multiple viewing platforms. Overwhelmingly, the shorts that achieved the widest reach, and consequently the most views, relate in some way to a current media story or speak to a wider societal issue. This provides them with a clear inbuilt audience as well as more incentive for major international websites to pick up the work. The 2015 film Gina, for instance, was featured on The Atlantic and The Daily Mail achieving 103K views while Living like Kings from 2014 appeared on Short of the Week and Elite Daily achieving 160K views.
What lessons, if any, can be learned by filmmakers?
I believe short documentary can play a vital role in advancing the career of documentary filmmakers; as you make and distribute more work online you begin to grow an audience, not just for the specific work but for yourself as a filmmaker. This audience can then be channeled into longer form work whether its as proof of concept, or to help to secure finance through proven marketing plans – leading to more audiences, more work and hopefully a solid career telling stories!
Filmmaking has always been an audience-based business but we all know that traditional distribution models are broken, so it has become even more important for all filmmakers to take ownership of reaching their audience.
Do you feel the resulting films in the inaugural year validated your concept?
The past two years of Loading Docs, we have had an incredible amount of love for our films, featuring on some of the most notable media outlets and publications internationally and nationally – in fact, we just hit the one million views mark! This just goes to show people are fascinated with our stories, Kiwi stories but relatable to anyone anywhere in the world. The shorts being three minutes has proven to be a huge advantage and our talented filmmakers have shown the world how much story you can get and how it affects your emotions in that amount of time.
Have you noticed a difference in the films being proposed in the wake of the first batch?
When we first started Loading Docs, short digital films was a growing concept in New Zealand but in each round, we’ve seen filmmakers really grasp the digital aspect and demonstrate their commitment right from proposal stage not just to make the film, but also engaging in the many other important aspects of Loading Docs – professional development and outreach strategies.
As the next round of projects get underway, what are you doing differently?
From the past years, we have a group of filmmakers with an undeniable amount of talent and filmmaking credibility. This year, we really want to further develop their skills and equip them to be marketable filmmakers in the digital space. Hopefully we are able to provide more opportunities and support for the Loading Docs alumni to make more work and get New Zealand voices out into the world.
How do the range of documentaries differ this time?
Our theme this year is CHANGE, and the shorts that have been picked this year all focus on very important topics in our world today. Stories ranging from identity, refugees, human rights, personal change, health and LBGT, these stories will grab your emotions in some way and will help you understand stories from a different perspectives.
You’re probably not allowed to play favourites, but just between you and me, are there any films you’re most looking forward to see coming to fruition?
We are just at crowd funding stage, nothing’s been shot yet so how can I single out just one or two of my very small babes!? You guys can be the judge when you pick which ones you will support on Boosted!
For more info on the 2016 Loading Docs shorts, click here. Here are the links to all the 2016 Boosted page for this year’s docs: Blood Sugar, Bludgeon, Imagine the World is Ending, Same But Different, Street Smart, The Impeccable Larry Woods, Water for Gold, How Mr. and Mrs. Gock Saved the Kumara, Aka’ōu: Tātatau in the Cook Islands, The Colourist.
