By Áine O’Brien
What a wonderful name for a project that soothes (potential) tensions, misunderstandings and competing expectations for filmmakers and funders!
Socially engaged filmmakers interested in documentary as a vehicle for social change agendas often attract the interest of foundations. At least funders increasingly persuaded by the potential for documentary film to act as a powerful catalyst, communicating hard to translate issues and bridge gaps between grass root communities and policymakers.
Easy match? As always, the answer lies somewhere in-between.
For Ellen Schneider and her team at Active Voice, San Francisco, having observed over a decade of (sometimes) turbulent relationships between filmmakers/grantees and funders/investors, where the initial attraction turned tragically sour, the solution was The Prenups. This canny and strategic intervention asks the 10 million dollar (sadly much less in Sterling and Euro) question: So why do some funder/advocate relationships thrive, while others have decidedly mixed results?
A series of rich case studies documenting insights from filmmakers and funders are profiled on the Prenups web page, ranging from perspectives pivoting around the arc of a grantee/granter conversation and journey: ‘Visions and Expectations’, ‘Roles and Participation’, and ‘Business and Legal’. The history behind ‘The Prenups’ is shaped by the dearth of research and hard evidence highlighting relationships between filmmakers and funders interested in supporting media.
The team speaks frankly about why they chose the provocative term ‘Prenups’:
We’ve learned that both parties need language and guidelines in order to understand each other’s goals, standards, values and expectations—before they tie the knot. There are many kinds and levels of collaboration possible. Whatever role you play in a funder-filmmaker relationship, the Prenups can help to establish whether you and your partners see “eye to eye.”
With initial support from the Tides Foundation, Schneider (Active Voice), Gordon Quinn (of Kartemquin Films fame) and Jon Funabiki (previously Ford Foundation, Media, Arts and Culture, and currently Journalism at San Francisco State), began their systematic inquiry. You’ll find extracts and anecdotes gleaned from filmmaker focus groups, off the record interviews with independent producers and media grantmakers.
The result is a treasure trove of ‘do’s/‘don’ts and sage commendations matched with acute reminders as to why socially committed filmmakers bring added value to the social change table.
The Prenups ask:
Have you ever talked about power dynamics with a funder/grantee? If so, what happened?
Refreshing and worth pondering? One Stop Doc at Counterpoints Arts plans to explore ‘The Prenups’ and is pleased to have Ellen Schneider (Active Voice) as an advisor for what we hope will be a constructively provocative conversation.
Download the Prenups Guide: What Filmmakers and Funders Should Talk About Before Tying the Knot
