INFORMATION FOR APPLICANTS – November, 2007

BUDGETS

Proposal budgets tend to range between $50,000 and $300,000.  Budgets are judged on whether the costs seem reasonable for what is being attempted and what seems to be within the experience of the producer-director. Higher budgets may be submitted, but the Fund generally refrains from supporting costly projects that may be beyond the filmmaker's fundraising capacity.  Supporting film projects with modest budgets is also in keeping with the Fund's mission of supporting emerging documentary filmmakers.

AUDIENCE

Although we have supported films aimed at both general and special audiences, we tend to favor films that give filmmakers good exposure.

EDITOR

All films need good editing, and we encourage filmmakers to supplement their own skills with those of an editor.

ELIGIBILITY

Documentary makers can receive only one Pacific Pioneer grant during their career. If this is your FIRST documentary of 28 minutes or longer, please do not apply, unless you have a lot of experience as an editor.

SUBJECT MATTER

All subjects are welcome.  The fund's emphasis is on the filmmaker, not the film.

"EMERGENCE"

"Emerging filmmakers" have proven themselves in previous work but have not yet received wide recognition.

STYLE

The fund prefers that the filmmaker finds and follows his/her own voice, which is appropriate for the content and intended audience.

LENGTH

There are no strictures regarding length, although we take into account whether the material is likely to engage an audience for as long as the filmmaker hopes.

LETTERS OF SUPPORT OR ENDORSEMENT

These can be included in the proposal, but are given little weight in choosing projects for the Board's agenda.

FISCAL SPONSOR

The sponsor can be from anywhere in the U.S.  The Board prefers a sponsor that scrutinizes the proposed project and will oversee the project and budget.

APPLICATION FORMAT

Within reason, applicants can use more or less space than the proposal summary sheet indicates, as long as all questions are addressed.

SAMPLE WORK

Along with your application, please send a VHS or pretested DVD tape of up to 10 minutes of edited footage from the project for which support is being sought.  This could be a clip reel of strong selects from your footage, a segment of an edited rough cut, or a fund-raising reel.  We also urge you to use a portion of the 10 minutes to show a sample of a previous work you created, if the material for the current project is in a particularly rough or early state.