Filmmaker and station relations consultant Jennifer Owensby Sanza shares the advice she gathered from mentors and firsthand experience about how to secure public television broadcast.
March 21st, 2011 | Jennifer Owensby Sanza
Getting my first documentary, The Teachings of Jon, broadcast nationally on public television felt like walking through a minefield, blindfolded. As a recipient of a completion funds grant from Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), I was fortunate to have the best mentors to guide me through the process. Now when I work with other filmmakers, I’ve noticed that some of the mistakes I made are quite common, and easily remedied. Here are some important tips to help you avoid major pitfalls on your way to a national public television broadcast.
Get the Most out of Your Rejections.
Rejections are never fun. And after you’ve spent all of your money and years of your life making your film, it’s easy to take every one personally. Your friends will tell you “it isn’t personal.” Fact is, it’s totally personal. Yes, your film could be rejected simply because one person on a panel had an issue with it. So face the truth, if you’re a documentary filmmaker, you need to get used to rejections and learn how to make the most of them. Ask the person rejecting you if they would be so kind as to explain why. And then listen, and write everything down. Don’t defend yourself. Just listen and thank her or him. Decision-makers can provide some of the most helpful feedback to improve your chances of a national PBS broadcast. I always advise producers to submit their program to ITVS even though it would be a miracle for a program to be accepted on a first try. You can trust that folks at ITVS know what PBS wants and they offer extremely helpful feedback from inside the system.
Be Mindful with Film Credits.
As a PBS fan and filmmaker, if you’re like me, you dream of one day hearing the all too familiar voice saying, “Funding for this program was provided by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.” And by all means, if you have that, allow me to bow. If you’re like the most of us however, you’re so grateful for any support that anyone offers along the way that you’ll give an executive producer credit just to say thank you! STOP RIGHT THERE! However desperate you are, don’t extend credits lightly. Many producers don’t realize that credits have specific meaning, and if you imply in any way that an organization or foundation had any editorial say so in your documentary, then you unknowingly put your film in the “infomercial” category. And that will disqualify your film from PBS broadcast. It’s very simple, but many producers make this mistake. Unless you are offered a whole lot of money, leave organizations in the “thank you” credits!
When One Door Closes, Go to the Next One.
Other cable channels may be known for producing some pretty good documentaries, but only public television has the potential to reach 99 percent of homes in the country. And let’s face it, having your documentary air on PBS’s national schedule or in an award-winning series such as POV or Independent Lens is the top of the heap. After pouring your heart into making your dream film, a pass from those programs can be really discouraging. Many producers don’t realize that within the PBS world there’s also APT (American Public Television) and NETA (National Educational Telecommunications Association). After being rejected by POV and Independent Lens, I took my film to APT, and they loved it. The rejection turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The Teachings of Jon is a great family film and through APT, my film was actually carried by more stations than it would have been on POV, and it aired during family-friendly timeslots (POV usually airs at 10 pm). So even if The Teachings of Jon had been accepted on POV, it wouldn’t have been the best way to reach the audience for my particular film.
Everyone Has an Ego.
After investing years of our lives and all of our resources into our films, we artists and filmmakers sometimes forget that the “suits” have egos too. Remember that whether they are part of a selection committee for a series or a festival, or a programmer from a major PBS station—these gatekeepers decide how many people see your work. And it took them just as long as you to work up to their important position. Present your film in the best possible way. Spend the extra $250 to get your DVD screeners professionally made so that they play well and look great. The point is not to annoy the one you are trying to impress with a homemade DVD that stops every four minutes. If you are Ken Burns or Michael Moore, feel free to write on your DVD with a sharpie. Everyone else should stick with a four-color print cover, including your contact info. It’s about making an impression for less, not making less of an impression. And, if and when they reject you, don’t cuss them out and tell others they are stupid for rejecting your film. Instead, use your inside voice. You’d be surprised how many producers don’t get this one!
Ye Must Please The Gods.
To a filmmaker, whoever is in the position to decide who sees your film is God. So if you want the best shot at getting your film aired nationally on public television, then you have to make the Gods an offer they can’t refuse. In other words, give them a program that is easy to schedule. Make sure it meets PBS standards. Familiarize yourself with the PBS guidelines in the PBS Red Book, a Guide to Program Packaging and Delivery for PBS. It’s best if you inform yourself of these guidelines before you start. I am so grateful that a producer told me before I began filming that the sound was more important than picture. You can cut away from a bad picture. But if you have bad sound, you’re screwed from the get go. And please, don’t think or even imagine that because your one-off documentary is so good that all the PBS programmers will be willing to create a new special timeslot just for you. It’s not going to happen. If you have a one-off and not a series, you give them what is easiest to program, a PBS hour, 56:46. Period. (Yes, they will accept an exceptional 86:46 program; it’s not out of the question. However, if you can cut it down to a PBS hour, that’s easiest for them to schedule.)
Do Things in the Right Order.
Because PBS has the highest technical broadcast standards, you want to make sure to save your final color and sound mix until the very end and hire someone who is familiar with the PBS Red Book specs. Many producers end up paying extra in post because they thought they’d save money having all the colorization and sound tracks done in the final edit at their local post house, only to find out it didn’t meet PBS specs and had to be redone.
If You Want National, Don’t Go Local.
Many producers make the mistake of rushing to their local PBS station, begging them to air their program. STOP RIGHT THERE! Yes, it is important to find out if you have the support of your local station—you may want to partner with them as a presenting station down the road. But don’t air the program anywhere until you have exhausted EVERY national opportunity first (and there are several). Airing locally may disqualify your program for national broadcast.
Never Underestimate the Importance of a Good Hook.
I worked with a producer on her wonderful film, The Dhamma Brothers, about bringing an ancient Buddhist meditation practice into the Alabama maximum-security prison with transformational results. It won awards at just about every festival it showed, the audience loved it, critics loved it, even programmers loved it. And yet, there is no special “Effective Prison Reform Month.” With no “month” dedicated to the subject matter of your film or no particular “hook,” programmers may have a difficult time scheduling it. The result is the momentum of an entire national rollout can get lost. So, if there is any special month dedicated to the subject matter of your film or a special anniversary, try to coordinate your airdate schedule to that month. And remember, plan on six to nine months from the time of acceptance to broadcast.
As an example, if you are to offer your documentary to public television through APT in their November offer, you won’t air until April of the following year, at the earliest. When my mentors asked me what my distribution plan was, I just looked at them cockeyed. Now I understand the importance of knowing how to maximize your broadcast opportunity. My motto, when you have no money, is get creative and take advantage of every free opportunity. With careful planning you can set yourself up in the best possible way by keeping the timing in mind as you work toward your goal of airing nationally on public television to the widest audience possible.
Most of all, don’t give up too early! You didn’t work hard for all these years making your dream come true just to give up after one measly rejection from someone who obviously doesn’t get how great you or your film is. If you have produced a well-made documentary, with tech specs of PBS quality picture and sound, about a socially relevant subject told in an interesting way, in the perfect time length of 56:46, I can guarantee you will increase your chances tremendously for national broadcast on public television.
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with the funding support of Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the guidance of amazing mentors within PBS world along the way.
won the 2007 National Telly Award, becoming one of public television’s most popular documentaries. Currently at work on a sequel, Jennifer also consults with producers about all aspects of distribution on national public television. You can reach her at:
. Used by Permission of the Author.
