The Documentarian: The Way to a Successful and Creative Professional Life in the Documentary Business

"I have a great idea for a documentary. Now what do I do?"

You'll find the answer to that question--and much more--in The Documentarian: The Way to a Successful and Creative Professional Life in the Documentary Business, the ultimate go-to source for making documentaries. It explains how to conceive, shoot, and sell a documentary, along with specific advice overall in how to succeed in the independent film business. Included is wisdom from experts like film agents, publicists, festival directors, and award-winning documentary filmmakers such as Davis Guggenheim, Liz Garbus, Rachel Grady, Freida Lee Mock, Errol Morris, Sam Pollard, Michael Tollin, Frederick Wiseman, Marina Zenovich, and others. Author Roger Nygard describes his journey through the film business, including a revealing case study of the documentary Trekkies, sharing what it took to push that film to a record-setting sale to a major studio, with a huge payout for the filmmakers. Whether you're planning just a short subject or a sweeping survey of a major topic, The Documentarian will arm you with essential knowledge and insights, as well as the inspiration to go forth and make your project a reality.

Roger Nygard grew up outside Minneapolis on the shores of Lake Minnetonka. At age seven he discovered his father's 8mm camera and began making short films. He never stopped. Nygard has since directed TV series such as The Office and The Bernie Mac Show, and he has edited Emmy-nominated episodes of VEEP and Curb Your Enthusiasm. As an award-winning documentarian, Nygard has balanced humor and seriousness in films like Trekkies and The Nature of Existence. His previous book, Cut to the Monkey: A Hollywood Editor's Behind the Scenes Secrets to Making Hit Comedies, was published by Applause Books in 2021.