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Discovery searches for talent in documentary filmmaking
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DISCOVERY Networks believes there are many talented documentary filmmakers in China who just need a chance.
Discovery is intent on giving them that chance.
Discovery Networks senior vice president and general manager of Asia-Pacific Chang Fang recently appeared in Beijing to launch “Nanjing Calling,” a platform to cultivate more talented documentary filmmakers.
Five established or emerging Asian filmmakers will be identified through “Nanjing Calling.” They will be provided with the necessary support to produce stories documenting the development of Nanjing, capital city of Jiangsu Province.
Interested filmmakers can submit a 30-minute outline of their proposed documentary, production plan and estimated budget before January 23.
A short-list of 12 to 15 candidates will be given a three-day creative workshop in Nanjing, during which executive producers will share how to run a film shoot and make pitches to international broadcasters, according to Vikram Channa, executive producer of “Nanjing Calling.”
The five finalists will receive funding and guidance to complete their films within four months. Their documentaries will be screened on Discovery Channel, as well as Jiangsu and Nanjing television channels.
Chang cites the documentary “A Bite of China” as an example of a film that appeals to Chinese, but may struggle to gain recognition overseas. Directed by Chen Xiaoqing, the hit series features Chinese people and their stories about food.
“When we Chinese see ‘A Bite of China,’ it immediately stimulated our appetite and reminded us of some old memories,” he said. “But it may not create the same feelings among audiences in other countries, which means it could be quite challenging to make a good documentary that can be universally distributed.”
Chinese audiences are warming up to domestic documentaries after the release of a number successful works including “A Bite of China.”
Channa admitted he is “a huge fan” of “A Bite of China” and regards the series as “a landmark.”
“What is really, really wonderful is it came out of the local crib but it was part of a process where many things have been absorbed over time for these wonderful filmmakers outside China,” he added.
While domestic documentaries such as “A Bite of China” are still driven by narratives, Discovery prefers to tell stories through strong characters, said Channa.
“‘A Bite of China’ is taking naturalistic formats and then marrying them to culture and cuisine. It’s a very unique experiment to create a hybrid form of documentary,” he added.
“If you see a lot of documentaries on our channel, it’s the people who are explaining what’s going on. ‘Nanjing Calling’ is part of our effort to continue to experience telling stories from strong characters.”
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