5 tips on working for brands as a documentary filmmaker

About a year ago, I got the chance to take over a brand's YouTube channel. I'd done several projects for them, Craft Sportswear, but as a documentary filmmaker and YouTuber, this was a dream job. I had made many films for brands, but I never felt like they tapped into the potential I had experienced working with YouTube.

I feared I wouldn't get to make it in the way that works on YouTube because most brands don't know how to get views without paying for it. But after a year of doing the channel, I'm proud of how I got to make this short doc for them.

In today's world, brands are constantly vying for attention and recognition. They know the importance of telling their stories uniquely and captivatingly and often turn to documentary filmmakers to help them achieve that goal. 

But to be honest. Most brands need to learn how to connect with an audience. They know their brand and how they want people to feel about it. In reality, though, that's far from learning how to make an audience appreciate the brand on that level. Over the years, I've worked with countless brands; only some have understood how to tell stories people care about. You know, the stories that people would pay to watch. But on the flip side, I am an entrepreneur. I know how difficult it is to sell things.

Early in my career, I went bankrupt after betting everything on a short film. I thought it would be my big break. While it did get into the prestigious Festival de Cannes, it did very little for my career. I went bankrupt and was forced to take a temporary telemarketing job to survive. This was great, though, because it was when I stopped being a naive artist and realized how vital selling is. I was pretty good at it, probably because I was it as a game. Selling to random people was fun. But, also, I wouldn't say I liked it. I didn't believe in the product, so I did it when I thought it was fun. As soon as I didn't find it interesting, I did a terrible job. But this taught me how important it is to believe in what you are selling. And this is what you do as a documentary filmmaker working with brands. You sell what they are selling. The most important thing you can do is understand this and select the jobs you believe in. That's how you will do a great job. 

Working with brands is a lucrative and exciting opportunity for documentary filmmakers. It's a way to earn money, gain exposure, and establish yourself in the industry while you hone your craft. And that's the second reason why I love working with brands. It is a way to develop yourself and become a better filmmaker at somebody else's expense. 

However, it's essential to approach this type of work with careful consideration and a few crucial tips in mind. This post will explore five more critical tips for successfully working as a documentary filmmaker for brands.

Know Your Brand
Before you begin any brand-related project, you must become intimately acquainted with the brand in question. This includes researching their history, understanding their values, and identifying their target audience. Doing so, you'll be better equipped to create content that resonates with your audience and authentically represents the brand's unique voice.

Establish a Clearly Defined Scope of Work
One of the biggest challenges when working for brands is managing expectations. To avoid misunderstandings or project creep, it's essential to establish a clear and defined scope of work from the beginning. This includes outlining the deliverables, timelines, budgets, and other relevant details. Always communicate these details in writing and have both parties sign off on them before starting the project.

Collaborate Effectively
Effective collaboration with your clients is essential for the success of any brand-related project. Ensure to maintain open communication lines and provide regular updates throughout the project's lifecycle. As a documentary filmmaker, you'll be able to lend your expertise and insights to the client's vision but remember that, ultimately, the project is about their brand and its goals.

Storytelling is Key
As a documentary filmmaker, storytelling is at the heart of everything you do. When working for brands, it's essential to remember this to create content that genuinely engages and resonates with the audience. Be sure to identify a clear and compelling story that authentically represents the brand and its message. Remember: stories that evoke emotion are the ones that stick with audiences long after the project is over. But also understand that, for the most part, brands hire a documentary filmmaker for authenticity. They want it to feel real, but they want that packaged in the perfect look. So, take care of how you visually tell your story. A strong visual style is a must if you want to make a splash in the branded content space. 

Be Flexible and Open-Minded
Finally, flexibility and open-mindedness are vital traits when working for brands. Every brand has unique values, messaging, and methodologies, and as a documentary filmmaker, it'll be your job to represent these elements authentically. Be willing to adjust your approach when necessary, and be open to feedback from the client. Doing so will create better content and establish stronger relationships with your clients.

When I started working in advertising, I came from having studied marketing, so it was pretty natural. I was bouncing between telling authentic stories in films I made while making ads to pay my bills. This has been an excellent way for me to balance this without being eaten alive by the opportunity to make a lot of money working for brands. This mix has created a well-balanced way of collaborating with brands, where I have always distanced myself from what I make. I don't just sell things; I want to believe in the stuff I sell. 

This has been an exciting development as I started my YouTube channel. Soon, I realized this could be a fantastic way to work with brands, but getting brands to see the potential in YouTube has been a big struggle. Many have been tricked into doing YouTube and failed because they've worked with non-Yubers trying to do it. But right now, I feel we are in a pivotal moment. Very soon, brands will believe in their voice on YouTube and create great content for specific audiences that care about the stuff they make. 

Getting a brand to believe in this took me a long time. But about a year ago, I started working on Craft Sportswear's YouTube channel after working with them for many years on other content. But this has been a fantastic opportunity to tell real stories that people care about. I feel like the more I do it, the more freedom and trust I get to do things exactly as I would on my channel, but there is a game of patience to get to that stage. You need to take baby steps to earn trust and to make the brands see how things don't fail or that they are successful. 

For me, this has meant creating the first 4-5-minute videos instead of 2-3 minutes. Then, over the past year, I've slowly gotten the brand used to seeing 13-minute videos do well. This is a way to do feature films with brands in the long term. And this is actually what gave me this opportunity in the first place. I had been making a feature documentary for the brand that interested them in the world of possibilities. But then there is also timing. You have no chance if you don’t approach the right brand at the right time. It would be best to match their ambition at the right time to make this work. 

Here are some key things to think about when you work with a brand:

Listen to the Brand:
Listening to the brand is essential before you start creating a branded documentary. Take time to understand what the brand wants to convey, its message, target audience, and brand personality. This helps to create boundaries for your stories and will make them happen rather than make the things you care about. Take the right ideas to the right brands; don't force this because you get a no. It also helps to research the brand's previous content, including style, tone, voice, format, and length. These insights will not only help you create a well-crafted documentary but will also help you align your vision with the brand's requirements.

Create a Story:
The heart of any documentary is its story. Once you have listened to the brand, developing a story that aligns with its message is time. The report should be authentic, engaging, and emotionally compelling. The information should be crafted to attract the viewer's attention, keep them interested, and convey the brand's message. It would be best if you also tried to differentiate the story from traditional brand advertisements by creating an emotional connection that resonates with your audience.

Craft the Visuals:
While the story is the heart of any documentary, the visuals add emotional depth and enhance the storytelling. For branded documentaries, visuals that are creative, visually stunning, and relevant to the brand message are essential. You can use different visual elements like animation, graphics, and stock footage to enhance the documentary's visual appeal. You can also incorporate your brand's visual guidelines for a more consistent look and feel across multiple channels.

Tell a Compelling Story with the Music:
Music can make or break your branded documentary. Choose background music that elevates your story, complements the visuals, and evokes the desired emotions. Avoid generic piece that doesn't support the story or add emotional depth. You can also work with composers to create custom music that is unique and tailored to your documentary to elevate the viewer's emotions.

Add a Call to Action:
After creating an emotionally engaging story, it's essential to understand that a brand is looking for ROI. Think about what the return on investment can be for your work. Is it just brand awareness, or are there more layers to it? Is there a way for the brand to make money from the content? If so, that will motivate more spending on your work. Think about how you can use that in a compelling call to action. A call to action can either be a direct promotion of the brand, or it may prompt viewers to watch more of your brand's YouTube videos. A compelling call to action must align with all the other elements of the documentary and inspire viewer action.

Getting to make the film I did about David Laney is not something you will get as a first chance. It is something you can grow a brand to believe in. If you, as a documentary filmmaker, have a vision to do something like this, I can't stress enough how important it is to have patience. Understand that on their part, all that is important is return on investment. The more you understand the brand, the more you can tap into that.

Creating branded documentaries for YouTube can be a unique way to showcase your creativity and storytelling while collaborating with a brand on their YouTube channel. By listening to the brand, creating a compelling story, visually stunning elements, emotional depth with the music, and a solid call to action, you can create unforgettable branded documentaries that are engaging, authentic, and resonate with your viewers. It's time to explore this avenue for your creative documentary filmmaker and build a collaborative partnership with great brands!