Situated in a welcoming space inside the old "Silent Movie Theatre" in WEHO, Tom White moderated a panel of three industry notables. The power only went out once, but Gary Dauphin handled the interruption professionally and without a flinch. The venue was filled with what appeared to be mostly documentary filmmakers. They were treated to a short doc teaser reel from each of the three panelists who answered a few of Tom's questions and then took questions from the group. Belisa Balaban from Participant hit her message home several times -- think about an episodic series angle to your doc. She and Kerner of CNN both needed representation in order to look at proposals and reels, though Dauphin of KCET was open to non-repped pitches. All three said they'd need to see a reel with the proposal, Balaban cautioned to keep it short. Filmmakers asked questions, the panelists responded. To my surprise, the panelists refused to answer a specific money question, "Ballpark, what do you pay for docs?" The refusal to answer downgraded the value of the event, and left a lingering feeling of dissatisfaction which was further aggravated when one of the panelists stated, "We should be the last place you shop your docs." Tom helped out by mentioning that DocU mag had done an article on the money numbers in the Dec 2010 issue. (I couldn't find that article, but did read an article from White in that issue which was helpful and has some anecdotal numbers.) Filmmakers were encouraged to run their docs at festivals because reps such as these three go there to find docs to purchase. Following the presentation three panelists and filmmakers were invited to hang out in the courtyard.

Doc U's Description of the Event: The last few months have seen a number of major changes in the broadcast outlets for nonfiction programs. CNN launched CNN Films, upping the network’s commitment to long format documentaries. Participant Media acquired the Documentary Channel and Halogen TV, to be re-branded and launched this summer as a new channel featuring scripted and nonscripted programming, and LA™s KCET, the nation's largest independent public television station, has merged with Link TV creating KCETLi΅k, a new transmedia independent network that acquires, produces and distributes provocative global programming. With these new ventures, and other evolving players on the scene, we'll take a look at the outlook for docs on TV. What programming will these new channels be seeking? How will their content to be accessed in the variety of ways available to consumers today? How do these new outlets increase the visibility and availability of docs and non-fiction content? How do these new initiatives, acquisitions and mergers signal the future for non-fiction works on television? Join Tom White, Editor of Documentary magazine, and a panel of industry insiders including Belisa Balaban, SVP, Unscripted Programming at Participant Media; Gary Dauphin, Director, New Media, KCET,; and Lizzie Kerner, Director of Development & Acquisitions at CNN Films, as they discuss the changing landscape and new opportunities for docs on television. Doc U is the International Documentary Association's series of educational seminars and workshops for aspiring and experienced documentary filmmakers. Taught by artists and industry experts, participants receive vital information and insight on various topics relevant to the world of documentary filmmaking.

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