The Documentarian by Roger Nygard

"I have a great idea for a documentary. Now what do I do?" The Documentarian-The Way to a Successful and Creative Professional Life in the Documentary Business is the ultimate go-to source for making documentaries, containing the crucial tips and strategies that every filmmaker needs to know. It is detailed in explaining 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 Ken Burns, Davis Guggenheim, Liz Garbus, Rachel Grady, Freida Lee Mock, Errol Morris, Sam Pollard, Michael Tollin, Frederick Wiseman, and Marina Zenovich. Nygard describes his journey through the film business, including a case study profiling the making and selling of the documentary Trekkies; what it took to push the film to a record-setting sale to a major studio, with a huge payout to the filmmakers. This book is inspirational and leaves readers-after finishing a chapter or the whole book-feeling more inspired to go forth with their own struggle.

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 comedy films-and 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 tackled serious topics in a humorous way, like Trekkies and The Nature of Existence, and his latest work is, Cut to the Monkey: A Hollywood Editor's Behind the Scenes Secrets to Making Hit Comedies, published by Applause Books.