How much do you usually give an expert for a interview?
For the Documentarians
- Thread starter wparrish24
- Start date
In the new millennium terms like "celebrity" and "published" don't have the status that they once had. A "celebrity" like Paris Hilton is "famous for being famous" and would be an expert on how to screw up your life - and would command six figures for an interview. And what celebrity is really an expert on anything except their own craft? And anyone can self publish in the internet age now that you don't even have to physically publish on printed pieces of paper bound between two covers. So without being vetted by a traditional publisher, without being reviewed by traditional critics, without being reviewed by your peers, without having ever sold one physical book you can be a "published expert."
And what constitutes an expert? ROC and I are considered the audio experts here on IndieTalk, and we both have considerable knowledge and experience, but neither one of us has the status, experience or knowledge of a Randy Thom, or even a Rob Nokes.
What you have to do is contact the expert in question - or their representation - to find out what it takes in money and perqs to obtain an interview; and how much control they have over their segment.
Something else to consider; every field will have experts who disagree and obtaining two with radically opposing points of view is sometimes enough to get them to argue with each other for free.
I understand what youre saying. However, selfpublishing and being published by a peer reviewed journal are 2
different things. Being a "self described expert" and a proven expert in field"X" are 2 different things. So, if they
claim to be an expert in synthetic mathematics and to have proven a new theory, you would want to know
where they have been published because I dont know the first thing about synthetic mathematics and want to
make sure they are credible. Then if they are like Michio Kaku and are quoted on every relevant subject in
physics, in every film(it seems) they will probably demand a higher price. Just a thought. Not trying to be
defensive just explaining my thought proccess.
Also I think you make a good point about making them argue for free.
...Allow me to reiterate...what is the subject matter?????
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We're on the same page; I was pointing out that some verification of qualifications would be in order...
Dank you! :*<---That was suppose to be a kissy face but instead, I guess you get a colon with an asterics(ms)
I usually give them what they ask for.
I'm going to go ahead and say that experts'll usually appear for free in big budget documentaries/news if you go to them and are in and out quickly. For small budgets you won't be able to pay them a significant sum of money, so you're better off appealing to their charitable side. I'm going to say that if you're polite and approachable and do it quick then they should do it for free.
My Dad does quite a few documentaries and he only ever gets paid for Sky or Al Jazeera or whatever. Any indie docs would be free.
My Dad does quite a few documentaries and he only ever gets paid for Sky or Al Jazeera or whatever. Any indie docs would be free.
how real can a documentary get? i was thinking of doing a documentary one dog catchers(eaters) in nigeria. By the way I am nigerian. You think there is a limit to how far you can take the grittiness of film. Or at a point would you have to lay back and say OK thats enough.
So long as it is not gratuitous then there shouldn't really be a limit. If it is going to have that shock factor, it has to be productive and used to strengthen the point you're making. Shocking for the sake of shocking is the exclusive territory of torture porn horror films, not documentaries.
This. ^^^^^^
@MoIroy: A film like you propose (dog catching/eating as a means of survival) should be more about the social and economic conditions that created the needed to survive in that fashion, and on the impact it has on the people thrust into said situation. Skip the graphic depictions of dog slaughter (which is, what I think you are hinting at) and save that for the torture porn crowd. Remember the lesson of Reservoir Dogs; what you don't show (and therefore force the audience to imagine for themselves) will have FAR more impact than simply showing gore that folks can look away from.
If you have access to the material you mention, then go for it. Could be a very compelling film if done correctly, although you'd never get an ASPCA clearance. Not sure that matters for docs.
Re: What to pay an expert? Whatever you can negotiate which A: fits your budget, and B: they will accept. Asking for an interview from your local junior college economics professor is going to be a lot cheaper/easier than asking for an interview with Larry Summers.
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