How to Pitch a Documentary: Advice From Ken Burns, Sam Pollard, Rachel Grady and More

Story by Tim Molloy

scrn logline

Industry insiders dish on the secret art of pitching a killer documentary to execs who aren't afraid to say 'no'.

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Ken Burns reveals streaming services want to rush his projects, but he needs the time to craft masterpieces like 'The Vietnam War'.
Filmmaker Rachel Grady advises pitchers to never admit their doc could be boring - keep it engaging or risk losing the audience's interest.

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Ken Burns, Sam Pollard, Rachel Grady, Marina Zenovich, Roger Nygard, Heidi Ewing, Davis Guggenheim, Michael Tollin, Jason Pollard, Connie Smith, VEEP, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Documentarian, Trekkies, The Nature of Existence, Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired, Desperately Seeking Soulmate: Escaping Twin Flames Universe, The Civil War, Baseball, Prohibition, The Vietnam War, Leonardo Da Vinci, Jesus Camp, Endangered, He Named Me Malala, Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, The Last Dance, It's In the Game: Madden NFL, MLK/FBI, Ol' Dirty Bastard: A Tale of Two Dirtys, Country Music

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