Event Profile: WESTDOC: The West Coast Documentary and Reality Conference

September 13 to 15
Santa Monica, California

The U.S. Pacific Coast has long served as a stomping ground for producers, creators and program-makers in the non-fiction, documentary and reality TV sectors. WESTDOC: The West Coast Documentary and Reality Conference was set up as a dedicated event for these TV and film executives to gather and exchange ideas, to network and get involved in panel discussions with like-minded people working in their creative sphere.

The conference is jointly organized by Oscar-nominated producer and director Chuck Braverman, and broadcast distributor and past-president of the International Documentary Association, Richard Propper. Following its successful launch in 2009, WESTDOC returns this September for a second event, with new highlights on the roster.

"The first year, we sat down and asked ourselves something very simple, What are the type of panels that matter to people who are producing films and what are the issues that they’re coming across?" explains Propper. "It seemed like a lot of the events were moving much more towards only networking and less on panels. What we’ve done is strike a balance between both. We think people want useful information and want to hear it from the people making all of the decisions."

Propper says that the focus overall is to make the conference "as useful as possible to the attendees," with a schedule that boasts 30-plus panels. These sessions cover a wide range of subjects, such as financing, shooting and selling a documentary or reality TV one-off or series. A number of panels specifically look at what’s happening in the digital world and with new technology, spotlighting do-it-yourself distribution and how to take advantage of that business model. Master Classes look at how to shoot and edit in the new hybrid format HDSLR; feature tips for independent producers, filmmakers and editors interested in emerging technologies; and talk about network license fees and the perfect pitch.

Attendees will also get the chance to pitch projects in front of potential network buyers and a live audience during PitchFest. "We love PitchFest," says Braverman. "It was sort of the surprise hit. I say that because Richard and I weren’t very certain what we’d end up with, but we ended up getting a lot of submissions of really interesting projects. What was an even better surprise was seeing the pitch, then listening to the panel talk about why a particular project would be good for them or not good for them. By having a dozen esteemed programmers who are the execs making programming decisions, you really learn a lot about what’s going on in the networks’ minds."

Key to the conference schedule are The Sit-Down and Face Time events. The Sit-Down, Propper explains, is like an industry Upfront, except smaller and more intimate, with 50 people or fewer. Broadcasters have the chance to map out their programming strategies and outline the types of shows they’re looking for. "That might not sound unusual, but it’s not happening on the West Coast," says Propper. Face Time, meanwhile, is an opportunity for a one-on-one meeting with a broadcaster at an appointed time.

Networking is also a big part of what WESTDOC looks to offer the documentary and reality markets. "The way it worked out last year, there was an awful lot of networking in the lobby, in the hallways—it was all right there," says Braverman. "Whereas at some other events there are private suites and the networking is going on out of sight…. I’m sure there was some of that going on too, but we saw a lot of producers talking to a lot of network people in the hall during the breaks." Providing a social setting for this further networking to take place, each day of the conference will cap off with cocktail mixers and parties.

The event will feature a keynote conversation with filmmaker Joe Berlinger, whose film Crude has become the focus of an important First Amendment rights case and appeal. Known as the “Amazon Chernobyl” case, Crude is a real-life, high-stakes legal drama, touching on the environmental movement, global politics, celebrity activism, human-rights advocacy, the media, multinational corporate power and rapidly-disappearing indigenous cultures. Chevron is currently seeking 600 hours of footage from the film in an effort to bolster its case in the long-running lawsuit. Berlinger will address the state of documentary production and distribution today, along with discussing his film Crude in a moderated question-and-answer session.

More than 400 executives attended the inaugural WESTDOC, and this year’s lineup already includes heavy-hitters such as Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Spike TV, National Geographic Channel, TV Land, Syfy, HISTORY, WE tv, OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, BBC, and The Doc Channel, with more networks to be announced shortly.

The event is to be held from September 13 to 15 at the Doubletree Guest Suites Santa Monica.

To watch a highlight video from WESTDOC, please click here.