Sure, artistic vision, pursuit of truth, powerful storytelling – these things are all fine and dandy when thinking about your next film project.
But there’s more practical concern for any filmmaker early in their career: how do I make money?
For Colby Gottert, president of DDC International, this was the driving force behind his decision to start a video production company that used a small team of filmmakers around the world.
“When I got into filmmaking, the main idea was to be able to make money traveling the world and telling stories,” Gottert said. “There are other documentary filmmakers that get into the field because they have a burning desire to tell independent or authentic stories. My experience was very different in the sense that I was more interested in making a practical living.”
But before he could make that practical living, there was just one problem: he had zero filmmaking experience. Gottert never went to film school and was basically starting from scratch.
So he partnered with his cousin, Jack Gordon, who knew the basics of video production, and started their company in Madagascar, where they were both living at the time.
Gottert and Gordon knew professional filmmakers aren’t exactly cheap, so instead they hired a few amateurs who they knew were eager to learn.
“We were very bold in the sense that we thought that the work would be so simple, that we could just hire some young guy that didn't even know what he was doing and that we would just train him, as long as he was intelligent enough,” Gottert said.
As DDC International grew, Gottert met other talented filmmakers in Madagascar and built a knowledge sharing network. Even after moving to the U.S., that network remained as the basis of the company.
This meant that filmmakers in Madagascar were working seamlessly with editors in North Carolina and producers in Columbia. Over time, they developed a remote workflow that’s proven all the more effective during a pandemic.
Gottert explained that the biggest challenge for this type of production structure is making sure everyone is on the same page about the style and tone of each project they produce. To solve this, Gottert instituted a stylistic training method for any new filmmakers they work with, even if it’s just for one shoot.
“In working with a new shooter in a different part of the world, you could get any type of footage,” Gottert said. “It could be beautiful stuff but that doesn't fit the story at all. So you really have to know how to provide them with the guidelines they need to do their best work.”
For Gottert, working with an international team isn’t just about efficiency. It’s about highlighting stories and learning techniques he wouldn’t have access to otherwise.
And when he or other members of his team are looking for something new to watch, they usually turn to that same international network for recommendations and other opportunities to round out their craft.
“I stay in touch with many different filmmakers that I've met over the years,” Gottert said. “And it's different people sharing – whether it's shorts or more commercial documentaries or features that they've seen.
“There are certain things I'm watching because they're great stories. But then there are other things I'm watching because the cinematography or editing techniques are really amazing. And they're things that we would like to emulate in our own work.”
Every new film is a chance to find new ideas or gain knowledge and experience, and for the folks at DDC International, it’s a communal process.
And the first step? Just start doing it.