Making a film is not enough, a filmmaker needs a platform for showcasing their work. And so in this post we will talk about how to telecast your short films/documentaries on Doordarshan and/or NDTV Prime.

There are two ways you can telecast your Short Film / Feature Film in a  TV Channel. First way is – The program coordinator of TV channel itself contact you if they want to show your short film / feature film on TV Channel. (Read: How the Film Distribution Process Works in India?) But, this possibility may occur if your Film /Short Film is become a Blockbuster/ viral within few days after the release. Certainly, this is a rarely occurring chance.

If your film is unable to pull crowd within few days after the release, then you have to use second option as given below.

What do you do after you finish the final cut of that short film or documentary you spent hours or even months on? Well, besides uploading it on public platform like youtube and vimeo, you can also get your work to be broadcasted on some TV channels. Here’s a step by step procedure to get your short film/documentary featured on a big platform –

Step by Step Process of Telecasting a Short Film in an Indian Television Channel

1) Write a Proposal –

This is the very first step after finishing your film. In order to get a distributor, you will have to let them know that you are interested in licensing your film to be broadcasted on their platform. Various agencies (especially government) have their guidelines on how to submit a proposal and the qualification of a film. The main points of your proposal should be (but not restricted to) as followed:

1. Title – Should be eye catching, and sound interesting.
2. Ownership – The distributors need to know who they are dealing with. Many distributors don’t like to deal with middle man (even Production Houses in some cases), so its best if the name of the project director is placed here. But you also need to mention who all own the project (i.e; all the producers and stake holders)
3. Duration: What it says.
4. Genre: Be very upfront about what you are pitching. Some broadcasters (like DD) are very concerned about their image and the kind of content they air. So let them know in the beginning the type of film you are proposing.
5. Outline: Its like a detailed summary of your film. Who, what, where, why, how? All these questions are answered here.
6. Disclaimer & Release: Here, you need to let the distributor know that the content of your film won’t get him in any trouble regarding any copyright infringement. In other worlds, you own everything in your film, and have the proper licensing/rights for additional clips and footages. Besides, if anything goes wrong, you take the responsibility to handle any legal matter.
7. Work: You can either attach a DVD of your film or provide them with a link so that they can see what they are getting.

Read Related: How to make Money from Short Films?

2) Choose your distributor/broadcaster –

After you are done with that proposal, its time to decide which channel/platform your are going to pitch to. You can either try a TV Channel or go for the Youtube distribution. However, not many TV Channels are into showcasing short films and documentaries made by outsiders. Here are the options you have –

(a) NDTV PRIME

NDTV Prime is the only constant that has been airing short films and Documentaries made by budding filmmakers on their channel. NDTV Prime Talkies and NDTV Prime Documentaries are their platforms for these kind of films.

(b) POCKET FILMS

Pocket Films or 1take Media is perhaps India’s largest online distributor of short films. Their youtube channel is filled with several short films made by new filmmakers. They are also NDTV’s partners for showcasing short films. So if they like your short film, not only they will pay you, but it will be broadcasted on NDTV Prime as well.

(c) SIX SIGMA FILMS

One of the largest short films distributors and aggregators of the country, Six Sigma Films are like just One Take Media. You submit your short film to them, they pay you and if they like it, they will arrange for it to be broadcasted on any TV Channel that is willing to air it. They are not exclusive with NDTV, but their films have been aired on many other news channels. Their youtube channel is also a showcase of several short films.

(c) DOORDARSHAN

This can be tricky, but if done, its worth it. Doordarshan can broadcast your film on its national channel but there are some pretty strict guidelines for your film to qualify. Besides, the proposal to them costs INR 10,000 which is refundable in case your film proposal is rejected. But if your film makes the cut, the rewards are huge. However, a recent initiative by DD Kerala started a short film contest called Think Clean that invited short films made around the theme of cleanliness. Inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swacchha Bharat Abhiyaan this initiative was a hit with many filmmakers in Kerala.

So these were your options to broadcast your film on TV channels. However, you must remember that getting your film on TV channels is not the only way for people to see it. More an more films are getting viral only through the social media. And once your film gets viral, all channels will send you a proposal to showcase it.

Filmmakers Fans also sharing the Contact email address of the Editorial In-charge of the various Leading Television Channels.

Featured Image from: Screen Heaven

This Article is related to: How to telecast film on tv channel ? , How to telecast a Film on TV Channel?, How to show a Short film on TV Channel ?  Show your Short Film on an Indian TV Channel, how to, air, broadcast, short film, documentary, tv, channel, india, ndtv, doordarshan, pocket films, six sigma films

Follow us on Facebook!

Ask a Question. FilmmakersFans will respond to it within next few minutes. Try Now.