Strata Records Film Documentary

javonski

So I’ve been contemplating the thought of truly documenting the history and legacy of Strata Records, but I haven’t been able to realize a way to do so. Some of this is due to my negligence and some due to not being able to secure funding or the right situation.

However, I really want to document their rich history. Therefore, I am reaching out to solicit help in securing funding to film a documentary on the history and legacy of Strata Records. I want to do this soon as many of the original members of the Strata collective are no longer with us, and those that are still alive are advanced in age.

I’m also open to any and all suggestions for securing funding and backing for the documentary. So if anyone has any suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact me! You can contact me at info@180-proof.com

   #stratarecords #detroit #jazz #funk #soul #documentary

klezmer electro-thug beats

I dabbled briefly in trying to get feature film funding, and my only help is to say what you've probably already heard - the best bet for funding a film without some obvious studio appeal is to get the right one or two rich guys interested enough to put down money they are aware they're unlikely to get back.

A film like this... there have got to be some relatively big musicians, producers etc. who love the label and might be interested, it's just a matter of having everything else that you can organize done before you get the project in front of them - e.g. a director with enough pedigree to pull it off who is willing to work on it if it gets funding, rights to music and archive footage/photos well on its way if not completely sorted pending budget... all the low-cost stuff that can be done to make a film more possible and look less like a project that'll collapse. The easiest way to do all that is with a producer experienced in this kind of documentary film coordinating all that, but even with all that in place, the final key is having personal access to the right rich guy.

The other way would be getting a documentary director who is already somewhat of a known filmmaker (in theaters or on Netflix, for example) fall in love with the project and use their name and proven ability to make something good with some wider appeal. I'm not sure Strata fits the bill, but you know what kind of docs have made it to Netflix - there's a whole movie about Michael Viner on there for chrissakes (though the Incredible Bongo Band has some obvious niche-mass appeal). Look at how they got funded, hell, contact the filmmakers themselves.

That's not to say you need millions to make a historical/archive-and-interview based documentary. Something like this is absolutely possible for pretty cheap and can be sold to streaming after a festival run - Stretch and Bobbito, etc.