IV.

Technology and Funding

Personal documentaries of all kinds rely on individual talent. Others are the work of teams, including researchers and editors, although small-scale technology encourages the efforts of lone individuals, especially in situations of risk. Small video cameras and small sound recorders help because they can easily be taken anywhere. However, the costs of good-quality television documentaries are high. To meet them, producers have several choices: to sell their work in many countries if it appeals across different cultures; to take sponsorship; to be funded by a broadcasting organization with big audiences; or to arrange co-production deals with several broadcasting stations in different countries.