Two Quirks Worth Acknowledging When Producing Commissioned Works

With documentaries, the storyteller gets to witness life as it unfolds. It makes for authentic moments and it takes time to capture.

Brands and companies have been championing authenticity since it was added to their proverbial book of must haves in order to win the competition. But this is only a means to their end. Stories ordered by this desire have certain quirks that are worth acknowledging for the benefit of the client and the artist.

Note that as I am a Documentary Storyteller, the commissioned works I am referring to are for video projects - though the sharing here can be applied interchangeably to other forms of works.

What part does the commissioned work play in the overall campaign?

Hardly any commissioned works are ordered in isolation. They are likely part of marketing campaigns or branding efforts. Even if the artist is given seemingly free reign to produce the work, the factors surrounding its production will likely be dictated by the campaign it is part of. Notable aspects include deadlines, story biases, mandated features, and the length of the final video.

When producing independent works, I let my documentary subjects be the main determinant of such aspects. But when producing commissioned works, the objectives and motivations of the client are equally as paramount. Whether you are happy with such circumstances may be less relevant due to the default nature of the contract. You can seek to change it, but it will take more than brute force to do so. Understanding and empathy on both sides are necessary.

Can you position a sweet spot?

Obviously, the scenario above may create tensions, especially if the ideals of the client may be at odds with the integrity of the subjects featured in the work.

But acknowledging this before commencing a project is immensely helpful! It helps one to avoid pitfalls and position oneself to find that sweet spot in which the demands of the client are satisfied without diminishing the integrity of the featured subjects while also satisfying the artistic pursuit of the storyteller.

However, such sweet spots may not exist from the start. This is why figuring out the status of one will help inform you on your actions. Can you position your own considerations such that it makes a sweet spot possible? Can the positions of the client and the subject be altered and to what degree? And a sweet spot is not possible, would you still take on the job? There are multiple appropriate responses to this question, but appreciating it in this context will help one be at peace with the consequences of the choices made.

What are you grateful for?

A documentary subject recently shared with me this mantra he has. He is a coach, and has a daily ritual with his community of underprivileged youths where he would ask this question. The belief is that even in the thick of a dark cloud, there are silver linings.

So when asking this question to myself in the context of this article, I say that in any case, the need to form relationships with clients is undeniable if one is to do their work professionally. But while tales of nightmare relationships are in endless supply, it seems unhealthy to see the default state of the artist and client as oil and water. Would this project have been simpler if it were an independent work? Perhaps. But I may never have had the opportunity to tell that specific story otherwise.