Documentary film teams are better off being run like a Navy SEAL team rather than through a corporate sector. Essentially, in all aspects of the documentary filmmaking process a small unit of army combatants bent on operating in guerrilla-style approaches and through the trenches make for a better, quality end product than anything a corporate structure can produce. Since a lot of documentaries involve grunt work, constant cinema verite-style shooting, no scripts—all which must be completed with sweat equity a Navy-like seal team is the best formula for success. A producer with his director, camera operator/D.P., an Associate Producer/fixer, and possibly a field researcher or two can make for a solid, effective core team of documentary film army combatants. Even if an independent documentary film has a large budget stretching into the six-figures—the team working in the day-to-day operations would most likely succeed with a small unit off multitasking individuals rather than through corporate functionaries divided by company divisions.

Picture the reality of documentary film production as going to war, operating in warzones, communicating and functioning through war-like conditions—all without the notion of violence, of course. Moreover, documentary film productions also include living and operating in the trenches, limited supply of goods and often times working on the schedule of your subjects and cast of characters you are determined to capture on camera. Plus, there’s the accessibility of information and encroachment on territory. Each member of a given documentary film team must be proactive in survival. Small, special forces units are more ideal to get the most content and information out of a limited budget and accessibility. In this sense documentary film production beyond the sociopolitical ones that are bent in exposing the powers to be or actual real-life war coverage is the kind of production reality that is germane for a Navy SEAL team operation to accomplish its mission. Survival in this context means the opportunity for success.

Crucial things get lost within the corporate hegemony. Corporate institutions put too much of a hold on rules, procedure, protocol, roles, and lanes only job titles can fulfill. This trumps the creative initiative and proactive process that allows producers, directors, and even writers to go beyond in order to capture a strong documentary film narrative that can potential captivate niche audiences. Unscripted, story-driven, nonfiction, long-form works of art that are constructed in the midst of rules that are prefixed is not only antithetical to what drives those to produce such works but is a potential for failure in the long run. Creativity, originality and even artistic expression are diluted to customary, standard approaches when situated in the corporate environment. Anyone who has been involved in any aspect of working on a documentary from concept to completion knows that so much of the journey and process is rugged, indefinite, and self-reliant. Imagine, for starters—you are determined to capture character(s) in an interesting narrative or a little-to-known storyline developing in front of the camera not knowing initially what access you will be granted or how long to capture the subjects and story development. In many ways, you and your team must roll up your sleeve, get creative and gritty and figure out how to best capture the story in light of the reality it takes to put it all together (budgets, accessibility, and time). This is the same principle factors that special operations forces like Navy SEALs work in through warzones, enemy territory, military occupations, etc.