We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Daniel Bernardi a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Daniel, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. One of the most important things small businesses can do, in our view, is to serve underserved communities that are ignored by giant corporations who often are just creating mass-market, one-size-fits-all solutions. Talk to us about how you serve an underserved community.
El Dorado Films is dedicated to documentary storytelling. Our aim is to harness the talents of a diverse array of filmmakers, ranging from cinematographers and editors to animators and sound designers. We do this to empower storytellers who are committed to conveying impactful narratives that challenge the way audiences perceive their world.
At the heart of El Dorado Films lies the Veteran Documentary Corps (VDC), our flagship initiative for documentary filmmaking and distribution. VDC boasts an exceptional catalog comprising more than 100 feature films, shorts, and profiles that have been both filmed and screened at festivals worldwide. Through VDC, we bridge the connection between these filmmakers’ unique perspectives, the subject matter, and the profound military experience. By doing so, we provide our audience with an invaluable glimpse into the minds of the artists, the challenges and successes of diverse members of the military community, and the world they explore.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
El Dorado Films started with a vision of bridging the gap between filmmakers and individuals, families, and businesses looking to tell their stories in a compelling way.
In doing so, we provide a wide array of services across all phases of filmmaking:
Pre-Production: We work closely with our clients to conceptualize their stories, develop scripts, plan shoots, and assemble the right creative team for the project.
Production: We bring stories to life by capturing high-quality footage, conducting interviews, and using cutting-edge equipment and techniques to create visually engaging content.
Post-Production: Our skilled editors, animators, and sound designers meticulously craft and edit the footage into compelling narratives that resonate with the intended audience.
Distribution: Through initiatives like the Veteran Documentary Corps (VDC), we help our clients showcase their films at festivals, in theaters, and on digital platforms, ensuring their stories reach a wider audience.
At El Dorado Films, we understand that storytelling can be a complex and daunting task for many individuals, families, and businesses. We solve several key problems for our clients:
We transform their ideas and experiences into captivating narratives.
We handle the technical aspects of filmmaking, alleviating the burden on our clients.
We provide a platform for underserved voices to be heard and appreciated.
We connect filmmakers with clients who share a commitment to impactful storytelling.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
As a film professor at San Francisco State University, I encountered numerous compelling stories that deserved to be told but faced challenges in attracting major investors for various reasons. This prompted me to engage in extensive conversations with various individuals, pondering how we could secure the necessary capital and investment to bring these stories to audiences. Out of these discussions, El Dorado Films was born.
Our approach involves a multi-faceted strategy:
Grant Writing: We actively pursue grants and funding opportunities to support our filmmaking endeavors. These grants play a crucial role in financing our projects and ensuring that impactful stories get the attention they deserve.
Strategic Partnerships: We collaborate with funders and partners who share our passion for storytelling. These strategic alliances enable us to pool resources, both financial and creative, to realize our cinematic visions.
Diverse Revenue Streams: We have established a robust network of distribution channels, generating revenue that sustains our filmmaking operations. These channels allow us to reach diverse audiences worldwide and ensure that our stories are heard.
Supporting Filmmakers: Our commitment to professionalism extends to compensating all our filmmakers for their invaluable contributions. We believe in fair compensation for their hard work and dedication.
Our primary objective is not driven by profit but by our unwavering dedication to the art of storytelling. We are resolute in our mission to continue presenting impactful narratives to a wide range of audiences. Throughout our journey, which has seen the creation of well over 100 feature films, shorts, and profiles, we have faced numerous challenges, whether financial, related to subject matter, or distribution-related. However, we persistently overcome these obstacles, ensuring that our filmmakers are always compensated for their exceptional work.
At El Dorado Films, our enduring commitment is to champion storytelling that matters and to ensure that every film we produce resonates with audiences, providing a voice to the stories that might otherwise go untold.
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
Several years ago, I kickstarted our business using personal funds, providing the initial capital needed to get things off the ground. Fast forward to the present, and I’m thrilled to report that we are not only financially stable but also experiencing modest yet consistent growth year after year. Our growth story is underpinned by a few key strategies:
1. Creating Impactful Films: Our commitment to producing impactful films — films for social change — has been instrumental in our growth. The demand for our work has been steadily increasing, thanks to the compelling narratives we bring to life.
2. Diverse Funding Sources: We have strategically diversified our funding sources. A significant portion of our financial support comes from grants, where we passionately pitch specific stories to secure the necessary resources. Additionally, we forge partnerships with individuals and organizations who have meaningful stories to share, expanding our financial reach.
3. Expanding Distribution Channels: To ensure our films reach a wide and diverse audience, we’ve cultivated relationships with various distribution channels. These include partnerships with agencies like Journeyman and JAVA, collaborations with major platforms such as Apple and Amazon, and engagements with multiple educational distributors.
This combination of passionate storytelling, strategic funding approaches, and an expansive distribution network has allowed us to not only achieve financial stability but also thrive in the world of impactful filmmaking.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://veterandocumentarycorps.vhx.tv/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eldoradofilms_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/veterandocs/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/19024042/admin/feed/posts/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/veterandoccorps
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ElDoradoFilms
Image Credits
Photos by Crew of El Dorado Films