LessWrong (Curated & Popular) “SB-1047 Documentary: The Post-Mortem” by Michaël Trazzi
Aug 8, 2025
Michaël Trazzi, the producer of the SB-1047 documentary, shares insights from his extensive production journey. He reveals that what was planned as a 6-week project ballooned to 27 weeks at a cost of $157k. Trazzi discusses the critical lessons learned about budgeting, staffing, and viewer engagement. He also reflects on the challenges faced during filming and editing, highlighting unique experiences that shaped the final product and offering valuable advice for future documentary creators. Tune in for a behind-the-scenes look at documentary production!
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Editing Consumed The Budget
- Editing became the largest expense, with four different editors working from November to March.
- Motion graphics and custom sound were the next biggest cost drivers in post-production.
Scope Creep From Extra Funding
- Michaël Trazzi received more funding than planned and hired many professionals, which expanded the project's scope.
- That scale-up pushed the timeline from an intended six weeks to roughly 27 weeks.
Conference Screening Forced A Rushed Draft
- Michaël Trazzi accepted a screening at The Curve and rushed a first draft to meet the conference deadline.
- The rushed editor used software and outputs that were not reusable, creating extra work later.
