434. The Truth About $100K Video Projects with Mark Bone and Michael Del Monte

Apr 21, 2025

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Mark Bone and Michael Del Monte, Founders of Art of Documentary, share their journey from running track to becoming successful filmmakers and educators. They dive deep into how filmmakers can create more value, communicate better with clients, and balance passion projects with strategic business decisions in today's changing industry.

Key Takeaways

Focus on what a video will DO for a client, not just how it will LOOK - clients care about results and problems solved, not your gear
Create multiple assets from a single project to meet different client needs - the two-minute anthem video AND the 30-second hard-selling cutdown
The right kind of "free work" early in your career can be strategic marketing that leads to huge opportunities later
Finding mentors and community is essential for growth and sustainability in this industry

About Michael Del Monte

Michael Del Monte is a Canadian documentary filmmaker known for telling stories of overlooked individuals. With degrees in Philosophy and Theology, he’s directed four award-winning feature documentaries, with work featured on Netflix, Amazon Prime, ESPN, CBC, and more.

About Mark Bone

Mark Bone is an award-winning Toronto-based director who discovered documentary filmmaking while working in Egypt during the Darfur war. He’s directed acclaimed films like 58 HOURS and ASD Band: The Movie, and his work has screened at HotDocs and been featured by CNN Films and Vimeo. He’s also directed global campaigns for brands like Nike, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz.

In This Episode

[00:00:00] Welcome to the show!
[00:04:39] Meet Michael Del Monte and Mark Bone
[00:08:35] Documentary Foundations Course
[00:17:23] Big Clients Vs Small Retainers
[00:21:52] Define Your Goals
[00:33:50] Showing Value by Showing Up
[00:40:55] Bringing Multiple Assets
[00:48:33] "Free Work”
[00:55:40] Connect with Art Of Documentary
[01:00:43] Outro

Quotes

"A beautiful cinematic emotional video does nothing for us if we don't know what to do with it." - Client quote shared by Michael Del Monte

"I compare AI to fast food... there'll be a use case for it clearly in that world, but we still need fine dining chefs. We still need chefs who can make gourmet meals, who have hundred-year-old recipes and it tastes very differently." - Michael Del Monte

"AI can't replace your personality. There's three things you can do as an entrepreneur. You can be good, you can be reliable, and you can be fun. And I just don't think AI is fun." - Mark Bone

"Every year, or I would say even every six months, you need to be making time for a project that can help you take multiple leaps forward in your career." - Michael Del Monte