Know anything about documentaries?

I posted this in the general forum and somebody suggested I post it here - you guys might know more about documentaries than the average Joe. Anyway, I'm curious about documentaries - are they freelanced like magazine articles? No - I have no intention of making them - my brain just kind of wandered onto this path the other day and I've been wondering about it since. I watch History Channel and all those others and wonder who all those people making those films and how they go about it. Do they write proposals to big companies who then fund them? Or do they have to find them by themselves? How does it all get in the works? Anybody know? Thanks for satifying my insatiable curiosity!

Thanks! I kind of thought it was probably the same as freelance writing work - but wasn't sure.

I think it sounds like a lot of work!! My husband is into making family videos and DVDs - for us only. He spends hours and hours and hours - and his are nowhere near professional level. Good luck with yours!!