Brondesbury Art Collection - Creative Proposal

Daniel Simón

Archive

“Brondesbury Art Collection”(Provisional name)

The project proposes the development of a documentary series of approximately eight episodes focused on Alfonso Pons’s trajectory as a collector and his experience within the international art system over recent decades.

The series will be structured around three interdependent narrative lines:

01. GENERAL CONTEXT

The evolution of Latin American art and the evolution of the international art industry and the structures that determine its circulation and valuation: collectors, artists, galleries, museums, fairs, institutions, and the market.

1.2. PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

Alfonso Pons’s trajectory: his first acquisitions, the development of his criteria, travels, artists, professional and personal relationships, the evolution of the collection, and the main decisions made throughout its development.

1.3. GENERATIONAL TRANSFER

The process through which Alfonso passes on to his two daughters both the collection and the knowledge associated with it: the context of the works, stories, relationships, criteria, documentation, and future responsibilities.

02. MAIN OBJECTIVES

Record Alfonso Pons’s testimony in depth.
Document information currently held primarily in his memory.
Relate his personal trajectory to historical transformations within the sector.
Contextualize a selection of works and artists from the collection.
Document the relationships among artists, collectors, galleries, museums, and fairs.
Incorporate external perspectives that complement or challenge Alfonso’s account.
Record the process of transferring the collection to his daughters.
Organize and digitize relevant documentary material.
Create a structured and searchable audiovisual archive.
Produce a series capable of circulating through museums, festivals, cultural institutions, universities, and potentially streaming platforms.

03. INITIAL FORMAT

Format: archive-documentary series.
Estimated number: 8 episodes.
Duration: approximately 30–60 minutes per episode.
Primary language: Spanish.
Subtitles: English.
Primary narrator: Alfonso Pons.
External interviews: between 5 and 10 people.
Primary location: Barcelona.
Possible additional locations.

The final duration and number of episodes may be adjusted during the editorial phase if the material indicates that another structure works better.

04. EDITORIAL FOCUS

The series is not conceived as a conventional chronological biography.

Its structure will combine chronology, themes, works, people, and historical events.

Alfonso’s experience will serve as an entry point into the broader context. An acquisition, a work, or an encounter may be used to develop wider questions related to the market, a generation of artists, a city, an institution, or a specific moment in Latin American art.

The structure should be sufficiently developed before filming to guide the conversations and research, while remaining open to modifications arising from the material obtained.

Phased production approach

The project is conceived as a complete documentary series, but its development and production will be carried out in phases.
The immediate priority is to record and preserve Alfonso Pons’s testimony, document the transfer of knowledge to his daughters, secure the essential audiovisual material connected to the collection, and establish the editorial foundations of the series.
Once this material has been recorded and analysed, the final production scale, episode structure, complementary interviews, travel requirements, and additional post-production needs will be defined more precisely.

05. INITIAL STRUCTURAL HYPOTHESIS (Open to change*)

EPISODE 01 - BUILDING A COLLECTION

Alfonso’s first contact with art.
First acquisitions.
The gradual development of his criteria.
The transition from personal interest to the systematic construction of a collection.

EPISODE 02 - LATIN AMERICAN ART

The evolution of Latin American art’s presence within the international circuit.
Artists relevant to Alfonso.
Transformations in the perception, circulation, and recognition of these artists.

EPISODE 03 - ARTISTS & COLLECTORS

Personal and professional relationships.
Studio visits.
Acquisitions.
Trust, intuition, and risk.
The relationship between the development of a collection and the trajectories of the artists.

EPISODE 04 - THE ART SYSTEM

Galleries.
Museums.
Fairs.
Curators.
Collectors.
Criticism and institutions.
Transformations that have taken place over recent decades.

EPISODE 05 - GEOGRAPHIES

Journeys and cities connected to the collection.
Barcelona.
New York.
Latin America.
Other relevant territories.
The relationship between movement, discovery, and access to new art scenes.

EPISODE 06 - MARKET & VALUE

The construction of economic and cultural value.
Price.
Speculation.
Appreciation.
Successful and unsuccessful decisions.
Works acquired and works passed over.

EPISODIE 07 - MANAGING A COLLECTION

Conservation.
Cataloguing.
Storage.
Loans.
Relationships with museums.
Documentation.
The collector’s responsibility after acquisition.

EPISODE 08 - GENERATIONAL TRANSFER

The current situation.
The daughters’ involvement.
Transmission of knowledge.
Pending cataloguing.
Continuity and the future of the collection.

06. NARRATIVE DISPOSTIVES

KEY WORKS

A limited group of pieces from the collection will be selected whose histories make it possible to connect personal experience with historical context.

These will not necessarily be the works with the highest economic value, but rather those that are most useful from a narrative perspective.

Planned Content

original camera material;
original sound;
complete interviews;
transcripts;
digitized photographs;
digitized historical documentation;
identification of works;
identification of people;
location references;
thematic classification;
final masters;
subtitles;
production documents.

Structure

A common file-naming convention will be established.

Each interview should later be retrievable using criteria such as:

person / date / subject / artist / work / place / event.

At least three copies of critical materials will be maintained during production, following a redundant storage strategy.

12. EDITORIAL WORKFLOW AND APPROVAL

To prevent an eight-episode project from entering an indefinite revision process, a formal approval system should be established from the outset.

Family Representation

Alfonso and his daughters will have review rights.

For day-to-day operations, it is recommended that a single person be designated as the main point of contact responsible for consolidating family feedback.

Review Milestones

1. Initial Structure
Approval of the overall map before editing begins.

2. Rough Cut
First complete version intended to evaluate content and structure.

3. Fine Cut
Advanced version intended for specific adjustments.

4. Picture Lock
Final approval of the edit before sound, color, and mastering.

Feedback must be delivered in consolidated form for each round.

Factual changes and editorial changes will be handled separately.

13. PRODUCTION SCHEDULE (Review*)

OCTOBER 2026

Development and Pre-production

preliminary archive inventory;
initial chronology;
character map;
collection analysis;
preliminary selection of works;
design of the four sessions with Alfonso;
technical tests on location;
design of the storage system;
first episode structure.

NOVEMBER–DECEMBER 2026

PHASE I — Priority Recording & Project Development

four main sessions;
observational filming;
first conversations with his daughters;
filming of works;
filming of documentation;
daily backups;
progressive transcription.

JANUARY 2027

Material Analysis

finalize transcripts;
index the interviews;
identify works and people mentioned;
identify information gaps;
review the eight-episode hypothesis;
build the initial selection of external interviewees.

FEBRUARY–APRIL 2027

The continuation into Phase II will be defined following the editorial assessment of the material produced during Phase I.

external interviews;
additional filming with the daughters;
filming of works;
archive digitization;
possible filming in Lisbon and/or New York;
institutional research;
obtaining permits and licenses.

MARCH–JULY 2027

Editing

Editing will begin while certain shoots are still ongoing.

Progressive workflow:

Assembly → Rough Cut → review → Fine Cut.

Episodes may be edited in blocks and not necessarily in their final order.

JULY–AUGUST 2027

Review and Editorial Completion

family review;
fact-checking;
revisions;
final archive integration;
graphics;
Picture Lock.

AUGUST–SEPTEMBER 2027

Post-production

sound design;
mixing;
music;
color grading;
English subtitles;
final graphics;
QC;
masters.

SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER 2027

Archive and Delivery

organization of raw footage;
transcript review;
metadata;
final structure of the Pons Archive;
backup copies;
delivery of masters.

Estimated total duration: approximately 12 months.

14. TEAM

Core Team

Director / Filmmaker
Production / Coordination
Production Sound

Post-production

director / editor;
sound designer / re-recording mixer;
motion graphics;
translation and subtitling.

15. PHASE I — RECORDING & PROJECT DEVELOPMENT

The main objective of Phase I is to record and preserve Alfonso Pons’s principal testimony and secure the essential material required to continue the development of the documentary series.

Phase I includes:

approximately 8 hours of principal conversations with Alfonso Pons;
4 principal filming days;
initial conversations with his daughters;
observational filming with Alfonso and the collection;
filming of selected artworks and documentation;
research and preparation of the principal interviews;
development of the initial editorial and narrative framework;
organization and backup of the recorded material;
identification of key themes, people, works and historical references;
definition of the production requirements for Phase II.

15.1. PHASE I COST BREAKDOWN

Research, Direction, & Pre-Production — €650

Includes:

initial research;
review of existing information and documentation;
development of the initial project structure;
preparation of Alfonso’s interviews;
definition of interview subjects and thematic areas;
selection of relevant works, people and documentation;
editorial development;
shooting methodology;
technical and logistical preparation;
filming schedule preparation;
coordination of the principal filming days;
overall direction of Phase I.

Production Crew — €4,800

Calculated across the four principal filming days.

This budget covers the supporting crew required during production.

The specific crew configuration may vary depending on the requirements of each filming day.

Reference cost: approximately €1,200 per filming day.

Camera, Sound & Lighting — €1,600

Technical package required for the four principal filming days.

Includes the necessary camera, sound and lighting resources according to the requirements of each shoot.

Reference cost: approximately €400 per filming day.

Storage & Backups — €400

Includes working storage and backup requirements for the material generated during Phase I.

The production will maintain redundant copies of the principal recorded material throughout the working process.

15.2. PHASE I BUDGET

Area

Development, research, direction, editorial development & pre-production

Production crew - 4 filming days

Camera, sound & lighting (rental for 4 filming days)

Storage & Backups

PHASE 1 TOTAL

Cost

€650

€4,800

€1,600

€400

€7,450 + VAT

15.3. PHASE I BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS

The Phase I budget is intended to cover the immediate recording, preservation, and initial editorial development of the project.

It does not represent the final production cost of the complete documentary series.

Following the recording and analysis of Alfonso’s principal interviews, a second production budget will be prepared based on the confirmed narrative structure, number of episodes, external interviews, travel requirements, archive licensing, and final post-production scope

They do not include VAT.

The following costs must be approved specifically once they can be determined:

acquisition of third-party archive rights;
additional filming and post-production beyond the agreed Phase I scope.
commercial music licenses;
extraordinary fees requested by interviewees or institutions;
specialized material restoration;
specific artwork insurance;
unplanned travel;
extraordinary exhibition costs.

Any significant external cost must be approved before being contracted.

16. PHASE II — ARCHIVE-DOCUMENTARY SERIES PRODUCTION AND COMPLETATION

Phase II will begin once the material recorded during Phase I has been reviewed and the final editorial direction of the project has been established.

The purpose of this phase is to complete the wider documentary production, expand the historical and contextual research where required, conduct additional interviews, and carry the series through editing and final post-production.

The exact scope of Phase II will depend on the material obtained during Phase I.

Phase II may include:

additional research and historical verification;
definition of the final episode structure;
selection of external interviewees;
5–10 additional interviews;
additional observational filming;
filming of selected artworks, institutions, locations and archival material;
possible filming outside Barcelona;
travel where required;
editing of the documentary series;
integration of archival material;
archive licensing where necessary;
music;
sound design and final mix;
color grading;
graphics;
translation and English subtitles;
trailer and promotional materials;
final masters and exhibition deliverables;
final organization of the audiovisual archive.

16.1. PHASE II BUDGET

A final Phase II budget will be prepared after the completion and editorial review of Phase I.

At that stage, the production will have enough information to accurately determine:

the final number of episodes;
approximate duration of each episode;
number of additional filming days;
number and location of external interviews;
travel requirements;
archive requirements;
editing workload;
final post-production scope.

For transparency, the following reference costs establish how the main Phase II production expenses will be calculated.

16.2. PHASE II COST BREAKDOWN

Additional Production Crew — €1,200 / filming day

Covers the supporting crew required for additional filming days.

The exact crew configuration may vary depending on the specific requirements of each shoot.

Multiple interviews or locations may be scheduled within the same filming day whenever possible in order to optimize production costs.

Camera, Sound & Lighting — €400 / filming day

Covers the technical equipment required for additional filming.

Includes camera, sound and lighting resources according to the needs of each production day.

Combined with the production crew, the current reference cost for an additional standard filming day is:

€1,600 + VAT / filming day

Travel and accommodation are not included.

External Interviews

The project currently anticipates approximately 5–10 external interviews.

Potential participants may include:

artists;
gallerists;
curators;
museum or institutional representatives;
art fair founders or directors;
collectors;
researchers;
friends;
family members;
collaborators connected to Alfonso’s trajectory.

Editing — €250 / editing day

Editing will be calculated according to the final amount of material and the confirmed structure of the series.

This may include:

review and selection of interviews;
narrative construction;
episode assembly;
integration of archive material;
integration of artworks and observational footage;
revision rounds;
final picture lock.

The total number of editing days will be determined once the final episode structure has been established.

Archive Research & Licensing — To be defined

Additional archive work may be required during Phase II.

This may include:

photographs;
correspondence;
press material;
catalogues;
institutional records;
historical footage;
previous interviews;
external archives.

Music, Sound Design & Final Mixing — €250 / EP

This allocation covers the development of the final sound treatment of each episode.

It may include:

music;
sound editing;
sound design;
dialogue cleaning;
final mix.

Commercial music licensing, if required, is not included and will be quoted separately.

Color Grading — Approx. €350 / finished episode

Color grading will be calculated according to the final number of completed episodes.

This includes the visual finishing and consistency of the final mastered series.

Graphics — Approx. €500 / complete series

A base allocation of approximately €500 is proposed for essential graphic elements across the complete series.

This may include:

titles;
names;
dates;
locations;
credits;
essential contextual information.

More complex animation or motion graphics will be budgeted separately if required.

Translation & English Subtitles — To be defined

English translation and subtitles will be calculated once the final duration of the series is known.

The final cost will depend on:

total running time;
amount of spoken dialogue;
number of episodes;
revision and quality-control requirements.

Travel — To be defined

Travel will be budgeted separately according to the requirements established during Phase II.

Potential locations may include New York, Lisbon or other locations identified during research.

Travel costs may include:

flights or ground transport;
accommodation;
local transport;
equipment transport;
number of crew members;
travel days;
production days.

All travel costs will require prior approval.

Storage & Archive Expansion — To be defined

Additional storage may be required depending on the volume of material generated during Phase II.

The final archive structure may include:

original camera material;
original sound;
complete interviews;
transcripts;
digitized archive material;
photographs;
project files;
masters;
subtitle files;
metadata and indexes.

Additional storage will be calculated according to the final volume of the project.

Final Masters & Exhibition Deliverables — To be defined

Final deliverables will be established according to the confirmed distribution and exhibition requirements.

They may include:

ProRes masters;
high-quality viewing files;
English subtitle files;
trailer;
teaser;
DCP;
museum or exhibition-specific formats;
platform-specific exports.

Exceptional institutional or exhibition requirements will be quoted separately.

16.3. PHASE II BUDGET LOGIC

Phase II is intentionally not assigned a fixed total at this stage.

The purpose of Phase I is to provide enough documentary and editorial information to establish the real scale of the series before committing to the full production cost.

Once Phase I has been completed, a detailed Phase II budget will be prepared based on:

the material actually recorded;
the final narrative structure;
the confirmed number of episodes;
the required external interviews;
additional filming requirements;
travel;
archive licensing;
editing workload;
and final post-production requirements.

This approach allows the final production budget to reflect the actual needs of the documentary rather than assumptions made before the principal material has been recorded.

17. OWNERSHIP & PRESERVATION

The Pons family will own the materials produced in accordance with the final terms established contractually.

The production must deliver:

masters;
agreed original files;
organized documentation;
transcripts;
archive structure;
preservation copies.

Rights relating to photographs, music, institutional archives, or other third-party materials will remain subject to their respective licenses.

Authorship, credits, and any eventual professional use of excerpts by the director must likewise be established contractually.

18. DELIVERABLES

PHASE I DELIVERABLES

approximately eight hours of principal recorded conversations with Alfonso Pons;
observational material recorded during the principal filming period;
initial conversations with his daughters;
selected audiovisual documentation of works and related materials;
organized and backed-up original camera and sound material;
initial editorial assessment;
preliminary definition of Phase II scope and production requirements.

PHASE II DELIVERABLES

SERIES

approximately 8 episodes;
high-quality ProRes masters;
viewing versions;
English subtitles;
separate subtitle files;
trailer;
teaser where applicable;
basic exhibition materials.

INTERNAL ARCHIVE

complete interviews;
agreed original material;
sound;
transcripts;
digitized documents;
digitized photographs;
index of people;
index of works;
thematic index;
masters;
subtitles;
production documents;
storage structure.

19. SUCCESS & CRITERIA

The project will be considered properly executed if it simultaneously meets four conditions:

Documentary value

Alfonso’s testimony is recorded with sufficient depth and context.

Historical Value

His personal experience makes it possible to understand broader events and transformations within Latin American art and the art system.

Audiovisual Value

The series functions as an independent cinematic work rather than solely as a family record.

Preservation Value

The material obtained can continue to be consulted, interpreted, and used by the family in the future.

20. NEXT DECISIONS

Before production begins, the following must be finalized:

Approval of Phase I scope and budget.
Confirmation of the Phase I filming schedule with Alfonso.
Budget scale.
Initial number of episodes.
Final schedule with Alfonso.
Person responsible for approval on behalf of the family.
Core team.
Ownership and rights framework.
Pons Archive specifications.
Revision policy.
Digitization priorities.
Initial selection of works and documents.

Once these points have been approved, Phase I can formally begin. The scope and budget of Phase II will be defined following the recording and editorial assessment of Alfonso’s principal testimony.