Documentary Film Making

I decided last month that I would learn something new and with a passion for making things and having ideas I thought I'd explore film as a new medium for storytelling (having previously fondled with photography, art, drama, film editing and radio once upon a time, I thought this could tie these together nicely).

Documentary filmmakers, no less than dramatic screenwriters, strive to tell strong, often character-driven stories that have a beginning, middle and end, with something at risk, rising tension, and a narrative arc that keeps viewers actively engaged. In fact, my lecturer said he could tell from the first frame whether a film maker has got it right or whether he's going to bore the audience to tears over the course of the film.

So what I learned yesterday was actually quite fascinating albeit simple.

What makes an amazing documentary idea?

1.Strong Idea / Subject
The subject is not the idea. The idea is broader akin to a theme rather than a subject. This is a hard concept to abide too when creating ideas but here's an example for my project:
Idea: Survival
Subject: Living on the streets of Surry Hills

2. Tell a story
This apparently helps a lot. Have a story in mind that can be broken in to 3 sentences. The first; how the story starts, the second; what happens in the middle, the third; how it ends/what the event is. Unlike dramatists, documentary filmmakers can’t create characters, plots and story lines, but must instead find them in the raw material of real life. Hence, a story which doesn't culminate to anything, isn't much of a story.

A good way to look at the parts to the story is:

1. The Tease
2. The Body
3. The Conclusion

3. Ensure its meant for this medium
A good story needn't be told via a documentary film. Ensure that there's something unique about the piece that merits film. Ensure there's visual insight which can be accompanied by music. Otherwise you might be better off writing an article or a book.

4. Remember the artists voice
You're the artist. What is your opinion? What is your aim? Why are you best equipped to create this documentary? What makes you an expert? This is where research comes in to play about why this documentary is being made.

Something I also learned, is that without the passion for the subject, you will struggle. This passion and drive will keep you focused in the small hours and keep you committed to finishing the piece whether it takes months or years to complete.

5. Illuminate
What story needs to be told? A documentary serves to inform and illuminate, quite simply to illustrate an element of life that has not been shown before.

And so there's the starting point. Its a little harder than it looks and there's a lot more to come but I think this a great approach to have when creating something in order to tell a story.

My next lesson? Treatments...

A helpful presentation on documentary storytelling below.

The Mechanics of Documentary Storytelling

View more presentations from acarvin.