Writing the Documentary Tips & pointers to a successful documentary

Planning A documentary doesn’t just happen. It must be planned. Consider the following:  The Topic  Your research  The visualising  Possible interviews & the content of them.  The central idea/s  The Structure - the conventions you’ll use.

Planning - the topic Manageability. (Consider ) –What do I already know about the topic? –Do I have a strong emotional connection to the topic? –What is unusual or interesting about the topic? –How narrowly can the programme focus its attention? Think small, Think local. –Now start the planning proper.

Planning - Research  Researching the topic. Consider: o What are you focusing on? oWhat can be shown? oWho do you need to talk to? What do you need to ask? oWhat is the central idea under pinning the documentary?

Planning - Visualising oWhat can you show? oWhere can you use action over talking heads? oWhere can you get the most dramatic scenes or activity to demonstrate your argument? Remember: You can only tell that part of the story the pictures allow you to tell. (Peter Couchman - TV reporter )

Planning - The Interview Who are you interviewing and why? Your interviewee should be lively and spontaneous and should be able to react to your questions in some detail. Select your “expert” with care- will they make good TV? Where are you interviewing? Remember setting affects meaning. Consider the dramatic impact of the setting. An interview with the person in costume against the background of a reenactment is better than the person sitting in a room merely talking about the re-enactment group.

Planning - The Interview The Questions: –A good interview doesn’t just happen. You must plan it. –Begin with factual questions then move on to the more important ones. –Make sure your questions lead to either an understanding of the topic or a revelation about your interviewee before you begin. –Be prepared to go past your prepared questions if the subject provides a new insight or detail about the topic. Remember you can stop the filming and start again if you need to follow up on the new information or angle.

Planning - The Interview The Vox Pops; –These are light or humorous relief from the in-depth interview or narration. –Depending on the responses and your editing decisions the vox pops can suggest agreement or disagreement with the positions taken by the main participants in your film. –Be careful how you use them. They should be a useful contribution to the documentary - not a filler.

Planning - The Central Idea The central idea will form the base for your initial script.  Try writing it as a single sentence. e.g. “People who join re-enactment societies want to return to “the good old days” to escape the problems of the present.”  Plan your script around this idea.  List your supporting evidence under this premise.  Identify the interviews and footage you want to use to support the premise. BUT Be prepared to modify the exposition as you gather material for your film.

The Structure » The narrative conventions :  You need a definite beginning, middle and end to be effective. » The beginning: Capture the audience as quickly as possible. » Pose your central question early. » Consider using either dramatic action or quick interview cuts showing conflicting opinions. » The narrative conventions :  You need a definite beginning, middle and end to be effective. » The beginning: Capture the audience as quickly as possible. » Pose your central question early. » Consider using either dramatic action or quick interview cuts showing conflicting opinions.

The Structure » The narrative conventions :  You need a definite beginning, middle and end to be effective. » The Middle: This is the point where you develop your case. »Examine the issue in human terms - focus on the people involved and their opinions. »If there is conflict now is the time to demonstrate and explain it. » The narrative conventions :  You need a definite beginning, middle and end to be effective. » The Middle: This is the point where you develop your case. »Examine the issue in human terms - focus on the people involved and their opinions. »If there is conflict now is the time to demonstrate and explain it.

The Structure » The narrative conventions :  You need a definite beginning, middle and end to be effective. » The Ending: Bring your argument to its conclusion. Resolve any complications you may have introduced during your exposition. »Make it clear what your documentary was saying or what course of action you think the audience should take based on the evidence you have presented. » The narrative conventions :  You need a definite beginning, middle and end to be effective. » The Ending: Bring your argument to its conclusion. Resolve any complications you may have introduced during your exposition. »Make it clear what your documentary was saying or what course of action you think the audience should take based on the evidence you have presented.

The Structure » The narrative conventions :  Conflict: Conflict makes a good documentary topic. This does not always mean physical conflict. It can be intellectual, a debate. BUT »You need to show the conflict in action. You will need to consider how you might script the conflict to allow the audience to move from an abstract idea to a more concrete view or interpretation of the case. » The narrative conventions :  Conflict: Conflict makes a good documentary topic. This does not always mean physical conflict. It can be intellectual, a debate. BUT »You need to show the conflict in action. You will need to consider how you might script the conflict to allow the audience to move from an abstract idea to a more concrete view or interpretation of the case.

The Structure » The Movement  Your documentary will gain in strength if it has a sense of movement - a dynamic development. Consider: 1)Spatial movement - a journey, a change in location… 2)Temporal movement - a sense of time passing. How might this be represented? 3)Psychological movement - the change in your subject as they overcome an obstacle or fear to achieve success. » The Movement  Your documentary will gain in strength if it has a sense of movement - a dynamic development. Consider: 1)Spatial movement - a journey, a change in location… 2)Temporal movement - a sense of time passing. How might this be represented? 3)Psychological movement - the change in your subject as they overcome an obstacle or fear to achieve success.

The Structure » The Soundscape  Your documentary will gain in strength if it gets an emotional response from the audience.  Your choice of sound can affect the interpretation of the film. e.g. How do you react to a series of pictures of beautiful Pacific islands accompanied with a sound track of a clicking and beeping that echo scientific equipment?  You should make conscious well thought out decisions about the type of music and sounds you will use to accompany both the visual image and the narration or spoken tracks. » The Soundscape  Your documentary will gain in strength if it gets an emotional response from the audience.  Your choice of sound can affect the interpretation of the film. e.g. How do you react to a series of pictures of beautiful Pacific islands accompanied with a sound track of a clicking and beeping that echo scientific equipment?  You should make conscious well thought out decisions about the type of music and sounds you will use to accompany both the visual image and the narration or spoken tracks.

The Structure » The visual order. » How are you going to tell your story in film? Consider:  Chronological order of events  An order based on location - a journey.  Classification order - how does this problem affect different groups of people or different locations.  Cause & Effect order.  Problem & solution order. » The visual order. » How are you going to tell your story in film? Consider:  Chronological order of events  An order based on location - a journey.  Classification order - how does this problem affect different groups of people or different locations.  Cause & Effect order.  Problem & solution order.

The Structure » The Narration. » How are you going to tell your story in voice? Consider:  How does the narration hold the film together?  Does your narration re-enforce and/or comment on the visual images?  Does your narration clarify the images being shown. Does it clarify the argument your are putting forward? » The Narration. » How are you going to tell your story in voice? Consider:  How does the narration hold the film together?  Does your narration re-enforce and/or comment on the visual images?  Does your narration clarify the images being shown. Does it clarify the argument your are putting forward?

The Structure » The Narration. » How are you going to tell your story in voice? Consider:  Keeping the narration concise and allowing the visual to tell the story. Explain don’t describe.  Use a mix of on-camera and off-camera narration.  Try and maintain a conversational tone.  Relate the narration to the progress of the exposition.  Use narration to either support the image or to conflict with it to create another meaning. e.g. A narration describing the past beauty of a destroyed landscape will accentuate the sense of loss. » The Narration. » How are you going to tell your story in voice? Consider:  Keeping the narration concise and allowing the visual to tell the story. Explain don’t describe.  Use a mix of on-camera and off-camera narration.  Try and maintain a conversational tone.  Relate the narration to the progress of the exposition.  Use narration to either support the image or to conflict with it to create another meaning. e.g. A narration describing the past beauty of a destroyed landscape will accentuate the sense of loss.

The Script The three stages of documentary script development. 1. The treatment : set out the main ideas. Show the relationship between the main points and the supporting evidence. Suggest the final structure of the Documentary. 2. The Outline : explain the basic topic and its exposition. The purpose, the audience and content for major sequences and the style of the documentary. 3. The Full Script: This will be finished and polished near the end of the production after you have considered all the material bwritten, visual and aural you have gathered during the course of your filming. This will be your final voice over and visual editing document. The three stages of documentary script development. 1. The treatment : set out the main ideas. Show the relationship between the main points and the supporting evidence. Suggest the final structure of the Documentary. 2. The Outline : explain the basic topic and its exposition. The purpose, the audience and content for major sequences and the style of the documentary. 3. The Full Script: This will be finished and polished near the end of the production after you have considered all the material bwritten, visual and aural you have gathered during the course of your filming. This will be your final voice over and visual editing document.

Good Luck »From here on you’re on your own. »Start developing your concepts and researching your topic then present your draft script and storyboards for approval. Go For it!!!!