1. Elements of a Documentary
Bringing a story to life through research and film

2. What is a documentary film?
It is NOT a news report, which only tells a 1-2 minute story.
It is research-based and a thorough analysis of a specific topic, NOT a broad sweeping of a topic.
A documentary film is a nonfictional motion picture intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record.

3. Elements of a Documentary Film
The Story
Interesting Characters
Quality Interviews
Sound
Striking Visuals
Call to Action
Possibility
Source: Bright Hub and DVWorkshops

4. The Story Begin your work with a great “story.”
For a film to be great it has to recognize the dramatic conflict or struggle between people and the world.
A great film will follow the dramatic curve of this story all the way to the resolution.
What you share should be a mixture of thoughtful research, clever narratives, fascinating interviews, and relevant anecdotes.

5. Interesting Characters
For the story to work at all you must be working with great people to follow and interview.
The audience should be able to empathize with the people; they should be able to see that they are struggling and have qualities with which the audience can connect.
If the viewer cannot relate to the people in a film at all then the purpose of the project has been lost.

6. Quality Interviews
The success of a documentary as a film rests on the power of the interviews you have.
Questions asked of the subjects should be appropriate and lead them to tell the story in a personal and honest way.
Depending on what effect you want them to have on the audience you either need to gear the questions as a way of laying out the story or as a method of learning more about them as people.
Interviews will either be your greatest strength or greatest weakness … which will you choose?

7. Interviews: Finding the Right Interview Subjects…
The first part of the interview process is finding the right person to talk with. Once you start calling people, they tend to lead you to others who have knowledge on the same topic. It is a good idea to ask people if they know anyone else who might be helpful to talk with about your subject. Sometimes you have to "Social Engineer" your way up the ladder.

8. Interviews: Shooting Techniques…
Once you’ve chosen a interviewee, the first step is to find an appropriate background to film the person in front of.
Never film a subject right up against a wall, allow at least 5-15 feet between them and the wall. This helps eliminate shadows.
Watch out for reflections in people's glasses; turn them away from facing the window to solve the problem.
The background should enhance what the person is saying. If it is a doctor - use books behind him…a race car driver - in his garage, etc.
Frame the person using Negative space..which means have the face fill roughly one third of the screen, while the background fills the other 2/3 of the screen.
Make sure the person is looking towards the Negative Space.
The camera lens should be at the same level as your subject’s eyes. The interviewer should be asking questions from right next to the camera lens, at the same level as the lens.

9. Interview: Lighting …
Lighting the interview can range from a full light kit..to an on-camera LED light or just available light.
Natural light from a nearby window is a great source.  Some camera people put a shower curtain liner in front of the window as diffusion. 
Make sure the light source is coming from behind you.
Check with NOHS Media Center Specialists too!

10. Interview: Tips on Creating Questions
Identify three or more main themes you want to explore with your interviewee.
Develop three or four questions for each theme.
Questions should be "Open Ended" and elicit a well developed response. Never ask a question that can be answered by "Yes or No.” Try using phrases such as "Describe for me….,” “...Tell me about...,” and/or “How do you feel…"
"Contrast and compare questions“ are also appropriate. For example, "Can you describe the difference between today's building materials and those of the past?".
Once you are in the middle of the interview, never get “trapped" to the questions you wrote down prior to the interview.

11. Interview: Tips on Creating Questions Continued…
Never “step" on a person's answer...always wait for the person to finish talking before you ask a question or provide feedback.
You should also be a good listener and build questions from new ideas and subjects that arise during the interview.
At the end of every interview ALWAYS ask the person, "Is there anything I have not asked that you would like to share with me?” This last question often prompts new and interesting information.
Watch the following 3-minute training video:
What additional advice does our expect give?

12. Sound Techniques…
Sound is another side of this aesthetic that cannot be ignored.
Make sure all interviews are recorded with appropriate microphones and try to cut down on interference and noise as much as possible.
One of the main factors that separates professional and amateur films is music, so try and get music that will match the visuals throughout the project.
Wireless mics make walking around an environment where something happened as you interview easy to do.
Check with NOHS Media Center Specialists for Equipment Availability.
Try NOT to use the camera or cell phone mic for interview(s).

13. Striking Visuals
The interviews need to be paired with great visuals, as in B-Roll or stock footage that you use.
Cutaways
Chill Footage
Process Footage
IF YOU ONLY FILM INTERVIEWS AND CUTAWAYS YOUR FILM WILL GET BORING. This will be what you will want to do in editing, so BEWARE!
Look back at your notes from Unit 1 on camera angles!

14. Striking Visuals: “Cutaways”
Cutaways can be store signs, close ups of ashtrays, a clock on the wall, people's faces, a candle, a shot of a highway. Get shots of the exteriors of every place you film. Treat cutaways like still photographs. Record 4-8 seconds for each shot.
Three basic types:
Story Telling Shots- Images of "Welcome to " signs, exterior shots of houses where interviews were filmed, Images of your character entering and leaving a building, Wide shots of Cities or towns from on top of a hill or large building. These will allow you to tell your story with out always having to use a narrator.
Emotional Cutaways- Since film has the unique ability to make people feel, the way to construct emotional sequences is to first film shots that have emotional content built into them. For example: a solitary man sitting on a park bench, people walking hand in hand, or a close up of a hand while they are praying.
General Coverage- Important, but easy to miss. For example, if you are filming a race car contest, you had better get shots of people watching the race...cheering...the hot dog stand...people lined up to get in...Ushers tearing ticket stubs at the entrance (close-ups)...people cooking out in the middle of the raceway...a close op of flags, loudspeakers and race track signage.
**Shoot tons of cutaways and your life will be easier when editing.**

15. Striking Visuals: Chill Footage
Chill Footage is just a funny name for "Observational Footage.”
Chill and don’t talk to your subject. Just follow them around with your camera as they interact with the world around them.
Tell your subjects to "Pretend I am not here.”
Chill footage is helpful in revealing the EMOTIONAL part of your interviewee.
Chill Footage forces the viewer to "Lean-in" to see what is happening in the scene. 
View the following YouTube Video… What “story” does the Chill Footage convey?

16. Striking Visuals: Process Footage
This is when you film the making of your documentary. Think of it like combining the Behind The Scenes footage of your film with the Documentary itself.
You can be on-camera (like the guy in Gasland); perhaps we just hear your off-screen voice, with a glimpse of you throughout the film. If you need shots of you on location, give the camera to a "civilian" for a few minutes.
View the following video. How does this footage qualify as “process” footage?

17. Call to Action
Any documentary must have a reason for being made. There must be certain ideas you want the audience to take away from the screening. For example:
Should they learn about a group of people or a subject?
Do you want them to empathize with another way of life or tragic situation?
Whether it is an emotional or intellectual response you hope to elicit, make sure that you have a clear purpose with the project.

18. Possibility Choose a topic that is interesting to YOU.
Choose a topic that is interesting to YOUR AUDIENCE.
Choose a topic that is REALISTIC to explore.

19. Beware of Biases
Bias is an inclination or mental learning for or against something, which prevents impartial judgment.
BIAS THROUGH SELECTION OMISSION
Have you left out important details that might change your audiences’ perspective?
BIAS THROUGH PLACEMENT
Have you placed information in the middle or at the end of your documentary de-emphasize it?
BIAS BY HEADLINE
Does the title express approval or condemnation?
BIAS BY PHOTOS, CAPTIONS, AND CAMERA ANGLES
Do pictures show the subject in a flattering/unflattering way?
BIAS THROUGH STATISTICS & CROWD COUNTS
Do you emphasized or downplay numbers?
BIAS BY SOURCE CONTROL
Who gets to speak and who is only paraphrased?

20. Time to Observe
Click the link and watch the documentary clip. Then, answer the questions that follow.