How to Write a Documentary

Documentaries can be a way for anyone, from acclaimed filmmakers to amateur directors, to try his or her hand at bringing important topics or the day-to-day lives of people to the screen. If you have an idea for a documentary, these steps will get you started on writing for the film.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• voice recorder
• computer or word processor

1. Think of an idea. Make sure it is original and able to keep the audience’s attention for more than 90 minutes.

2. Decide what you want to accomplish with your idea. Do you want it to be a political exposé? An in-depth look at a sports team? Consider your goals, and then outline the objectives to meet those goals.

3. Research your subject. If it is something widely covered, think of new ways to present the information you wish to get across.

4. Get in contact with experts in the field you are covering. They will be an invaluable resource when interviewing subjects.

5. Make an outline of where you want to take the viewer during the film. This should include both locations and an array of emotional states. For instance, if you wish to garner sympathy for a particular group, think of ways to accomplish this.

6. Fill out your outline with the findings from your research. The more useful information you can fit into your script, the better your project will be.

7. Hire a camera operator, or begin filming the movie yourself. Or, write a synopsis of the script and present it to film companies for consideration.

Tips & Warnings

• Stay away from the cliché. If you are going to re-cover a topic, make sure you do it in an original way.
• Research your topic thoroughly; you need to be an expert on it. Interview subjects and your audience will not appreciate it if you ask more questions with the film than you can answer.
• Have facts and figures to back up all claims.
• The more research you do, the better prepared you will be when interviewing and filming.

[cladaghman]

on 11/18/2008 i have a an idea for a television documentary and in doing a little research on the subject i have it seems hit on one subject that has never before been used from this particular angle i have spoken to one director who is very very keen on the subject but lacks the finances to fund it however he has access to the required equipment for the project . i have already made a good start on finding sources for information i myself have a fairly intimate knowledge on the subject. the topic would cover a span of approx 50 yrs in on post w w 2 transport in ireland . my basic problem is not knowing where to start . please help . many thanks . mike w .