How to Film a Short Documentary
Documentary film making is easier now than ever before. Editing and production tools are available at retail outlets, and the Internet is full of advice on how to create a film. In a documentary, you will be creating a story based on events and facts you collect in the real world rather than by crafting a narrative of your own creation.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Digital video camera
- Audio recorder
- Computer with video editing software
- Back-up hard drive (2 terabytes is recommended)
- DVD burner
Instructions
-
-
1
Find a compelling subject that can be covered quickly. Search around your local area to find an interesting subject. Seek out unusual people, places, or events which might be of interest to you and to an audience. If you aren't interested in the subject it will be difficult to excite an audience.
-
2
Research the subject. If your documentary is about a living person, ask for old photographs, old friends and family members you can talk to, and any other information pertinent to your film.
-
-
3
Confirm you subject's consent to be a part of the film if, for example, the subject is a person or a family, or a company. A willing subject will offer more information and will make your job easier.
-
4
Make your subjects comfortable before you turn on the camera to interview them. Lighten the mood, or otherwise establish a rapport with them. Uncomfortable subjects will come across as stiff and uninteresting to your audience.
-
5
Write any narration you may need. Revise the writing to make sure it is concise, informative and will keep an audience's attention.
-
6
Hire an actor to read the narration or rehearse it yourself. It must be delivered with the tone and pace needed for the story you are trying to tell.
-
7
Assemble all of your footage, and store it on its own computer hard drive. You are likely to have up to a full terabyte of data so keep your film on its own hardware.
-
8
Deciding what sort of story you wish to tell will help guide how you edit your footage. Do you want your documentary to be linear, discursive, episodic or poetic?
-
9
Write or draw a representation of how you want the film to come together. Group your scenes according to theme, style or other categories of your own making. The logic of the movie is determined by your vision.
-
10
Begin the editing process, which some consider to be the most important part of the process. Learning complicated editing software like Final Cut Pro may take a lot of time, so consider hiring a professional editor.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Watch a wide range of documentary films to get ideas for your project. Pay particular attention to how the noted documentary filmmakers, such as Ken Burns or Errol Morris construct a story from their source material.
Consult a lawyer to create waivers for the subjects in your film so as to protect yourself from possible lawsuits.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images
More Like This
Comments
-
interesting
