How to Write Documentary Scripts

Video Transcript

"Hi, this is Laura Turner, and today I'm going to talk with you about how to write documentary scripts. A documentary script is usually written after the fact of the documentary itself has been filmed, and sort of edited together, and is in the process of being worked on. Because a documentary script is not going to be at all, like any other sort of script, per say, that you're going to be writing for a film or for a play. A documentary script is going to be mainly narrative. And you're probably, if you're a script writer, and you're hired to write for a documentary, you're going to really want to work closely with your director, and see what he or she wants to happen with this documentary script. So, talk with your director and see if she already has it outlined, where she wants the narration to be. If she doesn't, then you're going to have to also figure that out, as you go along and watch the documentary, and figure that out for yourself. So, essentially, you're going to be writing narration, for some one to read, for an actor to read. If you all remember in, "March of the Penguins", where Morgan Freeman, was the narrator of that particular piece. And other documentaries like, "The Blue Planet" series has a narrator, who's a very famous narrator in it. So, you're going to actually write for an actor, but an actor who's going to be narrating. Not, talking to other actors. So, think about that as you write your documentary script. Also, understand fully your subject matter before you begin to write the script. Because even though it's not essentially your film that you've made up, from your own brain, you're going to need to know something about the subject matter before you really start tackling all the terminology that's going to go with writing this script. So, if you're writing, for example, the script for "Blue Planet", you're going to need to know about sea life, at least in some respect, as you go through it. And, finally work with the footage itself, to figure it out. If a documentary is mostly done, and you're going to be coming in later to add the narration, work like someone would work when putting a score to a film. Actually watch the documentary, and figure out where narration is needed, where it needs to be toned down, and then you can go, actually go through, and have re-writes based on having either, having it dubbed over the action of the documentary itself. So, just some tips for writing documentary scripts."