Documentary Filmmaking - Concept to Creation for Documentary

Defining the type of project you make before you start is beneficial because it leads to all the questions you need to address.

What makes a documentary a documentary? There are a lot of definitions, but typically it's a film that is:

1/ Unscripted, where

2/ People are representing themselves, as themselves and are

3/ Often about important issues, but not necessarily - Documentaries can be character portraits, or uplifting or funny too.

Given that this is the most common understanding of what documentary is, it is what this course focuses on.

Documentaries are commonly meant to cause social change. Find out how small actions can lead to big changes.

Follow a step by step process for choosing the topic of your documentary. Use the attached form to work individually or in groups to go from a general idea to something concrete that is actionable.

First priority is to examine what issues do you believe are important in the world right now? Get them all onto the form (print more or use the back if necessary).

If working solo, pick the one that resonates most strongly with you. For groups, I suggest a democratic process to select one issue.

Congratulations, you now have your theme. This is what will convince people that your topic is important and relevant right now.

Use the attached form to build on your theme and add a title.

Don't worry if this doesn't feel perfect yet. That's why we can use a "working title". You have until the edit is complete to revise this.

For now, it's important to have at least a working title, so you can easily identify the project and use the title in correspondence. It'll impress people and you'll sound professional.

Now you have two of the most important elements in place. A theme and a title.

The one-liner is important because it is your shortcut to communicating who's in your film and what it's about. Think of it as a snapshot for other people to get what you're making, before you make it.

What makes a good one liner?

Use the attached form to add yours to the title and theme statements. Together they make a compelling statement about the work you are doing.

Capitalize on the work you've already done in this course and bring it together with the attached work sheet into a single page that showcases your project in a standout way.

Introduction to structuring story longer film projects.

An new model for overall story arc that you can use to plug your story details into.

Introduction to the basic building blocks of a successful treatment.

Identifying who you are writing the treatment for is an important first step.

Use the worksheets to write blocks of content that can be modified for all versions of your treatment.

Straightforward tips for effective treatment writing.

Use the worksheet to express what your film will look and sound like.

Expand your creative storytelling options by exploring the dynamics of tension and release, as opposed to the absolutes of right vs. wrong and good vs. bad.

It's time to lock in to the camera and audio recording tools you're going to use. Watch this lesson to see why it's best to go with things that are the most accessible, rather than the newest bestest.

Crew roles for small documentaries are outlined here.

These days making a documentary can be achieved by one person playing all the roles, from shooting, to recording audio and right through to editing.

I'm one of those people. But I worked on other people's movies for a long time before I attempted this.

If you are comfortable working on your own, I say go for it. It's a lot of work, but very rewarding.

On the other hand, if you're already working in a group then I suggest using the attached form to identify the roles you will take plus any you need to fill. I suggest playing to your strengths, meaning if there's someone already strong in camera, assign them to be the camera person.

However, if you are currently working alone and don't have the tools or the eagerness to learn skills you're not strong in, then you can also use this form. Don't worry about who those people will be yet. Start by identifying the opportunities for others to contribute and any potential people who might be a good fit.

Roles that people can take include: camera person (operates camera), audio recordist (ensures dialog is recorded well), director (asks interview questions and collaborates with camera person on shot angles), producer/production manager (organizes everything and coordinates with subjects and locations contacts).

OK, you've got a great topic, theme and concept...but who's going to be in it?

And, of the people in your documentary, is the story driven by them (character based story that is primarily about their actions) or are they people who represent the core issue (issue based story that is driven by past and current social events)?

Use the attached form to identify the types of people in your documentary. For this course, it is strongly advised that you work with two main subjects, with a maximum of three.

Congratulations on completing pre-production on your documentary film. You have now defined the scope and importance of your story and have an idea about who could be in it. Let's move on to the Prep stage where you will begin making plans for where to film plus defining what it will look like & scheduling it.

Introduction to the Prep section for the Documentary Filmmaking - Concept to Creation for Documentary course.

Now is the time to find the right people to fill your subject and crew needs. Take this on as a goal in itself. Everything else from this point forward depends on it.

Find and note the contact information for your potential fits on the form used in Pre-Production, then reach out to them. This might be as simple as asking somebody you already know well, or might take some research and a cold call or two. If so, treat it as an occasion to rise to.

I've had a lot of success by making cold calls to authors who I respect. Some have become wonderful allies who I've later met up with in foreign lands for shoots. So don't rush this stage and really go for it. You never know where it might lead!

Here's some suggestions for how to have those conversations:

Tell them what you’re doing by sharing your complete project form.

Let them know how you think the project would benefit from their involvement. Ask them if they are willing to be part of your documentary film project.

If subjects decline, ask them if they know anybody else who might be willing and ask them to introduce you.

What to look for in a location - access, suitability (audio, light)

Pick a place where the subject feels comfortable

Survey your locations - do it at the same time of day you want to shoot

Take pictures

Get permission if you need it

Schedule your subjects

Schedule your locations

Fill in the attached shooting schedule form

Tips for filling out your crew needs and a downloadable form to help you track and share your results.

Requesting interviews can be daunting, especially if you don't know the person and they are either popular or famous. Follow this process to increase your success.

Watch this lesson for definitions of the most common types of shots in documentaries which are: Interviews, Supporting shots, Cutaways and Establishing shots.

Supporting materials like photographs that your subjects provide are also very useful.

Using the proper terms to describe your shot needs is professional and will help you explain to your crew exactly what you are after.

Shots for Interviews - keep subjects to one side or the other, not in the middle

Keep the shot stable

Minimum duration of 15 seconds for supporting shots

Get a lot of supporting shots

Do more than one size of supporting shot, especially if there’s something moving in the shot

Hands and feet (shoot them ahead of the interview, not after)

Shots for locations

For each location a variety of shots that convey the spirit of the place

Signs

Main entrances

Exterior wide shots that show scale and relationship to surrounding places

Interior shots of common spaces (entrances, desks, working areas, foyers, elevators, staircases)

Details that say something about the place (photos, objects, rooms where the subject works or lives, views that the subject commonly sees like through windows)

Why testing your equipment ahead of time is important.

Separating out processes is something I encourage at all stages of filmmaking. That’s why I encourage testing of audio as something to be done on its own, even if you’re shooting audio to your camera.

Get your audio gear out now and do a couple of test shots for sound only. Don’t worry about exposure or framing. This can be a hard thing because I think there’s a tendency to not want to be perceived as failing. But it’s kind of like going to the gym and working on arms and legs using different equipment. If you’re an athlete, there are times where you do use all your parts together, but for now we’re still in the training stages, leading up to a big game or event.

Try: different distances between subject and camera; facing one way in a room, then turn around; shoot outside with facing one way, then turn around. How much do factors like these impact the quality of your audio? This information will come in handy when you have to make quick decisions while shooting. See attached form for suggested testing guidelines. Then listen back to your tests in an place where you can hear it clearly, through speakers.

Let people know you will be shooting ahead of time by asking your main location contact to share this with people (Use attached form you can give to them and if needed, print out and circulate it ahead of time yourself if your contact isn’t available)

Shoot interviews only in places where you the best odds of quiet. Avoid loud places like factories, open offices, exterior locations near roads or airports etc.

If using built-in microphone, keep the camera within arm’s reach of the subject

If using an external recorder, make sure to monitor the recording with headphones

When your subject is talking, be completely quiet. Making a film isn’t like “ordinary” conversations. Your audience won’t see you in the shot, so it will look weird if they hear you talking and it will make editing very hard.

This section is about practices you can do to improve your technique with equipment you already have. I don’t suggest bringing new equipment into the mix at this point of the game, unless you are willing to put the time in to do thorough testing. If that’s the case, check out my other course in DSLR videography.

Separating out processes is something I encourage at all stages of filmmaking. That’s why I encourage testing of camera as something to be done on its own, even if you’re shooting audio to your camera.

Even if you know your camera really well, it’s a good idea to pull it out around now and check that it’s all working as well as you expect.

Here are some exercises you can practice or new things you can try to improve your results.

This for me is always a work in progress. No matter how much I shoot, I’m always looking for ways to get even better. Use the attached PDF for suggested testing guidelines. Do the tests, then watch them back on the biggest screen you have access to.

Keep the camera stable - use a tripod

With iPads, phones and smaller cameras, try these tips for stability 1/brace the camera on a chair or table 2/ use a wall 3/ hold your elbows in tight to your ribs

Frame up your shot before rolling, then roll. This makes editing easier because your thumbnail of the shot will be a good representation of the content

Wait three to five seconds after you roll before asking people to speak. This is called a handle and will help you in editing.

Wait three to five seconds after people have finished speaking to cut the camera. This is also called a handle and will help you in editing.

Ask one question per take (cut the camera when they finish, the roll again to ask the next question). This will help keep things organized in editing

By testing your editing system ahead of time, you ensure success with your workflow.

Characters can be established through things they say (footage you record), things they do (supporting shots you take) or things they have done (photographs)

Great character introductions are built from these elements and draw you in to them.

If you’re telling a character driven story, then supporting shots of places and events can be used to support the beginning, middle and end of the character establishment.

If you’re telling an issue driven story, then supporting shots of people and events need to be used to establish what the issue or problem is.

Consider locations as characters that need to be established, with multiple shots.

Beginnings need an opening, a middle and a resolve. Good ones open with a bang. Perhaps a bold statement from your main character. Or a compelling or beautiful shot for an issue driven project. The middle should pay tribute to the complexity of the situation your character is in, or if it’s an issue, should clearly identify what the problem is. The resolve of the opening should leave viewers with clarity on who the person is and what they’re dealing with or what the issue is plus a sense that this part of the film is over and something else is about to begin. Transitioning between pieces of music can be a great way to signal this.

The middle section is where you take the viewer on a journey with the characters established in the beginning.

This can lead to rising action either in a positive direction or escalation of a problem. 

The conclusion of middles should leave viewers with the feeling that one part of the story is done, like the chapter of a book, but there should still be things unresolved.

Endings should begin with the sense that we're still dealing with the same theme and characters but are now stepping into new territory.

Support material for Case study part 2. This is the middle section of my film from Bolivia, Blue Ribbon March.

Endings are where you get to wrap things up and create a sense of closure.

They don’t necessarily need to be happy. In fact, they could go the other way and point to the importance of a real issue that is pending. In this case your ending might serve as a call to action and hopefully one that isn’t too on the nose.

This is the art of good endings in my opinion. To leave people with a hopefully poetic feeling of completeness. Music helps a lot too. If you’re ever in doubt, watch the last 30 seconds of one of your favourite movies with the sound off and you’ll get the picture.

Often, good endings take the story in a completely different direction than expected. Watch the opening of the ending of my Bolivia video. Up to this point the story has been urban. And now we step into a very rural setting, creating the start of a new phase.

The middle part of endings also needs to tie in with the overall theme and development of the character or issue. In my video, it’s about the expansion of the Blue Ribbon march to a more remote location. It opens with an individual child on a hillside, then shows their village and then includes several people gathering. Then it expands to show the Blue Ribbon March happing in this place.

The arc of an ending should also build and can mirror the overall story, as mine does.

Review the final few minutes of the Bolivia video to see what I'm talking about.

Now that we’ve covered the concept of beginning/middle/end I want to suggest that this concept is relevant to all aspects of filmmaking, no matter how far you zoom out to a trilogy, anthology, series or inwards from an individual story to an act, scene or even single shot. They all have beginning/middle and end and if you keep this in mind  while filming, you will develop a really sharp sense of when to cut, when to stop filming supporting shots and when an interview feels rounded enough to stop. Because, if you love filming, there’s a real temptation, at least if you’re like me, to keep on going forever. And that complicates the edit.

Support material for Case study part 3. This is the ending section of my film from Bolivia, Blue Ribbon March.

Shoot with the edit in mind.

Keep a mental checklist of the following points. You could write it out too, but I don’t. If that’s you, use the attached form and use one per shoot day or location.

In addition to your key interviews:

Establishing type shots - this is for characters and for locations. Look for a signature shot. This could be the company sign if it’s a business or organization. If it’s an athlete, then it could either be a trophy shelf or image of them in action. In the case of my Bolivia video, it’s the hero carrying a flag at a march. These images work well as thumbnail images too.

Keep takes short. For interviews, try cutting at the end of each answer to your questions. This will help you find specific takes you want later. Ignore this tip if you are transcribing your footage and have a better system already.

For establishing or supporting shots, you may want to do a few tries to nail a camera move. Limit this to two or three attempts, then cut. This way you won’t be fishing for footage. What you want will likely be in one of three attempts in the final take which you can locate easily of course because you didn’t roll until the shot was framed up.

Get a lot of supporting shots and make sure they are varied. You may be surprised at how many you end up using, or wishing you had. If you do need to shoot a lot of things that are similar, consider either framing them in a similar way, or in a lot of different ways. This will help when cutting montages, which rely on patterns.

Make sure start a fresh take for each supporting shot, even if you are shooting similar things like trophies across a shelf (unless the take is a panning shot). This will make locating specific shots much easier

For interviews, consider using past/present/future type structures. I’ll say more about this in the interview section. The point here is to have some kind of shorthand mental checklist you can review quickly.

Keep balance as a thought - if your film is going to be approximately split into three main sections, then chances are your footage and time spent shooting it, should also be split this way. If you’re spending all of your time on interviews, then perhaps it’s a good thing to pay attention to the supporting shots.

As a general guideline, it’s a good idea to keep the number of main subjects to two, maybe three as an exception. Two is good because it’s manageable from a production and editing standpoint. You will also be able to cut between them in the edit, to either reinforce or provide counterpoint to each other.

It’s advisable to give each interview a full day to achieve. You might be able to get two on the same day, but this can be difficult to achieve when you’re starting out, especially if you’re shooting supporting shots on interview days. And there will be things you can learn from reviewing one interview before doing the second. So I suggest at least a three day shooting schedule for a short documentary film. One day per interview and a third day for supporting shots in addition to the ones you get on interview days. You’ll stay busy on those days, but not so busy as to be rushed, or worse, frantic.

You could storyboard, but I don’t recommend it because it can result in rigid storytelling and can stitch you up if things don’t (and they usually don’t) go as you planned.

Hang on loosely, be ready to follow inspiration.

What you can do is shoot for the edit.

Plan the types of shots you need and break it down by location or interview.

Use the attached form to fill in your shot wish list and do one for each subject or location.

Use the attached PDF checklist to ensure critical things are in place before you start shooting.

Things to do two weeks prior to shooting:

Get confirmation that your subject(s) are available.

Do a test interview, up to one minute, in a convenient location (doesn’t have to be your real location). This can be a self-interview, but is preferably with another person.

Take three supporting shots, each being a minimum of 15 seconds duration.

Import the footage into your editing software.

Cut the extra footage away from the start and end of the interview.

Cut in 5-6 seconds of all the supporting shots on top of the interview.

Put a fade-in at the beginning. Put a fade out at the end.

Things to do one week prior to shooting:

Send a release form to the subjects and ask them to complete and return by email asap.

Check the long term weather forecast.

Complete shooting day schedules for all shoot days. See next lecture.

Writing out the steps and times of day can help figure out main commitments and also anticipate small things which you might otherwise miss.

Make sure to include travel time, set up time and wrap out time for each location. Writing it out can help avoid obvious mistakes.

If you are using someone else as a camera person, run it by them. Camera people typically have a great sense of how long things will take and which order to do them in.

Use attached form to schedule out a shoot and repeat for each shoot day.

Reconfirm the subject’s availability and provide them with exact details of the location and time.

Reconfirm availability of the location.

Do a test shoot with your camera and audio equipment.

Gather any other materials or supplies (camera, lighting, audio gear, etc) together to one place.

Check the weather forecast.

If you’re shooting outside, have a Plan B for how to stay productive in case weather doesn’t allow Plan A.

Add any remaining outstanding items to the materials and supplies.

Charge all batteries.

Format all memory cards.

Check the weather forecast.

Frame your subjects off-center, unless you're after a specific look. Person in the middle of the shot works for courses, but for cinematic looking projects, the standard is generally to frame off to one side or the other.

Alternate the side you favor between subjects. For example, if you have two interview subjects, frame one on the left and the other on the right. This way, if you choose to make a direct edit between them they won't be on the same side of the screen, which would look weird.

Cutaways - these are detail shots that can be cut in while they talk. Can help you cut different parts of the conversation together by covering edit points. Hands, feet, objects in the environment, like photos on the wall or a desk, sentimental objects keepsakes or things the subject uses regularly.

Subjects in their natural environment. Could be talking on the phone, writing messages on a computer, cooking, sharing a meal with family. Walking to or from their home or office is a common device, but can look very stilted, so use this as a last resort.

Send a courtesy message to (or call) the subject to tell them how much you’re looking forward to filming them tomorrow.

Send a courtesy message to (or call) your location contact and thank them in advance for allowing you to use the space and reconfirm the details of your arrival time and any access you might need (keys etc).

if traveling by car, check general maintenance (tire pressure, washer fluid, oil and gas etc.)

if using transit or other mode, check tickets or confirmations and take a screenshot or print it out for easy access. Always prepurchase tickets if possible.

Consider how much cash you think you’ll need on hand then withdraw double the amount, as long as it doesn’t cause hardship.

Pack food and water for yourself and your subject.

if you haven’t received a return message from your subject and locations contact, call them. Let them know you’re simply touching base to see if they have any last minute questions or concerns and request they message back in the most convenient way for them to let you know everything’s on track for tomorrow.

Plan to be early the next day and don’t be in a rush to leave.

Check the weather forecast and leave lots of extra time for travel if it’s stormy.

If you need to go to Plan B, reach out to everyone else to confirm the change in plan.

Get a good night’s sleep.

You’ve made it to shoot day one. If this is your first documentary shoot, then a big congratulations and welcome to the club! If you’ve done this before, congrats to you also for continuing the path of documentary. Every step counts. This is the place for us to contribute our own unique voices and share what’s important to us with the world. This is the golden age of documentary and you’re an important part of it.

A checklist of advanced Tips for great interviews.

More advanced tips for interviews that don't particularly belong on a checklist.

Advanced tips for interviews of a strategic nature.

There are exceptions, usually on longer projects, where I shoot supporting shots first, then do interviews. But mostly and especially for short projects, the interview is the priority.

Watch all of this section and review it during your production’s final prep week. Download the attached checklist, print one for each shoot day and keep it on hand. Eventually it will become second nature. For now, lean on the list.

Before leaving, or while in transit, if you’re not driving, let your subject and locations contact know you’re on the way and your expected arrival time.

On arrival, check in with subject or locations contact and maintain good eye contact. Be open to hearing any concerns and hang on loosely.

If there’s an urgent issue with the location that involves other people, handle it or delegate it to someone on your team.

Most of the time though what you’ll be dealing with are nervous subjects. Staying calm without giving false reassurances is the best way you can support them.

Above all, keep a great attitude, smile and stay proactive with anything that might vary from your plan.

Once you have thoroughly heard any issues or concerns, the subject or locations contacts will likely turn their attention to your needs.

Have them show you to the available spaces. Ask for permission if you need to move anything, let them know how much space and time you need to set up. Keep your setup time to a maximum of one hour if possible.

Have a brief conversation with the subject. Often they have things to share about the experience, like comparing how they thought it would go vs. what happened. Stay present to them as people, not as “your subject” and make sure they feel heard. If it looks like it’ll drag on, politely excuse yourself and start wrapping out. As polite as they are to you, they’ll likely feel a sense of relief once you’re out of their space. Give a general answer when asked, “So when will this be done”. Projects often take longer to complete than expected. Invite them to check with you any time.

Make sure to put everything back where you found it (use the photo you took earlier).

If you have supporting shots to get at this location, pursue them now, but make sure if you have to move to take all your gear with you and reestablish your “home base”. Remember to always keep your things in a maximum of two places at any time.

Once shooting is complete, get everything into your vehicle or ready for transport in a single pile.

Go back to the set and your staging area and do an “Idiot check”, a last look before you leave. Pay special attention to electrical outlets where you plugged things in. Often subjects will start putting their stuff back before you have left, so your things might get buried. Check thoroughly.

When you get back to your workspace, offload and back up the footage as your first priority. Get it into your edit system, sync the audio if you used an external recorder and do a spot check.

Spot checks are technical in nature and involve briefly viewing three points of every take - the start of the useable part, the middle and the end. What you are looking for is: 1/focus 2/framing 3/exposure 4/audio quality.

Doing the full data backup, spot checks and putting all batteries on charge mark the end of a day’s work for me. As a bonus you could start putting gear back where it lives. But usually it makes more sense to charge all the batteries first. I also format all memory cards at this point as well. Sometimes I wait until the next day, to triple check my backup file sizes match and that I didn’t make any mistakes at the end of a busy shoot day.

Congratulations, you now have everything you need to get your first interview completed and stored safely. Remember to use the attached checklist to stay on track when the dust is flying.

Things to remember for the end of a shoot day.

Introduction to the post-production section.

Use the attached resource for tips on Data Management.

Download your PDF Pre-edit checlikst here.

Editing part 1.

Editing part 2.

Editing part 3.

Editing part 4.

Editing part 5.

Knowing when to pause is important.

Tips on when and from who to seek feedback on your edit.

Doing your best is important. See this lesson on how to define perfection on your own terms.