How to Write a Documentary
Tackle a hot-button civic or social issue., Shed light on a little-known subculture., Show the intimate side of a famous person., Document an important event as it happens., Expose the dirty secrets of those in power., Dig up new information on...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Tackle a hot-button civic or social issue.
Some documentaries try to persuade their audience to feel a certain way about a contemporary issue in society by presenting real information that proves the maker's point.
This classic approach to writing a documentary gives you the benefit of virtually guaranteed relevance, since it's about something that people probably already have strong opinions about.
In addition, the controversy that can be generated from this type of documentary can give you the bonus of added publicity.
As an example of this type of documentary, check out one of Michael Moore's early documentaries, Roger & Me.
In this documentary, Moore paints a tragic picture of corporate greed and the devastating effects that the actions of giant companies can have on local communities by investigating the closure of a GM plant in Flint, Michigan that resulted in the loss of about 30,000 jobs.Regardless of your opinion of the now-controversial filmmaker, it's impossible to deny that the film takes a serious look at the state of modern American capitalism. -
Step 2: Shed light on a little-known subculture.
Some documentaries aim to cast light on a small or relatively unknown group of people whose community is quirky, bizarre, gripping, or otherwise fascinating.
The subcultures that are the subjects of these documentaries may be made up of people with a common hobby, similar life circumstances, a common background, or some other connection.
There's virtually no limit to the types of stories you can tell with these sorts of documentaries — some are funny, some are sad, some are exciting, and some are a mixture of all three.
As an example of this type of documentary, check out The King of Kong:
A Fistful of Quarters.
This movie dives into the bizarre world of professional video game players by following the story of a newcomer who hopes to unseat the current champion.This documentary is able to create a compelling story out of the actions of a small group of people who, to most, don't matter at all — quite a feat of documentary film making. , Some documentaries are about the lives of famous or influential people who shaped the world.
These documentaries often try to expose the "behind the scenes" trials and tribulations of someone who has a larger-than life reputation in the public consciousness.
The best of these sorts of documentaries use extensive research and interviews with experts or people close to the subject of the documentary to show the audience a side of this person that they're not already familiar with.
One great example of this sort of biographical documentary is the film Tupac Resurrection.
Using home movies and interviews with dozens of people who knew the rap icon (including some with the rapper himself), this documentary humanizes the figure who has since become almost legendary, showing him as a sensitive, intelligent, often conflicted individual., Some documentaries give the audience an insider's view into an important event with audacious on-the-ground footage and interviews with the people directly involved in the event.
Sometimes, for this type of documentary, the filmmakers "embed" themselves with the people participating in an event.
For instance, for a documentary about a war, the filmmakers may travel with a platoon of soldiers, filming day-to-day life on the front and documenting dangerous confrontations with the enemy as they happen.
Note, however, that these types of documentaries don’t necessarily need to be about grim, serious events.
For instance, concert documentaries like Stop Making Sense simply document a band performing live on stage (in this case, The Talking Heads).
If well-made, these types of documentaries can be just as captivating. , Some documentaries aim to take on the status quo by exposing the corruption, hypocrisy, and evil actions of powerful people or organizations.
These muckraking documentaries generate outrage by showing how the stated goals of those in power differ from the actual outcomes of their behavior.
Often, these documentaries will use the stories of individual people negatively effected by the actions of those in power to give a face to the harm caused by the actions of the powerful person or organization.
This type of documentary can be especially difficult to make because powerful people will naturally use their resources to resist being painted as greedy, stupid, or evil.
However, with determination, lots of research, and daring reporting, it's possible to make a documentary that sparks righteous anger in the audience.
As an example of this type of documentary, see Hot Coffee.
This documentary investigates the infamous story of the woman who sued McDonald's after spilling hot coffee on herself and several other similar stories to show how the media, wealthy corporate interests, and the politicians they bankroll work together to erode the power that ordinary citizens have in the civil justice system. , Some documentaries tackle people, places, and events from history, rather than recent or present ones.
Because the subjects of these documentaries are often already gone, these types of films rely more heavily on research and interviews with experts (like professors, authors, and so on) than other documentaries.
However, it's still possible to tell a compelling story about the past that's relevant to the present by illustrating the link between the two to the audience.
One recent documentary that does this well is the 2012 film The Act of Killing.
This documentary makes powerful statements about the human capability to commit evil by covering the filmmaker's attempts to get the perpetrators of an Indonesian genocide to reenact the mass-killings they participated in., Some documentaries simply try to capture something exceptionally unique.
This can be an event that most people aren't aware of, a person who isn't famous but still has a fascinating life story, or an interesting piece of history that's been lost to time.
The best of these types of documentaries make statements use their unique subjects to illustrate larger points about the way the world works or the way people are are.
One great example of this sort of documentary is Werner Herzog's Grizzly Man.
By telling the story of Timothy Treadwell, a man who voluntarily lived in the wilderness of Alaska with grizzly bears and was eventually killed by the bears, Herzog paints a picture of one man's odd relationship with nature that resonates even with audiences that would never consider doing something similar. -
Step 3: Show the intimate side of a famous person.
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Step 4: Document an important event as it happens.
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Step 5: Expose the dirty secrets of those in power.
-
Step 6: Dig up new information on historical events.
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Step 7: Show the world something it hasn’t seen before.
Detailed Guide
Some documentaries try to persuade their audience to feel a certain way about a contemporary issue in society by presenting real information that proves the maker's point.
This classic approach to writing a documentary gives you the benefit of virtually guaranteed relevance, since it's about something that people probably already have strong opinions about.
In addition, the controversy that can be generated from this type of documentary can give you the bonus of added publicity.
As an example of this type of documentary, check out one of Michael Moore's early documentaries, Roger & Me.
In this documentary, Moore paints a tragic picture of corporate greed and the devastating effects that the actions of giant companies can have on local communities by investigating the closure of a GM plant in Flint, Michigan that resulted in the loss of about 30,000 jobs.Regardless of your opinion of the now-controversial filmmaker, it's impossible to deny that the film takes a serious look at the state of modern American capitalism.
Some documentaries aim to cast light on a small or relatively unknown group of people whose community is quirky, bizarre, gripping, or otherwise fascinating.
The subcultures that are the subjects of these documentaries may be made up of people with a common hobby, similar life circumstances, a common background, or some other connection.
There's virtually no limit to the types of stories you can tell with these sorts of documentaries — some are funny, some are sad, some are exciting, and some are a mixture of all three.
As an example of this type of documentary, check out The King of Kong:
A Fistful of Quarters.
This movie dives into the bizarre world of professional video game players by following the story of a newcomer who hopes to unseat the current champion.This documentary is able to create a compelling story out of the actions of a small group of people who, to most, don't matter at all — quite a feat of documentary film making. , Some documentaries are about the lives of famous or influential people who shaped the world.
These documentaries often try to expose the "behind the scenes" trials and tribulations of someone who has a larger-than life reputation in the public consciousness.
The best of these sorts of documentaries use extensive research and interviews with experts or people close to the subject of the documentary to show the audience a side of this person that they're not already familiar with.
One great example of this sort of biographical documentary is the film Tupac Resurrection.
Using home movies and interviews with dozens of people who knew the rap icon (including some with the rapper himself), this documentary humanizes the figure who has since become almost legendary, showing him as a sensitive, intelligent, often conflicted individual., Some documentaries give the audience an insider's view into an important event with audacious on-the-ground footage and interviews with the people directly involved in the event.
Sometimes, for this type of documentary, the filmmakers "embed" themselves with the people participating in an event.
For instance, for a documentary about a war, the filmmakers may travel with a platoon of soldiers, filming day-to-day life on the front and documenting dangerous confrontations with the enemy as they happen.
Note, however, that these types of documentaries don’t necessarily need to be about grim, serious events.
For instance, concert documentaries like Stop Making Sense simply document a band performing live on stage (in this case, The Talking Heads).
If well-made, these types of documentaries can be just as captivating. , Some documentaries aim to take on the status quo by exposing the corruption, hypocrisy, and evil actions of powerful people or organizations.
These muckraking documentaries generate outrage by showing how the stated goals of those in power differ from the actual outcomes of their behavior.
Often, these documentaries will use the stories of individual people negatively effected by the actions of those in power to give a face to the harm caused by the actions of the powerful person or organization.
This type of documentary can be especially difficult to make because powerful people will naturally use their resources to resist being painted as greedy, stupid, or evil.
However, with determination, lots of research, and daring reporting, it's possible to make a documentary that sparks righteous anger in the audience.
As an example of this type of documentary, see Hot Coffee.
This documentary investigates the infamous story of the woman who sued McDonald's after spilling hot coffee on herself and several other similar stories to show how the media, wealthy corporate interests, and the politicians they bankroll work together to erode the power that ordinary citizens have in the civil justice system. , Some documentaries tackle people, places, and events from history, rather than recent or present ones.
Because the subjects of these documentaries are often already gone, these types of films rely more heavily on research and interviews with experts (like professors, authors, and so on) than other documentaries.
However, it's still possible to tell a compelling story about the past that's relevant to the present by illustrating the link between the two to the audience.
One recent documentary that does this well is the 2012 film The Act of Killing.
This documentary makes powerful statements about the human capability to commit evil by covering the filmmaker's attempts to get the perpetrators of an Indonesian genocide to reenact the mass-killings they participated in., Some documentaries simply try to capture something exceptionally unique.
This can be an event that most people aren't aware of, a person who isn't famous but still has a fascinating life story, or an interesting piece of history that's been lost to time.
The best of these types of documentaries make statements use their unique subjects to illustrate larger points about the way the world works or the way people are are.
One great example of this sort of documentary is Werner Herzog's Grizzly Man.
By telling the story of Timothy Treadwell, a man who voluntarily lived in the wilderness of Alaska with grizzly bears and was eventually killed by the bears, Herzog paints a picture of one man's odd relationship with nature that resonates even with audiences that would never consider doing something similar.
About the Author
Cynthia Allen
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow hobbies tutorials.
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