Documentary notes


Screenwriting

 What makes a good short film

 Theme
Character
Something that is 'real' and relatable
The artist's voice and vision is sincere
Authenticity
Not cramming too much in. Be concise
A slice of life presented by the storyteller, whether it is the director or screenwriter
Slice of life is a genre in anime that's more melodramatic than drama.
Relationships
Conflict
Dilemma
Resolution
Character don't have much backstory or arch
Most short films focus on the main character and their point of view or perspective.

 Structure - Two Acts?

 Act 1 - Set Up
Act 2 - Complications
Act 3 - Resolution

Digital Filmmaking

It is a requirement for our project to have internal conflict if it is a drama or documentary
Key ingredients of documentary filmmaking

  • Characters with interesting problems / challenges / dilemmas (principles of drama)
Who wants something
Has a problem or an obstacle stopping them from achieving what they want
  • Story arcs
Change over time
Plot points help to determine journey of characters
  • Conflict
Internal: Difficult choice or dilemma
External: Battling between two points of view. It can be a protagonist's view vs an antagonist's view

  • Honesty / authenticity
  • Sympathy
  • Point of view: subjective or objective
Who's story is it?
How will their story be told?


Costa Botes believes that documentaries should include compelling characters with interesting problems / challenges / dilemmas.

 Subjective: Following the protagonist's journey

In making documentaries, we have a responsibility to provide journalistic balance


Central question is also a core question that the documentary seeks to answer

 Scope of the world around the subject, especially locally and viewpoints of the interviewees

Dramatic lighting, and dramatizations of events can maker documentaries cinematic

 Introduce questions that are intended to be answered by the end of the documentary

Documentary Filmmaking Tips from the Trenches (2010)

First Light Video - firstlightvideo.com
TMW Media

 Every film is a documentary because it documents at least something - the characters, events, the world

 Documentaries are about real stories from real people

 A good documentary either makes you wiser or informs you on a subject you knew little about

 Films don't create movements, they support them e.g. Feminism movement in the 1970's.

 You have to deal with reality is the beauty of documentary filmmaking

 Being immersed and exploration is part of documentary filmmaking

 Documentary filmmaking is the best way to learn about a subject you're interested in about.

 Curiosity

 Watching as many films as you can before making a film is like what it is for an artist to continuously practice sketching

 Make your subjects talk about their passion

 Making a documentary is a process of discovery and the subject can be a mystery that you cannot completely wrap your head around as a filmmaker.

 Documentaries are about a journey of discovery and how he or she views the subject. 
You don't have to be an expert on the subject.

 If you include interesting people, you will prove to have a interesting film

 An Inconvenient Truth is more of a lecture than a documentary

 Casting is important. Find subjects that will open and access to their world
Important aspect for a documentary

  • Drama
  • High points
  • Low points
  • Character arcs (not a must, but makes things easier)
BBC rules of documentary filmmaking
  • Educate
  • Entertain and engage
Being a documentary DOP, you need to understand the chaos and make sense of it, as well as get into the moment.

Express the desired effect of the subject or documentary
  • People inspired
  • Something uplifting or depressing

Shoot the subjects doing everyday things - making jokes, studying

 Include 'but not limited to' in the release forms

 it's common to not to get consent from everyone (people walking past, people in the background, logos, sounds).

 Risk of lawsuits are believed to be high
Trust, integrity, and being a man or woman of your word is critically important as a documentary filmmaker

  • Inform your subject(s) when the camera is rolling
  • Respecting the privacy of your subjects
  • When the subjects ask you to stop rolling, you do it
  • You tend to ask yourselves questions like; Should we give this subject space? Are we shooting this too briefly or too long? Should we even be shooting this situation at all? Should we take advantage of their dignity?
  • A subject demanding money for their part can have a negative effect on their integrity and credibility - Is he or she saying empty words with the expectation of being paid for their time? Are they sincere about their views at all?
  • It involves a lot of communication

Target audiences

  • Activists
  • School children
  • Genre demographics - people who like watching documentaries
  • Academics
  • Future generations
  • High school students
  • Film tutors and students

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