Documentary filmmaking has brought powerful stories to audiences across the globe. Through impeccable craft and subtle storytelling, the documentarian can create something emotionally resonant out of the real lives of other people. Whether the stories are small and intimate or grand and expansive, the documentary format has the power to impart a gripping tale to those who watch and even change the world.
Getting your own documentary production off the ground can be exciting yet challenging. With these innovative approaches, and a bit of help from a professional production company like Pretzel Logic Productions, you’ll be well on your way to bringing your story to the world.
Center Your Story
Centering your story is important. A good documentary can make it seem as though the filmmaker is above the events unfolding on screen, entirely removed from the action. In reality, it’s all a very deft sleight of hand. The best documentaries have something they need to say, and they use each frame to say it.
For your documentary production, you need to stay crystal clear as to what your goals are with the film. Why do you think this story is important to tell? What do you hope people take away from it? Create your own synopsis of what the story means to you and refer back to it when you need guidance. Whenever you’re unsure of what you need to film, who you need to interview, or even what the color correction should look like, ask yourself what best serves the story you’re trying to tell. By keeping your focus on the central story you’re interested in, your efforts will be focused and cohesive.
Plan Out a Shot List
In a scripted film, a shot list helps get everyone on the same page about what scenes will be shot on a particular day and how. In a documentary, you can’t exactly follow the same procedure. Without a script, how can you? That being said, you can still be intentional with how you plan out your shots. Even if you’re just running around, doing your best to capture a story as it unfolds, that kind of forethought will help keep your production running smoothly.
A shot list provides structure and intention to your documentary production. Consider who or what you want to film on any particular day. What do these scenes add to the project? What information, tone or character details do you want them to convey to your audience? Going from there, construct your shots in such a way to bolster that message. If you’re not sure where to start, working with an experienced director and director of photography (DP) can be a great way to put together that initial roadmap.
Know When to Use—and Not Use—Your Tools
In days past, filmmaking was solely the providence of those film studios with enough money to bankroll the equipment. Now, the tools of filmmaking are in the hands of more people than ever before. That means that you’ll have more visual storytelling options for your documentary production, particularly if you work with an established production company with an expansive supply of equipment.
Want to capture the enormity of a desert scene? Consider breaking out a wide-angle lens. Need to capture a birds-eye view of an important location? Drones can get you where you need to go.
Just keep in mind not to rely too heavily on your equipment to tell your story. Fancy new toys are fun, but don’t use a gimbal to stabilize your shot when a shaky camera would better capture the frenetic energy of a scene. Restraint can be just as impactful as flash.
Innovate the Interview
There’s an old adage in the industry: “Show, don’t tell.” Basically, it’s never more interesting to spell something out to your audience than it is to just show them directly. This gets a bit tricky in a documentary production, where you’re relying on the actual testimony of people to propel your narrative forward. But with modern storytelling techniques, you can incorporate tried-and-true devices like voiceover or talking-head interviews into something fresh and exciting.
Consider using an interview as voiceover to contrast footage you show your audience, perhaps recontextualizing what they’re seeing and telling them more about the person they’re listening to. Share information you discover with your subjects during talking-head interviews, capturing their unfiltered reactions in real time. Your interviews don’t need to be stale, expository events. They can still crackle with the life they’re trying to capture.
Let the Story Evolve When It Wants
While we started by saying you should go through your documentary production with a clear story you want to pursue, you have to leave room for deviation. There are plenty of documentaries out there that started off about one subject only to have their entire concept wrenched off course in a new direction when the story demanded it.
Documentaries capture real events happening in real time. If the story you think you’re telling changes, don’t be afraid to follow the new thread. You might find your story changing early on, with new information coming to light or the circumstances surrounding your subject unexpectedly changing. You might not know until you’re sitting in the edit bay, going through all your footage and coming to the realization that your film isn’t what you initially thought it would be about at all. In that circumstance, you’ll be glad to have the company of experienced film professionals to back you up.
From helping you with your initial concept to capturing high-quality video and sound, all the way to editing and finishing, the team at Pretzel Logic Productions is passionate about helping make your film a reality. So, if you want to get your documentary production off the ground, contact us. We’ll help you get things going, and we’ll be there to help pivot should things take a creative turn.