Module 6
Read to Inform
Storytelling – social and cultural activity of sharing stories and passing information on
Documentary Film – a documentary is a non-fictional film that is intended to show real-life events and people in order to inform, entertain or maintain a historical record
How to Make a Documentary
- Tell a story you care about
- Research: Having a plentiful amount of information will help tell a captivating story
- Make a Plan: Have an idea of the style and structure for your documentary
- Create a Shot List: Having a list of footage and shots will help make your shooting organized and efficient
- Start Shooting
- Write a Script: A script not only includes voice over lines, but also information about what the viewers are seeing
- Begin Editing
- Check Legal and Copyright rules
13 Rules for Making Documentary Films
- Fight Club Rule
- Don’t make a documentary about things people already know about (example – nuclear power is bad)
- Don’t imitate a college lecture
- Give viewers something they will enjoy
- Don’t be boring
- Why don’t more documentaries go after the real villans?
- Make it Personal
- Point your cameras at the media
- Books and TV have nonfiction down, go after that
- Try to film people who disagree with you
- What you feel, the audience will feel
- Less is More
- Sound is the most important feature
Cat Trap King – This documentary was interesting, engaging and effective. The 60 second film gives viewers a quick look at a human-interest story. The voice over tells the story while showing b-roll of the subject.
Skater Girl – This documentary shows b-roll of a young girl skating at a very high level. This documentary showed a feel-good story and made you feel happy after it was over.
Wedding Video – The video shows a couple’s wedding day. The video starts off with the groom stating his vows as the voice over and introduction to the video. Then, it switches over to the bride’s vows as the voice over while showing scenes from the wedding day.
Mailboat Jumpers
This news package was really interesting. I had never heard of mailboat jumpers before, and this story was really cool. The narrator takes the viewers through the story of what mailboat jumpers are and what their duties are. Then, interviews give viewers an added look at what jumping is all about. The script is the same as the press release that goes with the video, and the photos are the storyboard.
Steam-Powered Cider Mill story – The first part of this video is about the history of making cider in Mystic, Conn. The second part of the story is about the owners of the steam-powered cider mill and their cider donuts. The third part of the video is about the ingredients in the cider.
Sprinkles Cupcakes – The images in this video are not as clear as they probably could have been. But, because it was 2005, the image quality is understandable. I didn’t notice the introduction interview being poor; I thought it was ok. I thought the red velvet b-roll could have been ordered a little differently so that the viewers were aware she was going to talk about red velvet cupcakes before she did. I thought someone on the street waiting in line for a cupcake would have made a cool interview piece to add to the video.
Old Amusement Park – This video opens with a voice over that narrates the story, followed by interviews. The b-roll shots are aesthetically pleasing with the fall foliage in the background.
Geologist – This video uses the “rock” theme to add lower thirds to the video. This video uses b-roll to show viewers what the geologist would do outside.
Two speakers – The first speaker’s audio picks up all of the outside sound around the portable speaker on the podium. I think the editors replaced the audio from the normal video with what they picked up on the recorder. You can hear the papers rumbling below. The second speaker has a lav mic on, in addition to the standing mic, so his sounds clearer.
Quinnipiac Graphic Design program – This video tells a story with the voice over guiding viewers about the program.
Top 100 Documentaries – I have seen Blackfish as just an example from this list. It was a really interesting documentary, and I actually almost started an organization in college to help save the sea life in captivity. And that’s one of the main results people who make documentaries strive for.
Examples
Michael Jordan Documentary (Trailer) – The Last Dance
This trailer for the 10-part documentary is just a small example of the extraordinary footage and interviews that the now-airing documentary is showing. The trailer hooked me as a viewer with footage that I had never seen before as a basketball fan.
Beyoncé’s Homecoming – Netflix Documentary
This is my favorite documentary to date. As a fan of art and music, I was blown away by the creative team that made this film. It is a combination of behind-the-scenes footage of Beyoncé’s work on her show at Coachella in 2018. The trailer shows a small part of that. The creators made you feel like you were there at the show.
Pre-Production Document
Readings
Chapter 7 – Lighting
The most powerful source of light is the sun, but because it’s always moving, it is difficult to work with. A reflector is anything that reflects light, and a fill light is artificial light set up to put out daylight-colored light.
There are three basic types of lighting – focusing quartz, broads and softlights. The focusing quartz light is the spotlight used in movies and in tv shows. Broads are non-focusing lights designed to cover a large area with even light. Softlights are permanent, portable bounce lights.
Chapter 9 – Doing It
A shooting script is a list of what you are going to shoot and how you are going to shoot it (wide shots, close ups). Communication is key – in order for a shoot to go smoothly, someone has to be in charge and direct the shoot. It is also important to be able to work in uncontrollable situations.
MAGGIE PRUITT 