Tuesday, August 27, 2013

How To Create Interesting Documentaries

By Amanda Baird


There are several things that one needs to have in mind when planning to create documentaries. The most important of them is that they must have an idea of what they want to do and this must also be accepted by their targeted audience. Many times, there is a need to conduct research before the creation of the work just to have an idea on what would interest this audience.

The next thing is to develop the story along the main idea. The content has to fall into what is known as the story arc. It should let the audience see a character change and develop as they are faced with different challenges. The main parts that have to be addressed are the beginning when the idea is introduced, the middle when objectives are met and the end when a conclusion is drawn.

One must have access to the materials required for the production. This may mean travelling to a different geographical location or getting authorisation to access some classified information. For instance, if one is creating a documentary on an army operation, they will need to be allowed to access areas that are not normally accessible to civilians. Interviews are an integral part of a documentary. They serve to add credibility to the work created. Therefore securing appointments well in advance is advised.

Passion is central to the success of any kind of documentary. Due to the many challenges that are encountered, only a deep desire to complete the task will ensure that indeed it is successfully completed. Most times, there is an underestimation of the required resources and this may lead to difficulties in raising the finances or getting the time to finish the documentary.

Once the ideas have been collected, and all the resources put together, a script can then be written. It is wise to consult with persons who have created similar programs so that they can give you advice on a number of things. The first copy of the script should be read by an expert in the field so that any errors are identified at this stage. Any additions are made at this stage.

A good documentary has an emotional centre. What this means is that it makes the audience empathise with the characters. If, for example, the documentary is about persons that have been exposed to violence, viewers should be able to feel what the characters are feeling. Conversely, if the characters are in celebratory mood, the same must be achieved in the viewers.

There are several mistakes that one needs to avoid. One of them is failure to select an appropriate theme on which to communicate. The absence of a proper theme means that your audience will not relate well to the documentary. The other mistake is improper recreation of events that have taken place in the past. The third area requiring caution is the choice of music.

The final thing is distribution of your work. This can be done in print or electronic media. There has been increased use of the internet for distribution of documentaries mainly due to the low associated costs. Feedback from the audience is also easy to obtain through this channel.




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