There are three necessary elements when creating a documentary. Number one, the story. Number two, the character and number three, the access.
These points are the necessities to the story and we call them The Legs of the Stool of Documentary Production. You cannot have one without the other, without one of this existing to support the rest are piece too and have the supported needs to create complete and entertaining project. In other words, if you have a great story but no way of giving access to the location or contact with the persons involve, you can’t complete the story. Let’s take to look at element number one, telling the story.
From most of us, the passion we have for documentaries send around the idea of real motion, real adversity, and real people. This creates a captivating and emotionally charged story. Every story told must have a beginning, middle, and an end where it might seem obvious is always so. You must define where each of this points excess in your story.
Every stories foundation will have three elements, the introduction, the conflict, and the resolution. That the story teller lays out and the one is called creating a dramatic art like a linear line running along the page as the story gets deeper into its plot and becomes more emotionally charged, the line arcs higher on the pages. The major conflict point or breaking point can be the highest point of the arc. But in most cases, your story will have peaks and values along the way.
The beginning of each story is the introduction. You’re introducing your viewers to your characters, subjects or locations that your story will focus on. Your story should have a great hook that involves the audience from the outset and holds them to the end. You must discover what is most dramatic and engaging about your story and tell it in a way that highlights these points. After the viewer becomes aware of who or what the subject of the story is, you need to then introduce them to the conflict. No good story unfolds without some sort of conflict. Otherwise, the story would be boring. Conflict can be a simple as man versus nature, someone over coming personal odds to succeed, or a David versus the Goliath story line where one person faces an institution or human adversity. The conflict defines the emotional center of your piece.
Finally, after you’ve introduce the main plot line and characters and then identify there adversaries in tanginess or conflict, you need to bring your audience down to the conclusion of the story. This is called the resolution. Through the resolution, you let your story play out revealing step by step, how your main subjects or subject have over came their opposition.
Even when the emphasis of the project is reality, there is still a need for certain story elements. Let’s take a closer look at the three steps to creating this dramatic arc by breaking down Morgan’s Spurlock documentary, Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden? Number one, introduce the characters or the situation which generally occurs in the beginning of the project. Number two, explore the conflict and the opposing views which is generally lead up to by the character facing a physical or psychological obstacle. Number three, capture of the resolution or the outcome.
Whichever lay you choose to shoot your documentary whenever to always be looking for story elements even when you’re trying to capture a reality. In editing your footage, look for ways of piecing together the story arc in a compelling manner.
It’s up to you to make sure that your story’s information is accurate and clearly presented, has an interest to your audience and involves the clear story structure. Even our documentaries are based in reality were still telling stories.
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