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What is a Documentary?

doc•u•MEN•ta•ry: A work,such as a film or television program, presenting political, social, or historical subject matter in a factual and informative manner and often consisting of actual news films or interviews accompanied by narration. Or in simpler terms: A nonfiction story told through moving images and sound.

Elements of Classic Documentary Events are not staged to create a sense of fictitious reality - reality is captured by the filmmaker Subjects represented are real, not fictitious "characters" or "protagonists". We are made aware of the camera, of the act of filmmaking in the documentary. Attempts to explicitly argue a point of fact. Argument made in the film is supported using visual evidence

Elements of Fiction Film

• Obscuring the camera to create "natural"flow of story-creating a believable reality using various film techniques.

• Film centers on the actions of a protagonist

• Story is about protagonist's struggle to pursue desire.

• Story takes place in linear, continuous time that is consistent connected to a fictional reality - you don't feel "disjointed" sense of time

• A closed ending with absolute, irreversible change.

Docos: Essential Elements

• Images: people, places, things, text, etc.
• Sound: narration, voices, music, sound effects, background sounds.("nats").
• Edits: The integration of images and sound.

Images+Sounds+Edits=Style

You strike a balance based on what you wish to communicate:

• Fast edits and loud music to convey action.
• Disjointed images and unusual pacing.
• Straightforward editing for a journalistic feel

The Documentary Team

• Executive Producer
• Producer
• Researcher
• Writer
• Cameraperson
• Editor
• Talent

What We're Gonna Talk About

• Story structure
• Video technique
• Scripting technique
• Editing technique

Story Structure: 3 Parts The Tease Allows viewer to focus on what the film is about Introduces one or more principal characters Establishes setting/location critical to the story. Presents a conflict/set up a problem/asks a question Sets the tone for the film Sucks in the audience - hopefully The Body The main plot; the meat of the story Get to know the characters, what they're doing and why they're doing it. See the action unfold The body usually makes up 80 percentage of a documentary

The Conclusion
Wrapping up, giving closure
Recaps point of story.
Whatever you promised or asked in your tease needs to have been delivered.

Example 1:
The Cricket Match

Tease: Meet the Indian team; Former world champs, going through a rough patch About to compete against current champions.
Body: Get to know the team; what are their strengths? What challenges do they face? Experience leadership of coach,individual members Climax: Match vs the champs. What happens? Who wins?
Conclusion: Reactions of the captain and team mates How did the experience change them?

Example 2::
Shopping Experience in Dilli Haat

Tease: Establishing shot of Dilli Haat, montage of activity, shops, restaurants; ask what Dilli Haat means to Delhiites.
Body: History of the Dilli Haat; archival footage from library, old newsreports; interviews with community members, experience of tourists; future of Dilli Haat.
Conclusion:Summarize its history; next phase plan; its importance in the city; end with montage of people enjoying various activities at Dilli Haat.

Video Technique

Footage must always serve the story. Establishing shot: wide view providing context (think sitcoms: Outdoor shot of Cheers, Seinfeld restaurant, Friends apartment in NYC). Interviews: typically head and shoulder shot - close, but not too close. Zooming in for intimacy, intensity Zoom forces viewer to focus on something Wider shots to see interview subject in context of a particular situation Odd angles add intensity.("God shot," MTV shot) Action style, keeping things moving: either characters move or the camera moves Lots of "talking heads" feels like TV journalism.. Shooting same thing from as many angles as possible - creates more editing options.

Scripting Technique

Script follows your story structure: Beginning, middle, end. (Sounds obvious but not always easy) Uses at least one of two elements: Narrator voice and character voice. Most documentaries use both. Narration always has a point of view. Third-Person Narrator (narrator never seen, just heard; disinterested) Self-injected narrator (seen, but not in plot - 60 Minutes, TV journalism, Michael Moore) Character narrator can also exist. ("I'm Priscilla Presley, and this is our family's story…") No narration: characters speak for themselves Narration isn't literature - it's oral, conversational Tone of narration shouldn't vary during the documentary. Multiple narrators don't always work. Use lots of action verbs - avoid overuse of descriptive adjectives and adverbs. Let the visuals be your adjectives.

Editing Technique: Music

• Music can be a powerful element

• It's often a character in its own right

Editing Technique: Pacing

• Pacing of edits affects the tone.

• Faster edits picks up the pace, but requires more footage!

• Slower edits means slower pace, but you get to milk your footage

Editing Technique: A-Roll vs. B Roll

• A-Roll: your primary footage (interview subjects in particular).

• B-Roll: secondary footage used to support interview or narration, also used to cover errors like "jump cuts"

• A-Roll is melody, B-Roll harmony

• When editing, you generally go back and forth A-Roll of soccer match - BRoll.

• of fans - A-Roll of soccer match Interview subject - B-Roll of what.

• they're talking about - Interview subject.

Editing Technique: The Four Transitions

• Cut: simplest transition from one shot to the next, usually in same location and time frame

• Dissolve: graduate transition where shots overlap; often used to show change in location/time.

• Wipe: special effect transition where one scene seems to "wipe away" the other scene..

• Fade to Black: Scene literally goes black; end of chapter or story.

Remember:

Always Serve the Story! All of your tools should be used to contribute to telling your story

Video footage Characters Narration Music Edits It's like composing a symphony: Each instrument contributes to the whole package