[Dalya’s Note: This guest post was written by Robert Bell.]
Creating a memorable and inspiring documentary requires more than just an interesting topic. A strong documentary can inspire changes in society, and it can help people to understand how the other side truly lives. An inspiring documentary will bring people closer together, and it will help to broaden minds in all areas. From politics to art, documentaries can truly help to change the world. While making a classic documentary requires dedication and skill, it doesn’t require a large budget. By following this guide, you will learn how to make an inspiring documentary on any budget!
What Makes a Documentary Great?
An interesting subject is only the starting point for an interesting documentary. While an interesting and engaging subject is vital, there needs to be a balance in perspectives, interviews, and even in editing. If an interesting subject is surrounded by bland interviews, cheesy editing, and subpar music, then the documentary will be a failure. Even a seemingly ordinary subject can become sublime under the proper care.
Quality Interviews
Quality interviews are essential, and even one poor interview can break an otherwise strong film. A weak documentary will have subjects mumbling or providing nonsensical answers, while a strong documentary will have experts and other insightful people giving interesting and intelligent interviews. This goes for both the interviewer and the subject, as one can help or hinder the other.
Professionally Recreating Events
TV documentaries have the bad habit of recreating events by shaking the camera, digitally lowering the resolution, and adding dramatic music. This does nothing but give the viewer a headache, and it only serves to discredit the original scenario. To make a documentary truly matter, you should only use archival footage or just have an expert speak on the event’s behalf. Unless this “retro” technique is done for irony or other stylistic purposes it should be avoided, as it does nothing to enhance the drama of a scene. Make sure to watch as many independent films as possible before getting started, so you can study how other experienced directors executed certain techniques. Consider sources such as these Directtv packages, which will let you pick up as many channels as possible that cover independent films (National Geographic, Discovery, etc.).
Getting Everyone Involved
A great documentary is greater than the sum of its parts. It is the culmination of a great director, producer, interviewer, interviewees, editors, and more. The editors need to understand the desired tone of the film, and the music should match the tone of the film perfectly as well. All of these elements add to create an engaging and memorable documentary, and a as a filmmaker, you should never aspire to anything less.
Creating a Documentary as an Independent Filmmaker
As an independent filmmaker, you may not have all of the resources to spend millions on perfect locations, equipment, and soundtracks. However, you can still create a fascinating documentary on a limited budget.
Find Your Editing Groove
Woody Allen famously edits his films after filming countless hours of footage; however, Woody also has large studios backing his every project. If you wish to save time and money, try editing while filming. This will help you to avoid frivolous scenes, and you will become more engaged in the filming as a result. By editing as you film, you will understand the flow of your film, and you can enhance your next scene with the precise knowledge of the films’ current tone. This will also save you money by reducing the hours spent editing later and by reducing the amount of overall filming.
Engage Your Cast and Crew
Ask your crew what they think of a scene, and allow them to be as frank and truthful as possible. These are the same people who will see your future film, and while you don’t have to follow every word that they say, they may provide some insightful tips that would have been otherwise unnoticed.
By following these tips, you will be able to create an engaging and informative documentary. Utilizing independent filmmaking tricks will also help you to stay under budget while still crafting a genuine film. Harness your inspiration, and lose the constraints of time and budget to create the next great documentary!
