Documentaries: Scripting and storytelling for documentary filmaking

Scripting and storytelling for documentary filmmaking

S  ound

W  hite/balance

E  xposure

F  ocus

F  raming

SOUND: Look for levels and listen to quality---point clip mic down to avoid popping P's

Captions go on MCUs---caotions=helvetica

Look out for things in the background

When zooming in on shot in editing only go in 20%

Less is more

All programming is to a lesser or greater extent scripted

Factual programmes frace pratic ethical challenges when it comes to how far they should be scripted

Title

The title: sells your films to its audien

Encapsulates what it's about

Focuses on you as a prodcuer/director on the reals meaning of your film

Adds meaning to your film-double entendre

Can also include:

Transmission time and channel/platform

Target audience

Doc scripting can include any of the following:

Seq

Interviews

Reconstructions and dramatisations

Actuality

Cutaways/GVs

Sync

Commentary

Music

Archive/stills

Graphics

Scripts written prior to filming

This form the template for your finished film

Informed by research

Pictures on left snf sound on right ((possibly duration on far right to work out importnace))

Starting

Always start buy writing your commentary and interweave with a summary of each person's sync eg Fred descirbes his life in London (RESEARCH informs your comm).

Explore picture opportunies through your script

Always write to pictures- they shuld work together

HOWEVER BEWARE-LORD PRIVY SEAL RULE ((DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A PICTURE FOR EVERYTHING))

Scripting conventions

Write COMM or V/O for commentary

SEQ sequence

ACT actuality

C/A cut aways

SYNC Interview clips

SFC sound effects

Commentary-is usually made distinct by being written in italics/bold alos helps during voice over record if they are umbered, filmed at the VERY END OF FILMING ((becayse commentary can be re-writen

Line and a half spcaing makes it easier to read

Find some sort of narrative to hold the film together-norm dictated by actuality

Comentary:

Helps guide the audience through the story

Fill gaps that filming can't always fill

Intro characters

Corner turn

Tension adding

Expertise

A central thread of some kind which will hold your story together

The central thread could involve the process of nvestigating that answear to a que or theory

Film;s nar is influemced by characters, loca, period of time it is covering and the evemts presented

BEWARE-time based nar cannot be fractures-ensure you check the logic of your story and keep to it

LIGHT AND SHADE AND TENSION

Consider how you will interject light and shade

Narrative styles

No. of diff narrative styles which can be used in documentaries

Filmmaker mighr become a protag or antag

The method of story telling is determined by what is appropriate for the content. The programme/series/channel identity.

Scripts and shot lists

Your script can then inform the shot lid of seq, interviews, actuality and GV's etc you use for each day's filmmaking