Cameras and photos: Making a documentary video

Cameras and photos: Making a documentary video

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Cameras and photos: Making a documentary video

Making a documentary video

Cameras and photos: Making a documentary video

Cameras and photos: Making a documentary video

Documentary videos explore real-life events and people. Great documentaries can change how people think and act.

Cameras and photos: Making a documentary video

Just like a drama, a good documentary is planned around a story. What story do you want to tell? A good documentary has something new and interesting to say about its subject.

Cameras and photos: Making a documentary video

Start with research. What do people already know? What are the facts? Make sure you get your facts right in your documentary.

Cameras and photos: Making a documentary video

Research helps you find the people and places you could include. Who could you interview to find out more and get different points of view? Where can you film footage of places and events?

Cameras and photos: Making a documentary video

Plan your documentary. Make a list of everything you want to include, like interviews, scenes of events and places. Use this list to make sure you film all the scenes you need.

Cameras and photos: Making a documentary video

Interviews let the people involved tell their side of the story. Think about how to get in touch with people you would like to interview. Explain how you will use the interview in your documentary. Write down all the questions you want to ask them.

Cameras and photos: Making a documentary video

In your interviews, keep the camera recording all the time. Focus on the person. The interviewer does not have to be in the shot.

Cameras and photos: Making a documentary video

Record lots of footage of the event or place that your documentary is about. Think about the right time of day or year to get the footage you want.

Cameras and photos: Making a documentary video

Use other photos and video clips. This can be photos, videos or film clips from the past, or footage that other people have taken. You must get permission to use other people’s photos or video, including any you find on the internet.

Cameras and photos: Making a documentary video

You could include a presenter in your documentary. They can interview people, describe and explain things and link each scene together. Don't use them too often. Let your interviews and other shots tell the story.

Cameras and photos: Making a documentary video

Your presenter can also record a narration for your documentary. This is where you hear the presenter, but they are not on camera. Record your narration after you have filmed and edited your video. Write a script. Base this on the final version of your documentary. Use your narration to link interviews and other clips together. It can ask questions, add drama and give a conclusion.

Cameras and photos: Making a documentary video

Remember to thank everyone who takes part in your documentary. Invite them to a screening, and give them their own copy.

Cameras and photos: Making a documentary video

Making a documentary video

Cameras and photos: Making a documentary video

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Cameras and photos: Making a documentary video

Interviews make your documentary more personal. The person can tell their story even if they are not in the shot. Ask the person to repeat the question in their answer. For example: Q When did you start going to the meetings? A I started going to the meetings when I …

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Cameras and photos: Making a documentary video

This type of answer means you don't need to include the question in your finished video. You can also use the answer as a voiceover for video clips of what the person is talking about.

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Cameras and photos: Making a documentary video

Don't use narration to tell the whole story; wherever possible, try to show rather than tell. Don't say ‘The squirrels started coming close to the house. They ate all the food left out for birds. Now the birds are looking for food because they are hungry.’ Just say ‘The squirrels started coming close to the house’ and show the audience a clip of the squirrels taking bird food. Show a clip of birds looking for food and only then add ‘Now the birds are hungry.’

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Cameras and photos: Making a documentary video

When filming, keep your camera on all the time. Capture the highest quality video you can. You are more likely to capture the ‘real moments’ that bring a documentary to life.

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Cameras and photos: Making a documentary video

Think about the style of documentary you want to make. What is the right approach for your subject?

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Cameras and photos: Making a documentary video

In some documentaries, the presenter takes part in what’s happening. This can make the documentary more personal. The presenter might want to find out the truth about something or they might have a point of view they want to get across.

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Cameras and photos: Making a documentary video

You don't need to have a presenter that you see on camera. Many good documentaries just use a narrator that you don't see.

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Cameras and photos: Making a documentary video

Music can add atmosphere and drama, but it should not distract the audience. Try not to add music to every scene; start by just using music when you set a scene.

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Cameras and photos: Making a documentary video

Add diagrams to help explain facts in your documentary. This could be to show how something works, or to present facts and figures.

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Cameras and photos: Making a documentary video

Maps help show where events take place.

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Cameras and photos: Making a documentary video

Use an external microphone to record your narration. Record somewhere quiet so there is no background noise. As you read from the script, think about the right tone of voice for each scene: do you want to create suspense, excitement, or sound calm? Record the narration for each scene as a separate clip, so you can insert them into your video.

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Cameras and photos: Making a documentary video

Watch your documentary as you edit it and add narration. Make notes on what works and what doesn’t. Keep working on it until you can tell the story you want.

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Cameras and photos: Making a documentary video

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