The Process Of Creating Documentaries

Written By Admin on Selasa, 27 Agustus 2013 | 01.08

By Amanda Baird


There are a number of things that you need to know if you are interested in the production of documentaries. The first thing that you need to do is to develop an idea. You need to know what it is that you want to present to your target audience. Conducting a research prior to production is very important as it will help in the identification of tastes and preferences of this audience.

The next thing is to develop the story along the main idea. The content has to fall into what is known as the story arc. It should let the audience see a character change and develop as they are faced with different challenges. The main parts that have to be addressed are the beginning when the idea is introduced, the middle when objectives are met and the end when a conclusion is drawn.

Access to materials relating to the subject matter is very important. This is of course determined by the nature of idea that has been decided upon. If one chooses to produce a documentary on aquatic life, then they must be in a position to access the deep seas. The same would apply for the production of a documentary of a military operation where high level security clearance is necessary.

There are a number of challenges that one needs to be aware of even as they plan on starting their project. Lack of adequate resources is perhaps the commonest. These resources may be in form of machinery, manpower or even time. Such situations make it difficult to complete the task within the stipulated time and subsequently lead to frustration. Passion in the work is therefore very important.

After the ideas have been put together and the resources obtained, one needs to create a script that will be used. Consultation with persons that have done similar projects in the past really helps at this stage. The first copy is usually a provisional one and is used to identify possible mistakes and to correct them.

A good documentary should also have what is known as the emotional centre. This is aimed at achieving the empathy of the viewers as they relate to the characters in the story. If for, example, the documentary is about persons that have been subjected to violence, the impact of the violence should be clearly brought out. Other emotions can also be achieved.

There are several mistakes that are made by a number of creators. For example, many fail to choose an appropriate theme on which they can base their creation. The result of this is failure to communicate the intended message adequately. Recreation of ideas is another thing that is not done appropriately by many creators. The same applies to the choice of music.

The last step is advertisement or distribution of documentaries. This can be done in various forms of print and electronic media. The cheapest available option is the use of social networks which are not only cheap but effective as well. They also allow one to obtain feedback easily.




About the Author:



0 komentar:

Posting Komentar