How to Make a Documentary
Posted on Saturday, August 26th, 2006 at 8:30.
-
Form a compelling narative, not an encyclopedia entry or lecture. The story should connect the microcosm (your specific topic) to the macrocosm (your audience’s worldview). Use yourself and your anecdotes to connect an audience that might seem completely disconnected from the topic, but don’t think for the audience.
Examples: Fast Food Nation, Fog of War
-
Find a villain: a threatening idea, person, problem, or thing. The distinction between good and evil is inherent to humans, even when we cannot fully classify something as good or evil. Complex characters are best. The audience should feel convoluted about outright hatred of the villain.
Examples: Robert McNamara in Fog of War, human behavior’s impact upon the environment in An Inconvenient Truth, National Riffle Association in Bowling for Columbine
-
Find a hero. This is more important than finding the villain because the audience should leave motivated to be part of the hero.
Examples: Morgan Spurlock in Supersize Me, closing credits for An Inconvenient Truth
-
Be visually stunning. If you don’t have content, at least be pretty. or appalling.
Example: March of the Penguins
