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 that needs to be done is to develop the story. It is important that you establish a story arc. Just like in narrative films, viewers like to see growth and development in the characters as they are faced with different situations. Ideally, the whole story should be divided into three parts namely the beginning, the middle and the end or conclusion. This kind of arrangement is also known as the dramatic structure.
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.
Passion is central to the success of any kind of documentary. Due to the many challenges that are encountered, only a deep desire to complete the task will ensure that indeed it is successfully completed. Most times, there is an underestimation of the required resources and this may lead to difficulties in raising the finances or getting the time to finish the documentary.
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 is one that has an emotional centre. In other words, it allows the audience to feel what the characters are feeling. If the characters are sad, for example, the same must be conveyed to the viewers. Conversely, if the characters are happy, the same emotion should be felt amongst the audience. This is the best way of ensuring that you have communicated your message.
There are a number of common mistakes that are made by filmmakers. You need to avoid these as much as possible. One of the commonest is that a good number of filmmakers fail to choose a theme for their work such that it has no driving force behind it. The recreation of events is often done with wrong techniques. Inappropriate choice of music is another common mistake. Adequate research helps avoid of these mistakes.
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.
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