Producing Your Documentary

Documentary Quick Tips

• • Always write the script before you start creating the Documentary. Plan to have seven sections: the introduction/ thesis, historical background, build-up, main event, short-term impact, long-term impact, and the conclusion.

  • Collect all of the visuals for your documentary before you start. Keep in mind that you might need more than you would think.

  • Use Strong Visuals! Make sure you find high quality visuals that support your project. Avoid using low quality or low resolution images or video footage that can appear blurry or pixelated. If you need help finding visuals, check out the Finding Visuals page.

  • Think Outside of the Box. Consider using historic newspaper headlines, video clips, oral history interview clips, maps, drawings, cartoons, documents, museum artifacts, location footage, title screens, etc. for your visuals.

  • Use a documentary storyboard to match up your visuals to your script. Remember the documentary-makers mantra: “Say cow, see cow!” A complete storyboard template will also help you figure out what kind of visuals you may need more of or are missing.

  • Record the narration. Remember that the story must drive the visuals, not the other way around. Avoid background noises or changes in volume. Record the script in chunks. Splitting it up paragraph by paragraph is a good way to maintain sound consistency. Practice first. Use a colorful pen to keep track of where you should take breaths or pause by marking up your script. Try to find a good microphone to use, and record in a quiet place so you can limit background noise. Closets make excellent sound rooms!

  • Save your project frequently - Also make sure you have enough space on your computer or storage drive.

  • Don’t try to cram too much into your project - Talking faster makes it hard to understand your argument. Leave enough time to utilize title screens and dramatic pauses for effect.

  • Don’t go crazy with the transitions - a simple fade to black is both classic and clean. Not all photos need transitions either. Focus using them when you are moving from photo to video, as photo to photo transitions are normally seamless.

  • Choose Music Carefully - Make sure it does not overpower your narration. Music from the time period of your topic is always a nice touch, and can be an additional primary source. Try to use instrumental music, unless the lyrical music relates to the topic and is not distracting. Check www.freeplaymusic.com for copyright-clean, instrumental music that can be tailored to the length you want.

  • Add a credits screen. At the end add a brief credits to give credit for music, research archives, interview subjects, and any “special thanks” you’d like to give. Credits do NOT need to be your full bibliography citation. Credits will be much briefer, usually only listing major source information that helps the viewer find the full citation in your bibliography. Remember that the rules outline that they should readable and not fly by too fast.

  • Make backup copies of your project.

  • Give yourself time! Remember that uploading and downloading and other parts of the process take time. Do not wait until the last minute on the project submission deadline to get your project submitted. Plan a cushion for things to go wrong.