Documentary Development

Example Practice

Watch HK Honey and notice the structure elements below:

ACT I

  • Who is the main character: Bee Keeper from Hong Kong Honey
  • Background info: Hong Kong, Busy City Present Day, Entrepreneur
  • What is the Main Plot Point & the Goal: Supplying people with Honey

ACT II

  • How will the character achieve their goal: Take good care of the bees
  • Second Plot Point (main conflict): Can bees make honey in the city
  • What is the climax: Moved a bee hive to a lady's roof

ACT III

    • One sentence resolution: Hong Kong Honey seeks to make quality honey with an appreciation of people, the city, and the bees.

We have learned about the narrative arc and the content needed for a good storyline and documentary. Make sure you know the elements of the narrative arc.

Documentary Character Development

  1. Who or what is your main character
    1. -Identify with the character and develop
    2. -Bring out certain character traits
    3. -Through key scenes make the audience empathize with the subject
  2. Why; what is behind the character's motivation, needs and wants
    1. What does the character gain if accomplished
    2. Remind the audience's goals and what may happen if the subject does not reach them
  3. Identify the Barriers
    1. Provide the visual evidence that is trying to prevent the subject from reaching the goal
    2. Causes tension
    3. Character development
  4. Follow the Action
    1. Ups and downs, obstacles, process of the main character
  5. Resolution
    1. Capture the moment when the subject realizes their goal
    2. Ending result and shapes how the audience perceives the subject at the end
    3. Emotional impact (which one?...humor, sadness, powerful, sympathy, etc.)

Draw dout the narrative arc to show time and tension and label only Act I, II, and III for the film idea that you had approved or the one you think will get approved. Then c

and draw the ti

do not do

  • Do not do:
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    • "Chef de Cuisine" New York Chef >>>
    • "Avant Cellist" Journey of a Cello Player >>>
    • "80 Impression" Chinese Wedding Photographers >>>

Overview

This quarter you will be learning how to shoot quality video while visually telling someone's story through a short 3-4 minute documentary but first you must learn the film structure.

Learn Film Structure

Watch the video and read the helpful information on film structure while taking notes. Make sure you draw the diagram in your CA Book.

me/tFirst watch documentary tips which will really help you with filming.ension line while writing down the following answers on the graph and use arrows to point to the part on the line where it takes place:As a Schoology post, type the following:

    1. Person you are interviewing:
    2. Relation to you:
    3. Location of the interview:
    4. Tennative date of the interview (by May 7):
    5. Date you will start filming B-Roll (by May 7):

Send an email in class to the person you will be interviewing and suggest a day, time, and location of the interview. Suggest to them what you want them to wear and to avoid shirts with visible logos. Have them reply to confirm the filming details by next class so that you can show Mr. Heil their reply during class. Filming due by April 7.

and the last minute of how to shoot b-roll.

Application

Now watch one of the documentaries below and in your CA book, write out the blue text below and answer each for one of the documentaries.

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ACT I

  • Who is the main character:
  • Background info:
  • What is the Main Plot Point & the Goal:

ACT II

  • How will the character achieve their goal:
  • Second Plot Point (main conflict):

ACT III

  • What is the climax:
  • One sentence resolution: