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Documentary Documentary StorytellingStorytelling

Chapter 3: Finding the StoryChapter 3: Finding the Story

How do you find a good subject for a documentary?

A topic has caught your interest,A topic has caught your interest, What about it What about it ‘‘grabs you?grabs you?’’

After Understanding After Understanding HowHow

We're surrounded by subjects that offer potential for documentary storytelling.

Current events may trigger ideas, or an afternoon spent browsing the shelves at a local library or bookstore.

Some filmmakers find stories within their own families.

Deciding what…Deciding what…

If you're using a range of books and magazines solely for research purposes, you don't need to obtain any of the underlying rights.

When the film is indelibly linked to When the film is indelibly linked to a book, you will need to come to a a book, you will need to come to a legal arrangement with the author legal arrangement with the author or copyright holder.or copyright holder.

Note that when you are negotiating Note that when you are negotiating for the rights to a story, you will for the rights to a story, you will want to retain creative control over want to retain creative control over your film.your film.

Story RightsStory Rights

One of the biggest misconceptions about documentary filmmaking is that it happens spontaneously.   Instead, evolves, reveals itself as you continue working.

When filmmakers talk about the story revealing itself over the course of the production or even in the editing room, they’re noting they had their story in mind, but re-adjust its structure or focus as they progress.

Rewriting as you goRewriting as you go

As you start to shoot -- look for themes, think about the story you’re trying to tell.

Storytelling—dramatic structure. Look for emotion, character, quest, challenges in everyday experiences.

Sometimes 'serendipity' affects finding a story. Filmmakers to begin one project, only to be drawn by the characters and situations they encounter toward a film that is both different and stronger than they anticipated.

Frederick Wiseman 'finding drama'

Access and Feasibility involves issues like depending on some kind of access being granted and whether the elements needed for production are really available to you.

Affordability involves issues like 'have you set your sights too high' and 'don't think small, just realistically.'   

Evaluating story ideas

Passion involves issues like 'do you care deeply about the subject?' and is also an ingredient that commissioning editors and funders want to see when filmmakers approach them for financial support.    

Audience involves the issue that you should have some idea of whom you want it to reach: age, geographic area, educational level, etc.   

Relevance involves asking 'will anybody care about your film, or can you make them care?'   

Evaluating story ideas

One aspect of relevance, though not always the most important one, is Timeliness, not to be confused with the timeline of news reporting but rather in terms of programming or audience potential, ability to coincide with an event, such as a historical anniversary or a high-profile motion picture release on a related topic. 

Evaluating story ideas

The term Visualization reminds us that a film subject that doesn't have obvious visuals requires additional foresight on the part of the filmmaker; you'll need to anticipate exactly how you plan to tell the story on film.   

Another question to ask as you evaluate the story is, does it have a Hook--in its simplest form, it's what got you interested in the subject in the first place. 

Evaluating story ideas

In finding a story you also need to know ‘What else has been done on the topic?’ and ‘Is This a Film You'd Want to See?’

Developing your story takes place from the time you start with your idea until you finish it.

A few other guiding principles: telling an active story’ & ‘working backward’ 

Evaluating story ideas

Chapter 4 – Story Chapter 4 – Story StructureStructure

Visuals serve a story; they are not the story.

This chapter says one good way to see the story at its most basic level, its structure is through pitching— not just at the start of a project, but throughout shooting and especially editing--doing so forces you to take everything you know about your subject and focus it.  

Basic story ideas

Simplicity of structure allows for complexity in the overall film. 

Your overall story— your film's Narrative Spine —is also sometimes referred to as the film's Train. 

About the Narrative Spine, OR Train. 

"Your Train May Change.”  "A Train Is Both Universal and Specific." 

Story structure

“United States” Structure works in response to Structure works in response to

the audience's built-in the audience's built-in expectations. expectations.

It's human nature to try to make It's human nature to try to make sense of patterns and sense of patterns and arrangements, to work at filling arrangements, to work at filling in the blanks and guessing what in the blanks and guessing what happens next.happens next.

Elements of StructureElements of Structure

The building blocks of a film's The building blocks of a film's structure are structure are shotsshots ScenesScenes sequences, and, sequences, and, in some but not all cases, acts.in some but not all cases, acts.

Building Blocks…Building Blocks…

A A shotshot is a single “take” on an image. is a single “take” on an image. A A scenescene is a consecutive group of is a consecutive group of

shots within a single location.shots within a single location. A A scenescene is usually more than simply a is usually more than simply a

snapshot of a location. It is a subset snapshot of a location. It is a subset of the overall action. of the overall action.

A A scenescene is made up of a series of is made up of a series of beatsbeats.. Scene “The children ride a bus to the Scene “The children ride a bus to the

beach” broken down in Chapter 4beach” broken down in Chapter 4 A A sequencesequence is a collection of shots and is a collection of shots and

scenes that together tell a more or scenes that together tell a more or less continuous story of an event that less continuous story of an event that is a piece of your bigger story.is a piece of your bigger story.

Building Blocks…Building Blocks…

An Act is a series of sequences that drives to a major turning point— a climactic moment that springs directly from the story and makes necessary the next series of sequences in the act that follows .

Each one plays a role in the overall storytelling, and the tension and momentum within each should be increasing. 

Building Blocks…Building Blocks…

The inciting incident is the event that sets the action of the story (the actions that relate to the train, not the subject) into motion.

It may be something that's occurred before you start filming.   

Building Blocks…Building Blocks…

Not to be confused with the inciting incident, the point of attack is where you, as the filmmaker, enter the story.

It's generally agreed that this is one of the hardest decisions to make over the course of production.

It's often made and unmade many times before the right one is found and you can't imagine why you ever tried anything else.   

Building Blocks…Building Blocks…

A good filmmaker should know good act structure or not, BUT…

the important thing to keep in mind is that if your film is working— even if the charts and stopwatches say it shouldn't be—you must leave it alone.

Building Blocks…Building Blocks…

In the first act, you introduce your characters In the first act, you introduce your characters and the problem or conflict (in other words, this and the problem or conflict (in other words, this act will contain most of your important act will contain most of your important exposition).exposition).

In the second act, the story's pace increases as In the second act, the story's pace increases as complications emerge, unexpected twists and complications emerge, unexpected twists and reversals take place, and the stakes continue to reversals take place, and the stakes continue to rise. rise.

It's a common misperception that your third act It's a common misperception that your third act resolves the story , but it doesn't. It intensifies resolves the story , but it doesn't. It intensifies it; the tension at the end of the third act should it; the tension at the end of the third act should be even greater than the tension at the end of be even greater than the tension at the end of Act Two. That tension then pushes you into the Act Two. That tension then pushes you into the resolution…resolution…

Your conclusion … those last moments where Your conclusion … those last moments where you resolve the story, tie up loose ends as you resolve the story, tie up loose ends as necessary.necessary.

‘‘Three Acts’Three Acts’

'Time on Screen' refers not to amount of time something exists but rather about how the storyteller arranges the presentation of _________, without altering cause and effect. 

Backstory, flashback, parallel (A/B)

Real time to filmic time Editing interviews ###

Chapter 5, Time on Chapter 5, Time on ScreenScreen