the mechanics of documentary storytelling
DESCRIPTION
Documentary making and editing tipsTRANSCRIPT
The Mechanics of Documentary Storytelling
Andy Carvin
www.andycarvin.com
www.digitaldivide.net
What We’re Gonna Talk About
Story structure
Video technique
Scripting technique
Editing technique
Story Structure: 3 Parts
The Tease
The Body
The Conclusion
The Tease
Allows viewer to focus on what the film is about Introduces one or more principal characters Establishes setting/location critical to the story Presents a conflict/set up a problem/asks a question Sets the tone for the film Sucks in the audience - hopefully
The Body
The main plot; the meat of the story
Get to know the characters, what they're doing and why they’re doing it
See the action unfold
The body usually makes up 80% of a documentary
The Conclusion
Wrapping up, giving closure
Recaps point of story
Whatever you promised or asked in your tease needs to have been delivered
Example 1: The Soccer Match
Tease: Meet Sarah, the team captain; Former county champs, going through a rough patchAbout to compete against current champions
Body: Get to know the team; what are their strengths? What challenges do they face?Experience leadership of coach, individual membersClimax: Match vs the champs. What happens? Who wins?
Conclusion: Reactions of the captain and team matesHow did the experience change them?
Example 2: The Boardwalk
Tease: Establishing shot of boardwalk, montage of activity;ask what the boardwalk means to Atlantic City
Body: History of the boardwalk; archival footage fromlibrary, old postcards; interviews with community members, parents, grandparents; today’s boardwalk
Conclusion: Summarize its history; next generation of kidsgrowing up here; continuity of boardwalk in the life of the city; end with grandfather and grandkid strolling into sunset
Video Technique
Footage must always serve the story Establishing shot: wide view providing context
(think sitcoms: Outdoor shot of Cheers, Seinfeld restaurant, Friends apartment in NYC)
Interviews: typically head and shoulder shot - close, but not too close.
Zooming in for intimacy, intensity Zoom forces viewer to focus on something
Video Technique, Continued
Wider shots to see interview subject in context of a particular situation
Odd angles add intensity ("God shot," MTV shot) Action style, keeping things moving: either
characters move or the camera moves Lots of “talking heads” feels like TV journalism Shooting same thing from as many angles as
possible - creates more editing options
Scripting Technique
Script follows your story structure:
Beginning, middle, end
(Sounds obvious but not always easy)
Uses at least one of two elements:
Narrator voice and character voice
Most documentaries use both
Script Narration and POV
Narration always has a point of view Third-Person Narrator
(narrator never seen, just heard; disinterested) Self-injected narrator (seen, but not in plot -
60 Minutes, TV journalism, Michael Moore) Character narrator (”I’m Priscilla Presley, and this
is our family’s story...") No narration: characters speak for themselves
Example: Riding the Rails
Scripts are heard, not read
Narration isn't literature - it's oral, conversational "If a three-syllable word can be said in a one-
syllable word, change it!" - Nat Geo scriptwriter John Goodman
Tone of narration shouldn't vary during the documentary
Multiple narrators don’t always work Use lots of action verbs - avoid overuse of
descriptive adjectives and adverbs.Let the visuals be your adjectives
Editing Technique: Music
Music can be a powerful element
It’s often a character in its own right
Example: Beach Clip
Editing Technique: Pacing
Pacing of edits affects the tone
Faster edits picks up the pace, but requires more footage!
Slower edits means slower pace, but you get to milk your footage
Example: Parade Clip
Editing Technique:A-Roll vs. B-Roll
A-Roll: your primary footage (interview subjects in particular)
B-Roll: secondary footage used to support interview or narration, also used to cover errors like “jump cuts”
A-Roll is melody, B-Roll harmony When editing, you generally go back and forth
A-Roll of soccer match - B-Roll of fans - A-Roll of soccer match
Interview subject - B-Roll of what they're talking about - Interview subject
Example: The Guitarist
Editing Technique:The Four Transitions
Cut: simplest transition from one shot to the next, usually in same location and time frame
Dissolve: graduate transition where shots overlap; often used to show change in location/time
Wipe: special effect transition where one scene seems to "wipe away" the other scene
Fade to Black: Scene literally goes black; end of chapter or story
Example of transitions: India footage
Remember: Always Serve the Story!
All of your tools should be used to contribute to telling your story:
Video footage Characters Narration Music Edits
It’s like composing a symphony:Each instrument contributes to the whole package!
