Saturday, August 31, 2013

Factors To Consider When Creating Documentaries

By Amanda Baird


There are several things that one needs to have in mind when planning to create documentaries. The most important of them is that they must have an idea of what they want to do and this must also be accepted by their targeted audience. Many times, there is a need to conduct research before the creation of the work just to have an idea on what would interest this audience.

The creator needs to develop an interesting story based on the preconceived idea. This is what is popularly referred to as the story arc. It seeks to describe the process that the characters undergo as they achieve their objectives. In other words, the story must have three parts that are also characteristic of narrative films namely the beginning, the middle and the end.

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.

For one to succeed in the production process, passion is key. There are many challenges that will be encountered during the creation of the piece and which calls for a lot of resilience on the part of the creator. For example, most people do not manage to complete their tasks within the estimated time and this may put everything else off balance. Another common challenge is that the required resources may not be available.

When the ideas have been created and the resources put in place, the script may be created. To create a good script, you need to consult with experts or friends who have handled similar projects in the past. The first copy is used as a rough copy and is subjected to corrections before being adopted for production.

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 several mistakes that one needs to avoid. One of them is failure to select an appropriate theme on which to communicate. The absence of a proper theme means that your audience will not relate well to the documentary. The other mistake is improper recreation of events that have taken place in the past. The third area requiring caution is the choice of music.

Advertisement of the completed piece of work is definitely very important. Traditionally advertisement of documentaries has been done through print and electronic media. This has changed and the trend now is to use the internet. Social media, in particular has allowed the sharing of new materials with other persons at a very low cost. It also provides an avenue for members of the audiences to air their views regarding the documentary.




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