Documentary Movies – 5 Basic Elements

The genre of documentary has drastically evolved in the recent times but many people have no clear idea about what a documentary film is.

The term documentary is used in a broad sense. It defines a non-fiction movie, which is why somehow it documents reality. Documentary film production house in NSW makes such films for telling stories from an unknown and unusual but interesting angle. Multiple documentaries can be made on a single topic using the imaginations of different filmmakers. They actually get the motivations for making documentaries seeing other movies or social incidents where they feel that a specific viewpoint has been missed coverage by the media.
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What is a documentary film?
Such films can be poignant, absurd, funny, inspirational, disturbing, shocking, ironic, amusing or any combination of these. Photographs, scenes of films, videos, sounds of people and real events can be used in this special movie genre which are often get combined and edited together to create a specific message, story or experience. Usually, a documentary film is prepared of 30 minutes – 2 hours duration.

5 elements of documentaries:

1. Interviews
• Use negative space to frame the individual. Fill them about one-third of the screen. The negative space should hold their ‘Gaze’.
• Do not take interviews before a wall. At least 4 to 15 feet distance should be maintained between the wall and the subject.
• Avoid reflections on the glasses wore by the person.
• When you start shooting an interview have a suitable background that can complement your subject.

2. Cutaways
Shooting a range of Cutaways you can ease your life at the time of editing. These can be astray close-ups, signs of stores, a highway shoot, a wall clock, a candle or faces of some people. Try to take shots of the exteriors where you shoot. The cutaways are like still shots. Try to make some visual poetry out of your film. There are three elementary types –

a) Story telling shots – these includes shots like character entry or exit, ontop shots of the city or building, etc. which help you to narrate the story without a narrator!

b) Emotional cutaways – some shots to make people feel about your film like people hugging each other, a man praying before god, etc.

c) General coverage – this is very important. Example – for a horse race shoot, get shots of people cheering, viewers watching the race, flags’ close-ups, etc. to get a general coverage for your story.

3. ‘Chill Footage’

‘Chill footage’ or observational footage is often known as Cinema Verite. It is about to be absent to the subject and following them with a camera. Let them interact with others without your help. the observational substance will reveal the emotional side of your subject.

4. Process footage
Now you are filming the documentary. You have to merge perfectly the documentary with all behind the scene footages.

5. Archive
Ask people for photographs or videos which you will use in the film. If your subject is a controversial one then you can contact the news stations to get any old stories in the related matter.

Documentaries have their separate zone than mainstream films.

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Created on May 21st 2020 02:50. Viewed 320 times.

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