The trends in the world of video advertising are changing constantly—from companies reserving prime-time ad spots for TV commercials to building online presence in an age where new media rules.
But one thing that marketers have learned from this experience is the value of creating original content for their consumers—in a less ad-like fashion.
One way to do it is through documentaries which give the brand some legitimacy in the eyes of its consumers while also giving it social value.
So the question is: how to make a documentary for your business? And we’ll get into that but before we do, we need to understand what a documentary is and what the main types are.
What is a documentary?
A documentary is a non-fictional motion picture that documents reality to educate the audience on a particular topic or simply convey a story.
According to Bill Nichols:
“Documentary film speaks about situations and events involving real people (social actors) who present themselves to us as themselves in stories that convey a plausible proposal about, or perspective on, the lives, situations, and events portrayed.”
Six types of documentaries
All documentaries are not alike and have different genres. Here we look at the six different types of documentaries:
Poetic mode
Poetic documentaries uses avant-garde techniques that focus more on mood and tone than on narrative.
So, the audience is shown an abstract and subjective version of reality.
Example: Rain (1929) by Joris Ivens and Mannus Franken
Expository mode
Expository documentaries are based on true stories. Thus, heavy research goes into them to inform and persuade the audience.
They may also include archival footage and pictures with a “Voice of God” narration to make it more authoritative.
Example: Dust Bowl (2012) by Ken Burns
Participatory mode
In these films, the documentarian actively interacts with the subject(s) involved in the film. So, the filmmaker takes part in the film’s narrative and directly communicates with the subjects to convey a point or dig deeper into the story.
Example: Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004) by Michael Moore
Observational mode
Observational documentary exists on a spectrum between poetic documentary and expository documentary. The purpose is to show life in a specific place or time. It’s a fly-on-the-wall perspective as if neither the camera nor filmmaker is present.
Example: Grey Gardens (1975) by Albert and David Maysles
Reflexive mode
The reflexive documentary mode is focused on the relationship between the filmmaker and the audience.
It attempts to influence the pre-conceived notions of the viewer by pushing them to reflect on their thoughts and perspectives.
Example: Man With a Movie Camera (1929) by Dziga Vertov
Performative mode
In this type of documentary, the filmmaker shares their own experiences and then interacts with the other film subjects to explore deeper; more subjective truths.
Its aim is to evoke an emotional response from the audience.
Example: Supersize Me (2004) by Morgan Spurlock
Now that you are familiar with what a documentary is and its different types, let’s dive into how to make a documentary.
How to make a documentary—a step-by-step guide
Pick a topic you are passionate about
If you want your documentary to make an impact, then it is important that the story you focus on itself is insightful and impactful.
First off, choose a topic you are passionate about, so it also connects with your audience.
Do extensive research
You have to do prior research for a topic that you choose to make a documentary on. Gather up facts and do your research on the characters and also on the storyline.
Often there are certain aspects of the story that are hidden in library archives. So, the more hands-on you are with your research, the more valuable information you can gather.
Make an outline
After coming up with a theme and doing some research, start making an outline on how you want to convey the story.
Ask yourself these questions to figure to map everything out:
- What documentary-style do I want to use?
- What should the format be?
- Is there any older footage I can utilize?
- Who will be my main character?
- Do I need supporting actors?
- What kind of setup would be required?
Once you have your story and script in order, create a shot list to make sure filming goes according to plan.
Assemble your equipment
To shoot your documentary and later edit it, you need to acquire good equipment. The quality of your documentary (the sound and footage) will depend on it.
Some of the basic and most important equipment you’ll need are a camera, gimbal, microphones, headphones, hard drive, SD card, batteries, and lenses.
For a detailed list and recommendations for equipment, check out our blog post on video production equipment.
Scout your locations
Figure out where and when you’ll be shooting. Have backup locations as well in case something happens to your primary locations.
Hire your crew
It takes a lot of skilled people to bring a documentary to life. So get yourself a reliable crew.
Have all your paperwork in order
You need to acquire all the necessary filming permits before you begin your project. So make sure all you paperwork is in order or else you might have to stop production altogether.
Permit requirements may vary state to state and country to country. So make sure you’ve done plenty of research before you dive in.
You should also have release forms signed so you don’t run into legal trouble later on.
Start filming
When you have an overall idea of how you want things to be done and where the documentary will be viewed—a mobile, TV, theatre—you can get started.
This would then determine your shooting method. So, you will have to be aware of different shots and angles to use for the documentary.
Read more: Types of Camera Shots and Angles to Spice Up Your Shot List
Record narration/voiceover
After all the footage is collected, narrate it to the audience in a coherent manner.
Back up and organize your footage
It’s a good idea to have a cloud storage backup of your footage so it can be accessed from anywhere and there is no risk of losing it.
Once you have it backed up, make sure to organize it in chronological order or whatever method you please so it doesn’t get clustered.
Do the post-production work
After everything is collected and organized, it’s time to assemble the footage in the post-production phase. In this, you can start trimming, combining, and editing your shots.
In this phase, you’ll add sound, music, and narration to bring everything together.
Apart from that, you can further add notes, subtitles, transitions, and animation, etc. You can also make a trailer or a teaser using those shots to give the audience a little sneak peek.
Check out the legal guidelines
Before you submit your documentary, make sure that you check the legal and copyright issues.
Keep these in mind before you start the filmmaking process, in the middle of it, and at the end to avoid any inconvenience.
Share the documentary
After completing the work on your documentary, show it to others to get some honest feedback. Make little tweaks if needed, and then share the final cut.
Nowadays, there are so many channels you can use to distribute your documentary.
Choose a platform that showcases your work to the intended audience while guaranteeing maximum viewership.
5 of the best branded documentaries
If you need some inspiration to determine the style and format for your documentary, then here are the five best branded documentaries to look at:
The Foundation – Everything. The Brand
Everything. The brand is a 3-dimensional company with verticals in technology, film and production, and fashion. This documentary film features Abdulalim A’omer, founder of Everything. The documentary tells you the story of the brand.
William Painter: Reaching new heights with YouTube – Google Small Business
This documentary of Google Small Business shows how William Painter, a San Diego-based company, utilized YouTube Ads to grow; resulting in impressive sales.
Cvent powers world-class events with help from Slack – Slack
This one shows how Slack has helped Cvent—a software company—with its sales, engineering, and events to help the company keep up with its demand and support its growth.
Miss Chow’s | Uber Eats Restaurant Partner Stories – Uber Eats
This Uber Eats mini-documentary is based on a modern Asian cuisine restaurant, Miss Chow’s-—their restaurant partner.
The owner talks about how Uber Eats integrates with their business, from making sure food is delivered efficiently to helping them reach a larger number of customers.
Extended Play: Ellie Atkins – Patagonia
Patagonia is known for its outdoor gear and equipment.
This documentary features Ellie Atkins, who is part of the Crested Butte Patrol that the company has been outfitting for over a decade and how it has helped her be warm and protected in the outdoors.
The True Story of the Wish That Created A Global Movement – Make-A-Wish America
Make-A-Wish grants the wish of a child diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition in the United States and its territories.
This documentary is a true story of Make-A-Wish’s founding and how one community came together for the power of a wish.
That’s all, folks
We hope that this blog helped you get an idea of how to make a documentary and gave you some inspiration to make one.
And if you need any help creating a documentary for your business, then hit us up.