If making a documentary is something you are interested in, get started by watching a lot of documentaries to figure out what genre and type of documentary you would like to make. Then, follow these steps:
When you create a documentary, make sure you are sharing a story that you are passionate about. If you do not care about the topic, that will come through in the movie. When you are passionate about a subject and you make a documentary about it, people may be more likely to react positively to the film and get invested in what you are sharing.
Preparing to create a documentary means that you need a lot of information from all sides of the topic. You will need multiple storylines and points of view. You will have to do a lot of digging and follow a lot of leads.
These may require you to interview people, read a lot of texts and watch other films. As you are doing your research, you are likely to come across people who you want to interview for your film.
Start creating an outline from your research and decide how to tell your story. Make lists of the people that you want to include and start reaching out to make sure they are willing to be involved in your project. Storyboard different shots and decide how to put the information together in a narrative format.
The next step is scripting. While documentaries often feature unscripted (spontaneous) commentary, such as interviews, you may have scripted (pre-written) voice-over narration. You should also write out at least some of your interview questions in advance.
You will need to gather the necessary equipment, such as cameras, memory cards, tripods, audio equipment (recorder and microphone) and lighting kits, and you will need to choose the location for each scene.
Start filming the parts of your documentary that you can. Complete your interviews and handle any needed cinematic and outdoor shots. Once you have your footage, you may need to tweak the narration script before recording it and consider how you will edit the film.
Edit your film using film editing software and get the narration recorded. Check to make sure that you have not included any copyrighted or trademarked items in your film or get clearance for them. Add music and other production elements.
Then, get your documentary out into the world. Unless you’re under contract to produce the documentary for a film company, you’ll need to self-distribute and market it. Some strategies include:
- Submit your film to documentary film festivals
- Network with small art theaters in your area and see if they are interested in hosting a screening
- Connect with a distributor or agent to explore selling your film to streaming services and/or broadcast television
