Digital Video Production | Exercise 4

Exercise 4

Making a Short Documentary

sample

In the lecture, we discussed various approaches to storytelling, exploring the different ways in which film makers turn scripts or documentary concepts into movies.

In this exercise your storytelling skills will be put to the test. You are to shoot a short documentary movie (no more than 1-2 minutes) about a real life topic.

You'll need to shoot some interview sequences and use what you learned about developing an effective story concept. There are good stories all around us. The best stories aren't always about politicians or major catastrophes. Some of your best friends and neighbors likely have great stories to tell, go out and find them!

Project Goals

  • Shoot a short documentary movie (1-2 minutes) about a real life topic.
  • Develop a concept with an interesting character and story.
  • Conduct an interview with your subject(s) and tell a video story about them.

How to Get Started

Develop a Basic Concept

Think about a concept, a character, and a story. Ask people around you or look up events happening in your neighborhood or church. Think about the basic elements of the story you want to tell.

You will need at least one person to interview. Imagine your best case scenarios for how the story should go. Imagine how it will look and sound.

Note

Exercises will be evaluated for understanding of course concepts.

For inspiration, here is a sample short documentary video that I shot about the "cleansing" of a house in New Orleans that was troubled by ghosts:

In the movie, you can see the basic elements of storytelling:

  • What is the location of the strory in the video? In the living room and basement of a haunted house in New Orleans.
  • Who are the characters? The couple who wish to rid their house of paranormal visitors and the friendly volunteer ghostbusters who come to help them.
  • What is happening? The couple discuss their ghost encounters and the ghostbusters explain their methods. Some shots in the darkened basement show dramatic scenes of ghosts responding to the team's intervention.
  • What happens next? Through the interview you learn that the ghostbusters appear to have succeeded. The unfriendly spirits seem to have gone.
Back to Top

Planning Your Shoot

Interviews

To plan your video shoot, you want to think about your characters. What people or pets will be the subjects of your video? What story do you want to tell about them?

My story revolved around the interview of the couple who claimed that their house is haunted.

You'll need to have at least one human subject, so develop a list of interview questions and think of a good setting for the story that you want to tell.

Actions

As we learned in the lesson, showing is better than telling—showing actions or events is generally more effective than having a narrator describe it.

I knew I needed this classic paranormal shot using night vision to show the ghost busters trying to communicate with the spirits.

Think about what actions you need to show on film. What are the most essential, characteristic, or just plain interesting ways to show that action? What kinds of lighting or perspectives will be needed to tell the story?

Location

Establishing the place and time for the viewer are key aspects of visual storytelling. Think about what shots of location will be needed. Can you make the location, time of day, and environment a part of the story?

Establishing shot of the spooky house.

You may need several shots to capture your location, or you may prefer keep it simple, as I did in my video with only three scenes at one location.

Something else to think about is the time of day. If you need to shoot a series of events that occur at different times of day, how will you maintain continuity and communicate time passing?

Planning, Scripting, Storyboarding and More

Think about using any planning tools that make sense for your project.

  • Interview questions. Unless you are Charlie Rose, this will be essential.
  • Script. If you need a narrator (perhaps yourself) to stick to a script, you'll need to write one.
  • Storyboard. If you want to control the flow of shots (and many directors do) you may wish to sketch out your planned shots.
  • Audio. There may be sounds that you HAVE to have for your story (like the ghost buzzer noises in my basement video). If so, make a list to make sure you record them on location.

Reflect on Your Experiences

After you've edited your story together, don't forget to write a short summary of your experiences in creating the project. What was your project goal? What challenges did you overcome along the way?

What are your favorite parts of your movie and what parts would you do over if you had the chance?

Back to Top

Checklist

Grading Criteria

What your instructor is looking for:

  • Demonstrate the ability to shoot and edit a 1-2 minute documentary story incorporating some interview sequences.
  • Demonstrate the ability to keep your audience's attention by how you portray your characters and their actions.
  • Demonstrate the ability to tell an interesting story that maintains strong continuity and has a beginning, middle, and end.
  • Demonstrate an atttention to character, action, and time and place in your choice of shots.

Posting Directions

  • To submit your work, attach your MP4 movie and any planning documents you created. Be sure to also include your written reflections on your project experiences.

If you have a question before sending your completed exercise for grading, send a message through Canvas to contact your instructor.

Back to Top

I look forward to seeing your work!

CLICK NEXT TO CONTINUE