Documentaries do not use an invented script to shoot their footage—but they do craft their structure! One of the most prevalent examples is in the use of interviews, narration or voice-over as the footage is shaped through editing and the rhetorical structures of the film are solidified. In your writing for this unit, you will draft preparatory pieces to be used in developing your Vox Pop projects. The first two parts of this exercise will consist of notes and preliminary work for the completed writing project.
A. Brainstorming
You have watched a number of non-fiction sequences and complete documentary motion pictures. What topics interest you? What subjects could you investigate properly in a non-fiction project? Use the following steps to hone your Project 2 topic. Be open minded with brainstorming activities to generate possibilities. Even if initial responses do not seem particularly feasible or possible, note them. They may lead to other more practical choices. For each of the following categories, generate one or two examples from the questions:
- Person – Is there someone whose personality, activities, achievements, or other characteristics you find interesting or inspiring?
- Place – Is there a natural or man-made setting that holds particular meaning to you or that has sparked your interest for further exploration?
- Activity – Is there an endeavor that you are regularly involved with or that interests you?
- Behavior – Is there a behavior that you witness regularly among peers or other groups of people that strikes you as interesting or worthy of investigation?
- Business – Is there a local economic activity with which you are familiar?
- Event – Is there a current event you are aware of that could provide subject matter?
- Academic or thematic concept – Is there an issue you have examined in any of your courses at school that you wish to investigate further?
- Media – Do you already have footage linked to a person, event, or definable topic?
B. Feasibility
Now that you have generated a list of potential topics for your project, consider which options are within your reach. For each of the preceding subjects you listed, consider whether the feasibility of interview candidates, and potential B-roll for this subject.
- Appropriate – Is the topic acceptable in your current context?
- Accessible – Can you get to the location/people that you need and do you have permission to be there if needed?
- Size – Is your topic too small? Mark down the ways in which you can examine the topic and make sure that the subject matter is significant enough to hold the viewer’s interest. Essentially, it depends on the proper treatment of the topic and how you can imagine its study; the “smallness” of a topic depends greatly on our own conception of it.
- Scope – Is your topic too big? This can be more difficult than a topic that is “too small.” If you can’t imagine a way of treating the topic satisfactorily, then there is a good chance it might be a bad idea to select it as a central subject of a motion picture. Ask yourself: Is there any way to tackle one aspect of the topic? In addition, a topic that centers on an idea—and not an observable activity, event, or narrative involving people—can be quite difficult to treat eff ectively. It is very useful to determine in advance your approach with an idea-based topic. (Examples: teen gambling; senioritis; dating; etc.)
C. Development
From the preparatory work you have done so far in class and lab, select one of the topics, and draft a piece of writing to initiate the development of this project.
- For this piece of writing, you will choose the most appropriate and useful type of material for the topic and your needs. Pick one from the following choices:
- a. Pitch – Draft a letter to a prospective investor about why your project is worth supporting.
- b. Subject – Compose a letter to a subject of or involved participant in the project to convince them to grant an interview.
- c. Crew – Write a mission statement of project goal that will be shared with your team.
- Regardless of the format you select for your writing, include the following information:
- a. Subject – A statement of the primary topic of the project, including people who will be interviewed.
- b. Objectives – Why do you want to make this project? Include at least three reasons. (“class project” is not enough of a reason to spend your time doing this, so work on something that matters to you, and move from passive to active student)
- c. Team – Who will be involved in the creation of this project and what roles will each person play?
- d. Setting – Where will the documentary be made?
- e. Timeline – What are the stages of production and postproduction for this project? Remember the final edit is due in your lab section Friday Mar 15 (just before Spring Break)
—Adapted from Moving Images
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