{"id":16471,"date":"2019-03-12T18:46:44","date_gmt":"2019-03-12T23:46:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.videoproductiontips.com\/?p=16471"},"modified":"2023-09-05T14:08:33","modified_gmt":"2023-09-05T19:08:33","slug":"an-introduction-to-documentary-filmmaking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.videoproductiontips.com\/an-introduction-to-documentary-filmmaking\/","title":{"rendered":"An Introduction to Documentary Filmmaking"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"iconDocumentary filmmaking is a subcategory of film and video production where the production crew creates a work of journalism<\/a><\/strong><\/em>\u00a0rather than a fictional movie.<\/p>\n

Instead of making up fictional characters<\/a> and creating a world of make-believe, the documentary filmmaker’s job is to document real life and real people by accurately and fairly telling their stories.\u00a0 \u00a0Journalism with integrity<\/a> is an important part of our American democratic system.<\/p>\n

TV news stories and documentaries can be quite similar in nature.\u00a0 News stories are usually shorter and less complex than documentary films.<\/p>\n

Although important, documentary films are one of the least popular genres of film so you won’t see too many in large movie theatres.\u00a0 Most run on television or are available online.\u00a0 Many documentary filmmakers will \"money\"distribute their films directly to interested individuals using a variety of\u00a0 channels.<\/p>\n

Documentary filmmaking can be challenging financially for these reasons so most successful documentary filmmakers are driven by a lot of passion.<\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

WHAT IS JOURNALISM?<\/h3>\n

Having worked as a journalist for years, I can tell you that it’s harder than you’d think to give a clear, concise definition.\u00a0 There is actually a great deal of disagreement on what can be described as quality journalism.<\/p>\n

I say: Quality journalism is the publication of true, objective facts and anecdotes presented in a way meant to benefit the audience and inform the public of important issues relevant to their lives.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

In quality journalism all legitimate sides of a story are presented.\u00a0 In a commercial, only positive things are ever mentioned about the product.\u00a0 A news story however, is supposed to give the viewer both the good and the bad.\u00a0 A news story is not trying to sell the audience something like a commercial.<\/p>\n

Objective<\/a> in journalism means unbiased.\u00a0 <\/strong><\/em>In other words, the story takes a neutral stance and doesn’t show favoritism to one side or the other.<\/p>\n

Facts<\/a> are generally agreed upon truths, not including an opinion or feeling.<\/p>\n

Legitimate<\/a> means real and believable.\u00a0 It is the job of the journalist to make sure someone is not trying to fool them into presenting false information as true.<\/p>\n

\"United<\/p>\n

A free press is written into the U.S. Constitution as part of the First Amendment.\u00a0 A free and open media is considered a bedrock principle in the founding of America.<\/p>\n

Journalism is meant to be a watchdog on government<\/a>, keeping government officials honest and holding them accountable.<\/p>\n

Documentary Filmmaking Techniques Explained<\/h3>\n

Like other genres of films, documentaries are created by weaving visual storytelling elements together.\u00a0 The most commonly used storytelling elements in news and documentary filmmaking are:<\/p>\n