10 Tips for Writing a Documentary

Script (Complete Beginners) - Celtx Blog

1. Find Your Story2. Know Facts from Fiction3. Research Your Subject4.
Prepare a Proposal5. Create a Blueprint6. Tell a Story7. Transcribe
Footage8. Be Ruthless9. Pay Attention to the Details10. Fact Check as You
Go

Before Shooting

1. Find Your Story

Like any creative project, the subject of your documentary must

be something you are passionate about; there is no use in
researching and discussing something you are not interested in.
If you are not interested, then neither will your audience.

Audiences should be at the forefront of your mind throughout the

planning process. Is there a specific group of people you are
making this documentary for? How will this documentary impact
them specifically?

Do not finalize your documentary topic until you have asked

these crucial questions.

Are you stuck on finding a killer idea for your documentary? Click
here for 9 Creative Ideas to Start Your Next Script
(https://blog.celtx.com/how-to-start-a-script/)
2. Know Facts from Fiction

Before you start planning the structure of your documentary, the

first thing to be understood is that documentary films are
securely founded in fact and not fiction. As Das outlines,
documentaries tell stories of “real events, real issues, real
conflict, real people and real emotions.” The raw reality is the aim
of the game.

Ensure that the topic you are exploring in your documentary is

firmly secured in reality; the message you are conveying is easy
to follow and understand; and of course it needs to be credible.

3. Research Your Subject

Therefore, you must conduct thorough and accurate research

into your chosen subject to ensure you are not misleading your
audience. You will need to delve deeper than you may first think,
as it is likely your topic has been researched before in one form
or another. Consult experts in the field, and use reliable and
proven sources.

For example, we encourage you to approach credible authors and

scholars to discuss their findings and your own. They may be
able to provide a different angle or suggest something you had
not considered before. Similarly, if a previous documentary exists
that you wish to consult, by all means, approach the filmmaker.
They could also give advice on the documentary-making process
too! Bonus!

All input from your research and any experts you subsequently
approach will help you develop a ‘blueprint’ for your
documentary.
4. Prepare a Proposal

Proposals are a common form of fundraising for the making of

the documentary. However, when you’re first starting out, they
can be a great way of organizing and linking together your ideas.

Documentary proposals often include information on your

intended audience, your planned storytelling approach, and a
budget plan. Considering your style and tone is excellent to plan
too; will it be a fast-paced documentary jumping between
sequences, or will it be slower moving with longer shots?

If you are not too sure about the style of your documentary just
yet, watch some existing ones. Seek inspiration from those in a
similar topic vein to your own. Consider whether you want to
emanate something similar or turn things on their head.
Whatever you decide, make sure you can explain it in detail
within your proposal.

Filmmaking in all its forms is a business, so it is advisable to

have finances in mind. First, consider the overall picture of costs,
for example, equipment hire, crew hire, number of shoot days
etc.
When writing a proposal, even if for your eyes only at this stage,
you must be as thorough as possible in envisioning your
documentary. If you do eventually send your proposal out to
prospective directors and producers, they will want to know every
detail. Therefore, it pays to get ahead of the game!

5. Create a Blueprint

It is a widely debated issue in the screenwriting industry as to

whether a screenplay is a mere blueprint of the movie to be
layered upon or as Aaltonen explains, is seen “more holistically,
as dramaturgical thinking runs through the entire filmmaking
process” in modern times.

However, when it comes to the documentary script, especially

when you are outlining a hand before you begin shooting, it is a
mere blueprint of what you are about to film. Therefore, think of it
as a ‘shooting’ script.

So why is it just a blueprint at this point? Unlike their fictional

film counterpart, documentaries need to be flexible as they do
not have the same stringent guidelines. This is because they are
shot in the real world, which can never be scripted or controlled.
Overall, this is what makes documentary-making exciting as well
as challenging.

What you can control is how the story of your documentary will
play out to your audience. Usually, you can present this as a set
of detailed scenes or sequences suggesting how the film will be
presented. Such an outline will be broken into the traditional
three-act structure. (https://blog.celtx.com/three-act-structure/)
Why? Well, you are still trying to tell a story, and the three-act
formula is a proven way of doing this, whether fictional or non-
fictional. Of course, as with any screenplay, you will need to
make changes, but these sequences will act as your guiding light
throughout the process.

To support you with your changes, we recommend dividing your

script into two columns: video and audio, so you can clearly keep
track of both as you work.

6. Tell a Story

Despite the non-fiction nature of a documentary, you still need to

tell a good, compelling story (https://blog.celtx.com/how-to-
write-a-good-story/).

As we have discussed, the three-act structure is an excellent

guide to planning your documentary: a robust and gripping
beginning, informative middle, and thought-provoking ending.

The Beginning
The opening minutes of your documentary should include an
audiovisual hook demanding the audience’s Attention. Then,
much like an academic essay, the beginning should outline the
message of your documentary and what you are looking for the
audience to take away from it.

The inciting incident is a crucial element, which rocks the boat

and makes your audience sit up and listen.
The Middle
Prepare for the most challenging section of your documentary:
the middle. The key to nailing the mid-section is the intention,
bolstering the tone and subject of the documentary overall.

Each sequence you include in the mid-section must have slightly

different messaging, which again feeds into the idea you
presented to the audience at the beginning. You should gradually
release information, ultimately persuading the viewer.

The End
Das discusses the options of using an open and closed ending to
a documentary. For example, if you choose to tie up all loose
ends within your documentary and answer all the questions
raised, you will have a closed ending.

If, however, you wish to leave your audience with unanswered

questions, this would be an open ending. Das warns that this
style of end “relies heavily on audience imagination to fill in the
gaps,” and you must give them the resources to do that within
the body of your documentary.

Whichever you decide, ensure you give the audience an ending

they will remember and feel satisfied with.

Once you have your completed blueprint, it is time to start

shooting!

After Shooting

Once you have completed your shoot, it is time to piece your

footage together and thus move on to a final script.
7. Transcribe Footage

If you include interviews or improvised voiceovers in your

documentary, make sure you transcribe it into a log. Yes, this
task will take some time, but it will be fulfilling. In addition, it will
allow you to organize and categorize sections of your script.

Include any speech in the audio column of your shooting script,

editing your blueprint as you go.

8. Be Ruthless

The spontaneity of documentary making when out filming means

that it can be amazingly easy to end up with a lot of footage that
does not match up to your intended message. Now is the time to
cut it!

Remember, keeping your audience engaged and on board with

your documentary’s intention is critical.

It may be the most beautiful footage in the history of

documentaries but save it for the deleted scenes or your social
media pages.
9. Pay Attention to the Details

A similarity that documentaries share with traditional film and

television scripts is rewriting. However, when it comes to
voiceovers and narration within your film, these do not always
support your visual footage in the best way. Or perhaps you
misinterpreted a piece of your research, resulting in the wrong
facts being included.

The beauty of rewrites is that you can make them post-shoot.

But, of course, be mindful of the budget available if you are
employing narrators or voiceover artists, as you may have to pay
them to re-record.

10. Fact Check as You Go

You may have conducted the most credible research imaginable,

but there is always the possibility that a fact may become
irrelevant or be proven false.

Throughout your creative process, review the information you are

including. Is it accurate? Is it credible? Does it originate from an
authentic and reliable source? Time well spent to ensure no one
is going to catch you out!

Once you have your completed documentary script, it is time to

consider your facts, video, audio, and rewrites. Now edit your
footage and voiceover to piece together your final cut.

Remember, there is no absolute formula to documentary

filmmaking. Keep in mind the story and message you are
conveying and the credibility of the sources from which you are
drawing. Finally, choose a topic you are genuinely passionate
about, and run with it!