DOCUMENTARY: SCRIPTING AND STORYTELLING FOR DOCS

- All programming is a lesser or greater extent scripted

Title
- Choose a title for your film - Usually you agree a 'working title' until the film is progressed to the point where a final title is agreed. Title is important as it-
- Sells your film to it's audience - 'Tease'
- Encapsulates what your film is about
- Focuses you as a producer/director on the real meaning of your film
- Adds meaning to your film – ‘double entendre’ common e.g. One Born Every Minute – new conventions re: blunt literal titles e.g. The Boy Whose Skill Fell Off

The Treatment

A treatment outlines HOW we intend to tell the story and will include main characters or interviewees, locations or planned locations, style/format/narrative structure and whether or not we intend to use a reporter/presenter and how that benefits the documentary. 

A treatment doesn't need to be more than a page but won't be any more than 3 or 4. Unless you're sending it through the post don't make it more than 1 page. 

A treatment can also include:

- Transmission ('TX') Time and channel/platform

- Target audience

- Whether it is stand alone film, part of an existing strand or series or split into parts to form a new series. 

Documentary Scripting

When you're writing a script for a doc, you can utilise the following:

- Sequences

- Interviews

- Reconstructions and dramatisations

- Actuality 

- Cutaways/GVs 

- Sync 

- Commentary 

- Music

- Archive/stills

- Graphics 

- NB documentary films should be as much about the pictures as any other film – SHOW ME AND TELL ME, DON’T JUST TELL ME! 

The script needs to be done prior to the filming just like for a drama, series, etc. as this forms a template for your finished film. It should be informed by your research and allow you to effectively think through your film's picture and sound content and a basic structure. 

It is know as a A/V Script (Audio and Visual Script)

- e.g. Write COMM or V/O for commentary 

- Write SEQ for sequence 

- Write ACT for actuality 

- Write C/A for cutaway 

- Write SYNC for interview clips 

- Write SFX for sound effects 

- Commentary – is usually made distinct by being written in italics/in bold – also helps during voice over record if they are numbered 

- Line and a half spacing – makes it easier to read! 

- Finding a narrative for your documentary is essential ¡ 

- A central thread of some kind which will hold your story together e.g. Day in the life/Journey of exploration 

- The central thread could involve the process of investigating the answer to a particular question or theory 

- The film’s narrative is influenced by the characters, location, period of time it is covering and the events presented. 

- BEWARE – time based narratives cannot be fractured – ensure you check the logic of your story and keep to it!

Documentary Structures, 2 types

Actuality driven

- This is a term used to describe more observational type films whose structure and storytelling develops around what happens – the developing of events drives the story and provides the narrative e.g. One Born Every Minute/Cops with Cameras 

Sequenced documentary films 

- Have a more ‘polished’ feel and are typically more formatted pieces e.g.Who do you think you are?’ (although this also is driven by the “actuality” of a journey of discovery) 

- The choice as to whether your film is entirely actuality driven, partially actuality driven or completely scripted depends on the subject, type of programme/series and audience

- The filmmaker will also potentially have their own views on this based on preference/style/’morals’