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SEVEN DOCUMENTARY
FORMATS from
DVworkshops.com
class material
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1.
Narration-Interviews-B-roll
By
far the
most used
documentary format,
this
combines narration
with interviews and
B-roll. Most
cable television
documentaries are
created in this
fashion.
Easy to complete on
time and budget,
very few surprises,
script is written at
the start of the
project,
crews are sent out
to film interviews,
and researchers find
B-roll.
Pro
Edit fits together
with ease, usually
matching picture to
sound/narration.
In
other cases the
script is written
after the interviews
are shot, and used
to tie together the
elements...news
stories are edited
this way.
Con
Can get boring and
repetitious
because of lack of
Chill Footage
(cinema verite).....all
the material is
"Lean-back" Passive,
not a combination of
Lean-in & Lean-back
material...more
on that here at this
link.
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2.
Narration-Interviews-B-roll-Cinema
Verite
This style opens up
the documentary and
allows the viewer to
see your subjects in
situations
that reveal
elements of their
character that
interviews can not.
At DVworkshops we
call Cinema Verite
"Chill Footage,
because when filming
you just "Chill" and
watch/film your
subjects as they go
about their day).
This type of footage
is also helpful in
breaking up your
interviews to
create a more
dynamic film.
Here is a link to
more info on
how to edit Chill
Footage in the
middle of an
Interview to
make it more dynamic
(using Final Cut
Pro).
Sometimes words can
get in the way of
connecting with your
viewer....by
opening up your film
and using verite/chill
elements..you can
reveal parts of the
truth that no one
will speak about
during an interview
Please click here
for an example of
Chill Footage from
DA Pennebaker's
Documentary
Don't Look Back..about
Bob Dylan on Tour
Pro
Non-passive
experience,
combines
lean-in/lean -back
footage.
The "Emotional"
(Mode for Need)
layer of
your Character
is revealed
by use of Verite/Chill
Footage.
Adds to the
experience of the
viewer..making
it more of a real
experience instead
of just listening to
a bunch of talking
heads.
Con
It may take a long
time for you to get
good "Chill Footage"...sometimes
it involves spending
days with your
subject , and just
getting a few
minutes of footage.
Hard to sell to your
"Boss" that
you just want to go
and "Chill" with
your subjects for a
few days to see what
you get.
Solution to above
issue: Tell
your boss you will
shoot your
interviews in
between getting
Chill Footage, using
the "Walk & Talk"
style that is better
and less boring then
the perfectly lit
Interview ).
example of walk and
talk interview style
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3.
Interviews-B-roll-Cinema
Verite-
with No Narration
Often
times this
technique is used by
editors who want
the subjects of the
film to narrate it
. The
subjects tell their
own story, without a
narrator......in
this technique
TEXT
is
often times
used to set up
scenes, instead of a
formal voice
narrator.
 A
good example
of this technique is
in the Academy
nominated
documentary
Daughter from Danang..click
on DVD image to
preview this style
Pro
A narrator can add
bias to the
perception of your
characters..this
helps you avoid this
issue.
It is an
elegant story
telling technique
and a great
challenge to the
editor and
producer...but the
end result is often
award winning films
and a creative piece
of art.
Con
If all your subjects
are dead...no
primary
sources..means no
one left to
interview and
experts get dull
after a while.
If your film is more
scientific, or
training oriented...
and there is a real
need to communicate
with voice over to
make things
clear..this style is
not for you.
Harder to edit...can
take up to 50 times
longer to 'Find the
edit" then
traditional fully
scripted documentary
films
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4. Use of
Fiction Techniques
(re-enactments,
dramatizations)
This Style utilizes
fiction filmmaking
techniques
and mixes them with
traditional
Interviews to tell a
story in a
more dramatic
way.
This allows you to
Illustrate an event
from the past
without using
talking heads or old
archive footage.
The most famous
filmmaker using this
technique is
Errol Morris, who in
the Thin Blue Line,
uses Actors to tell
this non-fiction
story.
Other social
documentary
filmma kers
will combine
documentary , with
fiction, having
the real people act
out parts of their
story...in
fact parts of the
first feature length
documentary
Nanook of the North,
were staged by
the director
Robert J. Flaherty.
Pro
Nice way to avoid an
interview based
film.
An effective
way to illustrate
past events,
while avoiding the
"Ken Burns style"
of animating still
photos.
If done effectively,
can stir people and
make them fall into
your story...and
later your message.
Con
Effects the
believability of
scenes that surround
these Dramatizations.
If parts of your
film are created by
you, and others are
"Real"..it can
effect your viewer's
willingness to
believe the "Real
portions" of your
film
If done
poorly.....and
viewers are not let
on that part of your
film is created, and
parts real...but
labeled as a
documentary....it
could effect the way
people perceive your
body of work as a
whole.
It's harder to
create these fiction
scenes then
to just film the
real thing.
Especially of you do
not have a PBS/HBO
Budget.
It's a lot easier to
just film the real
thing.
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5. Cinema
Verite only..(Chill
Footage)
The first
documentary films
were made of just
chill
 footage/verite...the
pioneers created
long films that
allowed room for the
viewer to discover
the film's meaning
by themselves.....no
narration...few
formal
interviews...just
chill...today their
long lengths can be
a challenge to sit
thru, but the gems
of moments are worth
the wait.
In the past I have
written and
discussed my
favorite in this
genre,
SALESMEN, made by
the Maysles brothers......
I had a chance to
speak with Albert
Maysles
(above with camera &
below with me),
 and
I
asked him if he was
surprised how
documentary had
turned into an
INTERVIEW BASED
craft
?...moving so far
from his original
theories of
documentary...(He
has often commented
that Interviews do
not reveal the
truth...that
the real truth was
in watching people's
behaviors)....He
shook his head in
disbelief as we both
wondered what had
ever happened to
"Chill Footage".
Pro
Easy to film,
just follow your
subject around
Reveals the truth
without the
influence of
narration
Reveals the
Emotional layer of
your character-
their
Mode-for-fulfilling-their
needs.
Con
used alone...it can
get boring
Harder to focus
the story without
aid of Interviews
There is no formula
for time spent =
Quality of footage
Hard to sell to your
supervising producer
or boss that
you just want to
"Chill' with your
subjects for a few
days...not sure what
you will get.
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6. Stills,
Narration, Audio
Recorded Separately
(Ken Burns style)
Just
a series of animated
Still photographs,
combined with
narration, "audio
only"- interviews,
and music.
A
current favorite
among Newspapers,
it is a way of
re-purposing still
photos, and creating
a video out of
pre-existing
content.
Ken Burns is the
most famous for this
style.
Here is link to him
talking about his
technique
Imagine talking over
your iphoto slide
show...add
some music and you
have a film.........add
some white text on
black background to
set up your story
points.....add
some audio from the
people in the
photos.....you have
a movie...
Content is the real
king here....if
your audience likes
this subject..they
will watch...Click
on the left to see
how different
newspapers are
dealing with video.
Pro
Great way for
still photographers
to create videos
with their work.
Stills have an
unique experience
as you view them in
succession..it
activates your mind
to
connect one with
each other..then
you become the story
teller inside your
head.
Con
Does not utilize all
the elements of
production
Not as dynamic
as other styles.
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7. The
Filmmaker as the
Star.
The highest grossing
documentaries use
this format...from
Michael Moore to
Morgan Spurlock's
Super Size Me,
and Chris
Rock's new
Good Hair
documentary.
These documentaries
bring in the
viewers...they
are also a great
story telling
techniques, since it
is the "hero's
Journey" (very
old-school story
telling technique)...an
effective way to
explore the
subject....find
a Question/Problem.....The
"Star Filmmaker"
discovers the
Answer/Solution by
the end of the film.
If you have many
characters and
locations, this
style is a great
vehicle to
tie together
multiple characters
in one film. This
is used very
effectively in
Alexandra Pelosi's
Friends of God
documentary..as
well as in
My Architect ,
Blue Vinyl as
well as in my own
documentary
Did We Go?
Pros
Plugs into
old-school story
telling technique
Good way to string
together lots of
interviews
Cons
You gotta be the
Star
You may suck
or not be likable to
the audience and
waste your time
The story may tell
itself without you...and
you might just be in
the way.
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SUMMARY
The 7 basic
documentary formats
-
Narration-Interviews-B-roll
-
Narration-Interviews-B-roll-Cinema
Verite (Chill
Footage)
-
Interviews-B-roll-Cinema
Verite (no
narrator)
-
Use of Fiction
Techniques combi
 ned
with above
styles
-
Cinema Verite
(Chill footage
only)
-
Still Images
with Audio
recorded
separately
-
The Filmmaker as
Star.
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