How do you make a documentary film?

If you’re looking for an in-depth introduction to all things documentaries, buckle up – this will offer a crash course on the basics! I compiled a list of various YouTube videos from my channel to help you get going.

Are you ready to take your filmmaking skills into the realm of documentary-making?

My tips and tricks for beginning documentarians include advice on everything from researching and interviewing techniques to telling gripping stories that genuinely capture the audience's attention.

Even if you don't consider yourself a creative genius, after this intro guide, you'll be armed with the knowledge necessary to make incredible movies that could rival any big-budget production. So let's get started by diving deep into the art of documentary filmmaking!

1. Choosing Your Topic:
The first step in making a documentary is to choose your topic. This can be anything from a social issue to an exciting character or historical event. Once you have an idea, it’s important to research it thoroughly to ensure it’s original and has not been done before. This is what, to a large extent, dictates the success of a film.

24:29 into this video, I break down what to think about when choosing a topic:

2. Writing a story: 
After you’ve chosen your topic, you need to find a character. Then it’s time to start writing your script. This will structure your film and help you organize your ideas. Once your script is complete, you can use it to create a storyboard or shotlist, which will help you visualize your shots and plan out your scenes.

How to develop a story:

1. Focus on Storytelling: Emphasize creating a captivating and engaging story within your documentary. A robust narrative structure will help connect with the audience more deeply.

2. Prioritize a Well-Written Script: Recognize the importance of a well-crafted script. It should convey a clear message or theme that resonates with the audience and drives the documentary's purpose.

3. Conduct Thorough Research: Invest time and effort into comprehensive research. Organize and analyze data, interview relevant sources, and consider the audience's perspective to ensure credibility and accuracy.

4. Develop Relatable Characters: Create characters the audience can connect with and care about. This emotional connection enhances engagement and makes the documentary more impactful.

5. Craft a Clear Message or Theme: Ensure coherence in your storytelling by having a central message or theme. This provides a guiding thread throughout the documentary and keeps the audience focused.

6. Secure Funding with a Strong Story: A well-crafted story increases your chances of securing funding or sponsorships. Highlight your documentary's cultural, social, or environmental value to attract support.

3. Shooting and Editing:
Once you’ve scripted your film, it’s time to start shooting. Not necessarily the whole film. First, shooting a pitch trailer is advisable to help fund your film and visualize or articulate your movie. Whether using a professional camera or your smartphone, capturing the best possible footage is essential. Once you have all your footage, it’s time to start editing. This is where you’ll cut and trim footage, add music and sound effects, and create a finished product. For now, let’s focus on capturing the essence of your story to create a pitch trailer.

Shooting tips:

1. Define Your Unique Selling Point: Determine what separates your documentary. Identify the unique and compelling aspects that will make it stand out to potential investors or distributors.

2. Plan Your Shots: Create a shot list and storyboard to outline the visuals you want to capture in your pitch trailer. Be intentional about the shots you need to convey your documentary's essence effectively.

3. Show, Don't Tell: Use visuals to tell your story rather than relying solely on narration or interviews. Demonstrate the visual potential of your documentary by capturing captivating footage that engages the audience.

4. Highlight Key Moments: Identify your documentary's most impactful and intriguing moments and include them in the trailer. These moments should pique the viewers' curiosity and leave them wanting to see more.

5. Establish Emotional Connection: Craft your pitch trailer in a way that evokes emotion and connects with the audience on a deeper level. Use visuals, music, and storytelling techniques to create an emotional response.

6. Keep it Concise: Remember that a pitch trailer is meant to be a condensed version of your documentary. Keep it short, aiming for 2-4 minutes. Grab attention quickly and maintain it throughout the trailer.

7. Showcase Your Filmmaking Style: Use the pitch trailer to showcase your unique filmmaking style. Demonstrate your visual aesthetic, editing techniques, and storytelling abilities to give potential investors a sense of your skills.

8. Focus on the Story Arc: Ensure a clear story arc, even in a short-pitch trailer. Introduce the conflict, build tension, and provide a resolution or cliffhanger that intrigues the audience to see the documentary.

9. Use Professional Equipment: Invest in high-quality camera equipment, audio gear, and lighting to capture visually stunning footage. This will enhance the overall production value of your pitch trailer.

10. Edit Carefully: Pay attention to your pitch trailer's pacing, transitions, and overall flow during editing. Ensure that it effectively communicates the essence of your documentary and leaves a lasting impression.

4. Funding Your Documentary:
Making a documentary can be expensive, so it’s important to find funding. This can come from grants, crowdfunding, or private investors. Creating and sticking to a budget throughout the production process is essential.

Funding is a challenging but rewarding process. Unfortunately, many artists neglect the business aspect of filmmaking. I get it. It’s boring. I used to hate it too. But I want to help you get started by providing funding tips and a FREE list of film funds.

10 Steps to Funding

1. Create a clear vision, budget, and timeline.

2. Research grants aligned with your project's themes.

3. Contact grants to discuss their preferences—then tweak your application.

4. Use AI to speed up your application process.

5. Collaborate with relevant organizations to reduce cost

6. Seek free or discounted equipment rentals or post-production.

7. Use crowdfunding to build an audience & funds.

8. Host fundraising events to generate buzz & attract investors.

9. Attend film festival forums to learn the industry ropes.

10. Stay committed, refine your pitch, & keep making your film.

5. Distributing Your Documentary: Once your documentary is complete, you’ll need to find a way to distribute it. This can be through film festivals, streaming services, or traditional TV networks. Promoting and marketing your film is important to ensure it reaches the right audience. Now the most challenging part of anything is starting. So do something today. Write down the idea, develop a shot list, write a synopsis—anything to take the first step towards realizing your dream. Ideally, you do one small thing every day. The tasks will add up to exponential long-term gains. This is how I went from not finishing any project to successfully selling films to networks and streamers like Netflix. One baby step at a time. If you wonder anything, don’t hesitate to shoot me a message.

J