Thursday 9 March 2017

Documentary - Ideas and how to find them - Zoe Sale

Zoe Sale

You have to come up with an idea, lots each week.

You write them up -  sell them to the controller or commissioner - and often produce a short tape to show the idea.

The School that Turned Chinese - Idea about the Chinese education system taking over half the school.

An Idea needs Characters - Chinese Characters were funny - playing up to expectations,

Caring about characters makes a good story, even in factual based film you should have protagonists
or antagonists.

How do you have a good idea?

Curiosity - Follow up on things that fascinate you

The whatever happened to question?

Searching for Sugar Man

Anniversaries - good starting points

the 2011 film Dreams of a life by Director Carol Morley was inspired by an article she read about a dead woman in a local newspaper who lay undiscovered in her bedsit for 3 years before she was found.

Sources - Contacts - Keep a book for contacts
Other Media - Look in papers that the rest of the media don't read, read the letters pages.

Get behind the headlines - scoop up all the key interviewees, about a seminal moment.

Browse the best seller list - what are people reading for pleasure? What are they watching online?

TED TALKS

Robert Neuwirth

Slum Survivors

Fish out of Water - Hidden Worlds


Brain Storming Say and think the unsayable - Sometimes pretending to be someone else

Locations - come up with an interesting location and generate an idea or film around it.

Investigate
Go digital - Media, Google Advanced search can help source original material.
Ensure its Genuine and the people authentic.

Amazing Footage - User generated or intimate archive the internet has a huge range of Tools that can help you find content.

A good title or a well-worn format

What is it in the story that is going to leave the audience in anticipation, what is it that they will want to find out and see resolved? Why are you telling me this now? The Rule of Three

The Hook - Audiences need to want to commit their limited time.

A Strong central Character/s = Eyewitness or personal testimony, whose story is it? who is the character, or characters that will lead and guide your story? what's driving them emotionally.

Universal themes/ relateable.
does it make audience angry/happy play on fears

A strong Narrative and structure a beginning middle and end sustain the duration- normmaly you need some conflict a decision to be made a turning point.


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