Tuesday 2 May 2017

Documentary - Research

Doc do not just happen, they have to be researched, planned and executed, in today we talked about several subjects focusing on research such as the subject the documentary is about, i.e if we are making a documentary on prosthetics then we need to learn as much as we can about that subject.

I found that by doing this I got new ideas for the project taking it in a different direction than we previously were going.

Getting the Idea

Look for articles and inspiration, read stories online, listen to anecdotes and talk to friends and family may give you sparks of an idea which you can cultivate into a flame.

Once you have an idea

test to see if it is viable, or if it is interesting, asking a question and getting the answer everyone expects is a waste of time, it is great if there is a twist or an unexpected answer. If the story itself is a very interesting one it helps a lot.

Develop the idea and write a script and rough budget/schedule

Where and what to research

Online, journals, newspapers and publications.
get a wider knowledge of the subject and background of the story.
Get contacts
Prepare questions or question areas.

Pre Pitch

who, what, when, where, how and why?
Unique Selling Point
Answers to basic question about the story to make the proposal.
What makes the story worth commissioning
whats the angle and is it new

Background Info

Legislation/regulations
Organisations and Experts
Existing Research, recent or unpublished is good.
Case Studies
Archive

Ethics and Representation

how we represent people is important, it is very easy to show only certain parts to lend of positive or negative light on the subject on screen.

Be careful with those with Disabilities or vulnerable people i.e young, elderly, impaired or drug addictions.

Ensure the people featured are

A fair representation of the wider context
fairly treated and represented
Avoid Stereotypes
Treat people to respect
Avoid Lazy Journalism



Representation usually applies to the following - 

Disability
income/class
values/culture
Ethnicity and race
religion
sexuality/gender
issues such as crime
Tokenism
Age

Organisations

OFCOM
Press Complains Commission
Broadcasters usually have their own guidelines
pressure/interest/community groups

Who does the film belong to?

It is as follows

The Filmmaker
The Contributors
The owners of the Locations
Those connected with the subject matter
Those paying the bills - sponsors/commissioners
The films 'facilitators' those who have helped you with the film
Where appropriate Lawyers

Making factual programmes means dealing with 'real' people

Calling people who are strangers may be odd or scary to both parties
people are aware of the power media has and its potential to do equal amounts harm and equal amounts good, therefore dealing with people with respect and openness which represents you and your industry in the right way.

Finding Characters

characters illustrate the story and need to be interesting and relevant.

you can find them via -
Relevant organisations
experts
reported cases in the media
own contacts

Locations
Things to keep in mind

Location looks/aesthetics
Practicalities such as sounds, lights, hazards, power supply and space
relevance
permission
story possibilities
costs
opportunities/events


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