Quick tip for crafting documentary scripts for TV and film
ByDocumentary, either as a TV show or as a film needs a great script to be interesting as well as informative to the viewers. Therefore it is important that the documentary scripts be written in a particular manner covering all aspects of a successful documentary so that it impresses the viewers.
Step 1:
The summary of the script should be mentioned first. A short paragraph mentioning the theme, how it inspired the documentary, the main characters, their challenges and conflicts and how it brings in a change at the climax. Although the editor usually changes the second script to a huge extent, it is a good idea to summarize the script content.
Step 2:
The characters and the location must be mentioned in another section. Locations are important for a documentary as it authenticates the whole shooting of the documentary. Along with it, the characters must also be introduced before we get into more details.
Characters form an important part of the documentary script, as it is through them that the story moves ahead. Hence it must be mentioned at the outset.
Step 3:
The actual plot is written here. The basic format is to have two columns, with one providing the audio information and the other related to video and graphics.
Step 4:
Mention all the references that have been used during research. A documentary cannot be made without proper research. It is the best procedure to acknowledge all references in writing the script.
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Because one of the goals of documentary-filmmaking is to convey facts and truth, well-crafted cinematography is required in order to support a well-crafted script. The sights and sounds of documentary-film must be professional, but not necessarily exquisite.
Shots that have still-life-composition, Mona Lisa-portraiture, or any sort of glamorous mise en scène can give a Hollywood-slick appearance to a documentary, which makes it less credible. Conversely, natural-illumination, hand-held camera-work, and indigenous-audio create the feeling of “What you see is not contrived; these images and sounds were recorded during the time that this event occurred.”
An excellent example of this style of cinematography is the television-series, “NYPD Blue.” This program is a work of fiction, but because of its “hasty” and “sloppy” cinematography, it is quite believable. If the actors were unknown, and if the sound-effects and scoring were not bespoke, then “NYPD Blue” could be mistaken for a documentary about actual New York City police-work.
Of course, nothing is hasty and sloppy about the cinematography of this program; great thought, care, and artistry were employed in order to create the natural and gritty appearance of “NYPD Blue.” The same effort should be applied to documentary-film production.