The 3 Major Things I Learned Making a Documentary So Far
So Where do I Begin?
Making a documentary is hard. Not only is it hard, but it takes a lot of time. As a filmmaker who specialized in music videos and narrative work, moving into non-fiction and the world of “truth-telling” was more difficult than ever. So in this post, I’m going to give the three major things I learned through starting to make “Wild and Free.”
1. Documentary Filming is a Long-Term Commitment
To be frank, donors, friends, and colleagues, “Wild and Free” is not finished. I have goals on making a really great 10 to 20-minute film for distribution by Christmas. Making this 4-minute version helped me to bring a central focus of the piece. It forced me to choose the “best of the best” things the interviewer said. For this, I appreciate the exercise in getting me to see my visual evidence as b-roll or truth-telling. I couldn’t be more appreciative for that.
However, I wouldn’t be giving “Wild and Free” the right justice or attempt without pursuing the content and the story further. I have a vision of highlighting two separate people for a final product. I see a single video just focused on Anika Conger-Capelle as a separate piece as well. My work isn’t finished. Here I have a long-term commitment ahead of me, and because of that, I want to be emotionally and physically prepared to do what it takes to make it happen.
They say in the book, “Making Documentary Films and Videos” that we have to make a commitment to “learning what the truth actually is.” Finding the truth is not easy and takes a lot of time. Because of this, I know that my donors and friends will be excited to go on this journey with me.
Thank you for your patience and grace as I update you all on the project’s progress over the next couple months.
2. Interview Skills is a Must
If there is anything that I’ve learned from working on this documentary for the first time, it’s that the interview skills I gained in my undergrad significantly helped me with getting the truth-telling content to come out in the film. The first half of a great interview is making a person feel comfortable. I’ve been told numerous times in interview seminars that the most successful interviews “are more like a conversation than a question answer session.” I’ve found through my work that spending the first 10 to 15 minutes talking about their weekend or their day was critical in not only warming up the talent but the interviewer as well.
Many people may not know this but… interviewers get nervous too.
For me, the nerves hit me right before I need to ask for their name and how to spell it. So I usually bring a note card with a list of standard questions I go through to make sure that I cover the basics if I can’t think of a follow-up question. Here is the list below…
What they do, and how they got there.
An advice giving question “What would you say to somebody that…”
Is there anything that you would like to add to the conversation?
Is there anything that I should have asked you but didn’t know enough to?
Is there anything that you would like to tell me but I didn’t give you the chance to?
What is there about any of this that would interest an audience?
So no matter what happens in the interview, I know that at least I got the basic information, and also gave them the opportunity to correct me and give feedback on the kinds of things I should have focused on. Not only does this give me more transparency when working with an interviewee, but it’s humbling. A lot of times interviewers want to think they are the “queen of the crop,” but in fact, our knowledge only goes so far. Giving the expert the chance to correct or inform is critical in having a satisfying interview on both fronts – you learn from each other.
3. Always Be Checking As To Where the Story is Actually Going
I can’t stress this final point enough. Storytelling is a process, not a “one shoe fits all” deal. Look at the footage you shoot objectively. See where the vision and the footage collide with each other. Stories don’t always go in the ways that we plan them out to be. This makes it critical to look at the footage and the interviews not as “How does what she is saying fit my argument?” but rather “What is she actually saying and what does is actually say about her?” Distinguishing between what is really there and what we want to be there is essential in discovering the truth in the documentary moving forward.
Be willing to adapt to change. Have an open heart and criticize yourself and your work often. Making a story the best it can do involve – again – time and effort. So give it the time the piece deserves. Understand the fact that it takes revisions after revisions to hit the target of quality that you are looking for.
Never once did I work on a music video that was done after the first draft. It would take me to draft six or seven with the director to reach a point where we felt the film is the best it can be. Be ready to do this with your documentary. I am ready to be hearing the revisions and suggestions coming in from my donors as I involve them in the process. I am ready for the harsh criticism, and where I need to move the story as I continue to produce more content.
Moving forward, I will be continually assessing where the story is going, and where my focus should be moving forward. Enjoy the process. Let the story take over, and hunt for the truth. I wish you the best in all of your documentary adventures and I cannot wait to share the final product with you all.
Here is the video of what I have done so far...leave in the comments below any feedback.
