Writing for Documentary

Academic Script

Introduction

Writing for Documentary is one of the most important modules of mass media. This
module will introduce the students to the technical and aesthetic aspects of film-making
for coverage of reality based events. Students will learn the vocabulary used by
documentary film writers and editors. The module will enable the students to delve into
the evolution of documentary, the types of documentaries as well as the important
milestones in the growth of this genre across the world. The module will also introduce
the various elements of documentary: story, visuals, voice over, sound effects, graphics,
montage, vox-pops and silence. Students will understand the various stages of
documentary film-making right from the pre-production stage to the post-production
stage. It will allow the students to learn about the format for writing two kinds of scripts
for documentary i.e. pre-shooting script and post-shooting script. In the later sections,
students will learn about the roles and responsibilities of a documentary film writer. In
this way, the course would offer a wholesome understanding about writing for a
documentary film.
What is a Documentary?

The word documentary was coined by a Scottish film-maker John Grierson in 1926.
Grierson is called the father of documentary films. He defined documentary as “the
creative treatment of actuality.” Dziga Vertov, a soviet film-maker defined documentary
as “life as it is or life caught unaware”. In other words, documentary is a slice of real life.
It presents the documentation of facts and reality with little or no fiction. Documentary
films intend to inform and educate the viewers about a particular event or issue to raise
awareness, collect funds and lead to behavior change and attitude change in the longer
run. Most of the documentaries are purely non-fictional in nature. However, some
documentaries stage reality to depict things of the past; how they must have occurred in
real.

Characteristics of Documentary

1. Documentary depicts real events and is not fictional in nature.

2. Documentaries are flexible in writing, shooting and editing styles.
3. They are based on specific, real issues concerning the masses and the classes.
4. The documentaries carry a certain amount of believability and credibility.
5. Documentary subjects and events are less controlled by the film makers, given to
the element of realism.

Types of Documentary Films

1. Expository Documentary: is a style of filming wherein the film-maker engages

in direct interaction with the viewer using voice over or narration. Taking
interviews and keeping archival footage are very important part of this
documentary style.
2. Observational Documentary: uses observation as the primary technique to
record things as they are observed. Visual language of feature films and
articulation of fictional style is seen in these type of documentary films.
3. Reflexive Documentary: uses the technique of self-reflection to depict the
relationship between the subject of the documentary and the film-maker.
 4. Experimental Documentary: the film-maker experiments with different elements
like videos, ambience sound, paintings, music and editing techniques to produce
hybrid forms of mixed art work.
5. Impressionistic Documentary: makes use of literary language, poetry and
rhythm. Efforts are made by the team to make the impressionistic documentary
stylized and aesthetically good.
6. Political Documentary: refers to the use of camera as a political tool or weapon
to solve the issues of the working class or to propagate the efforts of the potential
ruling party during the time of upcoming elections.
7. Mockumentary/Docu-comdey: is the fictionalized representation of reality
seeming events, using satire and humor. It is a parody form of documentary. The
elements of documentary are used to fool the audience into thinking that the film
is based on reality when it is actually not. In other words, faking a documentary
using satire and comedy is called mockumentary.
8. Docudrama: is a hybrid genre of drama and documentary. Reality based events
are staged and edited with music and sound effects. It is a reconstruction of
reality using the elements of drama: story, characters, made up locations
(settings) and special effects using editing techniques.

Evolution of Documentary in the World: Important Milestones

1. 1895: The two Frenchmen, Lumiere Brothers (Louis and Augustus Lumiere) started
making one minute long, un-edited, single shot films to record single actions like
train coming onto the station or factory workers leaving for work. These
documentary films were called “actuality films” because these films captured and
documented the snippets of actual events occurring in every day life. These short
films were screened in Paris. The camera used by Lumiere Brothers could hold 50
feet of film stock.
2. 1920: Dziga Vertov, the Russian film-maker started documenting the educational
news reels called the “Kino-Eye” ( meaning: cinematic truth)
3. 1922: saw the emergence of first feature length documentary film called “Nanook of
the North” by an American film-maker named Robert J. Flaherty. It was a heavily
 staged film that depicted the life of Eskimos, living in extreme cold conditions.
Flaherty is considered the pioneer of documentary film who loved living with the
subjects and getting close to them while filming.
4. 1926: John Grierson coined the term “documentary” to describe a film that depicts
real life events on screen. He coined this word while he was reviewing Robert
Flaherty’s second film Moana (1926). Flaharty chose difficult and unusual subjects
for documentation whereas Grierson was more interested in social subjects and
use of documentary for propaganda.
5. 1930s-1940s: Documentary films during and after world war-II became tools for
propaganda. For Example, Leni Riefenstahl’s Triumph of the Will (1935) extensively
pictured life in Germany under the rule of Adolf Hitler. In the US, documentaries
were made to make the soldiers understand the need for war and how to fight
bravely during wars.
6. 1936: John Grierson made the film “Nightmail” which began as an informational film
but was later described as the poetic film with rhythm, light and sound.
7. 1950s-1960s: Direct Cinema was a movement that began in the US to present the
social and political issues of the country in direct and unmediated way, to give an
impression that the events have been recorded just as they occurred in the past.
Smaller, lighter cameras that could be hand-held were used to document direct
cinema. The key film-makers of direct cinema were: D.A. Pennebaker and Fred
Wiseman.
When Direct Cinema was happening in the US, during the same time, a similar
movement called Cinema Verite (meaning: cinematic truth) was taking place in
France. In cinema verite, the viewer is given a direct view of what is happening in
front of the camera. It covered the everyday life instances of ordinary citizens of
France. This style of film-making uses hand-held camera, natural lighting and
location filming and direct sound. The key film-makers who used cinema verite style
were: Jean Rouch and Ken Loach. Both direct cinema and cinema verite used
natural sounds and lengthy shots taken using hand-held cameras.
8. 1970s-1980 onwards: documentaries focused on issues like women rights, human
rights and were made to mobilize collective revolts by marginalized communities
living in the third world.
A Brief History of Documentary in India
1. 1896: Almost one year after Lumiere brothers showcased one minute films in
Paris, cinema came to India. Lumiere brother’s films started being showcased in
Bombay. The audience paid 8 annas to 1 rupee to watch those films. Soon tents
and open spaces were used to show films to the people of India. These films
were made by foreign tourists who visited India and showcased the landscape
and the life of the people in colonial India.
2. 1898: short and untitled films were made in Bombay and Calcutta.
3. 1990s: Dada Saheb Phalke made the first Indian documentary called “The
Growth of a Pea-Plant” using time lapse technique. It was a two minute film
about the growth of a pea plant filmed in bits and pieces for about half a month.
4. 1913: Phalke made films like Raja Harishchandra and Mohini Bhasmasur and
Satyawan Savitri.
5. 1920s: A noted documentary film maker Mohan Bhavani made films about
Mysore: Keddah and Mysore, the gem city of India.
6. Documentaries during India’s freedom struggle: films were made on the
funeral and cremation of popular leaders like newsreels on funeral of Lokmanya
Tilak. During 1930s, Indian national congress sessions, Gandhi’s dandi march
etc. were captured as series of newsreels.
7. Documentary in India post 1947: Independent film makers started making and
showcasing films in theatres of Delhi, Bombay, Madras and Calcutta.
Government felt that documentary can be used to show the development
activities of the state, just like it had been used in the world for propaganda
during Second World War. P.V. Pathy, a prominent documentary film maker
started making films on the rivers of India.
8. 1950s: Film Division of India was set up with the purpose of making and
showing short films in Indian theatres. Both Indian and State produced
documentaries had the agendas of promoting Nehru’s concept nation building
 (characterized by industrialization, modernization, literacy and scientific
temperament).
9. 1960s: democratic voices of the people on political issues were documented by
the films made by the Film Division as well as the independent film-makers.
10. 1970s-80s: funding started coming into the country from foreign sponsors for
documentaries dealing with experimental subjects like wildlife. Film makers like
Anand Patwardhan made films on peasant’s rights in Bihar, political injustices
during 1975 emergency and communal issues. Some of his important films are:
Waves of Revolution; Ram Ke Naam; Father, son and holy war, War and Peace.

Elements of a Documentary

1. Story: Find an interesting and original story with either single or multiple characters
to document and tell it using your camera. Every story has a plot which is defined as
the way to navigate through the possibilities in a given situation. Plot of the story
drives it forward. There are three types of plot:
a. Arch Plot: is the most common form where well chalked out characters undergo
a linear progression to convey a sense of reality.
b. Mini Plot: can have multiple characters with less detail. Story flows in a flexible
way with open ended endings.
c. Anti-Plot: has the most unexpected turns in the story.

2. Visuals: A script writer for documentary has to write for the visuals. The pictures to
take, the shots to take, the scenes to shoot in order to make a meaningful sequence
of the film.
3. Montage: is the technique of editing wherein different pieces of pictures, video, text
and music are put together to make a meaningful A/V clip.
4. Composition: refers to the aesthetic arrangement of elements in a frame so as to
give a pleasing appearance to human eye. Composition in images can include
elements of art and principles of design. The elements of art are: point, line, shape,
 color, texture, form and space. The principles of design are: balance, contrast,
emphasis, movement, pattern, rhythm and unity.
5. Sound bites and Ambience Sound: Recorded sound bites are placed parallel to
the visuals (scenes) during the editing of documentary. Ambience sound adds to the
mood and theme of the documentary.
6. Vox-Pop: is derived from a Latin word “vox-populi” which means voice of the
people. Vox-pop refers to audio-visual recording of people’s views and opinions in
public spaces about the subject matter of documentary.
7. Silence: has its own power in the documentary. Pauses of silence are added to
emphasize or build the gravity of the discussed issue. It can convey sadness and
remorse. In other situations, silent pauses of 3-5 seconds are added to offer thinking
gaps to the viewers.

Stages of Documentary Film-making

I. Developmental Stage: Documentary can be made by an individual but most of the

time, it is the team effort. Formation of a working team is the first step followed by
the allocation of duties and responsibilities. Decide who will do the recee (on
field research), who will be the script writer, who will be the camera person and
editors. Collective Brainstorming Sessions are conducted to find a good idea that
is feasible and convenient to execute for making a documentary. An idea develops
into a concept which leads to a well-defined topic.
Research is very crucial in reviewing and refining the idea and formulating a topic
for the documentary. The film makers should do a thorough research about the topic
(its history, its economics, its social-political implications and cultural aspects).
Evaluate the feasibility of the topic in terms of time period, locations, access to
resources etc.

Clearly define your target audience in terms of demographic and psychographic

variables. Demographic variables include: age, gender, location, income group
whereas the psychographic variables include: educational qualification, occupation,
social barriers in the community, taboo subjects in the given culture etc. Therefore,
 the development stage includes selection of a thoroughly researched and feasible
topic by a working team for making the documentary.
II. Pre-Production Stage: involves preparing material for making the documentary.
Storyboarding is done to draw out a sketch of the various shots on paper.
Storyboard is a series of shots planned out on paper in the sequential order. After
making the story board, a script has to be written in terms of what visuals are to be
used. Documentary writing is primarily with and for visuals, supported by voice over
and ambience sounds and special sound effects that are seamed together while
editing.

Format for Writing Documentary Script

S. No. Visual Voice Over Music Track Sound Effects

/Narration (SFX)

Prepare a budget for the documentary required for shooting and editing the film. Make
a list of resources including the time, equipments, talent, sources etc. required for
making the film. Prepare schedules for shooting and editing the film. Keep buffer days
in schedule to be on a safer side.

III. Production Stage: Shoot the shots, scenes and sequences using camera and
tripod. Take pictures, if required. Record the voice over/narration. Implement the
storyboard and script in every way. Make sure you carry extra batteries with you
when you shoot. Do white balancing before you begin to shoot. Take multiple
perspectives of the issue into account. Shoot the vox-pops and interview the
relevant sources of information.

IV. Post-Production Stage: after you finish the shooting, taking interviews, vox-pops
and recording the narration/voice over for documentary, it is time for editing to create
a meaningful sequence of the film. Video editing software – Final Cut Pro (FCP) is
 used to edit the videos, insert transitions, sub-titles, color correct the visuals and add
introduction titles and credits. Editing ensures smooth transitions from scene to
scene. Cut away shots are extra shots of the discussed subject that are inserted
between the interviews and conversations to break the monotony and add interest.

There are two types of editing: Linear Editing and Non-Linear Editing. Linear Editing
refers to the old style editing on machines that allows editing only in the sequence
that the film was shot in. It is still practiced in government owned television house:
Doordarshan. Non-Linear Editing is the contemporary style of editing on the
computer using the editing softwares. Most of the private media organizations use
non-linear editing.

Writing for Documentary Films

Documentaries can be well planned before the shooting but not exactly scripted
because they are supposed to capture the real aspects of life. Usually, the proper
structure of the film falls into place during the editing of the raw footage shot by the film
makers.

I. Writing the Pre-Shooting Script: is written before you begin to shoot the
documentary. It is the action plan or blueprint of what visuals to capture, what
narration to record and what approach to use for making the documentary.

Writing the pre-shooting script involves:

a) Research to develop the idea into a concept and a topic

b) Write the story of the film using a suitable genre of documentary
c) Write for visuals – shots, pictures, interviews
d) Write the voice over or narration
 e) Decide the approach of documentary (historic, factual, informative, humorous
etc.)
II. Writing the Post-Shooting Script: It often does happen that film makers could
not get the shots planned or could not work according to the pre-written script.
Some documentary films are first shot and then a script is written post shooting.
Post-shooting scripts are used to organize the structure of raw footage and give it
meaning and sense using a narration written by the scriptwriter. Post shooting
script also involves suggesting creative techniques like stop motion, animations
or time lapse in the film.

Writing Post-Shooting Script involves:

a) Transcribing the footage: categorizing various parts of the story

b) Reviewing the bigger picture and key elements shot
c) Listing down the shots, scenes to make sequences
d) Writing a voice over narration in context of the shots

Structure of Documentary:
1. Beginning: A good introduction to the documentary is very essential in catching
audience attention and building their interest. The beginning is to establish the
theme and topic of the documentary. It can also be used to create a curiosity in
the audience to know more about the discussed issue.
2. Middle: has to be very crisp and engaging so that the audience gets engrossed
into the documentary rather than waiting for it to end. Interviews are usually
inserted in this section.
3. Ending: should leave the audience with the intended message and should
motivate a “call to action”. Ask yourself, what message you want to give through
the documentary and insert it in this section.

Role of Creative Writers in Documentary Films

1. Research and Planning for writing Pre-Shooting Script: Creative Writers

research on the proposed topic of the film, gather and organize information from

various sources and write a pre-planned screenplay consisting of the scenes and

sequences to be shot and narration to be run parallel to scenes. He/She also has to

watch the archival footage if it exists.

2. Organizing the structure for writing Post-Shooting Script: If a pre-shooting

script is not required in the documentary, writer is not called for in the beginning.

After the film is shot completely, the creative writers watch the raw footage and write

narrations to support it and help in deciding and organizing the film structure.

3. Writing Proposals for getting Funding for Documentaries: is also one of the

responsibilities of creative writers.

Conclusions

In this module, we learnt about the meaning of documentary, its characteristics and

different type of documentary films. We briefly discussed the history of documentary

film-making in India and the world at large. Students also learnt the elements of a
documentary film and the stages and structures of documentary film making. The

module has laid down the processes involved in making documentaries and writing for

documentaries along with the role of creative writers in documentary film-making. Hope,

you have clearly understood the structure, format and the multi-staged process of

writing for a documentary film.