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Need some tips about Documentary script writing

J

jeremylin

Dear filmmakers,

I am excited to start working on my project. But since it will be my first major project, I need some guidance.

My documentary film will be about drug addiction. It would include personal stories of the addicts and also interviews with doctors and other people related to the topic.

What things should I do first to make sure that I won't waste too much time on something that could have been done earlier in the process?

Should I first contact possible film characters or should I write a detailed documentary script before I do so?

I am also thinking of filming a pilot for it, before doing the full-length documentary.

I would really appreciate if you give me some tips.
 
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What did you prepare in the past month?

You at least need a plan.
Contacting professionals is something you can already do: interviewing them off camera can help you shape your script (for a part).
 
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Do you have a treatment done? This can help guide you. By all means, go ahead and talk to people now. I would be willing to bet there would be plenty of people that would be in your documentary that would like to help others.
 
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WalterB said:
Contacting professionals is something you can already do: interviewing them off camera can help you shape your script (for a part).
Click to expand...

I was working on a project about coke whores, and really wanted chat with a few, ask some questions and such, and invite them to participate in a writing project. I could not get ONE organization (supposedly created to help these women and girls) to respond. Not one. Maybe I asked the wrong questions, but I certainly pressented this in a very positive light.

My advice? Avoid 'professionals' attached to soul harvesting.


alex
 
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alex ma whitmer said:
I was working on a project about coke whores, and really wanted chat with a few, ask some questions and such, and invite them to participate in a writing project. I could not get ONE organization (supposedly created to help these women and girls) to respond. Not one. Maybe I asked the wrong questions, but I certainly pressented this in a very positive light.

My advice? Avoid 'professionals' attached to soul harvesting.


alex
Click to expand...

I remember seeing partof a documentary in art school: it was about call girls. The maker/interviewer paid them on screen for their time. The problem is that you can't really do this with addicts as you would just fuel their addiction.

As for organisations that are there to help addicts: it makes sense they protects the addicts, since appearing on screen might make them think it can harm the addict's chances in the future.
It is a tricky subject: there is drama there, but you can't really encourage them to cooperate by facilitating the only thing they are interested in...

I think professionals can be helpful, but not for contacting victims. They can be helpfull as the expert voice in the story.
 
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I made it clear they were not going to be on film. I only wanted to chat with them, and ask them about some story ideas - as in ''What do you think of this character', 'What would you do in this situation' ... and so on, and the questions had nothing to do with their addiction.

I wanted their POV, and I also though it might - just maybe - even encourage one or two to want to write, find a purpose.

Not one so-called professional responded. My conclusion? I need to go right to the source on the street.

I got the feeling there were ulterior motives at play, so seriously, I would not trust their 'expert' opinion.

a
 
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