STARTING TO DESIGN YOUR DOCUMENTARY VIDEO STEP 1: Determining Project Scope While digital stories and their production processes can vary drastically, deciding on some parameters will help to guarantee you complete your project on-schedule: ! Video Length: most short videos should be approximately 3-5 minutes; longer may sometimes be necessary, but keeping it short and sweet is often an effective strategy; ! Video Genre: Choose a digital storytelling style to maximize community and audience impact, including but not limited to the following options: Journalistic, Educational, or Narrative/Biographical Documentary; Video Poem; Experimental Narrative; or Public Service Announcement. ! Video Mentorship: If possible, having a filmmaking mentor can be very helpful; ! Technical considerations: Ensure that you secure and test all video cameras, sound recording equipment, and editing stations prior to your team starting the project. STEP 2: How do we tell a “digital story”? Firstly, the key is to find a story that tells important and exciting environmental work, a story worth telling and worth sharing. Filmmaking is a great way to translate your big ideas and stories into an audio-visual medium that many people can enjoy. While to some this may seem easy, to tell a short, simple, and powerful visual story without resorting to clichés can be very challenging. The key is to find something unique about your project, to clarify your core message, and to uncover ways to translate that into a short audio-visual story. STEP 3: Initial Questions The next thing you need to do is take time to answer the following Initial Questions as a group: ! Who is your audience, and what do you hope that they will take from your story? For example, do you want them to gain awareness about the importance of an issue? Do you want to educate (or even shock them) and ask them to spread a story? Do you want to inspire them, emotionally connect with them, or ask them to donate funds or resources?
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How would you describe the project to someone else by using an anecdote or an illustrative story? What story (or what kind of story) encapsulates the challenges and the joys of the story and resonates with people on an emotional level? Whatever your goal with your audience, in a media-saturated world, the memory-trigger of emotion (engaging humor, excitement, fear, and joy) is key to connecting with those who watch your video, and inspiring them to take action.
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Keeping your answers to the above in mind, what genre, mood, or style works best to achieve your goals? Think of other videos you have seen – which do you remember? Think about why, and then think about how to find a unique way to use those strategies in your own unique way. Your video can be in any visual style and genre you choose, including but not limited to the options listed in the Video Genre section above.
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What sound and visual elements help to capture the story you are telling? How can you plan and structure the story to emphasize these elements (rather than simply relying on narration or dialogue)? Narration, while useful in many cases, is only one way to tell a story, and in some ways defeats the powerful multi-media capabilities of digital storytelling. Gather sound, still, and video story elements in preparation for your production; add these to your project to enhance your video.