sparks training documentaries

Sparks fly

DOCUMENTARY PRODUCTION TRAINING COURSE

Course Summary

This is a detailed documentary production course designed for, and regularly delivered to, broadcasters. This course covers the whole process of documentary production, focussing on the development stages, from finding the right idea, developing and pitching it and then planning out the production.
We work through what makes long-form story telling a unique craft and skill, the importance of good structure and a well thought out treatment and how to spot a great story and turn it into a fantastic, potentially award winning documentary. Throughout this course delegates will be developing the documentary idea they bring with them. As a result of these exercises, this course has been responsible for many documentary ideas being worked up into detailed proposals and treatments that have gone on to be commissioned, made, and won awards.

WHO’S IT FOR

This five day course is for both aspiring and established documentary makers, journalists looking to move into long form, or anyone with a story that they want to tell with film or video.

OUTCOMES

Delegates will come away knowing exactly what they need to do in the research, planning and pre-production of a documentary before they pitch. They will know what a successful pitch, proposal and treatment should look like. They will leave the course will a fully detailed and developed documentary proposal, treatment and shooting schedule.

Sparks fly

Syllabus

Day 1 Syllabus

Identifying the differences between short form and long form story telling
What makes a good story and what are the right stories for long form story telling
Story, theme, POV, front loading and narrative reveal
Finding the theme and depth in the story
Owning the story and securing access
Tag lines
Elevator pitches
The importance of the pitch
Homework, develop your idea into a pitch

Day 2 Syllabus

Present pitches, class gives feedback
Presenter or lead character. Finding and engaging a good character • Treatment style
The importance of empathy and audience buy in
The proposal, it’s pivotal importance and it’s components
Homework, develop the pitch into a full proposal

Day 3 Syllabus

Present proposals to class and discuss
Making your proposal unique and a must-make, ‘commissioning no-brainer’
Finding a more interesting way of telling a story
Pitching and dealing with commissioners
Documentary writing, script building, writing and re-writing
The importance of the opening and what role it plays
The structure and narrative reveal
The role of the treatment
Homework write your treatment

Day 4 Syllabus

Homework present your treatment
Planning, research, online engagement
Thinking about required locations to visualise the story
The HEC test
Breaking the treatment into shooting schedule
New equipment and ways of working
Crewing for a documentary shoot
Breaking the shooting schedule into a budget

Day 5 Syllabus

Genres and crossovers
Engaging interviewees, interview techniques and getting the to the real truth
Thinking about required locations to visualise the story
Making interviews ‘of the moment’
Chapters, mood breaks and the different shots and sequences needed for long form
Paperwork, VISAs, carnet and legal stiff
Post production work flow, back up and archiving
Re-versioning, cross platform promotion, ‘added value’ content
Follow up story telling
What next
Sparks fly

Clients