Q&A for How to Create a Good Documentary Film

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Is it a good choice to make a documentary on child labor in a country like Pakistan?

Community Answer

Yes, child labor has been a problematic issue and creating awareness about it in a region or a country is a great cause.

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I want to make a documentary on my tribe's dying language. I am wondering if it would be a good topic?

Community Answer

Yes. That sounds like an interesting topic. You should do it.

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What makes a good documentary?

Community Answer

You need an interesting topic/story, witnesses/testimonials, a lot of information, real footage, and documents and pictures (no cheesy reenactments). Treat the topic and people involved with respect, and make it as real and raw as possible - so no dramatization.

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I am a student who wants to make a documentary, but I don't have the equipment. What alternatives are there?

Community Answer

Most smartphones have pretty great cameras these days, so try shooting on one of those. You definitely don't need any fancy lighting equipment if you do all of your filming outdoors, and you can use iMovie or Windows Movie Maker. For sound, you can buy a decent microphone from Amazon or a local tech store for about $30. Another way to create a film documentary without investing in the equipment is to find a class in your area. Depending on where you live, there may be a community college or a community arts center offering a short course with a finished short doc as the goal. They provide cameras for the duration of the class. There may also be a public access tv station in your area. The mission of these organizations is to put recording equipment into the hands of regular folks who then cover local issues, history, personalities, whatever, from a non-news-agency point of view. One caveat is while you own the film you make with their equipment, part of the deal is that you allow the public access tv station to air your doc on their cable network.

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I want to make a documentary about death. Is that a good idea?

Community Answer

Depending on how you tackle the subject, it could turn out really well or really terrible.

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Would the issue of ozone layer depletion in Australia be a good topic for a documentary?

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That would be a pretty good topic, given the state of the environment. It would take a ton of research though.

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Would mental health problems be a good topic?

Community Answer

If you narrow your idea down it could be effective. Maybe focus on a specific person with mental health problems and follow them throughout their life, or even just one particular mental health problem and the individuals that are affected by it.

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Would it be a good idea to make a documentary on the wildlife in Adirondack Park?

Community Answer

Sure, a lot of people don't know about the wildlife in the Adirondack Park.

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How do I know whether my documentary film idea is a good one?

Garrett

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Do some research. There's a niche out there for nearly every topic conceivable. The larger it is, the more likely you'll make some waves with it, but documenting history is important, no matter what aspect of it it is.

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I want to make a documentary about the German U-boats in the Caribbean. Would this be an interesting topic?

Community Answer

Yes, but make sure you do your research prior to making the documentary. U-boats and German warfare are two very complex subjects, so I recommend touching on British boats, as well as the war and the usefulness of the U-boats.

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