Filming a documentary like the one shown in this video begins with the choice of topic and lots of research and includes a structure with a strong beginning, middle, and end. Documentaries are videos or films that present factual or non‐fictional information. A documentary normally uses real people, places, and events to tell a true story or to present information that engages the audience. To make a documentary, start by choosing a topic. It's best to choose a topic that interests you — if you're interested, your audience will be, too. After you have chosen a topic, create a structure for your documentary. As with any good story, your documentary needs a strong beginning, middle, and end. Most documentaries begin with an introduction that introduces the topic and characters. This short introduction should grab the attention of your audience and give them a brief summary of what to expect. In the body or main section, you tell your story using interviews, voiceovers, and video clips. This section should go into more detail about the topic and the subjects involved. Your conclusion summarizes the main points covered and helps to bring your documentary to a natural end. Ending your film with a conclusion helps the audience make up their mind about the information you have presented. With your documentary structure in mind, you can create a list of items to film including interviews and supporting video clips. You can record a voiceover to help tell the story or as part of the documentary introduction. Before you go out and film, remember to make sure you have researched your topic thoroughly — you don't want to include any incorrect or assumed information.
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