One of the most gruelling forms of the medium, requires a lot of preparation beforehand!

The way one approaches documentaries depends on the kind of project. There are many times that documentaries are shot entirely like fiction features and in today’s media landscape that seems to be the case with the rise of streaming platform fuelled dramatic documentaries it is genuinely hard to make a distinction between fiction and nonfiction. This wave of interest in this form of the medium can be attributed to the rise in streaming platforms and the rise of internet access among the general population. Now with the advent of widespread internet these shows on the stream platforms have a global audience and can be watched universally. Some things to keep in mind while shooting a documentary is that there are no fixed schedules in case of it, so always having a blueprint, like a decoupage or a shot list is not possible. It is a flexible and run and gun situation and one must be prepared to capture the right moment at the  right time. This list contains tips that can one should keep in while making a documentary these tips are helpful for amateurs and professionals alike, and these tips have been compiled from the methods of the most skilled practitioners of documentaries and will definitely be useful for anyone is who trying their hand on this form of the medium for the first time.

Have More than One Camera Man in Your Crew

As  there are no fixed schedules during the shoots it is always important to have more than one cameraman on set while shooting a nonfiction this is to assure that there is maximum coverage and there is no part of the process that is left unshot, and the rushes are collected to the best of your abilities, in a nonfiction once you have missed the moment it is hard to recreate it.

A Documentary is Created on the Edit Table

It is important to note that while shooting documentaries, you should cover as much as you can in and leave no part uncovered, as it is often difficult to understand what turn the documentary is taking while the shooting process is still going on, whole new narratives are sometimes created while reviewing the footage on the edit table.

Sound is key

The importance of sound is paramount in a documentary, it is important to have a very good sound recording setup in most cases sync sound is advisable but recording a pilot through another recorder can form the basis of your nonfiction, sometimes interviews might turn into voice-overs.