Your story is important. It must be told.
Everyone has a story inside of them that needs to be told. As documentary filmmakers we have the privilege of bringing real, authentic, and inspiring stories to life. It can be incredibly rewarding.
Read more
Your story is important. It must be told.
Everyone has a story inside of them that needs to be told. As documentary filmmakers we have the privilege of bringing real, authentic, and inspiring stories to life. It can be incredibly rewarding.
Your story is important. It must be told.
Everyone has a story inside of them that needs to be told. As documentary filmmakers we have the privilege of bringing real, authentic, and inspiring stories to life. It can be incredibly rewarding.
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My name is Shawn Vela and I am a 17-time Emmy® Award Winning Film Producer, Director, DP, and Editor. I founded a video production company Vela Visuals, which specializes in authentic storytelling that moves viewers to action.
Over the course of my career I've been blessed to work on projects for companies like Amazon, Kayak, SAP, Legoland California (and Florida) Resort, New Balance, Hillsong, University of Central Florida, and more.
I have also worked with broadcasters like BT Sport, FOX, as well as countless independent production companies and marketing agencies. I've directed, filmed and edited more than 50 documentaries for web or traditional broadcast (receiving 30 regional Emmy® nominations and 17 wins).
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This course is for documentary filmmakers, like me who push themselves to grow because the stories we tell are important.
In this course I explore some of the secrets I wish I knew about documentary filmmaking when I was first getting started.
Secrets like: how to find story themes, how to build a story arch, how to plan a production, how to conduct emotional interviews, how to build a crew, how to book more work, and more.
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My hope for you, is that some of the experiences I have had will stretch you and give you new storytelling tools that will enhance your productions and WOW your clients.
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What's inside
Learning objectives
- Examples and insight into the filmmaking process through my own experience making emmy® award winning documentaries
- How to find story themes and the message of your film.
- Secrets to help you capture more authentic interviews, un-staged b-roll scenes, and edit faster
- Gain insight into what thought processes professional tv documentary makers use to shoot, gather content and edit award winning video stories.
- A glimpse into the creative process of putting together a documentary film. from conception to completion and beyond!
- Examples and insight into the filmmaking process through my own experience making emmy® award winning documentaries
- How to find story themes and the message of your film.
- Secrets to help you capture more authentic interviews, un-staged b-roll scenes, and edit faster
- Gain insight into what thought processes professional tv documentary makers use to shoot, gather content and edit award winning video stories.
- A glimpse into the creative process of putting together a documentary film. from conception to completion and beyond!
Syllabus
Create a storytelling frame-work, gather story research, and build a crew
Documentary Filmmaking Secrets _ Overview
Welcome
Secret Of Pre-Production
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Syllabus
Good to know
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Activities
Improve active listening skills
Show steps
Interviewing people for documentaries requires active listening skills. Practice listening in everyday conversations to prepare.
Browse courses on
Active Listening
Show steps
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Listen to a conversation without interrupting.
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Summarize what was said after the conversation.
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Ask clarifying questions to show that you are listening.
Scriptwriting Tutorial
Show steps
Review the basics of scriptwriting and storytelling by following a structured tutorial
Browse courses on
Scriptwriting
Show steps
-
Identify the Essential Elements of a Script
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Practice Writing Dialogue and Character Development
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Learn about Different Story Structures and Techniques
Storyboard a documentary scene
Show steps
Develop your visualization skills by storyboarding a documentary scene.
Show steps
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Identify a scene from your documentary idea
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Sketch out the storyboard
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Describe the action, dialogue, and camera angles for each shot
Five other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all eight activities
Practice filming using a mobile phone
Show steps
Documentaries can be filmed with a variety of equipment. Practice filming using a smartphone to build confidence and explore different angles and shots.
Browse courses on
Camera Setup
Show steps
-
Identify a subject to film.
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Choose a filming location with good lighting.
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Adjust camera settings to suit the filming conditions.
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Practice filming different types of shots.
Conduct a mock documentary interview
Show steps
Reinforce your interview skills by conducting mock interviews.
Show steps
-
Prepare questions that explore the key themes of your story
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Identify a willing participant to be interviewed
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Record the interview and review your approach
Create a storyboard for a short film
Show steps
Documentaries require careful planning. Create a storyboard for a short film to practice breaking down a story into individual shots and scenes.
Browse courses on
Storyboarding
Show steps
-
Read a short story or script.
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Identify the key scenes and shots.
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Sketch out a thumbnail for each shot.
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Write a brief description of each shot.
Write a short documentary treatment
Show steps
Documentaries require a well-developed treatment. Write a short documentary treatment to practice summarizing the story, identifying the main characters, and outlining the key themes.
Browse courses on
Writing
Show steps
-
Identify a documentary topic.
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Research the topic and gather information.
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Write a one-page summary of the story.
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Identify the main characters and their motivations.
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Outline the key themes of the documentary.
Attend a documentary filmmaking workshop
Show steps
Attend a documentary filmmaking workshop to gain practical experience from industry professionals and learn from their insights and perspectives.
Browse courses on
Documentary Filmmaking
Show steps
-
Research documentary filmmaking workshops.
-
Select a workshop that aligns with your interests and goals.
-
Prepare for the workshop by reviewing the materials and completing any pre-work.
-
Attend the workshop and actively participate in the activities.
Improve active listening skills
Show steps
Interviewing people for documentaries requires active listening skills. Practice listening in everyday conversations to prepare.
Browse courses on
Active Listening
Show steps
- Listen to a conversation without interrupting.
- Summarize what was said after the conversation.
- Ask clarifying questions to show that you are listening.
Scriptwriting Tutorial
Show steps
Review the basics of scriptwriting and storytelling by following a structured tutorial
Browse courses on
Scriptwriting
Show steps
- Identify the Essential Elements of a Script
- Practice Writing Dialogue and Character Development
- Learn about Different Story Structures and Techniques
Storyboard a documentary scene
Show steps
Develop your visualization skills by storyboarding a documentary scene.
Show steps
- Identify a scene from your documentary idea
- Sketch out the storyboard
- Describe the action, dialogue, and camera angles for each shot
Practice filming using a mobile phone
Show steps
Documentaries can be filmed with a variety of equipment. Practice filming using a smartphone to build confidence and explore different angles and shots.
Browse courses on
Camera Setup
Show steps
- Identify a subject to film.
- Choose a filming location with good lighting.
- Adjust camera settings to suit the filming conditions.
- Practice filming different types of shots.
Conduct a mock documentary interview
Show steps
Reinforce your interview skills by conducting mock interviews.
Show steps
- Prepare questions that explore the key themes of your story
- Identify a willing participant to be interviewed
- Record the interview and review your approach
Create a storyboard for a short film
Show steps
Documentaries require careful planning. Create a storyboard for a short film to practice breaking down a story into individual shots and scenes.
Browse courses on
Storyboarding
Show steps
- Read a short story or script.
- Identify the key scenes and shots.
- Sketch out a thumbnail for each shot.
- Write a brief description of each shot.
Write a short documentary treatment
Show steps
Documentaries require a well-developed treatment. Write a short documentary treatment to practice summarizing the story, identifying the main characters, and outlining the key themes.
Browse courses on
Writing
Show steps
- Identify a documentary topic.
- Research the topic and gather information.
- Write a one-page summary of the story.
- Identify the main characters and their motivations.
- Outline the key themes of the documentary.
Attend a documentary filmmaking workshop
Show steps
Attend a documentary filmmaking workshop to gain practical experience from industry professionals and learn from their insights and perspectives.
Browse courses on
Documentary Filmmaking
Show steps
- Research documentary filmmaking workshops.
- Select a workshop that aligns with your interests and goals.
- Prepare for the workshop by reviewing the materials and completing any pre-work.
- Attend the workshop and actively participate in the activities.
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