{"id":124948,"date":"2019-12-31T06:00:14","date_gmt":"2019-12-31T12:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=124948"},"modified":"2019-12-19T13:47:29","modified_gmt":"2019-12-19T19:47:29","slug":"5-quick-tricks-fix-boring-documentary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/5-quick-tricks-fix-boring-documentary\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Quick Tricks to Fix a Boring Documentary Project"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you find yourself working on a documentary project that’s starting to get boring, here are some quick tricks to help you get back on track.<\/h2>\n

To anyone reading this who immediately wants to point out that documentaries \u2014 by nature \u2014 are inherently boring, you\u2019re wrong. Yes, documentaries can tackle very serious issues. They can be complex, nuanced, and evolved. They can be long, slow, and even exhaustive. But they should never be boring!<\/p>\n

The primary goal of any good documentary is \u2014 first and foremost \u2014 to inform. However, to inform an audience well, you have to put something together that has all the elements of compelling entertainment. And, since documentaries are a genre of filmmaking, many of the same tricks and techniques that apply to narrative storytelling can also apply here.<\/p>\n

Let’s take a look at how to approach the issue.<\/p>\n

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Work on the Story and Structure<\/h3>\n
\"Architects<\/a>

Make sure to have a strong structure to your storyline. (Image by GaudiLab<\/a>.)<\/p><\/div>\n

I\u2019d have to say, from working on a few documentaries (and watching many more) over the years, the majority of the issues with a “boring” documentary come from problems with the story and structure. The same is true with many narrative film projects, as well. But, it\u2019s doubly true for documentaries, which rely so much more on these elements.<\/p>\n

Whether you\u2019re just starting out on your project or are deep in the editing process, you should ask yourself the following: If you were to sit down with a pen and paper, could you write (or sketch) out the entire story and structure of your film?<\/p>\n

If not, why not? Just taking a moment to focus on the overarching narrative can help immensely. From there, it becomes a trick of conveying that story to the audience. And, the following tips can help you do that.<\/p>\n

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Animate or Illustrate When Needed<\/h3>\n

The idea of adding custom illustrations or animations to a documentary project can be very appealing to documentary filmmakers. This is especially true for documentaries that are overly reliant on interviews with little action or B-roll. In many ways, it\u2019s almost like the magical touch, at times, because you can showcase visual (and often informative) information that you might never have had the opportunity to film.<\/p>\n

However, overusing animations or illustrations is something to avoid \u2014 and it can become expensive and time-consuming, depending on the number and quality of the illustrations and animations.<\/p>\n

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Add Movement and Transitions<\/h3>\n