{"id":86342,"date":"2017-02-15T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-02-15T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=86342"},"modified":"2017-02-15T11:20:12","modified_gmt":"2017-02-15T17:20:12","slug":"micro-documentary-new-filmmaking-trend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/micro-documentary-new-filmmaking-trend\/","title":{"rendered":"Don’t Blink: A New Age of Micro-Documentary Filmmaking is Dawning"},"content":{"rendered":"

While digital attention spans shrink, documentary filmmakers must adapt. Learn how you can be at the forefront of micro-documentary filmmaking.<\/h2>\n

Cover image via Ali Withers\/Ricky Phan<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Breaking into documentary filmmaking<\/strong>\u00a0is difficult. Making a name for yourself<\/strong> is just as hard. But fear not<\/strong>. A\u00a0new age of digital documentary filmmaking<\/strong>\u00a0is dawning that will\u00a0give rise to a new generation of micro<\/em>-documentary filmmakers<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

These micro-docs<\/strong>, which often pop up on Facebook feeds, target\u00a0online content consuming audiences<\/strong>. Let’s explore how you can master this burgeoning art form.<\/p>\n

Background in the Micro-Arts<\/h3>\n

Creative artists in the internet content age\u00a0<\/strong>have had to embrace new social media<\/strong>. For example, online communities re-popularized\u00a0very short, very direct stories<\/strong>\u00a0called “flash fiction<\/strong>” or “micro-fiction<\/strong>.” This piece<\/a>, inspired by a micro story allegedly by\u00a0Ernest Hemingway<\/a>, appeared\u00a0in The New Yorker<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\"Don't<\/a><\/p>\n

Image via\u00a0Wikipedia<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

While the story may or may not be Hemingway’s, its influence has been\u00a0quite profound<\/strong>\u00a0in the online\u00a0content consuming culture \u2014<\/strong>\u00a0a culture that is itself\u00a0quickly adapting<\/strong> to keep up with the growing speed at which consumers view (and are distracted by) content<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

A Shorter Digital Attention Span<\/h3>\n

\"Don't<\/p>\n

Image via Contently<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Consider this:\u00a0while people are spending more time consuming content online<\/strong>, they’re actually spending less time concentrating on individual articles, videos, or images<\/strong> (read: memes) than ever before, according to\u00a0QZ<\/a><\/em> and Hubspot<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n

As such, video producers<\/strong> are constantly fighting to create content that\u00a0is shorter, quicker to the punch, and more engaging<\/strong> to catch consumers during their feed scrolling binges<\/strong>. Depending on your attitude and skill sets<\/strong>, this is not necessarily a bad thing.<\/p>\n

I’d argue that it actually opens doors for up-and-coming filmmakers, videographers, and documentarians<\/strong> to create\u00a0short, impactful micro-documentary videos<\/strong> for niche, diverse, and more targeted audiences<\/strong>. Disagree? Maybe, but\u00a0I’m not the only one<\/strong> making this argument.<\/p>\n

The Feature-Length Fallacy<\/h3>\n

In an article for PBS<\/a> and their POV documentary channel<\/a>, Edward J. Delaney<\/a> presents his “feature-length fallacy<\/strong><\/em>” argument\u00a0based on his conclusion that “many documentaries would be a lot better if they were a lot shorter.<\/em>” Delaney, who has viewed\u00a0thousands of documentaries<\/strong>\u00a0during his time on film festival panels and grant competitions, came to this realization from two different directions<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

One, as he states, comes from documentary filmmakers’<\/strong> desires to “stretch” or “pad” their films to get to that feature film length<\/strong>,\u00a0which film society tells them they need to reach\u00a0to be “professional” documentary filmmakers<\/strong> and “graduate” from short films.<\/p>\n

The second reason has to do with how we are starting to consume documentary media.\u00a0<\/strong>“Watching a film on my iPad or iPod is rarely a continuous event, but rather a series of bouts. Watching a 30-minute documentary on a laptop feels longer than watching a 60-minute doc on my flatscreen,<\/em>” says Delaney as he encourages documentarians to find a film’s “natural length<\/strong><\/em>” over any presupposed ideal time slots.<\/p>\n

So, whether you’re won over or not, let’s explore what makes micro-documentaries successful<\/strong> and how you, as an up-and-coming micro-documentarian can advance\u00a0in the new medium.<\/p>\n

The Importance of Capturing an Audience’s Attention Quickly<\/h3>\n