While a documentary is never fully scripted, it is also rarely entirely based on spontaneous generation of content. So, it's important to have students begin their documentaries by sketching out the footage that they hope to acquire, selecting interviewees, and scripting questions. I use the following set of questions to guide students:
- What do you hope to include in your film?
- What visuals do you need to capture?
- Which individuals do you need access to and how will you attain that access?
- What questions will you use when interviewing?
- Who will conduct the interviews; who will capture the footage, etc.
- What footage and information will you need to gather to accomplish your goal?
