Directing the Documentary

This is something I've been asking myself a lot this week. With shooting our doc coming up very soon, I really needed to find an answer for it.

Documentary is a great genre and something I wish I looked at far more than I do. It can be so powerful and moving as well as being informative. This goal for our docs is to try and move away from the TV Documentary that is very talkative with voiceover and interviews. Instead of being told the story through speech, we are asked to take the cinematic route and use visuals.

Our documentary features Conor's dad, Rory. An artist and a potter in his free time. We are going to explore his work as a potter. I really wanted to do this when Conor suggested it, as it's so unique and many people are impressed by those who can do it and do it well.

The first question is what kind of story do I want to tell? I guess I'm still not sure. What I do know is that I want to focus on the process of it. There is no voiceover and we've decided to ditch interviews completely which eliminates any speaking, I think this is a good factor.

It's very hard to tell any backstory about Rory with this technique but it will allow us to see the work involved in creating these works of art and how he does it. From start to finish. I feel by opening with where he lives and the local surroundings we are told that this isn't a place of work. It's neutral and it's where he lives. So it's not a chore, so he enjoys it. 

By seeing him start the process and his readiness, we see how meticulous he is and what is needed to make these the way they should be. Use of sound will be important. We want to hear the raw sounds of the throwing, the wheel, the kiln, everything. It will feel more natural and real. I also want to show some finished pieces, what they become in the end, from a simple piece of clay to a finished art project that people want to look at. All from the creativity and the skill of his hands.