Topics for my first documentary

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pacey1800

I know I've posted about making documentaries before, and I've been wanting to try to make some, but I am at a complete loss on where to start, i.e. what topic I should even cover for my first one. Since I'm from Louisiana, one possibility could be Katrina, but I figure that so many other documentaries have been made on it, and all possibly a lot better than anything I could ever make, and in addition, since I experienced it, and it still resonates all these years later, it is still somewhat painful to talk about. This all stemmed from a conversation I had with a relative of mine last week about filmmaking, and she said to me that if I ever made a film about Katrina, that she would be available for an interview.

I may be thinking too far ahead here, and since I still have over two years left to finish college I may not have time to actually go out and make a documentary film, but at this point, I simply don't know where to begin. I know the basics of shooting, editing, etc. but I have no idea what kind of documentary I want to make, and it's making me very worried. The only thing I've even thought about shooting with the video camera I get this Christmas is high school sports, but that's it. In addition, I am also a screenwriter, and I cannot seem to think of one single idea to write, and the one short screenplay I wrote and saw advance to the second round of a contest is one I have no idea how to make better, and one I cannot seem to get any interest in from people. At this point, I am just at a complete loss on what to do. Any suggestions?
 
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What are you passionate about?

If you have no passions, you have nothing to say or show others.

You want a list of possible topics for a documentary?

We could do that, but what good is that? If you can't think of a single thing to write about or to make a film about, how will it help for you to read a list from strangers?

Do you give a hoot about the BP oil spill?

Do you care about the corruption in Louisiana government?

Or the total abandonment of N'Awlins by the federal government and the rest of the country?

What pisses you off?

What lights a bonfire under your butt?

What?

There isn't a single person in your family or sphere of friends who have a good story to tell?

C'mon. You're pulling our leg.

The ideas and possibilities are there. You just don't give a shit or are too lazy to look closely enough at your world.

We can't fix that. Only you can.

best,
-Charles
 
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I guess I shouldn't have said anything. I don't know how anyone can say I just don't care. I do have a burning desire to tell stories but apparently I'm too stupid to think of a decent idea. Maybe I am looking for motivation from you all. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. Thanks.
 
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pacey, to be frank, I think you mis-read directorik's point. He's not saying he thinks you don't care about anything. He's saying that he knows you do care about something. And it is precisely that which you should make a documentary about. What he's saying is that you shouldn't look to us to tell you what to make a documentary about -- we might have a bunch of brilliant ideas for subjects that are very deserving of a documentary. But we aren't the one's behind the camera. That's you. And so you should make a documentary about something that grabs YOU. If it grabs you, and it's a story that you think is interesting, then perhaps there are other people who will like to hear the story. But if it's not something that you yourself are passionate about, nobody's gonna care. I think that's what directorik was trying to convey.
 
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Cracker Funk said:
pacey, to be frank, I think you mis-read directorik's point. He's not saying he thinks you don't care about anything. He's saying that he knows you do care about something. And it is precisely that which you should make a documentary about. What he's saying is that you shouldn't look to us to tell you what to make a documentary about -- we might have a bunch of brilliant ideas for subjects that are very deserving of a documentary. But we aren't the one's behind the camera. That's you. And so you should make a documentary about something that grabs YOU. If it grabs you, and it's a story that you think is interesting, then perhaps there are other people who will like to hear the story. But if it's not something that you yourself are passionate about, nobody's gonna care. I think that's what directorik was trying to convey.
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I'm sorry. I am so sorry. To be honest, now that I think about it, there are things that I am passionate about. I am passionate about politics (I am a Democrat, I try to stay informed about the issues), I am passionate about sports, I am passionate about music, I am passionate about a lot of things. I didn't mean to cause any trouble here or do anything like that, and for that I am sorry. I do thank everyone here for the advice, but I am just very sorry that every time I start a thread like this, it degenerates into something ugly and hostile, and it's my fault for letting it get that way. I think it's because, and this is my personal opinion, some people here come across as so arrogant, mean, holier-than-thou, etc. that all I can do is just get angry and just say things like "shame on me for saying anything, I should have kept my mouth shut," etc.

I guess what I should have said is that there are a lot of things that I am passionate about, but because of various reasons (location, budget, time) I just may not have the opportunity to make the documentaries I want to make right now. Katrina seemed like an obvious choice to me, but there are so many of them that have been made, I figured, "who wants to see another one, and besides it will just bring up too many bad memories". In addition, I live in a small coastal parish outside New Orleans. I don't know enough people. For me, aside from school, there are just no opportunities to make friends, to meet people, etc. There is just nothing to do. I'm not trying to make excuses here, but I'm not exactly in the best situation right now. In addition, I am putting an enormous amount of pressure on myself to make something, like if I buy this camera for Christmas, and hardly do anything with it but shoot parades and sporting events, then it won't be put to good use, it will just be a waste of money. I never give myself any breathing room, and I know I should try to just let go. Again, I'm sorry for acting all outrageous, I thank all of you for your advice, and please forgive me.
 
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You think that was ugly and hostile? Heh. That's rainbows and puppy dogs and ice cream compared to the crazy threads I've been a part of.

pacey, nobody here is getting mad at you. We all want the best for you. We're just trying to offer our advice in the best way we know how, and perhaps we're being a bit blunt.

Please, retract all of your apologies. You are asking questions, and that is exactly what this forum exists for. Just be ready to hear the answers. :)

Lastly, I highly doubt the money you spend on the camera you're considering would end up being wasted. I'll bet you get your hands on a camera, start playing around with it, and before you know it, you're making a documentary.
 
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pacey1800 said:
...I am passionate about politics (I am a Democrat, I try to stay informed about the issues), I am passionate about sports, I am passionate about music, I am passionate about a lot of things... .
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Then make the documentary about Katrina and how its all Bush's fault. (Its controversial, but thats what puts it in the spotlight.):D

Please don't take that the wrong way. Almost everything I say is in a not-so-serious tone, but I can't really convey that so well over the internet with text.
 
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pacey1800 said:
I'm sorry. I am so sorry.
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Dude, you gotta stop this non-stop apologising. Really.

Your threads are not the morbid, angsty magnets of despair that you seem to think they turn into.

You may interpret some replies as being hostile. I say they ain't, 'cos troublemakin' chuckleheads don't last long on these forums. Some of the replies may be blunt, some may be more nuanced, others may have a single sentence or suggestion, others may write essays. Heck, one prominent poster replies in variations of socratic method! The one thing they all have in common is that they are trying to be helpful, regardless of whether you are interpreting the typed missives as such or not.

Your big problem (as I see it) is that you simply don't know what you want to do. If you had a story to tell, you'd be writing it right now. You talk about wanting to do a doc about Katrina... well, maybe that's too huge (in overall scope) to even know where to start at. Perhaps you need to just do a "my relative's personal experience during Katrina" documentary, instead of everything. Heck, that's golden right there since they've told you they'd go on camera any time. I bet if you interviewed your relative, they'd mention dozens of things that you could further explore and discover. It's not going to happen 'til you decide to do it, though.


I'm not trying to make excuses here
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I'm not saying this to be "arrogant, mean, holier-than-thou" or any other variation thereof... but you have a lot of excuses all through your various threads.

The only person holding you back is yourself.

We can make suggestions all night long, give advice 'til the cows come home, and even hold a pom-pom parade to cheer you on... but nothing is going to happen until you actually do it.

The varied opinions & collective knowledge (from everyone) on this site is mind-blowing, and the information is freely offered when asked for. Do something with it.

:) :) These smilies indicate that this post is friendly :) Do not mistake for otherwise. :) :)
 
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Man, can you say "passive aggressive?"

Look, the advice I gave was meant as a gentle kick in the keister. Your post was so full of apathetic whines I was stunned.

Ain't nobody being hostile here, just you being hostile to your own self-interests.

Get mad, not sorry, and go make a movie and prove to us (and yourself) that you ARE passionate about something.

Frankly, I don't believe it.

Cheers!

-Charles
 
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Hi Pacey,

i know this is only my second post, but i read this forum avidly and in just a few short months it has opened my eyes to a whole new world of film making.

From your original post, i get the sense you are looking for that one "killer" idea that will fully pay off for you, and what ive come to learn in a very short time is that its not always about finding that killer idea.... but like others have said its about finding something you are passionate about and letting your passion for the said matter shine through on camera.

one of the most enjoyable documentaries i have seen on these forums is actually a short 10 minute documentary about two sandwich trucks fighting over one companies business.... to anyone that seems a non discript and boring subject, but in that film the director made a simple bland idea (possibly) come to life.

thats my 2 cents worth anyway!

oh, and Hey! Everyone :D
 
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Zensteve said:
Dude, you gotta stop this non-stop apologising. Really.

Your threads are not the morbid, angsty magnets of despair that you seem to think they turn into.

You may interpret some replies as being hostile. I say they ain't, 'cos troublemakin' chuckleheads don't last long on these forums. Some of the replies may be blunt, some may be more nuanced, others may have a single sentence or suggestion, others may write essays. Heck, one prominent poster replies in variations of socratic method! The one thing they all have in common is that they are trying to be helpful, regardless of whether you are interpreting the typed missives as such or not.

Your big problem (as I see it) is that you simply don't know what you want to do. If you had a story to tell, you'd be writing it right now. You talk about wanting to do a doc about Katrina... well, maybe that's too huge (in overall scope) to even know where to start at. Perhaps you need to just do a "my relative's personal experience during Katrina" documentary, instead of everything. Heck, that's golden right there since they've told you they'd go on camera any time. I bet if you interviewed your relative, they'd mention dozens of things that you could further explore and discover. It's not going to happen 'til you decide to do it, though.

I'm not saying this to be "arrogant, mean, holier-than-thou" or any other variation thereof... but you have a lot of excuses all through your various threads.

The only person holding you back is yourself.

We can make suggestions all night long, give advice 'til the cows come home, and even hold a pom-pom parade to cheer you on... but nothing is going to happen until you actually do it.

The varied opinions & collective knowledge (from everyone) on this site is mind-blowing, and the information is freely offered when asked for. Do something with it.

:) :) These smilies indicate that this post is friendly :) Do not mistake for otherwise. :) :)
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Thanks everyone. I understand where everyone is coming from, and I appreciate everyone's advice. I admit that I overreacted and that I was far too critical of all of you. I know now that you were trying to help, and I appreciate that.

Steve, you're right. I don't know where to begin, and that's the problem. Getting back to this Katrina story idea that I've had, I mean, I feel like everything has to be on a grand scale, a wide scope, because I have a preconceived notion in my mind that no one is going to care about just one person. In other words, if I have to tell the story about one member of my family, then it absolutely has to be about everyone. My dad can tell so many stories about what he experienced as a member of the fire department. He stayed behind to rescue people and saw a lot of death and destruction. A lot of it haunts him to this day. Yet, I say to myself, that's not good enough, you have to tell the story of how the entire fire department reacted or no one is going to watch. I know that I need to stop thinking that way. I know that I need to stop thinking that it has to be big, epic, or it has to live up to someone else's lofty standards.

There's also this idea that I put in my mind that "I can't film anything until I finish school". Again, that line of thinking is my fault. I know that whatever free time I have I can spend filming practically anything I want, even though it will probably be limited to weekends. I already have learned the tools necessary to make something effective from the video production classes I took. Once I get the camera for Christmas, it will be like I'm free to do anything I want, to make any film I want.

Again, thanks for all the advice. Much appreciated.
 
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Pacy, I'm not sure how old your relative is, but I am from south Louisiana (Raceland) and have family there who have been there for generations and generations.

Like others have said, by limiting the scope of your documentary, you are able to go deep into the subject.

If your relative is elderly, perhaps have him/her tell stories of the differences in all the hurricanes they have experienced since living in Louisiana. Do the research, do the work, have your relative help you contact others they know who lived thru these other storms.

I was born just before hurricane Besty, which devestated many towns south of New Orleans. I was also there for Camille which also brought much distruction. Katrina gets the spotlight perhaps because it's the only bad one you've experienced, and also because of all the political uproar.

The documentary work I enjoy most is about people, most often, simple people. I, too, watched the short about the lunch trucks, and it's the people that make this film interesting.

pacey1800 said:
Thanks everyone. I understand where everyone is coming from, and I appreciate everyone's advice. I admit that I overreacted and that I was far too critical of all of you. I know now that you were trying to help, and I appreciate that.

Steve, you're right. I don't know where to begin, and that's the problem. Getting back to this Katrina story idea that I've had, I mean, I feel like everything has to be on a grand scale, a wide scope, because I have a preconceived notion in my mind that no one is going to care about just one person. In other words, if I have to tell the story about one member of my family, then it absolutely has to be about everyone. My dad can tell so many stories about what he experienced as a member of the fire department. He stayed behind to rescue people and saw a lot of death and destruction. A lot of it haunts him to this day. Yet, I say to myself, that's not good enough, you have to tell the story of how the entire fire department reacted or no one is going to watch. I know that I need to stop thinking that way. I know that I need to stop thinking that it has to be big, epic, or it has to live up to someone else's lofty standards.

There's also this idea that I put in my mind that "I can't film anything until I finish school". Again, that line of thinking is my fault. I know that whatever free time I have I can spend filming practically anything I want, even though it will probably be limited to weekends. I already have learned the tools necessary to make something effective from the video production classes I took. Once I get the camera for Christmas, it will be like I'm free to do anything I want, to make any film I want.

Again, thanks for all the advice. Much appreciated.
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Who would be interested in a docu under 10 minutes about one person' story?

"There are already a lot of Katrina documentaries."

There's always room for Jello, as they say.

I think that future historians would be very interesting in one person's story. How cool would if be if we had documentary records of Ancient Rome?
 
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