Why do a lot of newbies want to start out with documentaries?

H

harmonica44

I've been working for free on people's movies for experience and building connections. One thing I have noticed though, is that most people want to make documentaries when they start out. But aren't documentaries more difficult to make than fictional feature films? The only want to shoot one take for one thing, and they don't want to do things such as treat the room for sound and record sound and shoot video on the fly. None scripted.

This is challenging since their are no rehearsals and it's even more difficult to anticipate mic booming, focus pulling, camera moving, camera positioning, lack of sound advantage environments, etc. It seems that people who have had experience making fictional scripted movies, should then move onto documentaries, and that these newbies have it backwards. They say they are not 'there yet' for scripted movies though. Or am I wrong and their is a reason why they should start out in this field?
 
You can't just say "Newbies make documentaries" without supporting it with some kind of proof.

As far as I'm concerned, most I run into on the Tube do action/drama/effects packed videos.
 
I see some newbies want to stick to making docco's when they start, but I'd suspect that they'd be in the minority.

I imagine that most would get into it for scripted (or semi reality based crap) stuff.
 
Compare the popularity of the 48HFP with the Doc Challenge, and then tell me that most newbs prefer making documentaries. In my experience, the exact opposite is true.

Also, I don't see how one or the other is more or less difficult. They're both incredibly difficult.
 
Well so far I started out on one short film and helping another person with his so far, and another with their feature. And the two documentaries, but got fired one from one even though I was working for free. Basically the filmmaker was dating my friend and they broke up, and now he doesn't want to work with anyone who is friend's with his ex. But that's just in case anyone was wondering what happened when I saw I am not doing one of the documentaries anymore lol.

But I guess I feel that documentaries are just tougher for the inexperienced, since a lot of it counts on knowing exactly what to do in one take, quick on your feet. And since it's not scripted you very little control over what people say, in your movie. I guess planned out fiction seems like a better route for the inexperienced, at least that's what I think.
 
My desire was to jump straight into my narrative feature. It turns out that getting someone to give you 3-5 million dollars for your first film is more difficult than it sounds. My second choice was to make a short film in the style of a reality TV show. That idea developed a life of it's own and is now in development. While twiddling my thumbs waiting on the TV show, I was offered a documentary. I figured what the hell and started rolling with it. Now, I've been offered another documentary. This is all as a writer/director. I have worked on a bunch of movies and TV shows in other roles. So for me, it isn't a matter of what I wanted to make, it is a matter of what I am able to make at this time.
 
Lucky Hardwood said:
My desire was to jump straight into my narrative feature. It turns out that getting someone to give you 3-5 million dollars for your first film is more difficult than it sounds. My second choice was to make a short film in the style of a reality TV show. That idea developed a life of it's own and is now in development. While twiddling my thumbs waiting on the TV show, I was offered a documentary. I figured what the hell and started rolling with it. Now, I've been offered another documentary. This is all as a writer/director. I have worked on a bunch of movies and TV shows in other roles. So for me, it isn't a matter of what I wanted to make, it is a matter of what I am able to make at this time.
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You don't need 3-5 million to make your first feature though, you can make a short or a less expensive feature. If it's good that would get you further than doing a documentary. I think that's what OP is trying to say
 
HunterF said:
You don't need 3-5 million to make your first feature though, you can make a short or a less expensive feature. If it's good that would get you further than doing a documentary. I think that's what OP is trying to say
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For this project, I do. I didn't get into filmmaking because I've always wanted a career in the movie industry. I did it because I have certain stories stuck in my head that I want to unleash upon the world. Since one must put the creative vision into written word, I started with screenwriting. Since one does not control the creative vision once it is turned over to others, I moved on to directing. That is where I stop. I do not wish to work my way up through the ranks of wannabes littering the sets that I work on regularly. I intend to swing for the fences with every at bat. Even if i strike out 999 out of 1000 times, I only need the one home run. I take on these other projects more as favors than anything else. Besides, if one of the documentaries that I'm doing goes the distance, it opens doors.
 
Even though I say documentaries are more difficult, they do have some easy sides though. Since so far it seems directors want to shoot a documentary scene all in one take, one of the plus sides is, is that we are in and out of the location very fast. I mean it seems that a scene shoot is two hours tops so far! When doing a short film I find it difficult to go under six hours for a scene, shot from different angles, so even though you only get one take, at least you get it all done in a short time, that is happy with the location owner.
 
When doing a short film I find it difficult to go under six hours for a scene, shot from different angles, so even though you only get one take, at least you get it all done in a short time, that is happy with the location owner.
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I assume you're talking one setup for that scene? How many shots do you get done in that 6 hours? How many script pages would you get done in that time?
 
Well so far in my experience 10 hours can cover about 5 minutes of dialogue if I work quickly. That would be a long five minute scene though. I am trying to get it under. For a future project I have storyboarded a three minute dialogue scene to be in only 3 shots. I might be able to do in even two shots depending on how the room is shaped. That depends on which location I get. But that's an example. The reason why it took 10 hours is because maybe I just had too many shots. I had six shots at least.
 
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