tell no lies: 6 ways to make your documentary ‘authentic’
Quiz Question: What is the most basic goal of any documentary?
It’s no trick question.
The answer is:
Being truthful.
I think we can all agree that at the very least, a documentary should not tell lies. Even fiction-films tell a measure of truth, about their characters, or the values they portray. The problem is, that buzzwords like authentic, real or meaningful are often thrown around in the world of the arts, without much consideration for what they actually mean.
Because in reality, ‘truth’s is hardly ever black and white. Stories of people are complex and include many conflicting perspectives and debatable morals. So how do we actually go about being truthful?
How do we ensure that the story we tell is authentic?
Here, I want to have a shot at defining what we can do to ensure our stories are as truthful as possible.
As always, you can skip ahead using the links below.
Chapters
Define your own truth for a documentary film
The first question to ask yourself is this:
“How do I define ‘truth’ for this project?”
What outcome do you need to confidently say that your story was authentic? Do you need your main character to resonate with your film? Do you need to set straight certain misconceptions or prejudices? Does your story need to be contrast two opposing sides or perspectives? Do certain people need to be involved?
Think about this now, as it will define the rest of your planning process.
Example: I am shooting a short-documentary in Korea later this year, and my definition of truth was evoking a sense of nostalgia in my Korean friends. If I could do that, my story would be authentic.
Doing research ‘right’ for a documentary film
Once you have your definition, it’s time to do some research on your subject matter. Be as broad as possible, reading, listening and watching any and all kinds of material to learn about the people, places and themes you hope to include in your story. Specifically, I have found the following forms of media very helpful in doing my own research:
Wikipedia articles (for a basic introduction to the key themes)
Articles from local platforms or websites (e.g. you might need to translate them in googletranslate)
Travel Blogs
Podcasts (from people who have visited or who live in the target location)
Youtube Videos (e.g. other films or travel videos from the location I am visiting)
Instagram posts (search by hashtags and locations)
Books (search online for recommendations or check out your local library)
Google Scholar (for more technical information on specific issues)
Forums (e.g. Reddit, Quora, there is literal gold in these spaces as people develop page long conversations on all kinds of topics)
Google Maps (great for finding locations of interest, and to get an understanding of what the local space looks like, and how you might be able to get from place to place).
Scan these sources for information on the topic of your story, and take detailed notes on locally important people, places, events or movements. Note down especially any conflicts or disagreements and nuances. Remember that truth is not black and white, and most of the time you want to give space to exploring nuance in your story.
By the end of this phase, you should have a basic understanding of the background of your story.
Example: My research for my Korea trip included looking at existing short-films on youtube, and doing tons of reading on the history of Korea and the development of the language.
Defining your scope for a documentary
This is perhaps the MOST IMPORTANT part of telling an authentic story.
You need to limit yourself.
There is no point trying to capture an entire country in a short-film. Likely, wherever you are going hosts an incredible complex and diverse culture, with countless traditions, people and stories. The only way to remain truthful is to not oversimplify these complex topics. And that means picking a very narrow topic or story, which you can then give your full attention to.
This is your moment to ask why you are even making this film?
What specifically intrigues you? What story needs to be told here? Be as specific as possible, as the more specific you are, the more truthful your story will be.
Example: Instead of capturing the entirety of Korean culture in my planned film, I am focusing specifically on the emotions associated with language. For example, I am research culturally loaded words that don’t have a good translation to English, and then I will explore the meaning of those words.
Choosing authentic subjects for a documentary
Once you have researched and narrowly defined your story, you need characters. Obviously, it makes sense to choose characters with a direct personal connection to your story. People with a story to tell that will directly link to the theme you have defined.
But be cautious. You do not want to end up on the wrong side of a heated argument initiated by your film. So choose your characters based on a few traits:
Expressive: You want your character to be open to share their story, giving you as much insight into their life as possible. A lot of this comes down to you treating them with respect, but also they need to be somewhat naturally open to your idea.
Nuanced: Your character will either be very strong minded about a certain issue, or they will be open to alternative perspectives. Either way you need to capture this nuance. If you have a very strong-headed main character, maybe you need to balance their views and experiences with other main characters.
Connected: You want your character to be either well-respected or at least well known their community. This allows them to connect you with other potential characters, take you to interesting places and share a more interesting story. Of course, this only works if there is a community to speak of. They might, after all, be a hermit.
Example: In Korea I will not have time to engage with a single character throughout, so I will seek out a variety of perspectives from many people, hoping to gain a balanced perspective that way.
Using local crew for a documentary
It might not always be possible, but if you can, definitely find someone local to help you on this project. You could do this in one of many ways, including:
Finding local creatives on social media before you arrive
Hiring a local guide
Finding someone to translate for a bit of money.
Asking people on the street for directions, and then probing if they are interested in participating
Turning one of your characters into also becoming a co-director or other crew member.
The more local views you can get to contribute to the telling of your story, the more authentic it will be. However, there is one thing to remember:
This is your story.
Being truthful also means being truthful to your perspective. There is nothing wrong with that, as you are the storyteller here. After all, there are a billion ways to tell this story, and this is about your perspective.
Example: I have reached out to a couple of local photographers and filmmakers in Seoul. They might not contribute to the whole project but still provide valuable insights into my idea.
‘Authentic’ editing for a documentary
Finally, you have reached the edit stage, where arguably half of the magic happens. Every phrase and every visual will leave your viewers with an impression. Think about:
How cutting phrases might change their meaning
Where certain music adds emotional undertones
Why the pace of the film reflects on the key emotions
Whether your current version ‘feels’ real, like you are there right now.
You don’t need to always create a technically ‘correct’ film. It all depends on your definition of truth that you defined at the start. For my definition of truth in my upcoming project, the goal is to elicit a sense of nostalgia in people from those areas in Korea I am visiting.
If my film does this, then my story is authentic, even if it ‘looks’ different from real life.
