Often times I get to ask questions like what are the best ways to shoot a documentary video, how do you know when to shoot, what to shoot, where to shoot, and who to shoot? How easy can it be to just grab your camera and head up straight to your subject and shoot?
By and large, there are a few basic steps you can follow to ease and also to make your documentary more detailed. Some years back some friends and I planned to shoot a documentary video and we made a lot of costly mistakes which resulted in spending more to retake the shoot. When shooting a documentary video there are details that must be included especially when you’re documenting or filming someone with a unique story, you need to be able to relate with the person and ask various questions.
Here are basic steps you should follow:
Shoot B-rolls: First I will explain what B-rolls are used for and give the definition of B-rolls. This is the secondary footage shot outside of the primary footage which is called the A-rolls. The B-rolls are spliced together with the interview shot or the primary footage to create dramatic effects to drive a particular point of view. For instance, when the person sharing his or her story mentions a place or things or actions that happened a long time ago you can shoot the B-rolls to buttress the story being told by that person.
Shoot The Interview: The interview is the main video or the primary footage which is called the A-rolls. The interview session is where you get to ask questions from your subject or where he or she shares their story about the subject matter.
Extra B-rolls: Shooting A-roll only, might feel off balance making it incomplete. You wonder why the extra B-rolls? It’s because it will give you more insight on what to shoot, and also, it provides you the opportunity to listen to the interview again plus it will inspire you to shoot what was missing from the previous B-rolls. Your subject might have shared some experiences that need to be included as part of the story.
