358 / Types of Writing
wide angle: a camera shot made from a distance or with a wide-angle lens in
order to show a panoramic view
zoom in/out: to mechanically establish a closer or more distant shot by adjust-
ing the lens of the cameraKnowing and understanding these terms will help you direct the camera crew and
make the most of their capabilities.
PRoCESS
Television drama scripts closely parallel stage scripts. Thus, for variety’s sake, we’ll
examine here the script for a short documentary.
Scripts for television documentaries require significant research. The short docu-
mentary modeled here shows the basic process and peculiar techniques of the form.
STEP 1: Prewriting—Doing the Preliminary Research
Assume you are preparing a ten-minute documentary on an aspect of your school or
college, a video to be presented to incoming freshmen. Because you are active in the
forensics program, you decide to deal with that subject. You’ll begin by asking the
kinds of questions your viewer will be likely to ask. These questions serve as a stable
guide for developing this—and most any other—documentary:
- Why is this subject important?
- If the subject is not obviously important, how can I make it interesting and
appealing? - What kinds of things would a viewer want to know about the subject? Its
beginnings? Its present situation? Its future? - How can I personalize the subject?
- Who can best explain the subject?
- Are certain people a must for interviews?
Read or interview as necessary to develop a list of ideas for your documentary. A list
for the school forensics documentary might look something like this:
provides good training, no matter career choice
after-school activity
extracurricular events good for experience
good coach/friend
general activities for a school year
specific activities of one team member
kinds of events
rewards: personal growth, friendships, scholarships, contacts in other schools