What is a documentary? Are documentaries and biographies same?
A documentary is a non-fiction movie, where the maker includes the essential ingredients like realism, mainly for the purposes of education, instruction and maintaining the historical records. According to an American film critic, Pare Lorentz, ‘documentary is a factual film, which is also dramatic’. On the other hand, documentaries are capable of providing an opinion and some message with the mostrealisticinformation. In fact, some people define documentary as an art of cinematic presentation.
Many people get confused with the documentary and biopic. But, both are not similar. Documentaries are generally based on a specific group of people or some situations like earthquake or flood. People usually make documentaries on the ‘aftermath’ of such situations.
When it comes to biopics, they are based on an individual or a person’s life. Someone who has made a successful impact on the society or else or whose life might be worth sharing with other people.
Which is the best documentary ever?
There are many must-watch documentaries available. If we talk about 2016, there are so many documentaries, which are must-watch. You can watch ‘Before the flood’. The documentary is created by the Fisher Stevens. The documentary is based upon the climate changes and how it affects the environment. In this documentary, you will also see, what our society is actually doing to prevent the ecosystem, save the rare species, and protect the native communities all around the globe.
If you love musical theme, then ‘The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years’ is the most appropriate documentary for you. It is an amazing compilation of the video recording featuring interviews, musical concerts and stories of the famous English rock band, ‘the Beatles’. The documentary is all about their back-to-back 250 concerts between 1963-1966. The documentary was created by the Ron Howard. In fact, most of the documentaries are must-watch as they convey an informative message in the society. It is completely your choice which genre is your favorite.
How to make a good documentary?
The documentary making is all about your ideas and way of thinking. A documentary includes the real topics, events, incidents or issues. Every person has a different vision and a way of presenting the things. Whatever topic you decide, filming a documentary could be a serious task. A good documentary is completely upon your idea and creativity. Hence, choose an appealing and socially-effective topic which has some purpose. Do a complete research before and during the shoot. Add factual details to make your documentary more relevant and useful. If you have some basic film shooting experience and knowledge, it will be helpful. If you don’t have so, learn the basics first. Never forget to include interviews, bytes, and original video footage in the documentary. These elements will help you to make your work influential.
