What is Documentary Filmmaking? Definition, Types & How It Works

Even watched a show that made go bonkers over it? I bet that should have been a documentary. The documentaries help capture the real life events and real people. There are generally no scripts, but just an outline on what you want to capture. The strength of the documentary movies lies in their compelling storytelling.


But, what makes documentaries so worthy? Simply because they educate, inspire and spark emotions. They can be an excellent option for creating awareness, right from environmental issues to social causes to exposing hidden truths.

In this blog, we will find what is documentary filmmaking and how to make one that can create wonders.

What is Documentary filmmaking?

Well, documentary filmmaking is when you set out and start capturing the real life events. The documentary focuses on real life situations, powerful storytelling and reality. They differ from the mainstream movies where they use flashy lights and CGI effects to create a make believe scenario.

In essence, documentary filmmaking is more focused on the following aspects –

• Inform – You may want to shed light on important aspects of the society.
• Educate – Teach your audiences about something new in a clear way that isn’t exaggerated.
• Inspire – You can make people think, introspect and take action on certain important matters of life.

What are Documentary Movies?

A documentary movie is not a mainstream movie that comes with a make believe story and powerful dialogues. At the same time, they aren’t plain interview kinds of things that have a person talking.

A documentary movie is a thought provoking movie content that blends a strong storytelling with the authentic real life footage. The purpose of a documentary movie is to create an informative and emotional outcome.

A documentary movie features the following

Narration – The movie contains a voice that is calm to guide you through the story. Visuals – It consists of stunning real life footage, interviews and real life scenes Authenticity – There are no made up dramas or scenes. They just have real life stories.

To help you understand what a documentary movie is, you should watch a few of the following movies –

• March of the Penguins (2005) – Adorable penguins surviving the harsh Antarctic.
• 13th (2016) – A deep dive into racial injustice.
• Planet Earth (2006) – Nature like you’ve never seen before!

Types of Documentary Films

Yes, there are different types of documentary films. In fact, it covers several areas and thus there is no one size fits all concept involved.

• Expository documentaries – These documentaries are voiceover driven and jam packed with real life facts. They have a combination of archival footage, interviews, and authoritative voiceovers to guide the story.
• Observational documentaries – These have no scripts and interviews. They are made simply with unfiltered and raw reality. These movies capture life as it happens with no or minimal interference of the maker.
• Participatory Documentaries – In this kind of filmmaking, the filmmaker is the part of the story. The movies have the filmmaker actively participating in the discussions and with the subjects. This creates an immersive and personal storytelling experience.
• Reflexive documentaries – They focus on the essence of documentary filmmaking itself. The filmmaking lets the viewers be aware of how the documentary was made.
• Performative Documentaries – These documentaries belong much to personal and emotional level. They focus on the filmmaker’s perspective with real-world events. They emphasize personal experiences, emotions, and artistic expression rather than just presenting hard facts.

How to Make a Documentary Film (Step-by-Step Guide!)

Making a documentary movie involves several steps. Understanding these steps can help you focus on the right aspects of movie making.

Step 1. Research and planning
This forms the foundation of movie making. The step involves finding a topic that interests you. Create a proper outline to spread the message that you wish to communicate to the audience.

Step 2. Pre-production
This step involves getting ready to roll. You can write a loose script to follow (even when you do not need to strictly adhere to the script). Prepare the interview questions if any. Take necessary permission for the shoot.

Step 3. Filming and production
Arrange the paraphernalia and set out to shoot. Make sure to capture raw and authentic footage. Ensure that the interviews have people talking naturally.

Step 4. Editing and post production
This step will involve piecing the footage together to create a compelling story. Add music, narration, and other effects as needed. Avoid the overly special effects as in the mainstream movies. It will take the authenticity away!

Step 5. Promotion and distribution
The next step would involve marketing your documentary. You can submit it to the festivals. You can also release them on YouTube and other media streaming services. Use the power of social media to spread the world about your content.

Why Do Documentary Filmmaking Matters?

Documentaries aren’t just entertainment—they change lives. They:

• Raise Awareness – From climate change to human rights, they make us care.
• Educate – Ever learned more from a doc than school? We feel you.
• Inspire Change – Many documentaries have led to real-world action!

Need a professional for your documentary? Let’s Talk!

Are you into documentary moviemaking and want professional level video editing for your footage? We at Ojal Digital help you craft a masterpiece from your raw footage. Create a cinematic masterpiece with us for your stories on human endeavours and heartwarming stories.

Our expert editing team will help you documentary shine through.

DM us now and bring your vision to life!