Documentary Editing Tip 11: Essay Climax
How can you end an essay-style documentary with a big climactic feeling? I’ll give you five ideas, but first…our Inner Circle program for documentary filmmakers has been moved to April 13th.
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In our last editing tip, we looked at how to construct a climax scene for a character-driven documentary. Today, we’ll examine five tried and true ways you can end your film with a splash.
First, you can conclude by presenting your most damning piece of evidence. Ramp up to the anecdote or the statistic that cements the thesis statement you’ve been arguing throughout your essay-style documentary.
Michael Moore did this in “Bowling for Columbine” when he asked Charlton Heston why America has the highest rate of homicide due to hand guns.
Second, suggest a solution to a problem. In “An Inconvenient Truth,” Al Gore sums up his case for global warming and then, at the end, offers the viewer hope with a powerful call to action–including several specific, practical solutions.
Third, create a climactic feeling at the end of your film with a Grand Idea—one that really captures your viewer’s imagination.
Fourth, use cutting-edge graphics or animation, or some other innovative stylistic technique.
Fifth, point your viewer toward the future.
Director Barry Ptolemy used all three of these last techniques in one of my favorite essay-style documentaries, “Transcendent Man.”
Whatever you think of the controversial ideas of futurist Ray Kurzweil, the final, cleverly edited minute of this documentary conveys grand ideas that point us toward the future through riveting animation. I highly recommend this film as an example of an essay-style documentary that ends with a climactic feel.
If you’re looking for guidance structuring your documentary, please email me: karen@newdocediting.com
for a free consultation to see if our upcoming three-month story-consulting program is right for you. Learn more about the New Doc Inner Circle at:
