Narrative Arc in “Fierce Light” Documentary Trailer

One of my clients turned me on to a compelling trailer for a new documentary, “Fierce Light”.  I was intrigued by the film’s tagline-“where spirit means action”–and even more so by the trailer’s simple technique for setting up the film’s narrative arc.

The filmmaker, Velcrow Ripper, who is also the film’s protagonist, uses words in his narration straight from narrative bibles like “Story” by Robert McKee and “The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers” by Christopher Vogler.

Ripper says he “set out” on both a geographical and internal “quest” to combine activism with spirituality. While these words are classic (and some might argue overused) terms used to define a narrative arc, they flow easily in his opening narration.   And they quickly orient the viewer to the film’s emotional ride.

From the producer of “The Corporation”, this new documentary is playing on HBO in Canada this month.  Check out how the trailer sets up the narrative arc at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yh5Qvv3UIEg

If you are making a character-driven documentary, you can learn a lot about fashioning a riveting narrative arc in my free article, which has helped many filmmakers:

https://newdocediting.com/resources/

For those of you directing personal documentaries, I invite you to get my 2-part “Directing Personal Documentaries With Universal Appeal” at:

https://newdocediting.com/products/direct_personal_documentary/

Finally, I am excited to begin the New Doc Inner Circle today! Our first virtual teleseminar is about “Meta-Templates for Commercially Successful Documentaries”.  Learn more about this tight-knit community of filmmakers at:

https://newdocediting.com/land/innercircle/

It is my hope that these resources will help you create a compelling structure for your important message to the world!  Keep the faith!