The Most Predictable Crisis in Documentary Filmmaking

Hi There,

Documentary filmmaking is fraught with drama and risk, and that’s why I tell filmmakers with whom I story consult that they are very brave.  You might never get funding you need, your subjects might refuse to sign a release form, or the story you are following may never pan out with a climax scene.

While many of these scenarios are unpredictable, there’s one crisis you can count on.  And one of my favorite story consulting clients, a filmmaker with two successful films under her belt, ran smack into it last week.

Two-thirds of the way through post-production, she watched her documentary-in-progress with her significant other.  As you might expect, seeing your film in the presence of someone outside the film’s team makes you excruciatingly aware of its flaws. 

She called me the next day, upset.  “I’m really worried,” she said, “Do you ever do emergency sessions?”

So we gathered the film’s team on a conference call, and I reassured them that this crisis moment was “the dark night of the soul” that plagues nearly every film production.  When you’re done shooting and the cut you’ve been working on for weeks just isn’t shaping up, panic can ensue.

I had certainly experienced this on every one of my own five documentaries, particularly the PBS biography “I Shall Not Be Removed: The Life of Marlon Riggs.”

That said, we identified the problem areas and set about brainstorming solutions.  Part of the problem was that the filmmaker had not fully and boldly owned the film’s central theme.  I asked her to speak from her heart about what she wanted to say in this film.  Once she connected with her emotional core, she was able to articulate her truth and wed the disparate parts of the film.

A week later, I watched a cut that moved me to tears.  As soon as it was finished, I called the filmmaker at 8 a.m. (not something I usually do) and congratulated her.  She had surged past her crisis of confidence and brilliance flowed from the heavens!

Not every crisis is so quickly resolved, but if you’re facing it, remember three things.  First, it happens to everyone.  Second, get some help identifying and troubleshooting the problems areas.  And third, connect with your heart, so you can speak your truth boldly and eloquently.

For more strategies to keep your viewers glued to the scene, check out my new program (only a couple openings left), “The Ultimate Guide to Structuring Your Documentary.” Go to https://newdocediting.com/land/ultimate_documentary_guide/.