Tips and ideas for writing for documentary

1. Writing a Treatment |
Documentary Script
Tips and ideas for getting your ideas organized
SHANNON WALSH
SCHOOL OF CREATIVE MEDIA, CITY UNIVERSITY HONG KONG

2. Writing Tips & Tricks
for Beginners
• Do some short exercises to stretch your writing
muscles
• If you’re stuck for ideas, carry a notebook every where
and write down your observations.
• Work out the time of day when you’re at your most
creative.
• Don’t agonize over getting it right.
• HAVE FUN!
http://www.dailywritingtips.com/creative-writing-101/

3. Writing for Short Films
Raindance Film festival
The shorter the better
Keep the practicalities of writing in mind
Make it visual: “Show don’t tell”, Make visual
backstories
Find single moments
Tell a Story
Engage the Reader
Beware of Clichés

4. The HERO’S JOURNEY
1. The Ordinary World
2. The Call to Adventure
3. Refusal of the Call
4. Meeting with the Mentor
5. Crossing the threshold
6. Tests, Allies and
Enemies
7. Approach
8. The Ordeal
9. The Reward
10. The Road Back
11. The Resurrection
12. Return with the Elixir
The Hero’s Journey is a pattern of narrative identified by the American scholar Joseph Campbell that
appears in drama storytelling myth religious ritual and psychological development. It describes the typical
adventure of the archetype known as The Hero the person who goes out and achieves great deeds
on behalf of the group, tribe or civilization.

5. Mind Mapping
1. Start in the CENTRE of a blank page turned sideways. Why? Because starting in the
centre gives your Brain freedom to spread out in all directions and to express itself
more freely and naturally.
2. Use an IMAGE or PICTURE for your central idea. Why? Because an image is worth a
thousand words and helps you use your Imagination. A central image is more
interesting, keeps you focussed, helps you concentrate, and gives your Brain more
of a buzz!
3. Use COLOURS throughout. Why? Because colours are as exciting to your Brain as
are images. Colour adds extra vibrancy and life to your Mind Map, adds tremendous
energy to your Creative Thinking, and is fun!
4. CONNECT your MAIN BRANCHES to the central image and connect your second- and
third-level branches to the first and second levels, etc. Why? Because your Brain works
by association. It likes to link two (or three, or four) things together. If you connect the
branches, you will understand and remember a lot more easily.
5. Make your branches CURVED rather than straight-lined. Why? Because having nothing
but straight lines is boring to your Brain.
6. Use ONE KEY WORD PER LINE. Why Because single key words give your Mind Map
more power and flexibility.
7. Use IMAGES throughout. Why because each image, like the central image, is also
worth a thousand words. So if you have only 10 images in your Mind Map, it’s already
the equal of 10,000 words of notes!
http://www.tonybuzan.com/about/mind-mapping/

6. Exchange and feedback
Find a partner and exchange your draft
treatment and/or explain your idea
Read each other’s work and give some
constructive feedback

7. Cue Card Method
Write Key Plot Point on Each Card – These are
scenes, or key ideas, or even pieces of dialog
Organize your cards in an order that gives you
the most dramatic and interesting results
Create two new columns for VISUALS & AUDIO
For each card, note what the viewer would SEE
& HEAR

8. Cue Card Method II:
How to break down the
story1. On one card write down the whole idea of the story in one
sentence
2. Re-write the story of your film in three cards
3. Re-write the story of your film on seven cards, breaking it
down further
4. Re-write the story of your film on fourteen cards, etc

9. Mood Board Method
For those doing more abstract work, create a “mood
board”
On a blank paper or on the computer, collect key
images, pieces of text, materials, photos, etc to
create a feeling of the mood and theme you are
going for
What are the emotional arcs of the piece?
What do you want the viewer to come away
with? Is it an idea? Feeling?
What kinds of things will we SEE & HEAR?

11. Annotated mood board

12. Mood board for the “Moulin Rouge” set by Anne
Seibel.

14. https://robertjonathankoeyers.wordpress.com/