Planning a Short Documentary

Year 9 HEAP • Documentaries • Planning

A short documentary succeeds or fails in planning. The central question, the access to people and places, and the ethical risks should be settled before filming begins. A paper edit can test the argument without a camera.

Start with a question

Weak starting point	Stronger question	Why
"A film about our school."	"What does the school's oldest building reveal about how the school has changed?"	Gives the material a focus and a reason to be seen.
"A film about waste."	"Where does the canteen's food waste actually go?"	Turns a broad issue into a traceable process.
"A film about a local hero."	"What did this person do that the official record leaves out?"	Creates an inquiry rather than a tribute.
"A film about the creek."	"Who decided what happened to the creek, and who was not asked?"	Opens evidence, perspectives and ethics.

One-page treatment

Field	Your plan
Working title
Central question
Why this question matters now
Intended audience
People to interview and why
Places and access
Archive or documents
Visual approach
Sound approach
Structure in five beats
Ethical risks and safeguards
What the film will not claim

Access and consent

Ask permission before filming on private property or in restricted areas.
Explain the purpose, audience and where the film will be shown.
Record consent in writing for anyone who appears or speaks.
Explain that participation is voluntary and can be withdrawn.
Check whether guardians need to consent for students or vulnerable people.
Have a plan for anyone who becomes distressed during an interview.
Do not promise a particular edit or outcome to a participant.

Shot list

Shot	Subject	Purpose	Location	Equipment	Permission
1
2
3
4
5

Storyboard

Frame	Image	Sound or voice	Duration	Job in the argument
1
2
3
4
5
6

Paper edit

A paper edit arranges the material on cards or a table before any editing software is opened. Each card represents a shot, interview excerpt or sound cue. Move the cards until the argument is clear.

Write one card per shot or interview segment.
Mark each card as evidence, illustration, transition or atmosphere.
Lay out the cards in the planned order.
Remove any card that does not serve the question.
Check that every factual claim has an evidence card.
Test the order with a reader who has not seen the material.

Low-tech alternatives

If you cannot film	Alternative
No camera	Create an audio documentary with recorded interviews and narration.
No editing software	Build a photo essay with captions and a written voice-over.
No access to people	Analyse documents and archive, and present the plan as a research dossier.
No time to produce	Complete the treatment, storyboard and paper edit as the finished product.
No permission to publish	Screen the work to the class only and keep it offline.

Ethical review

Question	Answer	Safeguard
Could anyone be harmed by appearing?
Is consent informed and voluntary?
Are private details visible or audible?
Is anyone represented without their voice?
Could the edit distort what someone meant?
Is the emotional intensity proportionate?
Who checks the film before it is shown?

Common errors

Filming before thinking. Collecting hours of footage without a question.
Unclear access. Assuming a person or place will be available.
Ignoring consent. Treating a casual yes as permission to publish.
Overambitious scope. Planning a thirty-minute film in five lessons.
No ethical review. Discovering a privacy problem after the film is finished.

Read the teacher notes for pacing, differentiation and sensitive content, and the sources and provenance page for the packet's copyright position.