Have A Question About
Making Documentaries?


Ask Us Your Documentary Question

Do you have a specific documentary filmmaking challenge you're currently dealing with? Not sure your next step or who to turn to?

Please carefully review existing questions below or search this site

Click here for LEGAL Q&A's.

Questions already answered or covered on this site will not be answered again.

Please note: due to a high volume of submitted questions, we are not able to answer every question that comes in, but we will do our best!


Important! This site is all about filmmakers helping filmmakers, so once you post your question, pay it forward and help someone else out with their question! If you receive an answer that is helpful to you, please be courteous and follow up with a thank-you.


**All questions and answers are public.

For private (non-filmmaking) questions, please use the contact form, otherwise submit your filmmaking question below.


Ask Your Question

Please include as many details as possible so that we may best help you.

Documentary Questions From Other People

Click on the links below to see documentary filmmaking questions from other people who have visited this website.

What Are Some Creative Storytelling Ideas For My Documentary? 
Question: I am writing to you from Switzerland. I started to make a documentary about my country. The film shows the history from the Ice age, up to …

How do I transition from researcher to documentary maker? 
Question : I am a researcher with a PhD, including a lot of experience in archival research, interviewing, oral history, etc. I would like to use my …

Which Is Best Lens For Canon 7D and Filmic Documentary? 
I am going to do a filmic documentary & would like to know which lens would be most suitable for the Canon 7d Mark II ? So far I have heard the 50mm, …

Heroin Documentary | Where Do I Start? 
My community is small; as of the last census in 2010, the total population was about 2,069 people. It's a quiet, peaceful community, but even here heroin …

Best Picture Style for Shooting Documentary on Lumix G7 and GH4 
VISITOR QUESTION: Submitted December 19, 2015 Hi, I have just found this website, it is exactly what I need..thank you. I am just an amateur, …

How To Get Pro Audio Working As a Solo Filmmaker 
Question : There are often situations where I am forced to do the filming alone. Do you have any tips for getting great sound while you also are focusing …

How do I start a documentary when I don't even have equipment? 
Question: I wish to start my documentary that will be about social issues affecting the youth, however I don't have any capital. I don't have a camera …

Is it possible to make a documentary with a Panasonic HDC-HS80 Camcorder? 
Visitor Question : I'm really what you'd call a newbie. Basically I know nothing. I am going to a third world country...my place of birth...and since …

You Asked: How to create a strong online presence as a filmmaker? 
Question: The internet seems to be inundated with new independent filmmakers striving to make a breakthrough. What advise do you have for standing out …

You Asked: How do you effectively screen a film online? 
Question : I have found that online audiences are very different to audiences in the cinema, indeed few viewers watch films I have released the whole …

Audio Levels For Video And Documentary Production 
Ask Your Documentary Question What are the current standards regarding acceptable audio decibel levels of 1. Interviews 2. Music under interviews and …

Documentary Question | Research Software 
I'm researching information for a full-feature historical documentary that spans a period of ten years, with many characters, an enormous amount of official …

How do I put together a full time documentary video crew? 
I am the co-founder of a start up nonprofit. At this point I am in charge of some important parts of the business plan, and one of the plan subjects …

How To Find A Documentary Editor? 
Filmmaking Question : How can I find someone to review and clean up my edits, color, sound? I am 90% finished with post production of my documentary and …

How can I write a concept for a feature length documentary film? 
Question: I have an idea for a feature length documentary film, however I'm required to write a one page 'concept' for the film. It's for a school application …

How To Find Funding For Documentary on Extremism in Pakistan 
Question: I am conducting a research on a very relevant and impelling topic regarding rise of extremism & militancy in Pakistan and its connection with …

Film Festival Rules For Private Videos 
Question : What are people's experiences using Vimeo Private to get a feature film out to friends who live on the other side of the world. Will any …

Is writing a documentary proposal a collaborative work? 
Question : Is the producer responsible for writing the documentary proposal or it is a joint collaboration between producer, director, and writer? …

Documentary Filmmaking and Video Production Workshops  
Visitor Question: Hello. I have produced over 50 documentaries in the last two years for government agencies in Nigeria. I script. Direct. And voice. …

External hard drive for video editing? 
Hello. First of all, you must be aware that I am French. So, into this request, there could be mistakes in my grammar. I will try to be the most clear …

Documentary funding alternatives to social networks 
Question: Where can I find documentary funding without going down the social network route? My colleague and I have produced a documentary. We have …

How do I stop micro-jitters (rolling shutter) in DSLR cameras? 
Question: I understand in DSLR cameras, there is sometimes micro jitters or rolling shutter, but this can be stopped by rigging? What rigging does this …

Archive Footage Rights | Prelinger Archives 
QUESTION : Hello, I'm currently working on a 15 minute corporate documentary for a large swiss watch brand and we're struggling to understand the rights …

How do I decide the tone of the documentary? 
Hi I am 15 years old and I am beginning to start a documentary for National History Day.. I have participated in this competition for three years now and …

Click here to write your own.

Making A Fashion Documentary | Question About The Host 
This is Francis, one of your desktop documentaries subscribers. I am making a documentary on fashion and the documentary is the story of a young woman …

How to approach someone to be the subject of a documentary 
I have a particular person/talent in mind for my documentary. I haven't seen much (or really any media) about individuals with his job or talent and I …

Photographing Historical Documents For A Documentary 
Visitor Question : I am making a documentary about a historical figure and will be needing to take a lot of photographs of documents, can you recommend …

Buying my first video camera, not sure what to get? 
March 19, 2014 - In about a month in a half I will traveling cross country, and filming the journey to try to make a documentary. My budget is about $1500, …

How do I monitor audio remotely?  
Audio Question : Hi. This is the one thing that I need the most help with. I am planning on filming a choir teacher and his choir in my documentary. How …

One Person Crew | How do I film my first documentary by myself? 
I want to make a documentary about abused/rescued animals and will be solely filming in Alabama while maybe going a bit further out towards the Atlanta …

Is It Okay To Set Up A Documentary Shoot in Advance? 
Hi there. Here's my question. Is it okay to set up a documentary shoot in advance? For example I am making a film about musical students in India who …

How do I learn more about being a host for a documentary? 
I'm very interested in hosting investigative short documentaries as a Michael Moore type host/presence in the story. How can I learn more about which scenes …

How to visualize my idea into a documentary film? 
I've been attending a Camp for School of Documentary that's been holding in my city in the beginning of January this year and I learned a lot of stuff …

Is funding for documentaries in Europe similar to the US? 
Hi there! We are European citizens living in Europe and are about to embark on our first documentary. I really like your site and have been reading a …

Is It Possible to Earn a Full Time Living as a Documentary Filmmaker? 
Question: Is it possible to earn a full time living as a Documentary Filmmaker? I have a strong background in art, but I am also very interested in …

Should I Use Sound Effects In My Documentary? 
Question : I know it isn't common to use sound effects in a documentary. I want to use the sound of a ticking clock on a shot of students taking an exam …

Documentary Funding | Do I Need An Organization To Accept Funds? 
We are in the process of creating a documentary. We'd like to take donations for the costs associated with creating our documentary. Do we need to set …

Formatting My Video Material For iMovie 
Hello, years ago I interviewed my late mother on what life was like in our home town of Phoenix AZ during WW II. She also discussed my dad and her brothers …

Best DSLR Camera For Documentary Filmmaking 
Hello, I am an aspiring documentary film maker from the Netherlands, and just started my own production company. I want to purchase my own gear, but …

Question About Writing A Documentary Treatment 
Question How do you identify interviews in treatment that you HOPE take place. And what you HOPE they will say? EX: It is an interview with the …

Downloading free music for videos 
Visitor Question : Adding music to videos is a must even if just a short intro or exit, 5 min or 50 min. All the free sites are not completely free. …

How does one get on a list of potential interviewees by documentary filmmakers? 
Question: I am wanting to grow my audience group concerning the topics that I write and lecture on. I have been told that documentary filmmakers are …

Video Projection | How To Project Video Without A Delay 
Visitor Question: Hi there. I have been working on a video project for my church, however we have encountered a problem. We would like to be able to …

Filmmaking With Vintage Film Gear | Advice Needed 
I received a collection of my late father's cameras from my eldest brother when I went to Juneau for my youngest sister's funeral. After returning …

Making Documentaries in Australia 
Hiya, I have followed your newsletters for some time now and fully appreciate the trouble you go to in producing them. The Top 10 Documentary Websites …

Documentary Question | Maintaining Full Creative Control or Not? 
Question : We are at an impasse in making a doc, and the impasse comes down to creative control. Our subjects would like a 'can't live with it' clause …

Conflict of interest when making a documentary 
Question: I am producing a documentary about two good friends of mine who run an unusual restaurant in the desert. The director is concerned the friendship …

What are the best sources to find documentary jobs? 
Question : I am currently working in the online journalism field as a multimedia producer. I have produced several of my own video stories as a "one …

How To Find Seed Money For My Documentary? 
Question: I am an aspiring documentary film maker, and very passionate about my subject-matter. It's about socioeconomic issues in Africa and the effects …

Click here to write your own.

How do I make a documentary about the streets of Kolkata 
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links and we will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on our links. Question: I have …

What filmmaking equipment to buy? 
Question : I have a Toshiba X400 Camcorder , after filming an interview it takes an hour or more to get it off my memory card and onto my computer. …

Who to talk to about a documentary grant? 
Hello my name is Stephen and this may seem bit of a weird question, but myself and two friends wanna do a documentary on the paranormal. Not just ghosts …

What's the best hard drive recovery software? 
Question : I'm really frustrated. I have FOUR external hard drives to hold all my video footage, plus photos and documents. They are all G-Raids. …

Need any registation to make short or featured documentaries? 
Question: Hi, I am Jeevan from India. Plz tell me whether I need any kind of registration (banner, title or anything else) before making a short or …

How do I make a documentary about HIV/AIDS? 
Comment or Question: Hi, I'm a 23 years old man from and aspiring film maker from tanzania in east africa. Im a college student. I wanna start my project …

What Is The Best Way to Catalog Rushes? 
Hi there, I'm in the process of trying to put together a documentary for a punk rock band. My first issue is that I have a TONNE of footage that needs …

Who Can I Trust With My Memoir? 
My name is Jessica Solsona and I was molested for years by my step dad and my mom knew and did nothing. In fact she was mad because she said she thought …

How do I get people's permission to use their photos in my documentary  
Question : Many of the photos I want to use in my documentary were taken by my father while he was in the service during WW II. Most were taken overseas …

How do I come up with an idea if the character is dead 
Question : Hi my name is Grace. I want to shoot a short docu about how my grandma died of cancer. It was detected early enough so she succumbed after …

How do i make a good movie?? 
OK, here's the deal, I'm doing a documetary on Pierre Troudeau (15th Prime Minister of Canada) for a school project and I DO NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT MOVIE …

How do you create an effective script/outline and production schedule for a webisodes documentary series? 
Hello! I've been working on my first documentary for over a year now. Its about music festival culture & communities. My goal was to start shooting at …

What are the best questions when interviewing an artist in order to make a documentary about his career? 
Question : I am making a documentary about an artist from Lowell! He is a photographer and a film maker... very talented and different in his work! I …

How to recover audio files on Mac 
Question: Help! I am trying to recover audio files from an external hard drive connected to my mac computer. My hard drive crashed and I was able to …

How do I get a documentary crew? 
Question: I have a great idea for a documentary which I believe will be extremely popular. Basically I want a film crew who will shoot the film, and …

Can I edit my own version of my friend's documentary? 
Question: I co-produced and shot a documentary that was my friend's idea. Can I edit my own version of it and submit it to film festivals? Answer: …

How should I proceed to make a documentary movie? 
Question : This is the first time that we are making a documentary movie. We are not trained and we haven't studied film making as yet. But we are very …

is it a good idea to prep people ahead of time before filming 
Question: I am doing a documentary about transgender escorts and I'm wondering if it's a good idea to prep people ahead of time before filming? Answer: …

My friend filmed a documentary of me and i want the tapes what are my rights 
Question: I was filmed by a friend for a documentary and we have had a falling out, who owns the tapes that were filmed? Answer: If your friend …

Audio Question About Boom Mic 
Question : If a boom mic is not available what do you suggest to use for getting the best sound? Answer : In general, you want to get the best mic …

Do I need permission to use file footage and other video material? 
Question: I want to use photos and other video material in a documentary. These will be used as references to help build the story. I noticed that in …

Suggest a list of film festival for my travel documentary 
Question : I am currently working on motorcycle expedition travel documentary and it will be ready hopefully by Jan 2012. Kindly Suggest a list of film …

How can I find collaborators to help with my documentary? 
Question: I've got the story and material for my documentary, but I've never made one. I need to find someone who knows how to make a documentary. …

Would you use a separate audio/sound person, or would your cameraman handle it? 
Question : I'm working on a documentary project. And I'm trying to figure out the number of crew people I need. Not sure if I need a separate audio person …

How do I make a documentary on a spiritual leader? 
Question : I would like to do a documentary on a spiritual leader. What kind of content do I need? If I have to narrow it down, what aspects should be …

Click here to write your own.

Going back for location/talent releases 
Question : I put together a high school basketball webisode/documentary a few years ago on a specific team and ran it on the Internet. I'd like to re-package …

Steps to making a documentary 
Question : I'm wondering what are the steps to making a documentary? I'm working on a project for school and not sure where to start. I have a small …

how to write a script for a documentary? 
Question: Do you have any examples of documentary scripts such as the documentaries on the series i-Witness in the Philippines? Answer: You would …

How to make a documentary film 
Question: I've got an idea for making a documentary film and so I need some ideas of how to get started. Answer: Wow, that is a very big question. …

Regarding international releases 
Question: I'm planning a documentary project that interviews residents of Argentina, Bolivia and other South American residents.What should I know about …

What the best hard drive for video editing? 
Question: I'll be traveling with a group of cyclists across the country this summer who are raising money for a non-profit. I will be shooting video …

Should I go to film school? 
Question: I have been thinking about film school to learn documentary filmmaking techniques. Do you think it's necessary to take classes, if so where …

What type of camera is best for making a documentary? 
Question : In Nepal the commonly video makers are not used to the high quality cameras. We want give the quality. So what type of camera is good for …

How to get started on a documentary? 
Question: I am the beginner in this field, I know only few metrals and tools, so what things are important in the making of a documentary. Answer: …

Lost Video Footage in Final Cut Pro 
Question: I just made a small 37 minute documentary film about Lebanon my birth place. It is all clips from youtube also from the Al Jazeera network …

A General Comment/Idea 
I am not a documentarian. But I am a documentary enthusiast. This being said, I feel that there has not been a very strong film in recent time that has …

Click here to write your own.

More Questions:



New! Comments

[To ensure your comment gets posted, please avoid using external links/URL's]
7 Day Documentary Crash Course

Ready To Make Your Dream Documentary?

Sign up for our exclusive 7-day crash course and learn step-by-step how to make a documentary from idea to completed movie! 



Return Home