Documentary script

[DesertAuthor]

I'm the author of Into the Wild Blue Yonder, which is an early history of the US airlines. My next step is to produce a documentary of the early airlines and the challenges they faced, trying to get off the ground during the Great Depression.
International Documentary assn.
My questions are: Is there any difference in the script for a documentary and the script for a film? Is a membership in the International Documentary Assn. helpful? Also any tips in applying for grants would be appreciated.

 

[Maryn]

Step one is always doing your homework. Seen any documentaries you admired, on any subject? Find their scripts and read them, paying attention to format, how they handle narration, how they note what's on the screen, and everything else that's different from a movie script that tells actors what do say and do.

Literally find and read ten documentary scripts from documentaries that came out in the last five years. That will get you a greater understanding that anything our members might share. It would be wise to seek documentaries that were not self-produced but a collaborative effort, since people producing their own works don't necessarily follow industry standards.

 

[DesertAuthor]

Step one is always doing your homework. Seen any documentaries you admired, on any subject? Find their scripts and read them, paying attention to format, how they handle narration, how they note what's on the screen, and everything else that's different from a movie script that tells actors what do say and do.

Literally find and read ten documentary scripts from documentaries that came out in the last five years. That will get you a greater understanding that anything our members might share. It would be wise to seek documentaries that were not self-produced but a collaborative effort, since people producing their own works don't necessarily follow industry standards.

Good stuff, thank you!