Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record. A "documentary film" was originally a movie shot on film stock the only medium available but now includes video and digital productions that can be either direct-to-video or made for a television program. "Documentary" has been described as a "filmmaking practice, a cinematic tradition, and mode of audience reception" that is continually evolving and is without clear boundaries.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Documentary_film
Documentaries can vary in subject and type, they can be based on real life events e.g. Disasters 9/11, on wildlife and nature life certain animals or place, there can be ones based on drug related events where people tell us there journey through there life where they first got caught up in drugs and it effected them and also how they overcome it, which could be very inspirational and inspire people and advise people they should get off drugs and give them information on how to achieve being off drugs.
There are also documentaries on survivalists one of the most successful survivalists being Bear Grylls who attracts a huge audience due to the bizarre survival techniques.
Teenagers are very prone not to like documentaries but there are documentaries that have emerged that for teenagers like THS(The Hollywood Story) which are the lives of celebrities and how they made there break up to the peak of there career.
Also there are very controversial documentaries that challenge the audiences views on the subject in hand, e.g. 9/11, this is a massive subject that nearly everyone knows about and has opinions on, close to the date of the 9/11 anniversary there are a lot of documentaries that are aired and talk about conspiracies and ideas that can cause uproar from a lot of people due to the information which are based on opinions but not actual facts, even so this still raises question among the audiences of the subject.
Structure of Documentary
1. 1.Watch documentary movies. Go see them on the big screen if you can. Learn what makes or breaks a documentary film. Think about what kinds of documentary films you like. Learn the various genres and filmmaking styles. For example, Michael Moore's filmmaking style is very different than Ken Burns' filmmaking style.
2. 2.Become familiar with technical equipment. Beg, borrow, steal equipment like DV cameras, final cut pro editing systems, cheap mics, flood lights. Experiment with lighting setups, audio recording, splicing clips together. Read filmmaking forums like IndieTalk to get sound technical advice from experienced filmmakers.
3. 3.Choose a subject that you find fascinating and is accessible to you. Choosing a subject that is compelling & timely will result in a strong and relevant film. It is often better to focus on a local personality or local event so that you will have access to loads of resources for your film. Besides, it's much simpler & cheaper to shoot at home than abroad.
4. 4.Become an expert on your chosen subject through research. Research your subject as thoroughly as possible. Gain knowledge through the internet, books, and word of mouth. Attend events pertaining to your chosen subject.
5. 5. Create a structure/outline for your film through visualization. Close your eyes and imagine how you would like the final product to look. Think about how you want to structure your film. What do you want to start with? How are you going to build your film? Write down your ideas. This will give you a blueprint for shooting. But remember that in documentary filmmaking, unlike fictional filmmaking, the footage informs the final structure of the film. Your initial written outline exists to serve as a guideline for shooting.
6. 6. Analyze your wants/needs for making the film. Make a wishlist of any people, locations, items, equipment you WISH you could have for your film. Cross-reference this list with any people, locations, items and equipment that you do have access to. Ask people. Check with local art centers, film departments at universities and colleges. Talk to the local film office. If you still can't find it then go to Myspace or Craigslist and see if you know someone who knows someone who can help fulfill some of the items on your wishlist. If you are looking for footage, check with stock libraries for material that is in the public domain and free to use.
7. 7. Find finances for your film. Use Google or check with your local film office to find out what existing documentary funding programs are available to you. For example, the International Documentary Association has a great list of grants you can apply for. Hold fundraising events.
8. 8. Shoot! Don't talk about doing it - get out there and shoot your film. This is the step that differentiates the aspiring filmmakers from the actual filmmakers.
9. 9.Post-production. Fast forward through all of your footage, and take printable screenshots of key scenes. This way you simplify the editing process by creating a visual map of your footage. Once this is done you should watch ALL of your footage and create an action log listing timestamps. This will help you to save time in the editing room.
10.Show your film! Upload it to the internet, four-wall it in a theatre, send the cut to distributors/networks to see if they are interested, hit the festival circuit. You can apply to multiple film festivals at once through the website Withoutabox. If all else fails, invite people to your place to screen. Burn multiple DVDs and get the film into the hands of family, friends, neighbours, co-workers, anyone you know who is in the film industry.
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