From subject to scenario

Now we will see how to prepare for the shooting of your video documentary, working in stages. In this lesson, we’ll see how to define your topic and write your script.

Define the subject

You must first define the subject of the report , in other words the idea or the general theme of your film.

For example :

  • a presentation of the school
  • a cultural outing to the museum
  • a recreation game

This subject, the basis of your film, is also called the ” pitch ” (an English word which means summary).
In our example, our subject is “presentation of the city of children and its activities”.

Create the scenario

Once you have chosen your topic, you can move on to developing the scenario . Don’t be afraid of this word, it applies to projects of all sizes!

The same subject can be told by different scenarios: from a pupil’s point of view, from a chronological point of view, through interviews … You can present your subject with more or less romanticized means:

  • an investigation into the disappearance of a stuffed animal to travel through the different places of the school
  • a quest for swim caps to reach the swimming pool
  • a TV newspaper with reporters in the field.
  • a theatrical sketch to present a fashion show

In our example, we used a TV report format: reporter who presents, visuals of buildings / activities, and user interviews.

Writing a script helps tell a story, following a clear narrative thread for the audience.

A well-crafted script is essential to capture the interest of your audience!

To build your storyline, keep in mind a simple principle: your story should have a beginning, a middle and an end:
Here are some excerpts from videos made by your colleagues, which illustrate this construction.

This introduction introduces the class as a whole, with an explanatory title.

I don’t know how to create a title or other special effect

Video effects will be covered in the tutorial on how to edit your video , especially the lesson on editing.

It is the body of your video that contains the ” twists “. Also think about transitions to shoot at this time to make a connection between the different stages of your film.

Here, the different stages of the students’ journey are recounted as they go, in chronological order.

A goodbye, an end message, a sunset… We need an event that makes us feel that it is the end!

Now that your scenario is built, let’s move on to the next step, writing the storyboard!