In our Rise of the Docudrama session, directors Anna Thomson, Hereward Pelling, Emma Frank, Dan Clifton and Ben Goold disscussed a format on the up: the docudrama.
Scroll below for live-tweets and photos from the session. Find out more about our panel.
Under #DUKdocudrama we'll now be live-tweeting our session on The Rise of the Docudrama #DirectorsCut19 pic.twitter.com/rNZbE6OUib
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 2, 2019
We're joined by @Atomiumfilms, Emma Frank, Ben Goold and @herewardpelling, with @AnnaThomson2 hosting #DUKdocudrama #DirectorsCut19
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 2, 2019
Anna begins by explaining that the docudrama format used to be quite popular before falling out of fashion. However, it's now making a comeback because of its ability to tell big factual stories #DUKdocudrama #DirectorsCut19
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 2, 2019
We watch a trailer from production company @Nutopia_tv, who've played a big part in producing these epic "megadocs" #DUKdocudrama #DirectorsCut19
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 2, 2019
Dan Clifton says that the format is great for telling stories where there's a clear narrative, but one that doesn't immediately fit within a conventional doc or drama #DUKdocudrama #DirectorsCut19
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 2, 2019
Nutopia's America: Story of Us grew out of the need to produce a doc that would work for a generation that have grown up consuming video games #DUKdocudrama #DirectorsCut19
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 2, 2019
The fact that the series is still being watched and used in schools shows they succeeded in making that history compelling #DUKdocudrama #DirectorsCut19
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 2, 2019
Historical accuracy is incredibly important - in part because if it isn't accurate they get lots of angry emails! #DUKdocudrama #DirectorsCut19
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 2, 2019
The characters may not be real, and their thoughts and feelings may be invented, but it's about using character to reveal historical accuracy #DUKdocudrama #DirectorsCut19
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 2, 2019
When you get stuck, and you're not sure how to move the story on, it's always best to go back to the history - the real history is always better, more interesting, more unbelievable, than anything you could invent #DUKdocudrama #DirectorsCut19
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 2, 2019
When you get stuck, and you're not sure how to move the story on, it's always best to go back to the history - the real history is always better, more interesting, more unbelievable, than anything you could invent #DUKdocudrama #DirectorsCut19
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 2, 2019
We watch a clip from Emma Frank's BAFTA-winning Suffragettes with Lucy Worsley #DUKdocudrama #DirectorsCut19
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 2, 2019
This grew out of the desire to do a programme where Lucy was dressed-up, as she often is in her documentaries, but where she was embedded in the drama itself as well #DUKdocudrama #DirectorsCut19
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 2, 2019
Emma made the deliberate decision not to advertise the transition between the documentary elements and the drama #DUKdocudrama #DirectorsCut19
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 2, 2019
#DUKdocudrama #DirectorsCut19 pic.twitter.com/NaC4Df7pkW
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 2, 2019
We're now watching a clip from Dan Clifton's Forbidden Love #DUKdocudrama #DirectorsCut19
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 2, 2019
Dan explains that's there's a discipline to filming a docudrama that's kind of like making a short film. You have to focus your budget and resources into making each scene count #DUKdocudrama #DirectorsCut19
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 2, 2019
If you're not making a big budget megadoc like The Last Czars, the budget can actually be quite tight though #DUKdocudrama #DirectorsCut19
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 2, 2019
Dan recommends that you film your interviews first. That way, you can see where the gaps are and maximise your remaining resources and only shoot the scenes that will take the story along #DUKdocudrama #DirectorsCut19
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 2, 2019
Why is it better than filming a straight drama? Dan feels that you've got a wider palette of tools to convey your information #DUKdocudrama #DirectorsCut19
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 2, 2019
But it should be noted that these aren't dramas - they're still docs, still conveying facts and so you have to decide the best way to get those facts across #DUKdocudrama #DirectorsCut19
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 2, 2019
We now watch a clip of The Last Czars, which mixes drama, interviews and archive footage #DUKdocudrama #DirectorsCut19
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 2, 2019
Ben Good explains that they specifically decided not to mix those elements together. The interviewees aren't commenting on the drama scenes, they were filmed as entirely separate things #DUKdocudrama #DirectorsCut19
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 2, 2019
It was also made specifically for Netflix and aimed at a far younger audience than something for Discovery or one of the US networks #DUKdocudrama #DirectorsCut19
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 2, 2019
How do you tell a young audience a compelling story about something they probably slept through at school? #DUKdocudrama #DirectorsCut19
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 2, 2019
How do you tell a young audience a compelling story about something they probably slept through at school? #DUKdocudrama #DirectorsCut19
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 2, 2019
They don't think of the interviewees as historians, but as storytellers. Who can tell the story in the best possible way? #DUKdocudrama #DirectorsCut19
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 2, 2019
If you just have talking heads commenting on the drama, then it will make the drama nothing more than moving wallpaper. Each element needs to be separate and compelling in its own way #DUKdocudrama #DirectorsCut19
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 2, 2019
Producers can get worried. You want to direct a proper drama, but that has implications for the budget #DUKdocudrama #DirectorsCut19
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 2, 2019
But that's where directors and writers can help - they know how to cut out the scenes that might prove expensive but also aren't necessary to tell the story and can be covered in another way #DUKdocudrama #DirectorsCut19
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 2, 2019
Ben Goold says that docudrama offers a great opportunity for those writers and directors who aren't the big names making primetime BBC dramas, or those people stuck in continuing drama who want to make the next step #DUKdocudrama #DirectorsCut19
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 2, 2019
We're all in our very separate silos, directing one type of thing, but docudrama gives you an opportunity and freedom to direct many different types of material #DUKdocudrama #DirectorsCut19
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 2, 2019
We're all in our very separate silos, directing one type of thing, but docudrama gives you an opportunity and freedom to direct many different types of material #DUKdocudrama #DirectorsCut19
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 2, 2019
Responding to questions from the audience, the panel explain that they shoot the drama like a normal drama - it’s not self-shooting, it’s got a proper crew, although usually single camera #DUKdocudrama #DirectorsCut19
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 2, 2019
Emma explains that as a documentary director, you’re used to solving problems on the day and getting it done. That’s an invaluable thing to bring to a docudrama project with a small budget #DUKdocudrama #DirectorsCut19
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 2, 2019
Talking about pitching to broadcasters, Ben explains that Nutopia has a fantastic sizzle department that uses archive footage and bits of feature films to correctly frame how they want to tell the story #DUKdocudrama #DirectorsCut19
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 2, 2019
Dan says he feels that there are so many different kinds of documentary now, ones that work better for different broadcasters. But that’s why the genre is so interesting at the moment #DUKdocudrama #DirectorsCut19
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 2, 2019
That’s a wrap! Thank you to our brilliant panel: @AnnaThomson2, @Atomiumfilms, Emma Frank, Ben Goold and @herewardpelling #DUKdocudrama #DirectorsCut19
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 2, 2019
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