Make a Documentary on YouTube that Grabs Viewers’ Attention

Types of Documentaries on YouTube

There are many different types of documentaries on YouTube, which can be roughly divided into the following 4 categories.

# Faceless Documentaries

Faceless documentaries are the choice of many YouTubers who do not want to show their faces. This kind of faceless video is often presented in a combination of narration and animation. This kind of documentary needs to have good editing.

# Hosted Documentaries

Hosted documentaries are based on the original faceless documentary, but the narration part is replaced by the host part. This kind of documentary can establish a better relationship with the audience than the faceless documentary.

# On-Location Documentaries

Field documentaries require the most money of all documentaries, but they are also the most attractive to audiences. This type of documentary takes longer to shoot and requires good filming skills.

# Interview Documentaries

Interview documentaries collect different perspectives and ideas by interviewing other people. This type of documentary requires a good background and lighting, which can make your interview documentary look more professional.

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Steps to Make YouTube Documentaries

If you want to create a documentary but don’t know where to start, here are some steps for you.

Step 1. Find a Topic that Interests You

It is important to choose a documentary topic that interests you. Interest will drive you to do something. A documentary that you are interested in and meaningful to you will make you more confident to shoot and edit.

Step 2. Research Your Topic

After finding a suitable topic, you need to find information related to the documentary and learn as much as possible about the topic of the documentary. In addition, you also need to collect stories and characters related to the topic.

Step 3. Create an Outline

Create a shooting plan and write an outline for your production process. Think about how you want to tell the story, what structure should be used to present the story, and what the core of your documentary is.

Step 4. Create a Shot List

Make a list of the footage and interviews you need to make your film. Choose the most representative people to interview. Generally speaking, it is difficult for the audience to get to know more than 7 to 8 people in a video. So don’t interview too many people.

Step 5. Start Shooting

Before you start shooting, you can look at the shooting techniques of other documentaries of the same type. Think about your own style of filming and storytelling. Shooting also requires skill, so make sure you get a variety of angles, including close-ups, medium shots, and wide-angle shots.

Step 6. Write a Script

Once you have filmed all of your footage and collected all of the elements, you can start to organize it into a documentary script. By linking the different segments together, you can generate a main story and side stories.

Step 7. Begin Editing

After filming, it’s time to use your editing skills to edit your documentary. First, you need to choose the right devices and video editing applications. If you want to make a good documentary, it’s best to use a computer editing tool that can guarantee high-resolution video exports.

Now you can follow the steps above to start making YouTube documentaries. Creating a documentary is a long process. These steps may seem simple, but each step requires a lot of effort.

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Tips to Make a YouTube Documentary

# Save Your Footage and Projects Frequently

Remember to save and back up your footage after each shoot. If you need to move your project from one computer to another, you can use an external hard drive or a flash drive with a large capacity.

# Don’t Read Too Fast

In a documentary, whether it is an interview or a voiceover, don’t speak too fast. Speaking too fast makes it difficult for the audience to understand your point. Give the audience enough time to understand your point before you move on.

# Don’t Add Too Many Transitions

Too many complicated and fancy transitions will bore people. It is recommended to use the most traditional and common fade-in and fade-out effects. It can not only make the connection between the two clips smoother but also add a little fun to the documentary. Not all transitions require transitions. Choose the necessary moments to transition.

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Conclusion

Making a documentary is a hard process. This post provides beginners with the steps and tips to make a YouTube documentary. Help beginners avoid some possible problems in advance. Now, start to make a documentary on YouTube by yourself!