DOCUMENTARY REPORT

Environmental Science (ENVISCI)

Documentaries educate, raise awareness and change opinions on many different issues. Foundations
work to transform various problems in our communities. The biggest barriers for change are people's
attitudes. Documentary films tell the stories of real people and common situations, not stereotypes.

What is the purpose of documentary report?

Documentary research is often conducted by social scientists to assess a set of documents for historical or
social value, or to create a larger narrative through the study of multiple documents surrounding an event or
individual.

What is an objective documentary?

An objective approach to documentary storytelling in which we hear from a variety of voices not only
brings balance, but delivers a more complete story. When we tell a story about an issue, we include the facts,
the stats, the context and the official voices.

What are the three aims of a documentary?

Documentary filmmaking is a non-fiction style of filmmaking that seeks to document some aspect of reality.
This can be done for education, preservation, and entertainment purposes.
Documentary Elements:

1. A documentary is an audiovisual presentation that uses multiple source types such as images, video, and
sound to communicate the student’s historical argument, research, and interpretation of the topic’s
significance in environmental education and awareness.
2. It must be an original production.

Time Requirements:

1. Documentaries may not exceed ten minutes in length.

2. Timing begins when the first visual image appears, or the first sound is heard, whichever occurs first.
3. Timing does not include time used to test sound or video.
4. Timing ends when the last visual image or sound concludes, including source credits.
5. Students have up to five minutes to prepare the documentary for presentation, adjust volume, etc.

Parts of Documentary Report:

1. Ten minutes maximum: From the first words or images on screen to the end of the credits, the
documentary can be no longer than ten minutes. There is no minimum time for a documentary.
2. Includes brief credits at end: Brief credits of major sources of information, not the full bibliography, must
appear at the end. It’s okay if they go by quickly.
3. Optional: While not required, a documentary may include background music, be separated into sections
with titles, or include interviews. Primary source interviews are preferred.
Rubric:

CRITERIA 20 points 15 points 10 points 5 points Score

Storytelling Develops an Starts with an Story is confusing Does not tell a

Techniques interesting story interesting story, or not interesting story
from the point of but has no clear
view of a central theme
character

Sources Uses and cites Uses only Uses sources that Does not use
primary and secondary do not support outside sources
secondary sources that the narrative
sources that support the
relate directly to narrative
the narrative

Structure Narrative has a Narrative has an Narrative is No attempt at an

clear organizing organizing disorganized organizing
structure and structure but structure is in
flows logically needs some place
improvement

Variety and Changes the Changes media Uses more the Uses only an
Pacing screen image sometimes to one medium, but interview with no
and/or audio on engage audience, doesn’t engage other media
a regular basis to but pacing could audience
engage the improved
audience

Production Has high-quality Production Poor production Technical

Values sound-video, values could be makes the story problems ruin the
editing camera better, but don’t hard to video; the story is
work, and interfere with the understand lost
transitions story